The Avenger

While my car was being repaired at the auto shop, Nationwide paid for a rental (Nationwide is on my side!). The young man at Enterprise asked me if the white car outside was "okay" and I informed him that I was not about to turn my nose up at a free car. We completed some paperwork and he handed me the keys to a 2009 Dodge Avenger:

I joked that, per the name, I was required to wear a cape at all times while driving and fight crimes wherever I could. I'm not sure the naming convention for cars, this one certainly sounded like something a comic book hero:

On to the car... I was pleasantly surprised it was equipped with Sirius Satellite Radio, easily my favorite feature for the car. I very surprised how quickly the gasoline gauge dropped. I am not sure the particular model (SE, SXT, or R/T) but the MPG Dodge claims range from 16-21 for city driving. I drove the car three times to work and once out to lunch during a workday, which consumed 1/4 of the fuel tank. My drive to work is literally 10 minutes, at best I put 50 miles on the odometer. I am sure the engine packed a punch, but the slow acceleration from stop was a real annoyance. Worse the tiny windows and mirrors, combined with the slow pick-up, made driving uncomfortable at times; it took too long to check traffic and I knew the engine would not rev quickly enough for me to change lanes or make some turns. Could it be that I am spoiled by expectations set by driving the Honda Accord?