So now I’m cruising down the 101 south, end enjoying the ride. The 2.4 liter four-banger is pretty decent with 1734 HP and 166 F/lbs torque. It provides adequate horsepower and torque for most highway driving, but it certainly is not enough to get anyone in trouble. The engineers obviously spent a lot of time tuning the exhaust note to make it more aggressive and throaty than one would expect from a small motor. The car focuses a lot on striking a balance for the young driver, with Mazda-like performance characteristics, and driver comfort. The styling of the car is also aggressive, one might even call it a “Mini Charger”.
So the first thing I notice in the interior is the buttons. There aren’t too many, and the ones I do use frequently for driving are easily accessible. It takes me some time to get used to them, as they are the total opposite side from the Nissan I’m used to driving, but that’s a personal quirk. So the buttons on the steering wheel control the stereo - and oh that stereo…easily the best stereo I have ever seen on a car at this price point. The bass is heavy, it’s loud and its clear. I’m no audiophile, but I know decent sound when I hear it. It’s also easy to control the other aspects such as the satellite radio and USB port.
The other thing I really liked about the 2011 Avenger was how it drove. Again, you can tell who they tuned this target market for, to compete directly with the Mazda 6’s of the world and Nissan Altimas. The suspension is tight, just right for spirited driving. Body roll is minimized, and its actually quite fun throwing this thing onto on-ramps at high speed. It’s actually kind of fun. It’s also very stable at high speed on the highway, and executes lane changes without any hesitation. It also surprised me with how thrifty the motor was in fuel consumption, with the needle barely moving.
But as with any car, there were some negatives too, many of those I chalk up to being a rental car. First of all, there was a squeak. It was one of those annoying squeaks that you probably wouldn’t notice unless someone pointed it out, but it was always there. And it was annoying. I’m pretty sure it was just a bearing in the HVAC fan needed some lubrication, but it was driving me nuts. Additionally, since I was in California, of course I spent some time in traffic. This is when I start noticing the transmission would drop violently with a shudder in stop and go traffic. I am hoping the poor car was just a victim of rental car abuse, but when cruising at about 10 mph, and taking your foot off the gas, the shudder was definitely noticeable. My only other complaints were poor rear visibility and the knowledge that this car would be awesome with a V6 (R/T model coming soon)
Overall, it was a pretty decent experience. As equipped, the car I drove clocked in between $19-20K, which is a fair price for the car. This model is leaps and bounds over its unloved predecessor. I think this would be a great commuter car, and a great everyday ride. It’s comfortable, has great infotainment, and is fueled by a proven powerplant. While reliability is not verified yet, the Fiat platform it rides on has been around for a while. It’s a good alternative to a soul-less Corolla or even a Civic, especially if you prefer to buy American. The trim levels, from base to loaded, are called “Express”, “Mainstreet”, “LUX”, and “Heat”, and are priced between $19,200 and $23,800.
[caption id="attachment_478" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The 2011 Avenger in Express trim"]
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