Do you mind sharing how good of a deal you'd be getting? That would help with my answer.
Considering Caliber SRT-4
- Thread starter Gilitar
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If it's more than $21K, walk away. More money than that can get you a superior car from its list of competitors.
Oh well, they low balled my trade and I walked out. I don't "need" to trade anyway.
The trade-in market is SUPER soft right now. I've been offered as low as $12K for my 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 with 9200 miles on it. That's an $11K hit from when I bought it in spring 2007.
I tried to help out GM by buying a Saturn a few months ago, but their trade offer was beyond insulting.
I tried to help out GM by buying a Saturn a few months ago, but their trade offer was beyond insulting.
What is violent tourque steer??? It has equal length half shafts.
It has Tourque management and from what I hear most owners that buy the stage 1 computer or get a Daiblo tuner so they can run more agressive boost in first and 2nd gear. SO i guess Tourque steer is a non-issue LOL to the type of folks who buy these.
I have ridden in a Shadow with a 16V Spirit RT engine running 30 PSI of boost put in it, dynoed over 450 WHP and yes you hang on but that is part of the fun. I doubt there is much tourque steer other then the bozo reviewing the car had ever experienced. LOL Maybe he was use to low HP and low tourque FWD Cars. It isnt a big deal, they have been say [censored] like that for years.
For the record it is an SRT so it gets all the good parts, getrag gear set, Huge brakes from the Charger RT Hemi, 13.5" Front, 11.9" rear, SAchs ZF Struts, shocks, bigger knuckles and axles etc The engine gets forged steel rods, bigger bearings, oil squirters, oil cooler inconel valves etc
It can obviousl run the numbers and spank most of the previosly mentioned cars in your post or run close.
For an everyday driver for not a lot of bucks it is a bargain. Guys are scooping them up for 16-17K $.
If I wasnt going to buy a Challenger RT I would go grab one.
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I've been trying to formulate a response to the people who say the SRT-4 should be good because the Caliber is decent. I didn't want to bother but I think I have a point worth making.
Why are we satisfied with "decent" when there is 285 horsepower under the hood? The base car barely handled well enough to keep up with 150 horsepower. You can't expect it to be okay with 285 just because it has a few extra bits bolted on. That's like if you were rolling down a hill in a shopping cart, and you just made the hill steeper.
The car shouldn't be decent. It should be good. Violent torque steer and an under-damped suspension are not good. Posh seats and a body kit do not make it good. If the engine is fast, the chassis should be a lot faster.
Look at the other cars in the class: Honda Civic Si, VW Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Mazdaspeed 3, and Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The Caliber SRT-4 is the most powerful car of the bunch, and by far the worst reviewed. That should say something.
It has Tourque management and from what I hear most owners that buy the stage 1 computer or get a Daiblo tuner so they can run more agressive boost in first and 2nd gear. SO i guess Tourque steer is a non-issue LOL to the type of folks who buy these.
I have ridden in a Shadow with a 16V Spirit RT engine running 30 PSI of boost put in it, dynoed over 450 WHP and yes you hang on but that is part of the fun. I doubt there is much tourque steer other then the bozo reviewing the car had ever experienced. LOL Maybe he was use to low HP and low tourque FWD Cars. It isnt a big deal, they have been say [censored] like that for years.
For the record it is an SRT so it gets all the good parts, getrag gear set, Huge brakes from the Charger RT Hemi, 13.5" Front, 11.9" rear, SAchs ZF Struts, shocks, bigger knuckles and axles etc The engine gets forged steel rods, bigger bearings, oil squirters, oil cooler inconel valves etc
It can obviousl run the numbers and spank most of the previosly mentioned cars in your post or run close.
For an everyday driver for not a lot of bucks it is a bargain. Guys are scooping them up for 16-17K $.
If I wasnt going to buy a Challenger RT I would go grab one.
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I've been trying to formulate a response to the people who say the SRT-4 should be good because the Caliber is decent. I didn't want to bother but I think I have a point worth making.
Why are we satisfied with "decent" when there is 285 horsepower under the hood? The base car barely handled well enough to keep up with 150 horsepower. You can't expect it to be okay with 285 just because it has a few extra bits bolted on. That's like if you were rolling down a hill in a shopping cart, and you just made the hill steeper.
The car shouldn't be decent. It should be good. Violent torque steer and an under-damped suspension are not good. Posh seats and a body kit do not make it good. If the engine is fast, the chassis should be a lot faster.
Look at the other cars in the class: Honda Civic Si, VW Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Mazdaspeed 3, and Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The Caliber SRT-4 is the most powerful car of the bunch, and by far the worst reviewed. That should say something.
Chrysler went broke for some reason.
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
Hey guys I found a steal on a left over 08 SRT-4. I'm going to look at it tomorrow. What do you guys think of the new 2.4l world engine? What about the car in general? I know it's no where near the best in class, but it's a deal!
My blood cells are shaped like the Chrysler star, but I fail to be overly impressed with the Caliber in general. On the other hand, the SRT-4 is quite a bit up-scaled from the typical Caliber SXT that I get stuck with as a rental. I've talked to a number of SRT-4 owners who really, really like them. Drive it and see what you think. The World Engine seems to be holding up just fine (which means the Chrysler and Hyundai engineers hog-tied the Mitsubishi engineers and didn't let them put in their patented oil-burning technology) in both Chryslers and Hyundais that use it. I certainly would't worry about any *drivetrain* issues- all my gripes with the current Chryslers are body and interior related.
Hey guys I found a steal on a left over 08 SRT-4. I'm going to look at it tomorrow. What do you guys think of the new 2.4l world engine? What about the car in general? I know it's no where near the best in class, but it's a deal!
My blood cells are shaped like the Chrysler star, but I fail to be overly impressed with the Caliber in general. On the other hand, the SRT-4 is quite a bit up-scaled from the typical Caliber SXT that I get stuck with as a rental. I've talked to a number of SRT-4 owners who really, really like them. Drive it and see what you think. The World Engine seems to be holding up just fine (which means the Chrysler and Hyundai engineers hog-tied the Mitsubishi engineers and didn't let them put in their patented oil-burning technology) in both Chryslers and Hyundais that use it. I certainly would't worry about any *drivetrain* issues- all my gripes with the current Chryslers are body and interior related.
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Look at the other cars in the class: Honda Civic Si, VW Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Mazdaspeed 3, and Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The Caliber SRT-4 is the most powerful car of the bunch, and by far the worst reviewed. That should say something.
The SRT-4 beats all of those by most objective measures of performance. It is very much upgraded over the base Caliber- just like the turbo PT Cruiser was fairly different (suspension and drivetrain wise) from the base Cruiser.) I'm convinced that the "worst reviews" come from the quirky/bulky styling and the rather harsh and cheap-feeling (dare one say "teutonic"?) interior that its been saddled with. If you're wanting stellar performance and don't care if its rough around the edges, the SRT-4 isn't a bad choice. Some of us still like cars that beat us up a little bit... I can't imagine myself driving, for example, something as boringly refined as a 370Z, despite the fact that its a great performer.
Look at the other cars in the class: Honda Civic Si, VW Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Mazdaspeed 3, and Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The Caliber SRT-4 is the most powerful car of the bunch, and by far the worst reviewed. That should say something.
The SRT-4 beats all of those by most objective measures of performance. It is very much upgraded over the base Caliber- just like the turbo PT Cruiser was fairly different (suspension and drivetrain wise) from the base Cruiser.) I'm convinced that the "worst reviews" come from the quirky/bulky styling and the rather harsh and cheap-feeling (dare one say "teutonic"?) interior that its been saddled with. If you're wanting stellar performance and don't care if its rough around the edges, the SRT-4 isn't a bad choice. Some of us still like cars that beat us up a little bit... I can't imagine myself driving, for example, something as boringly refined as a 370Z, despite the fact that its a great performer.
To Virago,
I don't think the used market is that soft.
That's crazy.
I don't think the used market is that soft.
That's crazy.
They wanted to steal your trade.
I've gotten prices from Carmax, Saturn of Lewisville, Rodeo Ford of Richardson and Van Hyundai of Dallas. The largest sum I've been offered is $14K.
I guess because it's not a Toyota, I get bent over on resale.
I guess because it's not a Toyota, I get bent over on resale.
They wanted to give me 7.5k for a 2006 Liberty Sport with 36k miles. My jeep is spotless.... I'm just tired of getting raped by car dealers. I'm not going to do it this time.
Originally Posted By: VNTS
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
I feel that the car got bad reviews because the car isn't clearly in one class. This way the reviewer compares it to something it's not and gives it a bad review. Also, styling is funky, so the reviewer probably never likes the car from first sight.
You have to understand that any mags, like CR etc are going to SHyt on any Chrysler product. To get the true scoop you need to go on a mopar board and people will tell you what is good and bad.
My father has 07 SXT. It is nice car for the money. People complain about the interior in the Caliber but my MIL just bought a 09 Corrolla and the POS interior in that car is nothing to brag about either. My wife even noted that but I guess she is used to the leather heated seats in her PT GT and Grand Cherokee.
Note the SRT4 has nicer seats with leather option etc. The SRT's basically an upgraded Caliber with a beefy Getrag gear set, huge brakes, nice tuned suspension and a good beefy engine. Not everyones choice but if you want a performance car you will probably like it from people I have talked to on TM.com.
I dunno. I think they just like top performers. Look at what they like, BMW 3 series, VW Golf/Rabbit, WRX, Mitsu Evo. They even give props to the Chevy Cobalt SS. They seem to really like that little car.
So I don't think they are biased against a nameplate.
However, they are NOT fans of mediocrity and I think many of the Dodge/Chrysler offerings are deep in the mediocre range.
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
I feel that the car got bad reviews because the car isn't clearly in one class. This way the reviewer compares it to something it's not and gives it a bad review. Also, styling is funky, so the reviewer probably never likes the car from first sight.
You have to understand that any mags, like CR etc are going to SHyt on any Chrysler product. To get the true scoop you need to go on a mopar board and people will tell you what is good and bad.
My father has 07 SXT. It is nice car for the money. People complain about the interior in the Caliber but my MIL just bought a 09 Corrolla and the POS interior in that car is nothing to brag about either. My wife even noted that but I guess she is used to the leather heated seats in her PT GT and Grand Cherokee.
Note the SRT4 has nicer seats with leather option etc. The SRT's basically an upgraded Caliber with a beefy Getrag gear set, huge brakes, nice tuned suspension and a good beefy engine. Not everyones choice but if you want a performance car you will probably like it from people I have talked to on TM.com.
I dunno. I think they just like top performers. Look at what they like, BMW 3 series, VW Golf/Rabbit, WRX, Mitsu Evo. They even give props to the Chevy Cobalt SS. They seem to really like that little car.
So I don't think they are biased against a nameplate.
However, they are NOT fans of mediocrity and I think many of the Dodge/Chrysler offerings are deep in the mediocre range.
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
They wanted to give me 7.5k for a 2006 Liberty Sport with 36k miles. My jeep is spotless.... I'm just tired of getting raped by car dealers. I'm not going to do it this time.
If new car prices are down, what do you think that does to the value of your trade.
No one is ever raped by a car dealer. If you bought a car, you consented and said yes.
If you said yes, it's not rape.
They wanted to give me 7.5k for a 2006 Liberty Sport with 36k miles. My jeep is spotless.... I'm just tired of getting raped by car dealers. I'm not going to do it this time.
If new car prices are down, what do you think that does to the value of your trade.
No one is ever raped by a car dealer. If you bought a car, you consented and said yes.
If you said yes, it's not rape.
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Look at the other cars in the class: Honda Civic Si, VW Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Mazdaspeed 3, and Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The Caliber SRT-4 is the most powerful car of the bunch, and by far the worst reviewed. That should say something.
The SRT-4 beats all of those by most objective measures of performance. It is very much upgraded over the base Caliber- just like the turbo PT Cruiser was fairly different (suspension and drivetrain wise) from the base Cruiser.) I'm convinced that the "worst reviews" come from the quirky/bulky styling and the rather harsh and cheap-feeling (dare one say "teutonic"?) interior that its been saddled with. If you're wanting stellar performance and don't care if its rough around the edges, the SRT-4 isn't a bad choice. Some of us still like cars that beat us up a little bit... I can't imagine myself driving, for example, something as boringly refined as a 370Z, despite the fact that its a great performer.
It has more power, but it carries a lot more mass than those other cars. I may go really fast in a straight line. But look at how they gush at the handling of the 3 or the VW?
Power is nothing if you can't keep it on the road. The bias that most car magazines have is that they want more than simply the most powerful engine. They want a great balance of power in a car that can use that power to it's fullest on a track that turns both left and right.
The Caliber may be a great drag car. But drag racing is only one part of a large field of motorsports and car enthusiasm.
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Look at the other cars in the class: Honda Civic Si, VW Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Mazdaspeed 3, and Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The Caliber SRT-4 is the most powerful car of the bunch, and by far the worst reviewed. That should say something.
The SRT-4 beats all of those by most objective measures of performance. It is very much upgraded over the base Caliber- just like the turbo PT Cruiser was fairly different (suspension and drivetrain wise) from the base Cruiser.) I'm convinced that the "worst reviews" come from the quirky/bulky styling and the rather harsh and cheap-feeling (dare one say "teutonic"?) interior that its been saddled with. If you're wanting stellar performance and don't care if its rough around the edges, the SRT-4 isn't a bad choice. Some of us still like cars that beat us up a little bit... I can't imagine myself driving, for example, something as boringly refined as a 370Z, despite the fact that its a great performer.
It has more power, but it carries a lot more mass than those other cars. I may go really fast in a straight line. But look at how they gush at the handling of the 3 or the VW?
Power is nothing if you can't keep it on the road. The bias that most car magazines have is that they want more than simply the most powerful engine. They want a great balance of power in a car that can use that power to it's fullest on a track that turns both left and right.
The Caliber may be a great drag car. But drag racing is only one part of a large field of motorsports and car enthusiasm.
Originally Posted By: javacontour
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
They wanted to give me 7.5k for a 2006 Liberty Sport with 36k miles. My jeep is spotless.... I'm just tired of getting raped by car dealers. I'm not going to do it this time.
If new car prices are down, what do you think that does to the value of your trade.
No one is ever raped by a car dealer. If you bought a car, you consented and said yes.
If you said yes, it's not rape.
It was just a figure of speech. You know that feeling you get when you feel like you are being taken advantage of?
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
They wanted to give me 7.5k for a 2006 Liberty Sport with 36k miles. My jeep is spotless.... I'm just tired of getting raped by car dealers. I'm not going to do it this time.
If new car prices are down, what do you think that does to the value of your trade.
No one is ever raped by a car dealer. If you bought a car, you consented and said yes.
If you said yes, it's not rape.
It was just a figure of speech. You know that feeling you get when you feel like you are being taken advantage of?
Words mean things. Rape is a pretty serious term. Some folks have family members who were rape victims.
So it's both a charged word and not even close to accurately describing what happens in a car dealership.
The buyer has the power of no, just like the seller.
If the deal doesn't look good, I make a counter offer, if they don't like it, I leave.
Numbers get more appealing when you are walking out the door on the last day of the quarter.
So it's both a charged word and not even close to accurately describing what happens in a car dealership.
The buyer has the power of no, just like the seller.
If the deal doesn't look good, I make a counter offer, if they don't like it, I leave.
Numbers get more appealing when you are walking out the door on the last day of the quarter.
Originally Posted By: Gilitar
I feel that the car got bad reviews because the car isn't clearly in one class. This way the reviewer compares it to something it's not and gives it a bad review. Also, styling is funky, so the reviewer probably never likes the car from first sight.
So you liked driving it then? What other cars did you test drive for comparison?
I feel that the car got bad reviews because the car isn't clearly in one class. This way the reviewer compares it to something it's not and gives it a bad review. Also, styling is funky, so the reviewer probably never likes the car from first sight.
So you liked driving it then? What other cars did you test drive for comparison?
we've seen used low mileage '08 CALIBERS for $9,999 in local newspaper . I'd think twice , unless you plan on keeping it until the end . The trade in for our base model '08 YARIS sedan w/ 4 speed automatic and 10,000 + miles is over $10 grand in good condition . The resale is close to $11,000 for it . I'd do a little more research on the CALIBER before biting the bullet . GOOD LUCK .
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Stay away from this car....
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