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Dodge Caliber

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Comments

  • arcturusarcturus Member Posts: 4
    In response to questions regarding the reliability of the new Dodge Caliber, I can offer my past experience with Chrysler products and my impression of the Caliber, which I have test driven.
    I've owned 7 Chrysler products and all of them were very trouble-free vehicles. My 1990 Dodge Omni went an incredible 240,000 miles with the only required repairs being two timing belts and two brake jobs. The car still ran perfectly and used no oil when I sold it in 1999. The CV joints were just beginning to make a little noise at that point. My most recent Dodge was a 2001 Dakota which was perfect and never had a second's trouble up until January of 2006, when it was totalled in an accident.
    My only negative experience with Dodge has been refusal of Chrysler to honor the warranty. My brother and I both bought new Dodges in 1988 and we both had minor problems with them within weeks of buying them. The manager of the dealership from which we purchased the cars told us (and I'm quoting his exact words to me) "We're not going to fix it and there's nothing you can do". My problem was a warped brake rotor (a common complaint on Chrysler products). I opted to pay a private garage to replace the rotors and I kept the car (a Daytona) another 90,000 miles with not a hint of a problem. My brother, after being totally ignored by both the dealership and Chrysler's arbitration board, opted to trade his Dodge (an Aries) in on a Chevrolet. He never purchased another Chrysler product. I am always concerned about any manufacturer's refusal to honor a warranty, but I've had so little trouble with Chrysler products that I'm willing to accept not having a warranty. The warped rotor problem is the ONLY problem I have ever had with a Chrysler product, and that is VERY minor. I am also sure that there are some good Dodge dealerships out there who DO care about keeping their customers happy. Dealerships are only as good as their management.
    As for the Caliber, I have driven two of them and love them. I found them to be comfortable, smooth, and well appointed for the price. The acceleration with the 2.0 and the CVT transmission was acceptable, though not stunning. I would not count on getting the advertised 30mpg. None of the advertised mileage figures on any car are very realistic. I'd deduct about 15% from the advertised figure. I WILL NOT be buying a 2007 Caliber because I have a firm policy of never buying a first year model of ANY car. There are ALWAYS minor (and in some cases MAJOR) problems that show up on new models. Considering my less than stellar experience with Chrysler's lack of warranty service I will not risk getting stuck with a problem that I'll have to pay a private garage to fix. I will definitely consider buying a Caliber next year, when most of the bugs are (hopefully) worked out. It is a beautifully styled car at a very good price.
  • luvmycaliberluvmycaliber Member Posts: 11
    I`m having the same problem Polarbearsx4,,sometimes it does it , then it`s fine...I dont get it!!! seems to do it more often when it hot out and she sits in the sun.... and I`m not parked on a hill... this week I have to drop her off at the dealer, see what they can do, and to get the recall done...We bought the car the end of March, and had no problems till this..she only has 2800 miles...I`ll let you know what my dealer says...
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    I'm interested in hearing from people who have read the CR review and own a caliber--as to what they think about it.

    Although I don't own one, I did sit inside the one at the auto show and one at a dealer. Two things that Consumer Reports did mention in their review that I thought of the moment I sat inside the Caliber. (1) Cheap looking dash materials and (2) poor rearward visability.

    My 2 cents.
  • dryrumdryrum Member Posts: 2
    The same thing happened to me and I was parked on a slight hill. Eventually after turning it on and off I got it to go into reverse. In my Caliber there is a plug on the passenger sid of the shifter housing that releases the shifter into neutral if your battery is dead. I have never tried it but I think you can use this for towing if you cant get into neutral on your own. :shades: :confuse:
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    "I hear people say things like the interior looks cheap but I don't really understand. Exactly how does it look cheap?

    And no one will prefer this piece of crap to a Magnum or Charger or even a Neon.

    I predict the Caliber will never meet any sales goals."

    I've only started reading this forum and am on post number 129 so I don't know if dialm4speed has been back to post how he enjoyed eating his words yet. Has he/she? Reports say that dealers can't get enough of them, and that as of the middle of July, it is the best "days on lot" number that Dodge has ever had for the period from 2 months into launch (apparently where they start measuring) until now.

    And as far as meeting their sales goals, my information tells me that the only reason the Caliber is not blowing the sales goals out of the water is that production can't keep up with demand, and now they are cutting back on Caliber production to increase the Compass production to get the Jeeps out in good numbers at the start.

    dialm4speed.... where are you? I'll keep reading and see if you've found out that the Caliber is as good as the 300, the Magnum and the Charger, and will probably outsell every one of those.

    Greg :)
  • k3lli3k3lli3 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the input!!!

    I drive a 92 Toyota Previa (yes...a mini van w/ over 370,000kms) right now - so I am sure the Calibre will be better on gas!
    I am also happy to comprimise the best possible gas mileage in a car for something that I can 'throw' my mtn bike/snowboard/dog etc into with (relative) ease.

    I love the exterior styling of the Calbre ... and like you was slightly dissappointed with the interior. Could they not have had a lock on the adjustable arm rest???? But all the added 'extra's' in the Calibre are VERY appealing.

    I also am a 'standard' kinda girl and wish the 2.0 came with this option ...... but maybe the 2.0 Calibre will convert me into an automatic fan!

    Ive narrowed my choices to a Calbre or a Impreza 2.5 SportsWagon .....agh, decisions! :confuse:

    Thanks again :D
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    I'm now up to post 195.

    Quote:

    "And I am glad to see the automatic is a Nissan CVT (with steel "push belts"), which should be MUCH more reliable than those marginal Eastern European CVT's that were making it over here in Saturns and giving CVT's a bad name. (Ford did a joint venture with the same Eastern European company, I believe, which explains some of Ford's teething problems with CVT's as well.)"

    A Nissan salesman (take this for what it's worth, however it seems logical) says that the CVT in the Caliber is NOT a Nissan CVT. It is a DaimlerChrysler design that is MANUFACTURED by JATCO, which is owned by Nissan. He stresses that the Nissan designed CVT is a better and more reliable design and that they wouldn't just let DCX use their CVT in direct competition with Nissan.

    FWIW! :D

    Greg
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    Quote:

    "I am glad that DaimlerChrysler is using the CVT system that Nissan is using, one that has a very good track record of reliability in Nissan JDM models. That same CVT unit will be used on the Nissan Versa and next-generation Nissan Sentra models, too."

    See what I said above about it NOT being "Nissan's CVT", FWIW.
  • neely2005neely2005 Member Posts: 70
    Check out message #883 for more information on the Jatco CVT Transmission.
  • luvmycaliberluvmycaliber Member Posts: 11
    Just a follow-up to my last post...I took my car to the dealer yesterday about this problem, they had to order a new shift assembly, they will let me know when it comes in this week, hopefully thats the end of that, also told them about the washer pump in the rear leaking, but they couldn`t find anything,,if anyone has solved this problem let me know..I`ll pass it on.....
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    Hi!

    I'm now up to post 566:

    To caliberchic (and nonnemacher..... if this hasn't already been answered..... you asked about this)

    caliberchic wrote:

    "Oh, I got the driver convenience group solely for the temp display. I love knowing the temp. It's probably not really worth it but we added just about every other option so it made sense."

    I tried out what nonnemacher (sp?) was asking about earlier on in this forum, which was whether anyone else without the drive convenience package had the temp display in the right hand LCD area where the miles/PRNDL is.

    The car I tried did indeed have the TEMP DISPLAY when you pressed the button to go through Trip A, Trip B, Temp Display, and then back to the number of miles on the car.

    So, if anyone doesn't need the driver convenience package, but does want the Temp Display, it is there....... at least in the one I tried in the showroom.

    Greg
  • nonnemachernonnemacher Member Posts: 98
    My Caliber SXT CVT was purchased on 3/31/2006, so I have one of the very early production units. I curretnly have just over 6k on it. The two common noises have been resolved. The unusually loud exhaust cool down tapping was solved by replacing some exhaust parts, although I'm not exactly sure which ones they replaced. It has been over 2,000 miles since they did this and I have not had the problem again. The other common noise is engine pinging under acceleration, especially noticeable at lower speeds. After calling DCX, the dealer reflashed the computer (which I think means they reloaded certain programs and parameters) and the problem is gone. I have been driving for about a week since they did this and I can't get it to ping anymore. The car does seem to gear down and rev up a bit more than it did before, but not that much. This seems to lighten the load on the engine a bit.

    Folks still ask me about the car and nobody has said they did not like the size and style. :D
  • maniac36maniac36 Member Posts: 8
    Just got back from my first oil change. The dealer test drove the car and heard the click....their diagnosis...the engine seems to have some issues with small misfires and the spark plug elements will be replaced on Wednesday. Also got my new better quality floor mats with the matching trim and dodge logo today. Look really nice inside.

    On a down note, my dealer mechanics seemed to have screwed up when they hoisted my car. I noticed a consistent line or bite marks along the bottom painted panel inside the door frame. Not the sill area but the bottom piece. Not a truly big deal as my buddy did not notice, but I will be letting them know Wednesday when the spark plug stuff is fixed.
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    Don't know if it's old or new news but I just saw it on the website!

    SE and SXT comes standard with 1.8L and manual trany. Optional CVT which comes with the 2.0L, right?

    What is the difference between the SE and SXT?

    I know with the SXT the air conditioning and chill zone is standard. SXT also comes with 17' tires and alloy wheels, while the SE comes with 15" tires and steel wheels. Also the SXT has a fold flat and reclining rear seat, right? The SE rear seats don't recline or fold flat, right? Options included with the SXT like the two toned seats and dash, right?

    Anyone has the 2.0L with CVT? How is the ride?

    I also noticed all trims comes standard with side curtain airbags. Was this added recently?
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    You wrote:

    "(As a sidebar, I have to admit it was with much trepidation, bordering on embarrassment, that we bought another PT Cruiser earlier this year; it is so "not masculine," but at the same time the PT is darn near the most practical small vehicle you can buy today, what with an enormous amount of rear seat legroom and decent trunk space for hauling a small family around. I really wanted the Caliber, which had just come out, but as a new car it was priced much higher than the long in the tooth PT Cruiser.)"

    I have to laugh when I hear people say "The Matrix is a chic's car. The PT cruiser is not masculine."

    Maybe where you are, but up here where I live (Winnipeg, Canada), we are men whatever we drive. We drive SMART!

    If the PT Cruiser is the right vehicle, then we drive it. If the Matrix is, we drive it.

    You'll see more men driving the PT and Matrix up here than women? Why? Because they are great vehicles!

    You're going to see the same thing with the Caliber. We pick the vehicle that does the job for us. If you need a certain vehicle to be masculine, than are you really masculine in the first place?

    I just thought it's funny since I hear this and see this from so many people.

    I guess that's why the 5-door subcompact doesn't do anywhere near as well in the States as it does in Canada. Perception.

    - Greg (no offense meant to those who won't drive a PT or a Matrix! It's all good!) :)
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    "Check out message #883 for more information on the Jatco CVT Transmission."

    Thanks!

    While I don't always put a lot of stock in one person's car review, it does seem that the CVT is going to be a winner. And knowing that this reviewer likes it almost as much as the Murano CVT makes me that much more comfortable buying the Caliber. :)
  • habalanchehabalanche Member Posts: 57
    Tuesday will be week 13 since I ordered my Silver R/T.I have a garage full of accessories but no car to put them on.Car has been in d-1 status since early June.My patience has worn thin.Anybody else out there waiting?
  • nonnemachernonnemacher Member Posts: 98
    The one real downer to the SE is that it cannot be had with cruise control. The rear seats do fold down, but do not recline. The front passenger seat does not fold down at all and the driver seat does not have a height adjuster.

    The 2.0 CVT is a very nice combo, although I suspect the 1.8/manual is good too.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Whenever I tried building an SE online with the options I really wanted, I found the optioned SE darn close to an un-optioned SXT in pricing - basically the SXT already has all the good stuff, but no fat. For that matter, once you add the $1000 for aircon to the SE, you are already darn close to the pricing of the SXT.

    This makes the SE a loser trim line for me, since an optioned SE still lacks some of the extra features of the SXT, like the reclining rear and front passenger seats and larger, wider wheels and tires.

    The only problem in "real" life is that it is a lot easier to find optioned SE's on dealer lots that are close to what I want, than un-optioned SXT's. Most SXT's I have found on inventory searches have a LOT of stuff on them beyond the basic SXT "goodies." (On the other hand, even well-optioned SE's are often missing stuff now taken for granted, like power windows.)

    Of course if you decide to order, the SXT is a better place to start, rather than loading up an SE. And an SXT should hold its value better than an SE, since an SXT won't be born with a "bottom trim line" stigma.

    I WOULD like to see ABS thrown in on the SXT package so you get it even with a stick shift. Right now you get ABS on most SE's, since most SE's come with CVT's and the ABS is bundled with the CVT, but the minute you "upgrade" to an SXT without the CVT, you lose the ABS.

    Of course stick shift drivers are already being shortchanged, not only on ABS, but since you can't even get a stick shift with the better 2.0 engine (or with a 2.4). (Meanwhile, every Ford Focus has a 2.0, and every Cobalt has a 2.2.)*

    Dodge needs to come up with better packages - for example how about this:

    1. SE should remain simple so Dodge can advertise a low entry-level price and high gas mileage. Thus the small 1.8, the stick shift, no ABS, no power windows, locks, or mirrors. Even no aircon, although I think leaving out aircon in 2006 is a bit of a come-on. But at least everyone gets side curtain airbags, a great crash test series, and lives a little longer.

    2. The SXT has definitely GOT to be a "real" car - as in, no 1.8 (except on a "delete" option) even with the stick shift, and ABS in addition to the side curtain airbags. Then for "fans" make the 2.4 the optional engine, on both stick shift and CVT variants.

    3. The R/T line needs FWD sooner rather than later. The AWD drags down performance too much.

    4. Where are stability control and side torso airbags, at least as options?

    Dodge has all the ingredients to match the VW Rabbit. Why aren't they trying to get more enthusiast drivers?

    (*In anticipation that someone will comment that the 1.8 HP rating is better than the 2.0 Focus and matches the 2.2 Cobalt, keep in mind that the torque doesn't, and torque is what you need for everyday driving....)
  • daveydodgedaveydodge Member Posts: 23
    Ordered it May 8th and picking it up today!!! Got the "D" package with 2.0L CVT with Aluminum Wheels, fog lights, bug shield, mudflaps, chrome door handles and fuel cap, window visors, custom chrome front liscense plate, black antenna,dodge custom floor mats all on my Steel Blue Caliber for a grand toal of $17,870...looking for just the right steering wheel wrap and may add chrome body molding shortly!! Runs great and MPG's will beat my Dakota by 12MPG's...making customized berber carpet mat for storage area to eliminate some plastic!! Dealer told me he will sell any Calibers he can get for OVER invoice from here on out. Live in Central Pa and the few that are on lots are either white or yellow...nothing else!!!!
  • daveydodgedaveydodge Member Posts: 23
    I apologize...my dealer stated he would sell all future Calibers OVER MSRP....not invoice like I prevoiusly stated...it was fun getting all the looks yesterday during my final test drive through town!! More details...MSRP was $17,570..showed me Invoice of $16,888..I bought most of the extras on E-Bay and will install myself..be patient and you will find bargains!! Just got the fuel door from Canada for $65...everywhere else they are between $85- $95 plus S&H....hope this helps some of you out there!!
  • moparfancanadamoparfancanada Member Posts: 18
    This message is in reply to habalanche's message #1431. I dont know what D1 status means, but the R/T that I ordered has also been in D1 status since the beginning of time! I ordered mine April 12th. After 15 weeks, the dealer could not give me an exact delivery date, but did say it was in D1 status. Big deal! It was in D1 for weeks prior.
    So he did a search and located the exact model, colour and options that I ordered, in Montreal. After a few calls, the car was in Ottawa, and I had the keys by the end of that week. I haven't a clue what happened to the original one I ordered, but I suspect the dealer still has it on order, because he'll be able to sell it no problem.

    Good luck to 'ya.
  • caliberdreamzcaliberdreamz Member Posts: 3
    Ordered our Caliber in the third week of April - expected arrival date of July 1.

    Finally managed to pry the VIN number from the dealer mid-July, and learned that it was due to be built the third week in July.

    We were so close... it was about to get on the train, new arrival date of August 12, then... foiled again!! Assembly hold, then back to the plant. :cry:

    So now not only do we not have our car, but apparently there was something wrong enough with it to merit some sort of regression back to the plant. I'm starting to feel like I'm never, ever, ever going to get my car...

    Any one had a similar experience?
  • bolshoimacbolshoimac Member Posts: 3
    I'm military stationed in Germany and ordered my car at the beginning of May. Apparently, our car is on the boat and about two days out of the port in Bremerhofen up north... then, a week or so to get it here. I'm happy to hear that most folks are happy with their Calibers, especially since I bought this one (an R/T) basically sight unseen. The military sales folks only had an SE with a 1.8 so that is all we've seen. I'll post reports on how well the 2.4 does on the autobahn here; hopefully better than our 7 year old Neon! :)

    Cheers
  • silvercalibersilvercaliber Member Posts: 30
    :shades: All I can tell you is the longer you wait for delivery of your new Caliber, the more excited you will be when they call and say it has arrived at the dealership. I have had my SXT Sport since the end of May and so far I am totally satisfied with my purchase. Almost ready for my first oil change!
  • daveydodgedaveydodge Member Posts: 23
    I was told yesterday not to do my first oil change until 3,000 miles...not sure if I am gonna wait..will use Mopar Synthetic or Mobil 1 Synthetic at first oil change...got 4 years financing yesterday for new Caliber @ 5.79% through Chase Bank. I am gonna like the low payments and the 26 - 30 mpg's!! I am already forgetting about my beloved Dakota.
  • neely2005neely2005 Member Posts: 70
    The R/T is available in Front Wheel Drive with a Standard Transmission now.

    I think that you'll see more options and better packages starting next year. You have to remember that this is the first year that the car has been made & it's pretty common for cars to lack options in the first model year.
  • neely2005neely2005 Member Posts: 70
    Yeah that and the fact that we Canadians have less disposable income (thanks to all the taxes we pay) and 5 door subcompacts fit our budgets better due to the lower costs.
  • lexan1965lexan1965 Member Posts: 118
    Have had my car for 15k miles now and no issues with it. I got the computer flashed for the recall...still a very slight pinging noise when idling but nothing else. I've tried synthetic and regular 5w-20 oils and still only achieve 27.5 mpg. I guess I'll wait for K & N to come out with a high flow air filter to see if that helps out any.
  • maniac36maniac36 Member Posts: 8
    I highly recommend the premium floor mats with paint colour trim and the cargo mat. My GF and I can successfully get groceries back from the grocery storee without them flying all around the back of the hatch area since it is all plastic. It also looks very nice...is a high ounce grade of carpet and protects against those easy to get black scuff marks from gym bags etc. Also picked up the Door Sill Protectors...gets lots of comments...happy so far with my ride.

    Mike
  • gregoriusmgregoriusm Member Posts: 61
    We already have at least one aftermarket company in Winnipeg, Canada that installs Cruise on the SE that is virtually identical to the one on the SXT and RT, so you should be able to get cruise on your SE at some point in time.

    Greg
  • maryr22maryr22 Member Posts: 7
    Hi, has anyone had the aftermarket Navus Navigation system installed on their Caliber? I just got mine installed today and have some questions about it. I didn't have a regional map card installed (additional $145) so it's the basic North American system, but I don't know if I need a regional map card in order to get specific address directions - all I'm finding is directions to towns, but not specific addresses. Do I need to buy a regional card to get this?
    thanks!
  • mattchalmersmattchalmers Member Posts: 159
    My wife and I just returned a Caliber SXT with the Sport Appearance Package that we rented for a few days while our other car was in the shop. What an excellent advertisement for why not to buy Dodge cars! This thing was severly underpowered for the size/weight. The fit and finish was reminiscent of a Chevy Citation, actually come to think of it, there is a lot the Caliber had in common with the X-11 or whatever that sad sack Citation variant was called.

    Not that we would have considered buying a Caliber, but now I will actively dissuade anyone I can from buying this sad overweight, underpowered sled. :lemon:
  • grendel_cavegrendel_cave Member Posts: 27
    ...well, I suppose everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I actually had quite the opposite experience. I found the car to be adequately powered. --not that it will win any races, but that is what I have my '65 mustang for. The caliber is just as fast as the Toyota Matrix or similar compact car in its class. But you get better styling, good gas milage, and a decent amount of cargo space. Sorry to hear that you had such a negative experience, but if you are looking for performance go for the SRT model due out a little later this year.
  • cowboycashcowboycash Member Posts: 1
    Just bought a SXT Sport with the 2.0. Drove it 95 miles and the car drives good. Only things I have noticed is the RPMs flux so much, lightly tap the gas and the RPMs go from 2K to 3K way to fast. I am trying to get better MPG, and this is not helping. Also, had half a tank of gas and by the time I drove 95 Miles, the fuel light came on, this cannot be right, so I will keep an eye on this. Maybe b/c it's new. If anyone else has seen anything similiar let me know.
  • lexan1965lexan1965 Member Posts: 118
    Your rpms will jump fast with the cvt. As far as your mpg dropping fast after a half tank so do mine. I've got 260 miles on a half tank and after that it drops fast, u may see another 95 to 100 miles after the needle is on half empty. I've got the 2.0 w cvt.
  • nonnemachernonnemacher Member Posts: 98
    When it shows half full (or half empty, if you prefer) it takes about 9 gallons to fill the tank. The tank only holds 13.5 gallons, so the second half only has about 4.5 gallons. If the low-fuel light comes on with 1 gallon remaining, which it seems to do accurately, the difference between half-full and low-fuel is only 3.5 gallons. 100 miles driven on these 3.5 gallons (approx) is 28.6 mpg.

    The good news is that when you fill the tank completely it will stay on full for a good while making you think you are getting really high mpg (unless someone already told you about this - oops). And, once you get used to its operation, the gauge always behaves the same way.

    I usually monitor the trip odo and fill-up every 300 miles. If you want to use a trip odo for something other than re-fill reminders, the Caliber does have two trip odos in the display that can be reset separately.
  • habalanchehabalanche Member Posts: 57
    Every Dodge vehicle out there does the same thing.We recently went on a road trip with our minivan and were almost half way there on the first half a tank.Experience told me I needed two tanks of gas to get there.Sure enough about an hour and a half after that the fuel light came on.
  • neely2005neely2005 Member Posts: 70
    The Caliber is just as fast or faster than it's competition in this segment / class. Yes it is heavier which will hurt the Fuel Economy but the heavier a car is the safer it is too. I'm not sure what you were expecting in this car segment / price range?
    If you want a faster Caliber try the R/T or the SRT4 versions.

    Also I'm not sure how not liking One Dodge car equates to not buying Any Dodge cars??? Perhaps a Dodge Viper would be to slow for you too? Or maybe a Dodge Charger R/T is to slow?

    You get what you pay for and this is the Least Expensive car that Dodge currently makes, so perhaps you should keep that in mind - to me it sounds like you already had a bias against Dodge products before you even drove the car, so no matter what happened you weren't going to like the car.

    What kind of car do you own that was in the shop for a few days getting repaired? (I'm curious what you are comparing the Caliber to)
  • daveydodgedaveydodge Member Posts: 23
    Mr.Chalmers....looks like you will have over 100,000 people in which you missed or failed to convince NOT to buy the new Dodge Caliber for it's first model year !!...For those wanting a good value for your dollar with adequate power and some nice features with an appealing exterior nicely equipped for around $18,000..the Dodge Caliber must be a popular choice with no vehicles on the lots and orders are 3-4 months behind!! To compare this to the Chevy Citation is laughable...just go to the "1980's Chevy Forum"...you will be more comfortable AND knowledgeable there!
  • lexan1965lexan1965 Member Posts: 118
    Amen brother! *L*
  • w8n4mycaliberw8n4mycaliber Member Posts: 3
    My dealer said it finally recieved an invoice on my car, what does this mean and a/b how much longer should I have to wait???
  • daveydodgedaveydodge Member Posts: 23
    It all depends on how long it sits outside the plant waiting for Truck Transportation coordination. They told me 10-14 days if it was in staging but it showed up at my dealer in just 4 days. Luck of the truck transporter was with me. My total wait time was May 10th until August 10th...RT's seem to be taking longer and I believe colors and models all help determine the wait time..plus they are producing the Jeep Compass in Belvedere plant along with the Caliber which might give orders an even longer wait.
  • grayseabringgrayseabring Member Posts: 18
    It is frustrating to be so uncertain of dealership goblygook when you price a car based on the dealers invoice. My 5 star dealer priced it exactly on Chryslers website and the total price on in house stickers on the lot cars were the same. After 6 weeks he had one come in that was identical except for color. Because I had had an accepted offer I agreed to the change. When I picked it up I had to sign another offer ( same invoice amount ) which was $300 more. Although I was upset I took delivery. So much for 5 star dealerships in Chatham Ontario.
    I reported this to Chrysler and the told me that they were no responsible as this was "a private enterprise". It seems the designation does not protect you in a 5 Star sort of way.
    This signed invoice sounds to me like another Chrysler boondoggle.
  • mattchalmersmattchalmers Member Posts: 159
    I fear for the segment, if this vehicle is faster than any others. I understand that this is a low cost item. I have a Pontiac Aztek right now (car in the shop). As you should notice from my purchase of the Aztek, I have nothing against cars that are unique, in look or features. Maybe there was something mechanically wrong with the Caliber that I drove (giving Dodge the benefit of the doubt). My guess is that the car is vastly overweight and thus, seriously underpowered. I am aware that Dodge makes the Viper and it is fast, so your incredibly well played argument wins. I do not have a Dodge bias, I have rented more than a few and have never had a bad experience, so this was new.

    Either way, I hope that you all enjoy your Calibers. As someone who drives an unconventional vehicle, I salute you. :shades:
  • mattchalmersmattchalmers Member Posts: 159
    Davey,

    Thank you for your witty response. You may find it hard to believe, but I was born in the 70's and have no love for Chevy's in the 80's. I may have been too hard on the Caliber. I am sure the high re-sale and reliability all Caliber purchasers experience in a couple years will be a very jagged pill for me to swallow. Best wishes for all and their Calibers. :shades:
  • daveydodgedaveydodge Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for compromising a bit in your last response. I was born in the 6o's. My response to you earlier was not meant to be witty...it was factually based to properly address your off base quotes you made. Although probably underpowered but not grossly overweighted...I managed to get 29.7 MPG's my first two tankfuls. I am thankful for my tankful and do not need more horseys under my hood to race or get from point "A" to point "B" in 5.7 seconds.My golf clubs and/or my daughter's bike fit nicely inside and the cooler is great for my insulin and drinks. I am basing the Caliber on looks, versatility and practically. Matt, you are going for the performance angle which the Caliber will not meet many standards. I guess we should agree to disagree and see how popular the Caliber does become in the next couple years!! The bet here is the price, looks, and features FAR outweigh the performance issues and there will be over 200,000 on the road by Christmas 2007. Write this last sentence down and save for future use.
  • mattchalmersmattchalmers Member Posts: 159
    Just to be clear, I am not sure that any of my quotes were any more "off base" than your response. "Adequate" performance is a qualitative statement, not a quantitative one. Either way, here is a third-party, expert article regarding the Caliber, comparing it to 6 other vehicles: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/10925/15000-cheap-skates.html

    I don't mean to ruin it for you, but your fine automobile does not win the day...

    As I said before, best wishes, I hope you enjoy your new vehicle. I am glad it is you behind the wheel and not me. :shades:
  • grendel_cavegrendel_cave Member Posts: 27
    >>I don't mean to ruin it for you, but your fine automobile does not win the day...

    I guess the depends upon whose day you are seeking validation to justify your purchase of a new automobile. I've read the review you have posted; I'm not too impressed with its content. I can give you five others that happen to rate Caliber highly. If you are in doubt look at the personal reviews of people who own one. I don't think an average of 9.2 is bad. If you don't want to buy a caliber--fine. It just lessens the wait that much more for those of us who have them on order. But stop trying to spoil it for those of us who have selected it as our car of choice. Do yourself a favor: go complain to a thread that sympathizes with your anti-dodge, anti-caliber rhetoric and buy yourself a European rice-burner that has no personality and looks the same as everything else on the road. :mad:
  • lexan1965lexan1965 Member Posts: 118
    When I was in the market for another car I was set on getting a new Honda Civic that gets 40mpg. I liked the new Civics stying and still do. Then I saw the Caliber, I thought it looked boxy and small. The wife and I took it for a test drive and that was all it took for me. We can sit here all day and throw "this" or "that" back and forth about whats bad about certain cars, etc. In the end it's the person who drives the vehicle ( that he or she picked out ) who will have to live with what they bought for the next 5 yrs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that's what makes this country great to live in. So...I'm getting in my Caliber and going to town!
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