Sunday 05th of September 2010

Today We Test Drove The Dodge Caliber SXT
Written by Nolan Taylor   
Thursday, 04 December 2008 02:54

Dodge Caliber STXThe Dodge Caliber, a mixed up, criss-crossed, and confused road goer. Its what you get when a Dodge Avenger and a Dodge Durango go to bed with each other after a long night of drinks and dancing. In doing so, you’re left with a portly, snout-nosed crossover with a prickly demeanor, and a pretentious price tag.

Our Caliber was decked out in SXT livery, and “Surf Blue Pearl” paint. The engine is a 2.0 DOHC 16V I-4 power plant, the likes of which produces a mighty exhaust roar loud enough to make a V6 quiver, but it moves like mud. They say it’s capable of generating 158 horsepower and 141 lb-ft of torque, and believe me; you’ll need every bit of it.

The Dodge gurus boast that the fuel economy is up to speed with an EPA estimated 23 city and 27 highway miles per gallon. These are expected numbers from a high end sports car, not a five-passenger sardine can.And with a 13.6-gallon gas tank and an overall weight of around 3,000 pounds excluding driver and passengers, this FWD econobox has a serious case of the ponch.
Dodge Caliber STX Dashboard
Now, with that being said, here’s where it gets interesting. For something nearly 20k USD you certainly get what you pay for. The interior, with its quirky and gaudy looking dash trimmings, reminds me of something designed by Fischer-Price. Need I mention the perverseness of the central mounted shift lever? I’ll spare you the embarrassment. You never really know who may be reading this.

However, despite its cheap feel and car/van mix up, the Caliber SXT is rather spacious, and the seats are surprisingly easy on the back bits. Another thing to remember is that it seats five, so you can very comfortably sit four of your best mates in there without squabble. Who really needs a fifth passenger in lap sitting distance of you anyway?

Dodge Caliber STX Center Console
When you get down to it, it’s the Martha Stewart / Rachel Ray-ness of this vehicle that’s the most interesting, because hiding inside the cabin is a slew of peculiar features. Take for instance the glove box. It becomes a bit of a cold beverage cooler. This “Keep ‘em cold thing device” is even double din. On the top portion it has almost a wine rack look and use to it, if you're going to stock it full of cans, and the bottom can fit large bottles. It seems that the only thing you can’t store in there would in fact be your gloves. It’s mind-boggling. But it doesn’t stop there. There’s also the dome light. It can detach from its housing to take on the form of an LED flash light resembling a Star Trek phaser.  Illuminated cup holders light the way for your hands . . . in case they get lost, and with the “Musicgate Power” option it puts a 458 Boston Acoustic nine-speaker sound system, a built in subwoofer in the cargo bay, and two very bizarre speakers in the lift gate to pulverize your ear drums.And yes, it’s Ipod ready. It’s so Ipod ready that the center arm rest hides an MP3 player cradle, which will likely be the first thing that gets broken.

On to the brass tacks. The 2.0 power plant doesn’t cut it. It’s a bit of a slouch. The SXT is simply held back by its weight and awkward shifting automatic gearbox. Had it been the five-speed R/T model I’m certain it would be a completely different case. Overall, the handling wasn’t too shabby, it gripped nicely into sharp turns and the steering was responsive, and crisp, but like most of these mid entry-leDodge Caliber STX Rear Viewvel crossover things, the body roll mildly made its presence known. The braking system was very bland. The stopping power of its front disc/rear drum ABS system wasn't the least bit impressive.  Well, at least they tired.

With that said, the Dodge Caliber SXT is perfect for someone looking to lug golf clubs, children, shopping, or whatever else you attempt to cram into it. And don’t worry about crashing it, it has sensors that can detect your velocity, and will chose whether or not to deploy the passenger side air bags. In the long run this will save you from having to buy a new dash . . . for when you do crash it, but not from buying a new passenger.

Comments

avatar UncleJ
0
 
 
No Sugar Coating

From the tone of your article it doesn't sound as if you thought much of the car. My guess is that you would only recommend it to soccer moms. I'm looking forward to reading your article on the RX8!
Sunday 04 January 2009, 16:03
Post Reply
Name *
Email (For verification & Replies)
URL
Code   
ChronoComments by Joomla Professional Solutions
Submit Comment
Cancel
avatar AstonDBSMartin
0
 
 
Re: No Sugar Coating

t's a plain Jane car really. With all these useless gadgets in it, I mean why do you need illuminated cup holders? Even at night time you know where your cup holders are. You can even see them under the low level lighting of the gauge cluster and heater/air con and radio controls, and they've turned the glove box into a mini fridge. Could you imagine getting pulled over in it?

"License and registration please"
"Oh sure thing officer oh and by the way, fancy a cold one?"

...actually that could work.
Sunday 04 January 2009, 16:06
Post Reply
Name *
Email (For verification & Replies)
URL
Code   
ChronoComments by Joomla Professional Solutions
Submit Comment
Cancel
Name *
Email (For verification & Replies)
URL
Code   
ChronoComments by Joomla Professional Solutions
Submit Comment
Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 December 2008 11:31
 

Recent Posts

Anti-Lag, Fact or Myth?

Thursday, 15 January 2009 | Nolan Taylor

article thumbnailIts a solid fact and a tool frequently used in the cars of the WRC. Philly's SCCA Rally Cross Chairman and fellow RS25.com member Ryan Schramm (a.k.a. RALLY-FAST) explains all." Ever wonder why that...
+ Full Story

A Fresh Start

Thursday, 08 January 2009 | Nolan Taylor

article thumbnail  Well, its a new year, and AE has a few big things coming up. The Tech section will be coming soon, a couple new interviews, and some new write ups towards the end of this month. The forums will be...
+ Full Story

That Time of the Year

Thursday, 25 December 2008 | Nolan Taylor

article thumbnailWell its that time again. That special time of the year. A time for peace, love and good happiness and stuff. Its because of this time, myself and the rest of Auto Enthusia would like to wish you all...
+ Full Story

Another Articles

Sponsors

USAP Premium Car Parts

Adrallies Sponsored Links

Members Online

Featured Sites

Login

Sponsors

Edelbrock Performance Promo

Search Engine Optimization and SEO Tools

Powered by Joomla!. Designed by: Joomla Template, php hosting. Valid XHTML and CSS.