CTC Review: 2007 Dodge Caliber

[UmroAyyar]

I can take a joke - very funny saf.

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?

[jww]

Don't they pay more for more content?

Not necessarily - cars are alot more expensive, yes, but the economy there is such that most stuff is more expensive. The UK is unbelievable - I have no idea how people afford to live there any longer. Their taxes are alot different as well - more than just VAT stuff, highway taxes levied up front, etc. It's just alot different from us here in North America.

[UmroAyyar]

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.

[Mr Meow]

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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[jww]

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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I suppose you have a point there. However, I do find that when we visit our family in Manchester/Bury area I don't find it all that much cheaper than when we are in Oxfordshire. I know the SE is pruported to be alot more expensive, but relatively speaking, the UK is costly, period.

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 

[Mr Meow]

I suppose you have a point there. However, I do find that when we visit our family in Manchester/Bury area I don't find it all that much cheaper than when we are in Oxfordshire. I know the SE is pruported to be alot more expensive, but relatively speaking, the UK is costly, period.

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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[jww]

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).

[Mr Meow]

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).

They are already selling the Caliber in the UK http://www.whatcar.com/car-review/dodge-caliber-hatchback/846/
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[safristi]

Wif Dat spelink   ??

[Rupert]

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.

[wing]

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.

[AVToller]

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.

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. 

[wing]

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.

[Rupert]

  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.

[wing]

The Caliber is also available in AWD

[Wolfe]

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.

    I didn't realize the Caliber R/T, Suzuki Aerio AWD, Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe AWD, and the entire Subaru lineup were super expensive exotics. 

[Rupert]

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

[sirAQUAMAN64]

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.

[bigtsr]

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.

[safristi]

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.......