2011 Avenger Gets Facelift, Needs Eveything lift

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

2011 Avenger Gets Facelift, Needs Eveything lift

The next generation Dodge Avenger you aren't waiting for isn't due for at least another year, but these spy photos from a Jalopnik reader show it's getting a facelift for 2011. See you in the rental fleet.

link:

http://jalopnik.com/5615936/2011-avenger-gets-facelift-needs-eveythinglift

[the_yellow_dart]

Just kill it with fire already.

I'm really getting sick of Chrysler ruining the image of American cars. Now that Toyota has been through their bath of fire and likely learned a lesson, Chrysler tops my most-hated list.

[daves87rs]

I smell discounts....

[Intrepidation]

Ah the third grader's at Jokelopnik have put in their two cents. Stylistically the Avenger isn't bad (unlike the current Sebring), certainly no worse than what Toyota or Honda puts out for exterior designs. It's always been the interior, NVH, powertrains, and suspension tuning (on non R/T models) that have let the car down. All that is supposed be be addressed with the refresh.

[FAPTurbo]

The Avenger is bad. The side profile is that of a Charger which wasn't squashed all the way in, and its heavily accentuated haunches make it even more cartoonish. If you're not repulsed enough by ChryCo's phoned-in design, and make it inside of the car, then tbe interior will be enough to make you hit your head against the dash until you hemorrhage. Luckily, the terrible plastics will snap before that happens, so Chrysler was thinking ahead in that respect.

Honda's almost as terrible though, and Toyota is merely boring. But Chrysler really should've gone with something less pseudo-macho.

[Drew Dowdell]

Ah the third grader's at Jokelopnik have put in their two cents. Stylistically the Avenger isn't bad (unlike the current Sebring), certainly no worse than what Toyota or Honda puts out for exterior designs. It's always been the interior, NVH, powertrains, and suspension tuning (on non R/T models) that have let the car down. All that is supposed be be addressed with the refresh.

I've never minded the Avenger from a styling perspective.... at this point its old... but not broken.

It's the dirty bits underneath and most of the interior that needs the attention.

[Intrepidation]

I've never minded the Avenger from a styling perspective.... at this point its old... but not broken.

It's the dirty bits underneath and most of the interior that needs the attention.

Which is what they're working on instead of the outside...although I would have done something about the rear door glass shape too...but oh well.

[regfootball]

a good interior could salvage the car, but the other problem is that its a tweener.

chrysler should have back in 05 rebadged the galant as the next intrepid to take the pressure off this thing, but oh well. galant was a better size to compete in the class and had good handling and the v6 had balls too.

actually, the tweener sizing is nice in a way. the cabin is not compact. and the car itself does not feel huge. its just ugly (front grille-yuck rear window and fender shapes), cheap inside, and drives like carp. in that regard, a perfect 2nd family car or fleet car.

the interior with simply some detail upgrades and a major plastic and cloth / leather upgrades would go a long way. it's just so darn blocky otherwise.

Another thing that might really sell the snot out of this car is if it had an uber fuel efficient powertrain. Then they could flip the small tweener size to its advantage by saying its more fuel efficient than the midsizers and larger than a compact (and keep the pricing at the compact class). Something like a 2.0 base engine and 6 speed automatic or CVT that got sublime MPG. Or a 2.4. And then very limited use of a v6. if they could get one build of this car to the 26/36 type of numbers it would go a long way towards justifying its tweener size.

The old stratus R/T always appealed to me because it could be had with the sludgemaster and a manual trans. I've always thought the avenger would be a good car in the spirit (no chrylser pun intended) with a high hp engine, simple fwd, nice manual gearbox, and tight suspension. think avenger cobalt ss. problem is the styling is so TP it could never be taken seriously as a sports sedan of the euro theme until they fix the red meat hunters / NASCAR / bling quotient of it.

the problems with the exterior though are so fundamental, it requires too much work to fix, i think.

the avenger name alone is reason to avoid the car. stratus was far better. no housewife or very few women will drive a car named 'avenger'.

Edited August 19, 2010 by regfootball

[Robert Hall]

the avenger name alone is reason to avoid the car. stratus was far better. no housewife or very few women will drive a car named 'avenger'.

The name of the car makes me think of a comic book superhero..maybe Dodge views it as a Clark Kent car..though it doesn't seem to have much Superman inside..

[Cory Wolfe]

I agree with Jalopnik. I can't stand the styling... almost as if the Chinese took a Charger, shrunk it, and morphed into the abomination we see today. The Sebring and Avenger and equally hideous in my eyes.

[Robert Hall]

I agree with Jalopnik. I can't stand the styling... almost as if the Chinese took a Charger, shrunk it, and morphed into the abomination we see today. The Sebring and Avenger and equally hideous in my eyes.

I find the Sebring worse. Oddly, though, the Galant that they are based on is innofensively bland.

[Intrepidation]

The neither cars are based one the Galant, they are based on the JS platform co-developed withe Mitsubishi. The Galant is based on the "Project America" PS platform.

[regfootball]

The neither cars are based one the Galant, they are based on the JS platform co-developed withe Mitsubishi. The Galant is based on the "Project America" PS platform.

that's why i said they would have been better off with a galant clone as their fwd offing instead of an undersized underperforming tweener. a galant with a different interior and gunsight front clip would have been perfect and a much better product.

I agree with Jalopnik. I can't stand the styling... almost as if the Chinese took a Charger, shrunk it, and morphed into the abomination we see today. The Sebring and Avenger and equally hideous in my eyes.

its so messed up from the start i just dont think they can fix it. the 200c concept on the other hand.........

[Robert Hall]

The neither cars are based one the Galant, they are based on the JS platform co-developed withe Mitsubishi. The Galant is based on the "Project America" PS platform.

Ok, I thought i read something from Mitsubishi shared a platform w/ the Avenger/Sebring..maybe the Lancer? One of those sedans..

[Intrepidation]

Ok, I thought i read something from Mitsubishi shared a platform w/ the Avenger/Sebring..maybe the Lancer? One of those sedans..

Lancer, Outlander.

[daves87rs]

I've never minded the Avenger from a styling perspective.... at this point its old... but not broken.

It's the dirty bits underneath and most of the interior that needs the attention.

Agreed.

It's just tired looking...

[Intrepidation]

Well both it and the Sebring are stopgaps until all new models arrive. Better they do what they can to improve them in the meantime than let them rot even longer on the market.

[Ravenfreak13]

I like my avenger! It's still going strong...the lease is almost up! By the way IM BACK!

[Intrepidation]

Hey Raven, glad to see you back. Don't be a stranger!

What are you planning to replace it with?

[Ravenfreak13]

2011 CTS Coupe...perfomance package!

[Intrepidation]

Nice upgrade!

[daves87rs]

Nice!

[Ravenfreak13]

i have to wait until feb/mar though....which sucks and lets hope the money flow will be good still haha AVENGER<CTS COUPE

[cire]

The Avenger is bad. The side profile is that of a Charger which wasn't squashed all the way in, and its heavily accentuated haunches make it even more cartoonish. If you're not repulsed enough by ChryCo's phoned-in design, and make it inside of the car, then tbe interior will be enough to make you hit your head against the dash until you hemorrhage. Luckily, the terrible plastics will snap before that happens, so Chrysler was thinking ahead in that respect.

Honda's almost as terrible though, and Toyota is merely boring. But Chrysler really should've gone with something less pseudo-macho.

I agree with this assessment. Everything from the model name to the overall design is cartoonish.

I do hope the tweaks that are being made to the vehicle help keep Chrysler afloat until they can bring something better and more appropriate to market.

I hope the Fiat based replacement is a sleek design that resurrects the "Intrepid" name. To me, "Intrepid" represents the sportier nature of the Dodge brand in a mature, sophisticated manner.