It is very difficult to overcome the initial and deep sense of disappointment I felt when I unlocked the (notchy) door lock of our Avenger R/T test car. I really like the Avenger's aggressive stance, how cool it looks going down the road, and its optional chrome wheels ($550), which nicely complement the Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat exterior paint. But then I stepped inside a sea of plastic. Now, our younger editors tend to whine a bit about "plasticky" interiors. Plastic doesn't really bother me as a rule. The Avenger's interior would leave them speechless. The few small bits that aren't part of the endless sad sea of hard, grey plastic are easy to spot - a bit of chrome here and there, and some optional leather ($525) on the well-bolstered bucket seats and two-tone perforated covering on the nicely shaped and weighted steering wheel, in addition to the leather-wrapped shift ball.
While the big pieces fit together fairly well, I'd put the overall fit and finish about two years behind the entry-level Koreans. But it's the buttons and stalks and handles that really leave me cold. The one-touch electric window switches feel like they're sticking. The interior door handles - while chrome - are an ergonomic disaster, badly positioned, and barely big enough to accommodate your hand without pinching your pinky. The six-speed manumatic's shift lever clunks through its gates.... Read full article