Dodge sets sights on new Caliber Dodge's introduction of the Caliber, the Neon's successor and replacement, indicates that in the context of SUV versatility, customers now demand their entry-level vehicles not only to be affordable, but also capable of transporting excess cargo and passengers. at
I haven't tried it yet, but overall, I really like the look/feel of the car, especially considering the price.
I hope to see a day where American cars are once again the "benchmark".. I haven't owned a US made car for quite a while; I'd probably buy this one ;)..
Saw my first one at a dealership this week. Very impressive. Different enough to be interesting, but the differences look right. I can see why some industry analysts are saying that this will kill the PT, because it fills its role and has wider appeal as well.
This would be a good time for Chrysler to look at a replacement for the PT; it's been around for 7 full years with no substantive design change. How long can demand stay up for that design and, unless they are considering a pickup version, there aren't any new variations on the current car that might grow sales. Selling a new PT, other than (maybe) the convertible, has got to be getting more difficult because all over town nearly identical used cars are selling for much less.
I have a 2001 PT that I ordered in April 2000 and took delivery of in June
2000; there is no sense paying $10k with trade for another PT that looks just like what I have (except the body colored bumpers are more to my taste). I've had my fill of convertibles in the past 20 years and think the PT variant is butt-ugly; besides, it eliminates the great flexibility of the PT interior.
Though I haven't bought anything but Chrysler products since 1966 (it was a lovely '37 Ford sedan, that looked a lot like a giant version of my current PT), I've thought about stopping by the Chevy dealer to see if the HHR is as flexible as the PT. The Caliber gives me something else to look at before leaving the Chrysler stable.
I would give anything to have another Rampage-like pick up. Just big enough to haul what I wanted to haul (plywood, washer/dryer, camping stuff, etc), front wheel drive, economy, but not a gas guzzling full size truck. I've been looking for another one (Rampage) for several years, but they are hard to find. And the Dakotas are just to big, and not fuel efficient enough. D
That's not a bad idea. I never knew anybody that had one, but my Dad was telling me the other day that some of his coworkers got 40 mpg in those rampages back in the olden days. That's hard for me to believe.
There were some sidebars in Autoweek about this last week - it might be a good time to bring something like that back. Now that all the small trucks have moved up, the Ranger is the only "small" truck left in the US, and it's not all that small. There's room under them all for a really small truck that will carry half a ton and get 30 mpg. If Datsuns could do that with
1960's technology, then it ought to be possible now.
Footnote: The 1300cc Datsuns were actually rated to carry a *metric ton*. Thought it was a typo at first, but it's not.
There already IS a replacement for the PT. It will be built on the same platform as the Caliber. I think I read that the new platform, PM, will include replacements for PL (Neon), PT (Cruiser) and JS (Sebring).
I was just reading a car mag long-term test "update" on their Nissan Frontier truck. That stupid thing got 14 mpg. No joke. That's real world, their actual mileage.
Yes, but there's not much truck space there. The Baja is very close, though. You're absolutely right. It needs a 2-door version that'll haul a sheet of plywood somehow, or maybe a washing machine would be the right design idiom, as suggested earlier in the thread.
The oldest car in my fleet, a 1988 New Yorker powered by a v6 3.0 mitsubishi engine , gets up to 34 mpg on the highway I've gotten as good as 28 mpg with the 3.5 2000 3ooM The PT Cruiser is getting 23 mpg highway with the 2.4 4 banger
People claim it is mostly due to weight differences.
I think there has been a trade off in the auto market over the last 10 - 15 years. Until gas prices started to climb most people wanted faster, more powerful vehicles with a powerful looking "presence" (like the SUV). Mainstream cars designed in the early to mid 80's were still tweaked for better mpg compared to brute force.
My sister in law recently purchased a hybrid minivan. She gets 28 mpg. No better than my 3ooM or my 1995 4.6 v8 T-Bird. Luckily for her she doesn't hang onto cars much longer than 3 or 4 years so she should not get bit by the expense of battery change out.
I suspect it will be awhile before autos are re tuned for MPG rather than torque and hp. Then again I always thought that efficient engines equated to better overall performance.
You didn't say what hybrid vehicle it is, but it must have a large engine. A number of hybrids out there are mainly for more acceleration, such as the Honda V6 Accord hybrid. Manufacturers are taking advantage of the hybrid appeal to sell anything. A high mileage hybrid will need the electric assist for reasonable acceleration and hill climbing from it's small engine.
It's mainly in urban stop and go driving where the hybrid gains fuel mileage. Driving at a steady speed on relatively level roads there is little or no gain from a hybrid.
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