Ironfish653
05-29-2006, 03:27 PM
One of our Dodge dealers was doing some big tent sale / test drive promo this weekend, so I stopped by on Friday morning to kick some tires and take some test drives.
My test car was a 2007 Caliber RT AWD, with a 2.4L inline-4 and a CVT transmission w/ AutoStick, for $23,750. From the outside, it's not bad looking, mine was black, with chrome side molding accents and chrome 18" wheels. It does suffer from the appplication of the 'Dodge Look' with a big grile, big headlights, and bulging front fenders, that make the rear 2/3 of the car look undersized.
The dashboard and driving position are well laid out for average size drivers, and the controls are easy to figure out from the leather trimmed seats. The center stack is a little too wide, and projects below the lower dash just enough to take up the space where you would put your right knee. The fore-and-aft adjustable armrest is nice, but, like the rest of the interior, it is made from hard plastic, that has a dusty, gritty texture to it.
The rear door goes all the way to the wheelwell, but when you open it, there is very little room between the seat and the B-pillar. Adult male feet will have trouble getting in and out comfortably. Once inside, foot and knee room are good, but only because the back of the front seats has been scalloped out. The rear seats fold flat, as does the front passenger seat, but seats themselves are thin, hard and flat. I wouldn't want to spend an extended amount of time back there.
On the road, the ride is firm, but not harsh, cornering is pretty flat for a boxy little wagon, and the big 18's change direction readily, but without much feedback. Those big wheels also made it a bit of a handfull in tight spaces, the turning circle feels wide, and the big-shouldered fenders make it hard to find your corners while parking.
The engine was somewhat lackluster, 165 lb/ft of torque isn't much to push out to all 4 wheels, and despite the CVT, it seemed unwilling to rev. I was also dissapointed buy the way the CVT and engine worked toghether. I got the feeling the CVT picked a gear and let the engine catch up to it, contributing to that low-rev feel. Holding 'gears' in the Autostick mode seemed to help with accelleration, but there seemed to be no way to return to 'Drive' without going to neutral first.
Decent cargo space, OK passenger room, could be fun to drive. I wouln't mind renting one while on vacation, but next time I get a free test drive, I'm taking a Hemi Charger.
My test car was a 2007 Caliber RT AWD, with a 2.4L inline-4 and a CVT transmission w/ AutoStick, for $23,750. From the outside, it's not bad looking, mine was black, with chrome side molding accents and chrome 18" wheels. It does suffer from the appplication of the 'Dodge Look' with a big grile, big headlights, and bulging front fenders, that make the rear 2/3 of the car look undersized.
The dashboard and driving position are well laid out for average size drivers, and the controls are easy to figure out from the leather trimmed seats. The center stack is a little too wide, and projects below the lower dash just enough to take up the space where you would put your right knee. The fore-and-aft adjustable armrest is nice, but, like the rest of the interior, it is made from hard plastic, that has a dusty, gritty texture to it.
The rear door goes all the way to the wheelwell, but when you open it, there is very little room between the seat and the B-pillar. Adult male feet will have trouble getting in and out comfortably. Once inside, foot and knee room are good, but only because the back of the front seats has been scalloped out. The rear seats fold flat, as does the front passenger seat, but seats themselves are thin, hard and flat. I wouldn't want to spend an extended amount of time back there.
On the road, the ride is firm, but not harsh, cornering is pretty flat for a boxy little wagon, and the big 18's change direction readily, but without much feedback. Those big wheels also made it a bit of a handfull in tight spaces, the turning circle feels wide, and the big-shouldered fenders make it hard to find your corners while parking.
The engine was somewhat lackluster, 165 lb/ft of torque isn't much to push out to all 4 wheels, and despite the CVT, it seemed unwilling to rev. I was also dissapointed buy the way the CVT and engine worked toghether. I got the feeling the CVT picked a gear and let the engine catch up to it, contributing to that low-rev feel. Holding 'gears' in the Autostick mode seemed to help with accelleration, but there seemed to be no way to return to 'Drive' without going to neutral first.
Decent cargo space, OK passenger room, could be fun to drive. I wouln't mind renting one while on vacation, but next time I get a free test drive, I'm taking a Hemi Charger.