Day 1:
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New for 2007 is the Dodge Caliber, replacing the Dodge SX 2.0 formerly known as Dodge Neon or Chrysler Neon, depending on the year and trim level. The Caliber is a completely new vehicle, large in size and much larger in appearance with its muscular Dodge front fascia.
With the introduction of the Caliber, Dodge has eliminated any small sedans from their lineup as the Caliber is only available as a 5-door hatchback. In general Canadians love hatchbacks; they (hatchbacks not Canadians) get excellent fuel economy with the capacity to carry large amounts of cargo.
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My tester is equipped with what Dodge calls the E Package or simply the SXT trim. What this includes over the SE trim is 17″ aluminum wheels, body-colour grille, colour-keyed instrument panel bezel, dash bezel, seat inserts and fog lamps all for just $540.
Also included in my tester is the 9 speaker sound system which includes liftgate speakers on the rear hatch which articulate for parking lot bass pounding fun, or just to annoy your neighbours. Included with the 9 speaker system is also a subwoofer and steering wheel stereo controls.
The remaining options include cruise control and a 2.0L 4-Cyl. DOHC 16V Dual VVT Engine mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that produces 158 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 141 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm.
2007 Dodge Caliber SXT
MSRP as tested: $20,325
For more information on Dodge and the Caliber visit Dodge Canada
Updated June 23rd 2006
Day 2:
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Well well, it seems as though my regular readers really dislike the Caliber, especially the styling. Interestingly I’ve had a few comments regarding the looks of the Caliber out in the real world and all have been positive. Some especially liked the colour coded interior on the SXT model.
Styling is so very subjective I tend to avoid the subject, I provide the pictures you decide if you like it or not. My opinion on the Caliber is somewhat neutral. It doesn’t look too bad from most angles. That said I am not a fan of the angled rear hatch, which looks similar to the Chevrolet
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Malibu Maxx. The front uses the signature Dodge grill which is used on the Magnum and Charger which creates brand identity. In photos the Caliber it seems to come out looking bulkier than it really is. I won’t deny that I feel it tries a little too hard to be a truck though.
At first I was not fond of the colour keyed interior, red inserts on the seats and red dash bezels, but they have grown on me. Some nice touches are added to the interior of the Caliber, such as the Ipod holder in the armrest and the “Chill Zone” glove box that has space for 4 water bottles. There is also a storage bin above the glove box, and at night the cup holders glow a soothing white/blue to guide you towards your drink.
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Below the armrest is a 115 volt plug for your Ipod or cell phone, this eliminates the need to purchase a car adapter. My only complaint with the interior is the quality and feel of the plastics used. I would say the plastics are on par with the dash in the Chevrolet Avalanche I drove last week. The difference being in the Avalanche it was only the upper dash that was made of the “hardest plastic known to man”, in the Caliber it is the entire interior. This can lead to bruised elbows on the armrests and door panels.
Despite not having lumbar support the seats are fairly comfortable and the rear seats recline and fold completely flat for extra storage space. The driver’s seat provides height, fore and aft adjustment and recline, while the front passenger seat has all but height adjustment.
Updated June 26th 2006
Day 3:
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The driving dynamics of the Caliber are fairly decent a generally overlooked characteristic on an entry level vehicle. The suspension system on the SXT Caliber is aptly named the touring suspension. Bumps and potholes are absorbed smoothly; the highway ride is comfortable all the while allowing for a sporty feel on initial turn in with minimal body roll.
The large 17ďż˝? alloy wheels and the higher center of gravity on the Caliber seem to work well together, use smaller wheels and it may feel a little under rubbered. On initial turn in I find the Caliber to be quite capable, when trying to push a little harder than physics will allow the front end will start to push out and scrub off speed, plenty safe for the new driver.
My test model is also equipped with the optional 2.0L engine, which can only be had with the CVT transmission. This was my first CVT experience and although odd at first I quickly began to enjoy it. On initial acceleration the computers seems to decide on an RPM range, as you accelerate the engine turns at virtually the same speed the entire time until you press harder or let off the gas.
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When accelerating onto a highway the sound is a little odd. Conventional wisdom tells you more speed equals more noise as the engine revs up to its redline before grabbing the next gear. Not with a CVT transmission, highway on ramps become a 4800rpm buzz all the way up to 100km/h. I did find myself going quicker than anticipated at some points due to this, as the engine note never changes.
In the city I found the Caliber to be very quiet, sane acceleration, with the flow of traffic had the engine spinning at a constant 1500-2000 rpm resulting in very little noise levels. At or over 80km/h also produced very little engine noise, but significant road noise can be heard at these speeds.
If you are looking for a sporty drive particularly in the corners, you should not be looking at the CVT transmission; the CVT tends to drop your revs very quickly. As you lift off the throttle upon corner entry the revs drop when you apply throttle again to get going at the apex of the corner the car tends to jerk fairly hard as the CVT kicks down to provide power. In everyday normal driving the CVT is excellent, for performance driving, even a regular automatic would be better.
I know my readers will ask about fuel economy so I will come forth and mention I will update when I fill up the car. So far I can only provide a fuel gauge estimate of approximately 7.5L/100km all city driving. Incidentally the same city driving that was returning 18L/100km in the Avalanche.
Last but not least is the optional 9 speaker stereo by Boston Acoustics. This is a $395 option which adds, 2 articulating Liftgate Speakers 6 Boston Acoustics® Speakers with Subwoofer. If I were buying a Caliber this would be a must, the system sounds phenomenal and $395 is truly a bargain price for a system of this quality. This option also adds steering wheel audio and tuning controls for an added touch. I’m giving the stereo a 5 out of 5 wheels!
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
Update on gas mileage, over 280km all city driving I averaged 10L/100km.
2007 Dodge Caliber SXT
MSRP as tested: $20,325
For more information on Dodge and the Caliber visit Dodge Canada
to our site.
June 29, 2006, 01:30:47 pm I like the exterior of these cars but find the interior rather bland...
Saw a white R/T model on the road, very attrractive vehicle. It stands out for sure. Wonder if they were able to capture the driving dynamics from the Neon, seeing as it is it's replacement.
Just like Robarakira, I loved driving my neon, it made me a mechanic but I loved driving it all the same...
June 29, 2006, 02:43:30 pm Wouldn't European cars we don't get over here have remote keyless non entry ....
June 29, 2006, 04:42:14 pm
Seriously though - the europeans have had it on us for many years in terms of car content/features. We have never gotten it since Henry Ford ran the first Model T off the assemly line.
June 29, 2006, 04:46:18 pm
Seriously though - the europeans have had it on us for many years in terms of car content/features. We have never gotten it since Henry Ford ran the first Model T off the assemly line.
Don't they pay more for more content?
June 29, 2006, 10:06:09 pm
June 30, 2006, 08:59:02 am Its a lot different, so the cars are different, they are contented different, they are priced different. Too much difference for me not to care about it.
June 30, 2006, 10:05:00 am I've lived my whole life in the UK up until a 11 years ago I was born there. yes its expensive and if your unskilled your screwd. But if you are lucky and live in a council flat is not that bad. every day is exciting. people only live for today they don't worry about saving all that borring stuff. Also its a lot cheaper and better cars on the used car market. Not all of England is expensive is only in the SE and midlands. get way cheaper in the north. At the end of the day is relative.
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June 30, 2006, 10:36:26 am
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Having said that, I'd live there in a minute if I could afford the same standard of living. The brits have the best vistas in the world, the walking path infrastructure is second to none, and some of the best history this side of Greece in terms of ruins, sites, and interest. The only thing missing is great skiing - oh, wait a minute, you can get cheap airfare to the continent for that, so never mind
June 30, 2006, 07:28:59 pm
Having said that, I'd live there in a minute if I could afford the same standard of living. The brits have the best vistas in the world, the walking path infrastructure is second to none, and some of the best history this side of Greece in terms of ruins, sites, and interest. The only thing missing is great skiing - oh, wait a minute, you can get cheap airfare to the continent for that, so never mind
You stll buy a ok-ish house in south manchester for 150 CDN.....http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-12107756.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy Avoid Nth at all cost. My sister used to live in the Nth Manchester on a rough housing estate - just off the Rochester Rd - I visted her about 11 years ago - Back then I had MK1 Bright orange Golf.....Its was the only car parked on the whole estate. I removed the battery leads and few other things - I left all the doors open too - I Didn't want the windows smashed I left the car and hope for the best and as I looked across the car park - I sore a view stolen cars being driven at high speed and doing dounuts one was being set light too. ( Manchester is the car crime capital) I woke up next day and and went outside and was suprise to see it there. It still got rumage threw, which I expected - but didn't get hafe inch.
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July 01, 2006, 08:53:04 am In the end - no matter where it is driven, I still think the Caliber is an ugly vehicle that will sell well to americans, but shouldn't do well in other parts of the world - if it ever gets sold outside of US and Canada (I haven't heard whether this is a global car).
July 01, 2006, 10:10:18 am
They are already selling the Caliber in the UK
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July 01, 2006, 02:08:51 pm Wif Dat spelink
July 08, 2006, 01:13:08 pm wing Says:
June 27, 2006, 06:03:01 PM
There is no 6cyl that is a mistake and it is not RWD
6 cylinders would mean more weight and worse handling. RWD would mean poorer traction and an intrusive prop shaft tunnel i.e. reduced itnerior room.
Personally I find the styling a bit truck-like for a small car I prefer the Matrix in this department.
They should stick with one engine size and go with that IMO. Time will tell on the gearbox but other vehicles like the Maurano have it, how do they perform.
July 08, 2006, 05:45:48 pm Poorer traction? All your other points are valid but poor traction certainly is not a trait of RWD, that is a myth that front wheels PULL you along better than rear. As you apply throttle weight is shifted to the rear of the car.
July 08, 2006, 06:01:49 pm
Well, that IS true, but in slippery conditions one isn't accelerating enough to shift much weight TO the rear, and in the majority of cars, significantly more than 50% of the weight is on the FRONT wheels. Going up a steep hill is another story. I have had to BACK UP hills with FWD in a couple of cases - snow & poor tires. No traction going forward, good traction in reverse.
July 08, 2006, 06:04:13 pm Exactly RWD isn't less traction, it is condition dependant in position conditions it's better, in harsh it may be worse who knows. Car balance has more to do with it.
July 09, 2006, 08:56:33 am There is not much you can do with weight distribution in a high volume small car. Things have to be where things have to be within narrow parameters. You have to maintain as much volume in the passenger compartment as you can. 'Sporting vehicles have more leeway and volume inside is less important'. So that you are pretty well stuck with weight distribution between front and rear wheels. Unless a rear engine layout is chosen..none recently. With rear wheel drive people used to put a couple of bags of cement in the trunk to improve traction in winter.
If you are considering handling, the front wheel drive Saab's and Issigonis inspired Minnies used to easily beat all of the competition in the Monty Carlo rallies because of better traction and handling. I don't know about recent results I suspect four wheel drive has come into play which is not a viable feature for lower cost high volume cars. So that given that the laws of the universe have not changed you are on average better to have the driving wheels under the most weight. That is not to say that a rear driven vehicle can not be a great handler but I suspect not in this category where you have to do a lot with a little.
Personally I think that recent revisiting of rear wheel drive will not set a trend. The long term mass response will be against the tiresome tunnel and reduced traction IMO.
Regards.
July 09, 2006, 09:47:49 am The Caliber is also available in AWD
July 09, 2006, 08:21:30 pm
July 10, 2006, 12:05:24 am None of the vehicles mentioned are in the fifteen to twenty thousand dollar bracket in all wheel drive trim. I don't know what a super exotic would be. As you say the vehicles that you mention would no doubt be excluded. I suspect that when the price for a high volume small car starts to get over $18,000C sans taxes red lights start flashing for the majority of would be purchasers. In any case the conversation was about the virtues of front or rear wheel drive. All wheel drive is heavier, more complex, uses more gas, requires more maintenance no doubt and is not necessary for every day use IMO. It comes in a category of non-requirements for me although not at the top of the list. That spot is occupied by the tachometer with an auto transmission.
Regards
September 07, 2006, 03:22:48 pm Good European sales thus far. Surprising. Is it cheap there like here or just a piece of desired Americana?
A solid hit has its downside, but who cares?
Edward Lapham | | Automotive News / September 7, 2006 - 10:40 am
Anyone who has nosed around a Dodge dealership recently knows how rare it is to see a Caliber sitting on the lot waiting to be sold.
This summer's higher gasoline prices have fueled demand. Women go for the Caliber more than most Dodge models, but men are buying, too. Goodness, they've even developed a taste for the Caliber on the Left Coast. Heck, Dodge is even moving the all-wheel-drive model with the CVT that leaves a lot to be desired.
Dealers can't get enough of them, and as a result there are waiting lists. Some dealers say they're grudgingly taking more of the considerably less popular Rams and Dakotas in an all-out attempt to pry a few more Calibers from the factory. Try as they might, though, there simply aren't any extra Calibers to be had.
Demand for the five-door hatchback with the rugged design is so strong that Chrysler added a third shift at the 40-year-old assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.
Yes, there have been a couple of production issues at the factory that have trimmed output. And, of course, the plant also builds the Jeep Compass. Yet even with the extra shift, supply is tight because the automobile's aggressive styling appeals to car buyers … on both sides of the Atlantic.
Dealers in western Europe have sold 3,200 Calibers since the car went on sale there in June. And in some European markets, there is already a six-month waiting list.
That can be frustrating if you're an impatient customer. But for the Chrysler group, which is trying to fatten up its minuscule market share in Europe and keep an American factory humming, it's a good problem to have.
October 03, 2006, 09:38:31 am I bought a Dodge Caliber last April and then waited until it was delivered in mid August,I was glad it
took that long as DCX had to get over some first model year hurdles as everyone knows now.
The car was built at the end of June after many of the mechanical and electrical gremlins had come
to light and had been sorted out.
I have been delighted with the Caliber,it's fun to drive and has been problem free in almost 3000
kilometers,the 2.0L CVT with Securty pack and Cruise has improved steadily with regards to gas
milage to the point where I consistently get 29mpg/city and 38mpg/hwy (imperial gal).
The CVT is a different experience and I admit was not impressed at first but now either I have
adapted to it or it has adapted to me and now found the sweet spot for accelerating quickly
so it will actually sqwauk the tires from a standstill.
I spent a lot of time researching different vehicles and found all had certain things that were
great or bad in somebodies opinion,being a Chrysler user for many years at a great dealership
where I have a good relationship with the service dept cemented the decision on the Caliber.
This is just my opinion as a satisfied owner,I wish a lot of the opinions I read were more fact based
then biased based.
October 04, 2006, 12:27:55 pm Until I hear Bob DeFly boy has traded in the ExSqueeze fer a CALIBURR!!! it will be a cold day in HELL(Michigan) before we all buy one.......
October 06, 2006, 09:03:50 am
February 18, 2007, 02:52:07 am We just had a few days with a rented Caliber SXT and my first impressions, not even considering it's awkward SUV-wannabe looks, were not positive. When I parked my Neon next to it, the Caliber looked immense. The hood, cowl and roof are very high and the front of the vehicle with it's huge headlights is almost vertical, as is the very short windshield. It looks about as aerodynamic as a sheet of plywood, totally unlike the Neon.
Ingress to the front seats was easy, but once inside, I was amazed at how claustrophobic the Caliber felt considering it's size. There was plenty of head and leg room, but the high dash, the narrow windows and very intrusive center-stack impart a confining sensation that I didn't like at all. The thick door panels have a wide shelf-like horizontal top, which doesn't help.The interior looks cheap, with hard plastic of half a dozen different textures everywhere. There are no soft surfaces to be found, even on the the armrests. The rear quarter-windows are about the size and shape of a piece of pizza which combined with the ridiculously high beltline makes backing up an exercise in frustration. Visibility all around is abysmal, much worse than it needs to be. The rear passenger doors are narrow, making getting in the back difficult without smacking some part of your anatomy on the bodywork. It's like trying to slide through a large vertical mail-slot, so anyone over 50 had better be careful. Again, there was sufficient head, leg and hip room once inside, but the footwells are extremely narrow because of the huge front-seat mounts. The rear seat reclines, but has no center armrest, and the short seat-belt latches are hard to get hold of when trying to buckle up. Like the front, the rear door panels are hard plastic and have no comfortable place to rest your elbows. But the Caliber does have glow-in-the-dark cupholders...
Underway, the car felt heavy and sluggish, more like a small truck than a car, and the ride is stiff and noisy. The rear suspension clunked alarmingly over bumps a lot like my old Caravan did, and some of the plastic bits in the back rattled. Chrysler needs to do some serious work here. As it is, the Caliber can't touch the refinement of vehicles like the Kia Rondo or Mazda5.
The Caliber doesn't make any sense to me. It can't carry any more people than my Neon, but it's larger and heavier, and it completely lacks the Neon's glued to-the-road sporty character. It doesn't help that the Caliber's build-quality and materials are nowhere near the standards of the imports, either. I'll be looking elsewhere for my next vehicle. Zoom-zoom, anyone?