If you’re shopping for a comfortable, value-packed sedan, here’s the star of the class: the 2013 Dodge Avenger.

We’ll start with the safety accolades. The Avenger is the “Top Safety Pick” of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the midsized sedan category. The Avenger is ranked “good” (the top score) in four criteria: rear impact/head restraint, roof strength, side impact, and moderate overlap front impact. The Avenger has earned this significant distinction for the past four years in a row.

Next is the Avenger’s award-winning available engine,…