A three-quarter-scale replica of the Charger in many ways, the Dodge Avenger is about twice the car the Stratus was, with more style, more guts, and more verve. We really like the way the new Avenger is styled and put together. It's got real sex appeal, good fuel economy, a nice-looking, functional interior with reasonable family room (although the fast-sloping rear roof doesn't leave a lot of head room or leg room), lots of ordering flexibility with three model lines, and a host of interesting options. We would definitely put the Avenger on our shopping list.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Jim McCraw filed this report from Scottsdale, Arizona.