Dodge Caliber

They have visual tricks that make them look husky, for example high side window lines. But they're not tiny. They weigh over 3000 pounds. Their handling and fuel economy reflect that, unfortunately.

I was interested in them when they first came out, but now I think I'll keep my Focus a while longer.

Yikes, you're right! Taking a look at the Dodge website, the Caliber's estimate fuel economy is 23MPG city/26MPG highway! And this is supposed to e the successor to the Neon? Mu '05 Neon's fuel economy is 25/32, by comparison.

And here I was, wishing I had waited a year; now I'm glad I didn't. I was slightly disappointed by the Caliber's interior and exterior appearance, but the mileage and handling issues have really turned me off to it.

Yes, I was planning to buy a Neon for a commuter car, but then found that they were being discontinued. I bought a 2006 Sonata instead and am getting 31 MPG with both more performance and more room and comfort than the Caliber. I think Chrysler really missed the boat on this one. What does it take for them to see what Honda and Toyota have learned with the Civic/Corolla and the Accord/Camary. Quality small/intermediate cars will sell by the truckload. I'm betting that Calibers won't, but time will tell.

Matt

That's barely better then the 300C which is rated at 25 highway (I've gotten 24 in my 300C AWD but that was on a very long highway trip). How is it possible that a little runt of a car like the Caliber can only get 26 highway. The 300C has an excuse, it's a massively powerful two ton car, whats' the Caliber's excuse?. My old 94 Concorde got 29MPG on the highway, that's real MPGs not EPA, so what has Chrysler forgotten in the last 10 years?

I'm surprised you get that kind of mileage with the C. Some of the people I've spoken to have only managed to get 19 on the highway and at 60MPH no less.

Ken

I mostly get 19 on the highway. On a couple of occasions I've done better. On some 200 mile drives I've gotten 22. My record is 24 when I drove from Massachusetts to Ontario, but that was 7 hours of straight highway driving. Vermont has mountains so it wasn't the absolutely best possible scenario but it's close. I also drove with a light foot although I did 75MPH most of the way. The key is to not light the afterburners. When you put your foot down on a C you can watch the gas gauge drop. When I first got it the temptation to floor it was irresistible, you can go from 60 to 100 in the time it takes to pass a semi, but if you do that you'll end up getting 14MPG. If you keep it at a steady speed it drops back to 4 cylinders and the MPG isn't horrible. It's never great mileage, as I said earlier my old Concorde got 29 on the highway and when it was new I sometimes managed to get over 30. On the other hand the Concorde couldn't do 0-60 in 5.5 seconds.

I as expecting Mopar to come up with a Civic/Corolla type vehicle but unfortunately it didn't happen :( I had to decide between a Caliber and another PT Cruiser a few weeks ago. I really wanted to like the Caliber but is was very slow off the line even and the engine was noisy compared to the PT. I was really disappointed. I know the gas mileage isn't as great on a PT but IMHO the PT is a much quieter refined car than the Caliber right now, plus it offers more for the money if you compare base models. Chrysler did a great job with quieting the PT and refining the interior for 06. I think they really goofed on the Caliber.

Maybe Chrysler should start buying small engines from Honda like GM.

Too right. i mean, my 97 t+c's rated 24 highway, and at one time (when the wife was driving it for bsuiness, doing a route with 400lb of merchendise int he back 0it was averaging (total average) of

24.4mpg.

i did get slightly over 30mpg on a trip in my 87 caravan (3l v6) gooing from Atlanta to Salisbury, NC to pick up 3/4 ton of lexan (in

8ft sheets - had them running diagonally, propped over our heads with sticks against the roof and windscreen) and back again in a day. 87's aren't exactly the most aerodynamic. Did another run in it from Griffin, ga to Talahassee down US19 to take a rfiend to pick up a car, and back. That time we had the AC on but it was stil upper 20's mpg.

Frankly, caliber's an ugly vehicle. hideous even

That is the estimated mileage for the R/T version. The 2.0 is rated @

26/30 and the 1.8 is rated @ 28/32 Steve B.

That's still acceptable for a car that can bring many smiles if you can resist "flooring-it". I really like the car and will probably purchase one next year.

I hope they use that new white I saw at the NY Car Show. It was an extended

300C and they person there told me the color was called tri-white or something along those line. It looked really nice under those lights.

Still waiting and hoping for the Pacifica to get a Hemi. If DC can put one in an AWD 300C, I don't know why they can't put one in the Pacifica or it because they have other reasons.

Finally, why don't they offer chrome wheels on the AWD 300C?

Ken

Or test them a little longer. Perhaps they're rushing them out.

The local dealer had three here and they were gone in a week.

These cars look nice and I like the options. I think they would make great commuter cars.

BTW, I sold the 300M :-( It was just a too small for me for head room.

My in-laws are loving the 300M we gave them. We had a bit of paint done on it and had it detailed before shipping it to them. Their neighbors think the 99 is a new car.

Notwithstanding the barely adequate engine in the Pacifica, it is getting good press lately. If I was considering one, I would certainly test drive the cheap one with the cheaper engine and without the 3rd row seat. Without the extra valves, you might get improved low end throttle when you need it and you get rid of a little weight without the 3rd row.

I have a '95 Concord and the Caliber plus Ford Focus SW are on my short list, plus a few other cars. The Concord has lots of life yet so I can wait for the Caliber to mature and others to appear. The recent high fuel prices which seem to be sticking will change car designs over the next several years. My needs have moved to an urban car of the station wagon type. Easy loading of golf clubs and pull carts are my priority. For the highway my wife's Sebring does the job very well.

I've only sat in the base Caliper and was impressed by the slightly higher seat and head room. The interior finish could be better.

Not surprising the highway mileage isn't that great as the Caliber doesn't look that stream lined. The truck like front certainly gives it a larger look, quite different from it's cousin the Mercedes B-200.

The high front does improve parking ease, low hoods make the front difficult to see. The Caliber must be selling OL as the few on my local dealers lot are gone and no more are sitting around. Lots of 300s sitting on this and other dealers lots though. Vancouver, BC just isn't the place for the

300. A few days ago I saw a used loaded 2006 300C in a local Chrysler dealers ad for only C$26,000; my what a depreciation hit. A few weeks ago in southern UK I saw a black 300. Over there it looks even more of a monster and didn't impress my UK friends.

I just had a rental Focus wagon in the UK for 3 weeks. Excellent interior space and excellent fuel mileage with the 1.6L engine stick shift, but very noisy. In fact too noisy to enjoy the radio of speak to others. There was some transmission noise, but front and rear tire (tyre there-

...can't really blame all the negatives on Chrysler Engineering. It's a "world car", with a "global" (read: Hyundai) engine. The platform is, or will be, sold as a Hyundai, Mitsu, Jeep, etc. (and someone said the Benz B200...dunno ???)

Still, this isn't really an excuse, just a "who not to blame" statement. But take the portly, tipsy Caliber out for a drive on a twisty road, then any decent Gen-I Neon. Night and day.

The Neons were "real" Mopars....i.e, lousy fit and finish, strange noises, leaks, etc. But, maximum performance for minimum bucks that nobody else could touch. Plus, they didn't have even 2% of Jap or Korean stuff in 'em.

Sniff, sniff....

Rick

Glad to hear they're enjoying the car. I see some every now and then. It was nice to have a car that was unique, somewhat.

Might work for me. Looking forward to seeing the new Chrysler Aspen.

The "new" Aspen is a reskinned Durango.