The introduction of the Dodge Dart brought about an impact that many people didn’t expect – a huge spike in sales of the midsized Dodge Avenger. While many people believed that the introduction of the sportier, more efficient and higher tech Dart would overshadow the aging Avenger in showrooms around the country, the opposite seems to have happened.
Many people walking into Dodge dealerships to see the new Dodge Dart are driving out – but not in a Dart. They are opting for the slightly larger Avenger and in speaking with the owner of a Dodge dealership, the reason was very clear. Dealerships have a tremendous amount of wiggle room on the selling price of the Avenger but the size of the margin between dealership cost and MSRP is also much larger (than on the Dart). This means that not only are dealerships able to lower the price of the Avenger more than the Dart, they are also able to make more money on the Avenger than on the Dart. When you add in the fact that dealerships are trying to get rid of the 2013 Avenger as they prepare for 2014 model year vehicles – it becomes clearer still why so many people are buying the Avenger.
The upsides to the Dart are plentiful. The Dart is vastly more efficient, it is far more heavily equipped in terms of both interior and exterior features and anyone who has driven both of these cars will almost surely give the nod “fun to drive” nod to the Dart. The problem is that dealerships aren’t able to negotiate much on the price so the advertised website MSRP is probably pretty close to what you can expect to pay.
The Avenger has its own upsides with the most substantial advantages being the slightly larger interior and the optional V6 engine. While the Dart GT is coming soon with an increase in power over the current Dart trimlines, the V6 Avenger packs far more power with 283 horsepower so the Avenger holds a massive advantage in power and performance.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
