Well, I haven't had it for very long and I got it used. I have noticed a few rattles and such, but nothing major...actually, it has been the best car I have owned... I once and I repeat, once, owned a Mitsubishi Eclipse (will never do so again) and I bought that car new, and my Avenger blows it away. I am now at 64,000 plus miles and it still runs like a new car. Although trunk has discolored a little from the rest of the paint.
The car is very sporty... but it is far to heavy for the engine it has. Even at a 2.5 liter V6 this car is just to heavy to be a Mustang killer... Dodge needs to find a way to make this car lighter... the body roll makes taking sharp turns at decent speed hard and it's takeoff acceleration needs to be just a bit quicker for such a big engine. Other than that, this car is a dream... perfect for someone that wants a sporty car, but can't afford a Porsche.
I own a '95 ES and also love the car. I know that you said that you would never own another Mitsubishi Eclipse. I hate to break it to you, but the Avenger is it's big brother. They share most of the same parts, except for the chassis which is a Gallant. They are or rather were even built in the same factory in Norml, ILL. Of course, that's what makes these cars last so long. Just like Toyotas, Mitsubishis' if taken care of are hard to kill.
There are a few things to remember about these cars; the brakes go bad (design flaw), the paint (unless you have one of the two premium paints) will go bad. The moonroof has a nasty habit of sticking (open). Be careful not to pull the knob off of the stereo fader control because you cannot order another, anything lost from the radio requires a new head unit, and it is not cheap! Keep your tire pressure at factory specs, 31f/29r, I know that the tires will look "low", but that is the way they are. Failure to do this causes handling, brake, and suspention problems.
With that said, There is a lot to love about the Avenger. I'll mention just a few things. On the whole they are very well built. Very good for driving any distance (no worries and fun). Are good on gas.
The best thing about having one of these cars is that not everyone has one! I like to refer to these as "Viper's little brother", and that's not a bad thing.
I like what you said, but disagree with the comment about the weight. I own a 1999 Avenger ES with every option available, and it still weighs in under 3000 lbs. That's not a very common trait these days.
They actualy weigh 4222 lbs...
The writer of the last comment is clueless.
The curb weight of the Avenger is 2879 pounds.
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