2007 Dodge Caliber Review

Specifications

Caliber Takes Aim at the Compact Segment with a Good Shot at Winning Over Import Buyers

DaimlerChrysler was smart when it introduced its new Caliber compact model in Detroit last month. Rather than deriding the trusty old Neon themselves, which would have been oh-so taboo, they had comedian extraordinaire David Spade do it for them. The Birmingham, Michigan born star of “Saturday Night Live” and the popular sitcom “Just Shoot Me”, the latter in which he played the unlovable slime ball Dennis Finch, joined Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler Groups Executive Vice President Global Marketing, Sales and Service on stage and contributed his usual off-hand humor, interrupting the straight mans monologue of Caliber attributes with comments like, “Dude, anything looks good when you compare it to a Neon.”

To be fair, the Neon was a pretty decent domestic economy car, at least in its time, but in todays highly competitive compact market segment the Neons time is long gone. Rightly so, its about to be replaced by something completely new. But rather go at the competition head-on; as Chevy is trying to do with its new four-door Cobalt and Ford has long done with its Focus, Dodge is once again marching to the beat of its own heavy metal drummer. OK, the Caliber might be more of a dance track machine, especially when fitted with its top-line audio system, but you get the idea. To make it completely clear, the only thing that the Caliber has to do with the outgoing Neon is that its built in the same Belvedere, Illinois plant; completely overhauled since Neon stopped production, mind you.

And now, on the other side of the continent, having spent the better part of a day putting Dodges latest offering through its paces in and around Scottsdale, Arizona, which incidentally just happens to be where the Calibers hired comic was raised, I come away with mixed emotions - both joy and happiness. Im joyful that Chrysler has once again raised the bar among domestic manufacturers, first in the crossover segment with Pacifica, second in the large sedan category with 300, third in the wagon, ahem, sport tourer class with Magnum, and now in the C-segment with Caliber. In some ways the Caliber not only measures up to its imported competitors, but surpasses them, and this makes me even happier, as strong rivals make for a better small car market, benefiting everyone.

Now dont get me wrong, the Caliber isnt perfect. I wouldnt even be so bold (or unwise) to say its the best car in its class, but when I discussed the new model with my 26 year-old driving partner, who incidentally writes for a popular tuning magazine, and in conversation asked him if he would buy it, he pondered over the question before looking up and answering that if it was priced right he just might, adding that he would certainly consider it. Why this is important is that he would have never even considered a Neon, even the ultra-hot SRT4. The fact that his age puts him within the Calibers 25 to 35 primary demographic target shows to me that the boys and girls from Auburn Hills are onto something, and a closer look at its base price is why I think this car will be a big success.

But before I get into the money, there are a number of other reasons why American compact buyers should consider the new Caliber. Reason number one, at least in my books is that its really good looking. OK, maybe appearances shouldnt be reason number one, but its no secret that attractive cars sell well and ugly ones normally dont, unless they are considered particularly reliable or particularly practical. So, being that no one can say much about its predicted reliability, despite major advancements in its design and build processes to ferret out any potential gremlins, the Caliber is after all a brand new car with zero track record, lets make the Calibers practicality its number one attribute and leave styling for a little later in the review.

I dont know how it would be possible to get any craftier in a small car package than the Dodge engineers and product planners got with the Caliber. Of course, its five-door, wagon-like liftback configuration makes it ideally suited to hauling people and their stuff around. The hatch opens up a wide, tall gateway into a spacious cargo hold, replete with a removable plastic floor for ease of washing. The standard split-folding rear seats are among the easiest to lay flat in the segment, with just a tug of a mesh-fabric loop, and the front passenger seat flips forward too, as long as you dont have a base SE model, for those really long and awkward eight-foot ladders that youre always carrying around, right? Well, maybe not, but sometime in the space of the next few years youre going to need to cart around something long and cumbersome, and youre going to wish that your compact was as flexible in its seating/cargo configuration.

I think, though, that your rear seat passengers are going to care a heck of a lot more that a similar seating system to that which folds down for cargo on the base car, also reclines back for taking a snooze if you opt for any of the higher trim levels. While Caliber isnt the only car to offer such a premium feature in this proletariat class, its one of few. The rear seats are pretty comfortable too, with firm but forgiving cushions and a decent level of lower back support. There is plenty of room for my legs and feet, ample for the hips and shoulders, and while my 5-foot-8 height is hardly lofty, there was another heads worth to spare from skull to ceiling.

The front seats offered higher levels of support, even in base SE trim, while the mid-level SXT complemented the lower cushions with higher-back front buckets as well as an upgraded cloth; some of the examples on the drive featuring body-color inserts to match a body-color center stack - personalized iPod faceplate fans will like this feature (perforated leather is also available). Oh, and speaking of the worlds favorite portable music player, even the standard audio system, which puts out pretty impressive sound by the way, is formatted for mp3 and WMA, plus even comes with an accessory plug right on the front of the head unit - amazingly this isnt available with the top-line audio system. Together with the handy armrest, that flips up to expose a nifty iPod-cum-cell phone holder, my BlackBerry fit in perfectly as well, it continues the practicality theme. On the musical theme, Dodge appreciates that just because you may not have the money for every Caliber option, you shouldnt be relegated to its base stereo system, as good as it is. Therefore, all stereo equipment is optional across the line. This a la carte approach will be sure to win over younger buyers.

If your phone or PDA is Bluetooth-equipped, the Caliber comes with UConnect wireless connectivity, available as a standalone option in all models except the base SE, the first entry-level compact to feature this convenience. Being factory installed, it combines the stereo systems speakers with controls and a microphone housed in the rearview mirror, and when “hooked” up provides its user voice command dialing, the convenience of an abbreviated address book stored on the cars onboard computer, an audio system mute button, the ability to transfer a call from the cars system to an external cell phone, multi-phone recognition (up to seven phones can be set up within the system), quick access to emergency numbers, and a multi-lingual interface and voice command system, including English, French and Spanish. And that audio system I just mentioned features available SIRIUS satellite radio connectivity, a service that in my experience is well worth the small monthly subscription rate, especially if youre a music lover or appreciate uncensored talk show commentary.

The impressive sound system that I just mentioned, which also includes a standard single-disc CD player, can be upgraded to an outrageously non-entry-level audiophile stereo - the top-line audio system Ive been hinting at. Its six-disc, in-dash interface is nothing unusual, unless of course youre trying to buy a BMW 3-Series which only offers a single-disc system, but its road thumping, 450-watt, twin amp, nine-speaker, or additionally optional six-speaker Boston Acoustics system, with a subwoofer, is unheard of OEM componentry in the C-segment. It sounds even better in real life than it does on paper, and when equipped with the optional articulating liftgate speakers, or more accurately the MusicGate Power sound system, that, when the liftgate is raised, flips down to fill the entire neighborhood with your favorite trance tracks, youre going to be very popular - or unpopular depending on how uptight your neighbors are and/or which genre of music youre playing.

And in case the sun sets while youre mixing tracks at the beach party, Dodge has included a convenient removable dome light that transforms into an LED flashlight. A cool idea, it unfortunately doesnt come with a homing beeper to help you find it when it goes missing - I wouldnt even have a portable phone anymore if mine didnt come equipped with this feature.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the Calibers trick dual glovebox system, one that flips upward and the second that drops downward in the conventional fashion. The top one holds what-have-you, while the bottom one comes fitted with a veritable wine rack, for water or juice bottles, of course, a feature Dodge appropriately calls the Chill Zone beverage cooler. It can be had as long as you opt for air conditioning in base trim, as it needs cool air to keep the drinks on ice, so to speak. All other trim levels, which feature air conditioning standard, include the Chill Zone system at no cost.

So, the Caliber is rich in features, but what about what really matters, quality. I think that youll be pleasantly surprised when you step inside and sit down. First of all, you wont sit as far down inside the new model as you may have in the Neon, as its seats are raised by about four inches, giving driver and passengers a more commanding view of the road ahead and enhancing peripheral vision.

The gauge package, which unlike some compact models sits directly in front of the driver, features large, easy to read analog dials with sporty white faces, set in deep motorcycle-like binnacles that totally shaded them from Arizonas welcomingly bright sunlight. The instrument panel looks good, as does every other surface in the cockpit, although I have to admit to being a bit disappointed with the choice of interior plastics. Theyre not as rich as some others in this category, and while they fit together commendably, fans of the new Honda Civic or Mazda3 wont be impressed. They, of course, couldnt even get a five-door liftback in the first place, and would have to pay thousands more in the second, so I suppose its all relative, isnt it. Oh, here I am going on about prices again. Give me a minute and Ill get back to that subject.

Where was I? Oh yes… the aforementioned audio interface sits high on the center stack, within easy reach, and the heating, ventilation and air condition controls, just below, are also designed with user friendliness as a top priority. All buttons, knobs and switches are better than average when it comes to fit, nicely damped with near zero tolerance levels, or in English the knobs dont wobble around in your fingers and the buttons dont wiggle annoyingly, like with some premium brands.

The Calibers steering wheel is meaty, even in the base model, and its three-spoke design is among the best in this class. I especially like the optional remote audio controls that, in Chrysler Group fashion, are hidden on the reverse side of the 9 and 3 oclock spokes, ideally located for middle and index finger, or being a Caliber, trigger finger actuation without lifting any of the other fingers off the wheel. These are the best remote audio controls in the business, and all automakers should adopt a similar system.

That steering wheel connects through to a nicely weighted, power assisted rack and pinion system, that not only provides direct turn-in when needed during slalom maneuvers or when changing lanes at high-speed on the freeway, but also solves the Neons ugliest trait in reducing its turning radius from impossibly huge to improbably tiny. In fact, I was able to accomplish a figure 8 in a regularly sized dead-end turnaround up on Scottsdales Camelback Mountain, a feat that pulls it from last to somewhere near first place in my books. Its actual turning diameter, curb-to-curb, is 35.5 feet in front-wheel drive guise and 37.2 feet when all-wheel drive is factored in. This doesnt make it best in class, but the extra space needed to circle is a negligible 0.1 feet greater than Hondas Civic, rated at 35.4 feet.

On the highway the Caliber is uncannily stable, even at higher than posted speeds. It just sits there, as if planted in place, delivering one of the most compliant rides in its class and only showing its slightly higher center of gravity and heavier mass when attempting quick side-to-side lane changes or when veering off the highway onto an exit ramp at the last second. This height and heft didnt seem to bother it when the road began to twist, turn and undulate, mind you, where the Caliber proved to be almost unflappable. This is mostly due to its MacPherson strut front suspension setup, and sophisticated multi-link rear design. I purposely pushed it beyond what I felt it could manage, knowing that someones teenage kid is going to get into this thing and attempt to overrule on the laws of physics, and it merely pushed forward in a predictable fashion, oversteering just enough to maintain composure and then neatly tucking its tail end in behind to complete the corner. I did this over and over, and each time it turned stupor-zero moves into super-hero saves. When driven properly, it tackled the tightest curves with surprising deftness, only frustrated by a rather slow-shifting CVT transmission.

On this point, mind you, I need to fully explain myself. While an adequately refined five-speed manual is standard, supplied by Magna via
a plant it recently acquired from DaimlerChrysler no less,
and featuring a shift knob that is formed to fit snuggly in the right
hand and sits higher than usual on the lower half of the center stack,
not unlike its chief competitors, the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins,
it can only be had with those cars that come with the 1.8-liter engine,
including SE and base SXT models. As soon as the 2.0-liter engine is needed, only the automatic gearbox, optional on the base car, can be had. Most SXT models will probably go out the door with the 2.0-liter powerplant, but the CVT connected to this engine doesnt feature AutoStick manual mode, so, while mimicking a conventional automatic by jumping up and down through the “gears” when the throttle is applied or the car is ascending a steep grade, it is biased for smooth comfortable operation, not sport-oriented driving.

The top-line R/T, however, or at least it is top of the line until the upcoming SRT4 arrives, gets a seriously slick AutoStick CVT to go along with its larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder, that delivers some of the quickest shifts in the business. Again it is mimicking shift points, being that a CVT, or continuously variable transmission, doesnt use any gears at all, but rather operates like a pulley that opens and closes to form a shorter or taller gear ratio. Dodge has chosen six gear change intervals that upshift and downshift so quickly that youll be thinking youre swapping cogs in a Ferrari F430. OK, maybe not quite, but its a really impressive system, and one that immediately transforms the nature of this car from enjoyable cruiser to joyride inducer. If the AutoStick lever is held to the right for a moment, it reverts to its default “D” position, and moves forward in CVT mode without any gear changes at all, except if you hit the throttle hard, where it performs a pretty lifelike impression of a conventional downshift. All-round, I love this transmission. Its among the best CVTs Ive ever tried. Interestingly, what might be the best CVT Ive driven overall is fitted to Nissans Murano crossover, a transmission that just happens to be made by the same supplier that builds the Calibers CVT, Jatco; a Japanese company thats partially owned by Nissan. The Caliber CVT is a more sophisticated gearbox than that in the Murano, however, being a newer, more updated CVT2 example, and is probably only bested by the Nissan due to the larger vehicles torque-laden V6 engine - kind of an apples to oranges comparison.

Why a CVT? Basically, continuously variable transmissions have fewer moving parts, which cuts costs and should also prove more reliable, plus the gearbox types low resistance makes for better acceleration and enhanced fuel efficiency - a best in all worlds scenario. Dodge was smart to go with the well proven Japanese supplier instead of trying to build their own in-house CVT, as the transmissions reliability will make for a happier Caliber customer in the long run.

Remember I mentioned how stable the new Dodge felt on the highway? Well, this is partially due to its rather substantial curb weight, at least
within the compact class. At 2,966 lbs, even the base SEs comparatively robust 148-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder, an engine that comes to Dodge via DaimlerChryslers “World Engine” project with strategic partners Mitsubishi and Hyundai, is laboring hard to get the car off the line and up to highway speeds. The Caliber weights in at  322 pounds more than a base Honda Civic DX, that makes 140-horsepower, and 139 pounds more than the Mazda3 5-door, with its 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four. Of course, the Honda doesnt really compare well, due to its four-door configuration, and the Mazda3 5-door is not as accommodating inside, leaving the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe with 295 and  265 pounds less baggage respectively, but needing every gram to make up for their rather anemic 22- and 18-horsepower deficiencies in maximum output, respectively.

Of course, off the line torque matters more than horsepower, and with only 3 lb-ft of an advantage over the base Matrix and a matching 125 lb-ft when comparing the Vibe, the heavier Caliber would need to lean on gearing to win a race to 60 mph, and most likely would come up a bit short. Does this really matter? Hardly. For most entry-level buyers, who are saving $1,125 when choosing a Caliber SE over a base Matrix, $2,445 from a base Vibe, and $3,385 off of the list of a Mazda3 5-door, yes the Caliber SE starts at an affordable $13,985, it will hardly be relevant to boast about shaving a few milliseconds off of a run to 60 mph. What will matter slightly more is how quickly the more powerful Caliber ramps up speed as the revs begin to climb, and it has inertia in its favor, which, when compared to its true rivals, shows the Caliber SE is a pretty decent performer.

I should also mention that DaimlerChryslers world engine, no matter the applied displacement, features many of its parents sophisticated technologies, Mitsubishi being the leader amongst DCX and Hyundai in this regard, at least up to this point, but the project included involvement from all makers in order to meet its demanding tolerances. It starts off with a high-pressure die-cast aluminum block and head, plus a forged steel crankshaft, and then adds intake manifold flow control valves, dual camshaft variable valve timing, and a technology I know little about and Chrysler doesnt go into detail explaining, called an evaporative system integrity monitor (ESIM). Needless to say, DCX is bullish on the engines ability to match the best in the business while exceeding many others, and boasts 5 percent gains in fuel economy over the engines that are being replaced. This, combined with the 6 to 7 percent gains CVTs have over conventional automatics, should result in impressive fuel economy figures when released from EPA. Estimates peg the 1.8-liter engine and five-speed manual pairing at 28 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway, while the 2.0-liter is predicted to achieve 26 and 30 mpg respectively. The 2.4-liter, dragged down by its standard all-wheel drivetrain, only manages an estimated 23 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Still, this isnt overly thirsty by any standards, given the engines impressive power and healthy level of maximum torque.

As is almost always the case in the compact class, the Caliber SE comes stock with disc brakes up front and drums in the rear. ABS is optional on the base SE model and upgraded SXT, unless opting for the CVT gearbox in either, and standard with the R/T. Electronic stability control, Boschs ESP system, as well as Brake Assist (BA) are optional with the R/T, but not available until later this year.

On the subject of safety, all it takes is to factor in the base models standard front, drivers knee and side-curtain airbags and the Caliber SEs value proposition becomes even more apparent. I should mention that while the younger targeted clientele that regularly buys into the Calibers market segment probably wouldnt put safety as the highest priority, they have nevertheless been raised with safety issues in mind, and their parents, which may still wield influence, will choose safety features over looking cool in a heartbeat. By the way, side-thorax airbags will become available partway through the year.

When upgraded with the 2.0-liter four, which adds an additional 10-horsepower, to 158, and 16 more lb-ft of torque, to 141, the Caliber feels pretty peppy. It lacks a manual shifter in this guise, and also cant be had with a manual-mode automatic, but nevertheless is a fun car to drive. While the 2.0-liter engine can be had in the base SE, I think that the SXT will be the most popular trim level to feature the engine, mostly due to its added features, such as standard 17-inch wheels, air conditioning, power windows, power locks and mirrors, keyless entry, flat-folding reclining rear seatbacks,. An optional sport package features color-keyed seat inserts, color-keyed center stack, blacked-out door pillars and fog lamps.

The Caliber R/T ups engine displacement to 2.4-liters, and with that output jumps to a respectable 172-horsepower with torque reaching a maximum of 165 lb-ft. I think, even more importantly, the R/T includes the AutoStick feature with the CVT I spoke of earlier, which changes the cars persona dramatically when the need for speed arises. Again, no manual is available, which is rather odd, but Dodge has obviously done its homework and feels that most would opt for the CVT anyway. After driving both, I would go for the CVT, as I think it suits the car better and probably wouldnt detract much from its performance if a manual was otherwise available. I wouldnt say the R/T is particularly quick car off the line either, but its inline with most other cars in its compact class, and when factoring in its other fine attributes, such as standard electromagnetically controlled all-wheel drive, 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels wrapped in 215/55 tires, makes it hard to beat.

And that pretty well sums up the new Caliber: its hard to beat. In this entry-level, needs-driven market segment, the new Dodge delivers a spacious, fully flexible interior, sporty, stable performance, and exciting styling for the price of a low-rent subcompact model.

The Caliber not only will be important to Chrysler Groups bottom line when it goes on sale next month, but it is also symbolic of a new age dawning over Auburn Hills, or more specifically over the automakers Belvedere assembly plant. Part of that new age is the facilities flexible manufacturing capability, allowing up to three separate models to be built alongside one another  and therefore maximizing production efficiencies, resultantly lowering costs and increasing profits. We already know the second of such models, behind the Caliber, will be the new Jeep Compass. The third model hasnt been announced yet, but being that the Chrysler nameplate isnt in the small car business anymore, and Jeep will already be shocking enough diehard faithful Jamboree zealots with one non-Trail Rated CUV, it will probably be another Dodge. A four-door sedan or possibly a compact SUV? Your guess is as good as mine, as either one would probably work well for the company.

What matters is that Chrysler Group is back in the small car game, with a car that is good enough to make any lackluster Neon memories quickly fade into black. This is a vehicle that not only deserves your attention, but will probably win you over if you give it a chance. Yes, Im impressed. While its not perfect, its right up there with the best in its class.