Dodge caliber

[JHZR2]

Used an 11 caliber for a week as a rental. This car gets bad marks it seems everywhere you look, and I recall having one out in SF back in about 2009 and not liking it.

Not sure what, if anything has changed, but I have to say it is a decent little car.

Pros:
-I'm tall and fit comfortably
-supportive and right firmness of seats, even of not contoured especially
-doors (front) open very wide for easy access
-surprisingly quiet
-acceptble acceleration and pull, with cvt
-decent visibility

Cons:
-seems thirsty even with cvt
-cvt that seems to pretend it has gears sometimes
-not the best handling

I was surprised how quiet the car was. While I used it on flat terrain of long island, it cruised efforesy on the LIE, and was surprisingly quiet. Driving into a headwind, wind noise was heard, but when isn't it? Engine is muted, and while tire noise comes through on concrete, what car doesn't. On smooth blacktop, at one point it struck me that the loudest sound I heard was the tire noise from a new Cadillac srx that was passing me.

This was my first experience with a cvt, and it is odd. Not sure if it is tc lockup or what, but sometimes it feels like there is a gear or two being changed, but then the rest of the time the car just accelerates with the roma at one point proportionate with the pedal. I don't think the economy is great, even with the cvt. it is geared well though, it pulls well when pushed, but far less jumpy than say, the 08 matrix that my friend owns. More powerful too.

Handling doesn't seem great, but it is an economy wagon. Twitchy may be the best description. Feels a bit too heavy, and a slight flask of the wheel will set it shifting. It responds, BT doesn't feel composed. Again, it is an economy wagon likely available for a far better deal than any of it's competitors.

Couldn't complain much about it for what it was. I've driven a lot of Nissan versas and kias that are far worse.

For space on a budget, IMO the car is worth a look.

 

[Dakota1820]

I feel like you were completely unbiased.I appreciate that . Most people are. I also liked them I've only been in one a couple of times but it wasn't bad.

 

[rjacket]

I was in a new Avenger last year and I was also impressed. It was night and day compared to a Challenger I had a few years back.

I went and read up on it and they had apparently put a lot of effort into soundproofing. I have to say that it was not far from being Lexus quiet and it had a comparable ride to an ES / Camry.

The 4 speed auto was out of place on a 2011 but the Big 3 really seem to have improved from the brink of bankruptcy. Let's see if they can keep it up for the next 10 years.

 

[Caliberguy]

i rented one in 2008 to drive us to Va Beach from Wash DC, 400miles r/t and enjoyed it alot. very comfy, versatile, etc.

I bought a 2008 in 2009 and have enjoyed it's simplicity ever since. it's basic transportation that offers some versatility

Easy to change oil and work on too. overall, car gets unnecessarily bashed

 

[caravanmike]

i rented a caliber in 2008 and liked it, other than the cvt. i would definatley buy one in the future.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I think a lot of things changed in 2011 for Chrysler. Seems that all of their cars got interior/refinement upgrades. I also experienced a 2008/9 Caliber and thought it was a pretty poor execution of a small crossover/car. But as with most of Chrysler's products, I think the Caliber got somewhat of a makeover in 2011, didn't it? At least as far as interior materials/quality goes. The minivans look completely different inside. The Journey underwent a dramatic improvement, as did the Wrangler, Avenger, and now 300/Charger for 2012. Chrysler is on the right track, and the improvement of the Caliber is continuing evidence of that.

 

[VicVinegar]

I liked the idea of the Caliber (I tend to like most 3 and 5 door hatches), but when I sat in one at an auto show back when they came out, I was just taken aback at how cheap the interior was.

Apparently Chrysler has addressed the interiors throughout the lineup, so maybe it can get a little more respect now.

 

[sciphi]

Glad to hear! The one I had as a rental last year was a basket case. I looked at some new Chrysler products that had been previously bashed, and found them to be pretty darned good. Chrysler made huge strides recently.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
I liked the idea of the Caliber (I tend to like most 3 and 5 door hatches), but when I sat in one at an auto show back when they came out, I was just taken aback at how cheap the interior was.

Apparently Chrysler has addressed the interiors throughout the lineup, so maybe it can get a little more respect now.


The dash is a harder plastic (which I like better personally because it does not crack in time), but it does not have a hard plastic look. it is satiny and looks nice. Just doest have the soft touch quality (but not a hard touch cast plastic feel either...).

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
I liked the idea of the Caliber (I tend to like most 3 and 5 door hatches), but when I sat in one at an auto show back when they came out, I was just taken aback at how cheap the interior was.

Apparently Chrysler has addressed the interiors throughout the lineup, so maybe it can get a little more respect now.


The dash is a harder plastic (which I like better personally because it does not crack in time), but it does not have a hard plastic look. it is satiny and looks nice. Just doest have the soft touch quality (but not a hard touch cast plastic feel either...).


I find the harder plastics develop cracks more easily. They usually become brittle.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: rjacket
I was in a new Avenger last year and I was also impressed. It was night and day compared to a Challenger I had a few years back.

I went and read up on it and they had apparently put a lot of effort into soundproofing. I have to say that it was not far from being Lexus quiet and it had a comparable ride to an ES / Camry.


We got a loaner Sebring with the GEMA 2.4. It was really quiet, really smooth, and really slow.
It was suprising how slow it was. The previous generation Sonata uses a very similar engine and it felt significantly quicker.

The styling of the Caliber bothers me. It's not an attractive car. I can't help but see elements of the Aztek in it.

Owning a PT Cruiser, I'm obviously okay with the liberal use of cheap polypropylene in the interior. At least with the PT Cruiser, Chrysler attempted to texture it to look like better/more expensive material. (even if they did completely screw up the faux carbon fiber making it look like weird bionic snakeskin in my GT).

I've often wondered if Chrysler would have done better in US Caliber sales if they had made it a traditional sedan. A true successor to the Neon. And upgraded the old EDZ 2.4 to a GEMA 2.0 or 2.4 in the PT and expanded the cargo area a bit. They were making the PTs super cheap by then. Beat the cargo area of the HHR, give it a 2.0 with better fuel economy, and undercut everybody's hatch price (Versa 5-door is still quite a bit more than the 4-door)

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
I liked the idea of the Caliber (I tend to like most 3 and 5 door hatches), but when I sat in one at an auto show back when they came out, I was just taken aback at how cheap the interior was.

Apparently Chrysler has addressed the interiors throughout the lineup, so maybe it can get a little more respect now.


The dash is a harder plastic (which I like better personally because it does not crack in time), but it does not have a hard plastic look. it is satiny and looks nice. Just doest have the soft touch quality (but not a hard touch cast plastic feel either...).


I find the harder plastics develop cracks more easily. They usually become brittle.


7.5 year old Chrysler dash:

Production date = 10/04

My wife parked on the top floor of the parking garage exposed to the sun because "no one could hide in the shadows there" and there were often spaces adjacent to the elevator.

On the downside? Bionic snakeskin:

That does not look like anything but Bionic snakeskin to me. Certainly not carbon fiber.

Perhaps not as functional as the Caliber's dash, but even with the bionic snakeskin, better looking.

 

[fdcg27]

The PT was a fairly cheap car when new, but did at least offer a unique look and considerable utility.
The Caliber screams "cheap car", although it does offer considerable utility and decent fuel economy at a low typical retail.
If you want a more attractive Caliber, ther is always the "Jeep" Patriot.
Although the Pat looks a little off in mini-Cherokee drag, since the proportions can't be made quite right with a FWD drive train, it isn't bad looking, and is fairly cheap and economical.
Just don't go challenging any Subarus either off road or off the line.

 

[dishdude]

I think the Caliber would have been a hit from the start if the interior was higher quality. That whole generation of Chrysler products suffered from interior by Rubbermaid.

Now that they have revamped a lot of the interiors, it's amazing how much nicer the entire lineup is.

 

[hattaresguy]

I had one as a rental car last year.

It had no room, you couldn't see out of it very well, had no power, and used an amazing amount of fuel for a little 4 banger car.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I had one as a rental car last year.

It had no room, you couldn't see out of it very well, had no power, and used an amazing amount of fuel for a little 4 banger car.



No room?

I don't necessarily disagree with the other statements, but the cargo area and opening is much larger than a Cobalt or previous generation Focus.

I'd still rather have the previous gen Focus over the Caliber or Cobalt, but I'm not faulting the Caliber for it's cargo space

 

[daves87rs]

I will say that they are tough little cars. My brother has one, and it holds up to abuse pretty well..

 

[hattaresguy]

Nah their is no room its to small, this year we are upgrading to a Maxima.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I had one as a rental car last year.

It had no room, you couldn't see out of it very well, had no power, and used an amazing amount of fuel for a little 4 banger car.



No room?

Well the trunk area isn't that big, about what my wife's rabbit has, I'd say.

I wouldn't call it u set powered. The engine is audible if pushing it, but that's ok. It's a low cost automobile.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
I liked the idea of the Caliber (I tend to like most 3 and 5 door hatches), but when I sat in one at an auto show back when they came out, I was just taken aback at how cheap the interior was.

Apparently Chrysler has addressed the interiors throughout the lineup, so maybe it can get a little more respect now.


The dash is a harder plastic (which I like better personally because it does not crack in time), but it does not have a hard plastic look. it is satiny and looks nice. Just doest have the soft touch quality (but not a hard touch cast plastic feel either...).


I find the harder plastics develop cracks more easily. They usually become brittle.


No cars that we own that have hard dashes, have any cracks.

The soft touch stuff will crack real easy after thermal cycling for a few years.