The standard powertrain is a 2.0-liter, 16-valve four-cylinder engine hitched to a five-speed manual transmission. A 2.5-liter, 24-valve, V6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission are optional.

Avenger ES comes standard with air conditioning, tilt steering, leather wrapped wheel, speed control, power steering, a cassette player and aluminum wheels.

The Dodge Avenger offers a good value when compared with the $21,095 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34, $22,250 Toyota Celica GT, and Toyota Solara, which ranges from $19,058 to more than $26,800. The new Mercury Cougar, priced in the $17,000 range, is a closer competitor. At 190.9 inches bumper-to-bumper, the Avenger is 1 inch longer than the Solara and 10 inches shorter than the Monte Carlo.

Our Avenger ES came with a $2,020 customer-preferred options package that includes leather low-back bucket seats, power windows/mirrors/locks, six-way adjustable driver's seat, CD player and keyless entry. It was fitted with anti-lock brakes ($600); automatic transmission ($695); 2.5-liter V6 engine ($610); power sunroof ($640) and upgraded stereo with graphic equalizer and Infinity speakers ($325). A $630 discount brought the total price to $22,440.

Our ES was painted with an eye-popping Indy Red clear coat that accentuated its high-flying profile. Its aggressive, windswept lines are more predatory than the Chrysler Sebring Coupe's more contoured shape, and the Avenger's compact grille and hungry-looking air dam suggest a car that's ready to gobble up the miles and anything else that gets in its way.

The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger share basic platforms with the Mitsubishi Galant and Eclipse and all four are built at the same Normal, Illinois, plant.