avenger
is this a good and reliable car to own? this will be my first car and it only has 105,000 miles on it.
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1996 Dodge Avenger Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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This 2-door sports coupe remains a fun car to drive, and with its spacious interior, you can easily take your friends along to show off your ride.
Not many updates for the 1996 Dodge Avenger. The most notable is an increase in horsepower in the ES model from 155 to 163-horsepower. Other new offerings include a 16-inch alumninum wheel option and different interior fabric.
While the V6 ES model gives you more power and acceleration, it still is only available as an automatic, so the base model 5-speed is often cited as more fun to drive. Low ground clearance, a too wide turning radius, and transmission woes are a common complaint for some owners.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1996 Dodge Avenger
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by Luis Lazaro F
Sep 17, 2014
The car definitely wasn't built for power but the handling is pretty good. Mine has 187,000 miles on it and I've owned for 1+ year. No major problems, just normal wear and tear for a car that's 15 yrs old. Rockers have rust issues, especially when you live in ND. Overall, I love the car and would recommend one in good condition to my friends. These trannys can have problems, so beware of that.Sep 17, 2014
by Anonymous
Jul 08, 2011
The car definitely wasn't built for power but the handling is pretty good. Mine has 163,000 miles on it and I've owned for 2+ years. No major problems, just normal wear and tear for a car that's 15 yrs old. Rockers have rust issues, especially when you live in ND. Overall, I love the car and would recommend one in good condition to my friends. These trannys can have problems, so beware of that.Jul 08, 2011
by Randy B
Mar 06, 2011
I had a killer stereo , 2 amps , 2 subs, spent well over 2000$ . I loved this car. Great looks. Mine was dark green with a grey interior. Mileage was very good while the performance was also quite good. Had to fold the back seats down on long trips so that the amps didn't overheat. Mar 06, 2011
User rating:
by Luis Lazaro F
Sep 17, 2014
The car definitely wasn't built for power but the handling is pretty good. Mine has 187,000 miles on it and I've owned for 1+ year. No major problems, just normal wear and tear for a car that's 15 yrs old. Rockers have rust issues, especially when you live in ND. Overall, I love the car and would recommend one in good condition to my friends. These trannys can have problems, so beware of that.Sep 17, 2014
by Anonymous
Jul 08, 2011
The car definitely wasn't built for power but the handling is pretty good. Mine has 163,000 miles on it and I've owned for 2+ years. No major problems, just normal wear and tear for a car that's 15 yrs old. Rockers have rust issues, especially when you live in ND. Overall, I love the car and would recommend one in good condition to my friends. These trannys can have problems, so beware of that.Jul 08, 2011
by Randy B
Mar 06, 2011
I had a killer stereo , 2 amps , 2 subs, spent well over 2000$ . I loved this car. Great looks. Mine was dark green with a grey interior. Mileage was very good while the performance was also quite good. Had to fold the back seats down on long trips so that the amps didn't overheat. Mar 06, 2011
by Anonymous
Jun 10, 2010
Clean smooth lines-nice curves. 4 cyl. 5sp. is fun to drive-speed parts available-easy to install. Handles very nicely. Interior styling rather bland but functional. Gas-30mpg hwy.. Build quality is good-Chry. & Mitsub.. Maint. costs avg.. Will seat 4 relatively comfortably.Jun 10, 2010
by Adam K
May 11, 2010
The car is fast, but needs some more work to get the quickness up. Braking is awesome, as is handling. Haven't had much trouble that wasn't my fault, and the car is a blast to drive. By the way, 35 mpg, and it's a beautiful car. May 11, 2010
by Candice G
Dec 09, 2009
I love the way it looks with the wing on the back and its color red. I want to fix the front bumper and side fender. It is fun to drive. The old owner didint take very good care of it.Dec 09, 2009
by Andy G
Oct 28, 2009
This car was great, believe it or not. The 2.5 v6 could have been bigger, but it had ample power. I the 90,000 miles I owned the car, all that needed fixed was; 1 battery, tune-up at 60,000, 1 rear wheel bearing, brakes all the way around, and 2 sets of tires.Oct 28, 2009
by Danny C
Oct 04, 2009
Not fast enough but it turns more heads than any
other car on the road. Stock version is not as attractive
with the work i've put in, all that has changed. Needs
that big turbo engine to go with it though.Oct 04, 2009
by Benjamin S
Sep 03, 2009
All around awesome car thats all i have to say about that! Great on gas, no mechanical problems normally. If you keep up on the basic changes and make sure its well maintained then this car will run like a champ!Sep 03, 2009
by Alex B
Jul 17, 2009
it was a car that looked really good with a body kit but it really didnt have much power and i was ready for another project. it was getting old. but it was worth all the work when i sold it.Jul 17, 2009
by Brett K
Mar 11, 2009
Performance- Handles corners like a champ
Build Quality- Only had to replace lower ball joints
Appearance- Good enough to win me 20 car shows
Cost of ownership- 20mpg town / 31 hwy
Fun factor- Love takin it out 541 cuz the corners are tight and the car handles them perfectlyMar 11, 2009
by Jeremiah M
Feb 10, 2009
Overall a decent car. Gets me from A to B pretty reliably. At one point it actually looked really nice with the ground effects and everything but those have gotten busted up over time so now It's pretty much just a money pit, slowly dieing lol. A good first car though, or if you're just looking for a cheap car that's decent looking to get you to school or work and not cost you $$$ in gas then this is probably the car for you.Feb 10, 2009
by Bryan B
Oct 17, 2008
I absolutely love the gas mileage of the 4 cylinder engine and 5 speed tranny combo. Handling is pretty good, it's no Mini but still good, and the brakes stop the car quickly. Power is the most lacking thing, but that can be solved with some aftermarket mods (many parts for a Mitsubishi Eclipse fit perfectly except for cat-backs). My specific Avenger has been by far the most reliable car my family has ever owned, plus the car just plain looks great. Oct 17, 2008
by Adam W
Jul 08, 2008
i don't like the car because its an American car of this era and its expensive when it needs to be fixed. i would much rather have an import car that cost 5 dollars to fix and only needs to be fixed on rare occasions.Jul 08, 2008
by Caitlin T
Jun 10, 2008
It is very fun to drive but slow as hell and a piece of crap! It is a red, 2 door sedan, 5-speed transmission, front wheel drive, 4-cylinder 16 valve DOHC= Mitsubishi Eclipse RS motor, yuck!!! Oh well, at least I have an AEM cold-air intake and makes it sound like it has balls and it purrs when it wants to of course haha Jun 10, 2008
by Melissa L
Jun 06, 2008
they look nice but other than n appearence there is too many problems with themJun 06, 2008
by Stephanie G
May 25, 2008
V6, all power, Spanish Olive Pearl with tan leather, sunroof.May 25, 2008
by Seth S
May 06, 2008
nothing.. it's dead nowMay 06, 2008
by Leticia C
Apr 24, 2008
Well i dont have one but it drives for us and takes us where we need to go!Apr 24, 2008
by Darren B
Apr 20, 2008
my first carApr 20, 2008
by Brenda S
Apr 11, 2008
Owned the Mopar crap for 5 years...Apr 11, 2008
by Craig B
Mar 28, 2008
This was my Stereo show car! It looked really good. I just wish it would have had a little more power.Mar 28, 2008
by Sarah H
Feb 16, 2008
Everything went wrong on it...cuz it was from Illinois and beaten on daily...once everything got fixed on it I loved it. It's a car I've wanted but wish it was one that didn't have so many pricey problems. It's not really a fast car, boyfriend's Blazer beat it, just good enough for daily driving. It's just really a basic car to get me by.Feb 16, 2008
by Dane F
Feb 07, 2008
i really like this car its roomy and sport and has lots of power and is good on gas. nicely done interior and features r easy to use.Feb 07, 2008
by Lynn P
Jan 10, 2008
It was cloth interior (green), and had silver rally strips on the exterior. 2 doors, but was dificult with a rear facing car seat!Jan 10, 2008
by Pete T
Dec 29, 2007
Dug this ride, lots of good times with it even though I blew the motor at 50k and it was always in the shop when I had it. At 100k miles or so we had to replace the trans too. Moon roof broke every winter. It had a great stock sound system and sexy curves. Handled OK and was quick enough for my first car.Dec 29, 2007
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1996 Dodge Avenger Pricing
Original MSRP
$14,575 to $18,656Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent