The Dodge Caliber is the only small car in the entire Chrysler lineup, and as such, it’s seeing a boom in sales.
That’s because with gasoline at $4 a gallon, consumers are looking for cars with great fuel economy.
But the Caliber probably also benefits from its other attributes, such as cool styling and lot of versatility. Wherever I took my test vehicle, people were coming up to it and saying how great it looked.
In fact, this new compact hatchback is so popular that dealers are having a hard time keeping a big stock of them on hand, while larger Chrysler LLC vehicles, including the once quite-popular minivans and Dodge Ram pickups, languish on dealer lots.
Introduced for 2007, the Caliber replaced the Neon compact sedan in the Dodge lineup. But it wasn’t a direct replacement, because there never was a Neon wagon and this new car has absolutely nothing in common with the Neon.
The Caliber has curb appeal, something that always eluded the Neon. Add to that a starting price under $15,000 and EPA fuel-economy ratings of up to 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway, and you have a formula for a successful vehicle in today’s climate.
The price of the base SE model ($14,320 plus $560 freight) brings a vehicle with lots of standard equipment, not a stripped-down version that nobody would want.
Next up the ladder is the SXT model, which begins at $16,840, and comes even better equipped.
Our tester, though, was the sporty R/T model, which begins at $18,395 and features a more-powerful engine. (An all-wheel-drive version of the R/T starts at $20,765; and an even sportier Caliber, the SRT4, begins at $22,705.)
The SXT is the one most consumers will choose, but the R/T, which does give up some fuel efficiency, is more fun to drive.
For many buyers, though, the SE will be quite sufficient, just as it comes out of the box – even with its standard five-speed manual gearbox. Air conditioning is included on this base model, but you’ll have to crank your own windows and manually lock the doors for that price.
Both the SE and SXT come with the same 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 148 horsepower. The R/T comes with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, rated at 172 horsepower. Both engines have aluminum blocks and variable valve timing.
The SRT4 is the high-performance model, with a 285-horsepower 2.4-liter engine that can push the Caliber from zero to 60 mph in less than six seconds.
Beyond its good looks, the Caliber offers a roomy and comfortable interior. The materials and finish are better than usual for a car in this price class.
A Jeep version of this vehicle, the Compass, also is offered, but it comes only with the 172-horsepower engine and begins at $16,795 (plus freight). While all-wheel drive is offered on the Caliber and Compass, neither one is truly off-road capable.
Also built on the chassis of the Caliber and Compass is the Jeep Patriot. But it looks like a traditional SUV, and is offered in an off-road version.
While a five-speed manual gearbox is standard on the Caliber, ours came with the optional continuously variable automatic ($1,075). With the automatic, EPA ratings for the R/T are 21 miles per gallon city/25 highway; with the manual, they’re 23 city/29 highway. The SRT4 model comes with a six-speed manual.
The smaller engine is rated at 23 city/27 highway with the manual, and 24/29 with the automatic.
But on a five-day vacation into the mountains -with four people and lots of luggage on board – our R/T tester with the automatic averaged nearly 28 mpg in mostly highway driving.
The Caliber’s rear seat folds flat for easy cargo hauling, and an optional folding front passenger seat can be used as a workspace, such as to hold a laptop computer.
With the rear seat in place, it can carry up to five passengers.
The five-door Caliber has an abundance of features designed to appeal to young people.
But it won’t be just that group who will appreciate these things – such as optional rear speakers for the audio system that are built into the one-piece rear liftgate, and which can be turned around and aimed to the rear to provide music outside the vehicle for a picnic or tailgate party.
Other cool features include cup holders with illuminated outer rings, and the Chill Zone, an air-conditioned glove box that can hold up to four 20-ounce drink bottles. It gets cool air from the Caliber’s air-conditioning ducts, and is standard on all Calibers equipped with A/C.
The problem with this setup is that unless you’re on a long, cross-country drive, this little semi-fridge doesn’t have time to chill the drinks. Our water bottles in the Chill Zone were hot with the car parked in the sun.
The Caliber has a special place in the middle of the center console to hold cell phones and MP3 players, and the audio systems have input jacks for connecting an external audio source such as an MP3 player or iPod.
The center console also has an armrest that can be moved forward or backward to accommodate the front-seat occupants. There is even a removable, self-recharging flashlight embedded in the dome light, and a 115-volt power outlet is provided for devices such as laptop computers.
For safety, front and side air bags are standard, and the side bags are in place for front and rear passengers. High-strength steel was used throughout the body structure for better impact protection.
The 2.4-liter engine is quite responsive, although the continuously variable transmission, without discernible shift points, seems to labor during uphill acceleration.
Chrysler says the CVT offers up to 8 percent better fuel economy than a conventional automatic.
Mitsubishi did the original design and engineering work on the Caliber, and the resulting vehicle architecture was co-developed with Chrysler before the two companies went their separate ways last year.
The Caliber’s engines are the result of a joint effort among Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Hyundai, and while the three share the technology of these engines, all three build their own versions of the engines for their own vehicles.
Among standard equipment on the SXT model are power windows/mirrors/door locks with remote, power front disc/rear drum brakes, air conditioning, power rack-and-pinion steering, touring suspension, intermittent wipers, halogen headlights, and tilt steering column.
An AM/FM/compact-disc player with four speakers is standard on SE and SXT models, but the R/T has with an upgraded audio system that included eight Boston Acoustics speakers, including a subwoofer.
Other extras on our vehicle included inferno red crystal coat paint ($150); a trailer-towing package ($130); security group ($440), which added an alarm system and electronic stability control; leather package ($595); a driver-convenience group ($760), which tacked on a tire-pressure monitor, vehicle information center, auto-dimming rearview mirror, hands-free communications, and a universal garage opener; a navigation system ($1,395); power sunroof ($795); and 17-inch chrome wheels ($700).
Total price of our R/T tester was $25,025, including freight and options.
Chrysler builds the Caliber at its Belvidere, Ill., plant, which underwent $419 million in upgrades to build the Caliber, Compass and Patriot.
At a Glance: 2008 Dodge Caliber
The package: Compact, five-door, five-passenger, four-cylinder, front- or all-wheel-drive hatchback/wagon.
Highlights: Brand new last year, this vehicle replaced the compact Neon sedan in the Dodge lineup, but is a completely different vehicle. It has eye-catching styling, a roomy interior, and decent fuel economy.
Negatives: Can get pricey with the uplevel trim and options.
Engines: 1.8-liter I-4, 2.4-liter I-4, 2.4-liter I-4 (turbocharged).
Transmissions: Five-speed manual; six-speed manual; continuously variable automatic.
Power/torque: 148 HP/125 foot-pounds; 172 HP/165 foot-pounds; 285 HP./265 foot-pounds.
Length: 173.8 inches.
Curb weight: 2,966-3,189 pounds.
Cargo volume: 18.5 cubic feet (behind rear seat); 48 cubic feet (rear seat folded).
Trailer towing capacity: 1,000 pounds.
Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock (R/T model).
Fuel capacity/type: 13.6 gallons/unleaded regular (13.5 gallons with all-wheel drive).
EPA fuel economy: 21-24 miles per gallon city/25-29 highway, depending on engine and transmission.
Major competitors: Scion xB, Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Suzuki Forenza wagon, Subaru Forester, Jeep Compass, Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.
Base price range: $14,320-$22,705 plus $560 freight.
Price as tested: $25,025 including freight and options (R/T with CVT).
On the Road rating: 8.2 (of a possible 10).
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at chambers@ star-telegram.com.
