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Dodge Caliber
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Comments
Anyway, the EPA mileage numbers are pretty close to the few competitors. Matrix 30/36 is close to the Caliber 1.8. Mazda 3s is similar to Caliber RT FWD.
However, at least Dodge went the other direction & decided that since AWD saps so much out of the engine power, they didn't put the AWD on only the weakest powerplant (like Pontiac/Toyota). If it's 170HP & still gets about 30 MPG hiway, I think the wife & I will be able to swallow it.
Just wish you didn't have to get the performance model with 18" wheels for AWD to drive in the snow.
J
Also, more manufacturers are jumping on the CVT bandwagon, especially hybrids. Time will tell, but perhaps 20 years since the last attempts at automotive CVTs will be different than the first go-round. We are seriously looking at the Caliber R/T AWD with CVT (lots of letters!). Guess we can hope for the best & cross our fingers if we actually get one. The wife won't drive a manual & the R/T only has CVT/manual options.
J
I told my wife it loks like a "baby pacifica" the first time I saw one on the web. In real life, I still think that.
Looks like a lot of car for the money. I want an SE 1.8 with the 5 speed, and I want it now!
I just got back from the DC auto show and forgot to ask these questions: Will the Caliber have navigation and adjustable lumbar support for front seats? My back would kill me on long trips in my 98 Voyager. However my 2000 Grand Caravan had adjustable lumbar plus I added the cabbie beads and it is just fine.
If any one knows, please post it.
Thanks
Dave
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Heh heh heh!
That it is... that it is.
:shades:
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Don't forget the Volkswagen Golf and GTI...
:P
Leather Interior Group includes:
Heated Front Seats
Leather-Trimmed Bucket Seats
Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
Manual Driver Lumbar Adjuster
Steering Wheel-Mounted Audio Controls
Availible for $1045 in the SXT or standard on the R/T.
One thing I'd like to see is iPod integration. I know it has the aux jack, but I wish it had a dock connector interface.
Nope! That thing will have to prove it self first before it gets the SRT treatment. It's replacing a popular much better looking car.
"One thing I'd like to see is iPod integration. I know it has the aux jack, but I wish it had a dock connector interface."
Nope! iPods are populare but there are other brands on the market. Now if they could make a universal one that would work with all brands... that would be cool.
Are they or are they not going to offer the 2L Diesel in the Caliber?
We have discovered that all three radios are available with the Music Gate 9 Speaker Premium Sound System. Currently Dodge.com will not allow a radio to be selected when the optional Music Gate 9 Speaker Premium Sound System is selected. This is an error and is in the process of being corrected.
If you are interested in an optional radio plus the Music Gate 9 SpeakerPremium Sound System the additional cost of each would be added to the vehicle.
Prices are as follows:
The Music Gate 9 Speaker Premium Sound System is: $400
AM/FM Stereo Radio w/In-Dash 6-Disc CD/MP3 Player: $320
AM/FM Radio with Cassette, CD, 6-Disc Changer & MP3: $420
Beg to differ. Glad to see the Neon go, it was never a good looking car, & the SRT-4 was even worse looking. Performance & mechanics may have been there, but it was horrible coming & going.
The Caliber looks like a good, well-designed vehicle. Have yet to see one in person, but the wife & I both love the images.
J
The review is pretty good. He drove a fwd SXT with the 2.0 and cvt. He really liked the drive train - said it was smooth, with the engine and transmission working perfectly together. he praised the ride and handling. Apparently the touring suspension did a good job on the twisties in the mountains in Northern Arizona. He says the cloth seats were comfortable and ergonomics good.
Mateja had problems with the ordering process. He thought the options offered were confusing and added up quickly.
One thing that caught my attention: He says the R/T will be available with a manual come late Summer or early Fall (which makes sense, as that is when the Compass, which will have a manual with the 2.4 will launch.)
All in all, a very positive review.
All things considered, it was one of Mateja's more positive reviews in a while.
I look forward to seeing what the other journalists have to say.
At the outset, Dodge may have a winner here.
Why not a 2.0, available with stick and auto? And the 2.4, with stick and auto. If Dodge is going to have a third choice, it should be a diesel.
I'm not wild about the new Jeep Compass styling but I do like the drivetrain...the 2.4 available with stick or CVT.
At this time, I've not seen anything to suggest the 2.0 will come with a manual.
I imagine when low sulphur diesel starts becoming available next year, Dodge will have a diesel option for the Caliber. But that should not mean no 1.8, should it?
I think the 1.8 is a lame choice in the American market, but I am guessing that:
1. The 1.8 is pretty quick with a stick shift; and
2. With a stick shift, the 1.8 might deliver some EPA fuel economy ratings they can brag about in their ads.
It IS possible to get the 2.0, according to the Dodge website, as a $100 option, and I bet the few stickshifts that make it to dealer lots will be coupled with the 2.0 engines.
The 2.4 is just plain going to be rare - limited to the very upscale R/T. That's a shame.
When I try the build your own function, the 2.0 defaults to the cvt auto. This is consistent with Mateja's article cited above.
I think the 1.8 is a lame choice in the American market, but I am guessing that:
For stop and going driving, the 1.8 would probably be tedious. If you want the Caliber for road trips though, it could be an acceptable choice, provided you do not plan on speeding up and down mountains.
The 2.4 is just plain going to be rare - limited to the very upscale R/T. That's a shame.
A loaded R/T is still not that bad of a deal. If the sports suspension is even half way decent, I think a fair number of people might go this way (To Daimler's obvious delight, no doubt.)
The Caliber--it it lives up to its promises and offers decent reliability--will be a HOT seller because the vehicle offers excellent interior arrangement flexibility, something minivan and SUV owners burned on high fuel prices really want.
Also, <a href="http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/07caliber.htm" target=_blank>Canadian Driver's Review.
Do you mean when the manual becomes available later this year? Right now the Dodge site only allows you to go with manual with the 1.8. Mateja said later this year a manual will be available with 2.4 litre r/t version. He did not say anything about the 2.0. A manual with the 2.0 would be welcome.
Your take on VW is interesting and makes a lot of sense. The only counter I would offer is that VW's sales are not all that stellar in the US. A Caliber with a diesel (assuming the new diesel formulation spurs significant demand) may be a way for VW to use some manufacturing capacity that may otherwise be idle.
From my travels in Europe, the open speed limit autobahns and highways in Europe tend to be dominated by the higher end EU cars which do, in fact, have horse power well in line with the US offerings. The smaller cars are used for driving about town, where distances are short. Europeans are far more likely to take the train, bus and discount airfare when driving cross country (or continent, if you prefer.)
Why not couple the 1.8 with the CVT. Why not offer the AWD on the 1.8 or 2.0? Cynics will say "no performance!" but I've been driving an AWD Matrix for two years and haven't felt the pain.
Both options would add weight and take away from performance. Seems to me the best set up for mpgs is the fwd SXT with the 1.8 and manual. The one luxury I always want is the sun roof. This would add a little more weight, but not near as much as the CVT and the FWD.
It's really a matter of growing up, taking a different view of the place of the US in the world and tamping down our irrational passion for excess to show more social responsibility....
As I said above, Dodge does offer the Caliber in the very economical 1.8 with fwd. If anything, the desire for AWD is a not necessary luxury. With 90% or more of the population living in areas that have paved and plowed roads, awd is arguably socially irresponsible.
If it can be larger than the Mazda3 hatch, weigh over 3000 lbs., with easily more legroom, yet offer a combined 30MPG vs. 148HP?, I think makes this a great vehicle.
Plus you can get in starting at $14k?
I've driven the Vibe GT/Matrix, and wanted to LOVE them, but the driving position was abysmal, wheel doesn't adjust enough and is too close to the dash, seat is too low, seat lacks adjustment. But otherwise very nice.
The Mazda3 is the best compact on the market, after driving it, but the back seat is tiny. So if you are moving someone older than 8-9 years old, the 3 is deficient, and it is smaller than the Caliber, plus cost more.
If you don't like the chick-car image and curves of the PT Cruiser, the predominantly male buyer has a useful, efficient alternative. It looks sporty, roomy, and is a good value.
DrFill
The Caliber is the best looking (from a guy's perspective) car in this segment. The layout is very practical. The mileage is good, if not the top in the class.
I have driven the Maxda3 about 4 times now. It is a decent car, but not quite the all out champ the Edmunds' reviewer makes it out to be. In fact, while I liked the Mazda drive train better than the Corrolla, I actually thinks the Corrolla has better ride and handling.
I have never driven the Vibe/Matrix. The interior in both turn me off. The Vibe/Matrix use the Corrolla drive train. It may be a little bit better than the Dodge mpg wise, but I bet from a fun perspective there is not much of a hill to climb for the Caliber. Also, the Corrolla auto never seems to be in the right gear for the way I drive (of course, these are rentals. If I bought I would go with a manual).
If Toy/GM had a new Vibe/Matrix on the market right now, maybe I would look at one. As it is, I think the Caliber will get a lot of attention, and deservedly so.
If you are impatient, do some calculations on how much more that gas may cost. 32mpg vs. 36mpg @ 18k/yr will cost a whole $156/yr more. Oh wait, I'd better spend another $6k for a Prius to get 50mpg and save $350/yr on fuel over a Matrix. There are plenty of other ways to be competitive in a market segment than fuel economy. If fuel cost per cubic foot of interior space is the most important to you, then enjoy your Vibe or Prius.
I am looking forward to seeing a Caliber in person to find out if it can "out-Matrix" the Matrix and bring some of the acceleration and handling thrills that the Neon used to be famous for, to the table.
I do understand the nostalgic regret in the Edmund's reviewer's article - "where's the speed?"
After all, this is the car company (Dodge) that got me to buy 3 Neons is five years just because they were so damn quick.
Well, except for the last one, but that was only because I got an automatic. It was still faster than a Focus with an automatic - a lot faster.
Wait until the Caliber is available with stick shift on the 2.0 and 2.4's. I bet they'll satisfy the Edmund's reviewer's need for speed. But Dodge is right to sell automatics first, they are the most popular. 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 ame Eastern European company, I believe, which explains some of Ford's teething problems with CVT's as well.)
Finally - I am afraid to hold my breath - but I sure hope Dodge hits a home run on the "crash tests" issue. They've had plenty of time to design to the new IIHS side impact crash test, they have side curtain airbags, I'd like to see an American small car excel in this important safety area. If they do, I'll really take the Caliber seriously as a small family car (my wife is getting tired of the CR-V, she claims it is a little too big).
I can't wait for the Chicago Auto Show, so many cool cars to see this one included.
SRT-4
I like the wheels, the ground treatment, the subtle way they worked the spoiler into the design. Not too sure about the air vent in the hood.
The good thing about SRT development is that those of us who just want to tweak a more pedestrian model a little bit are assured the product will be on the secondary market.
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.
The 2.4 with the manual might be the way to go for me.
I am a manual guy. But Mateja really liked the Caliber CVT. He said it seemed perfectly in sync with the 2.0 engine.
I guess this new trannie in the A3 is receiving a lot of praise as well. But wow! that car is expensive.
Appreciate your taking time out to keep us informed.
What was the HP and 0-60 in the Neon SRT-4?
I wonder what the MPG will be?
There's an Inside Line story on now, saying it will be less than $25,000! What an amazing buy! Probably the cheapest ticket to getting 3000hp.