2007 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Testing and Finalists
Great packaging, so-so moves
By Todd Lassa
David Spade made an unscripted joke about the Dodge Neon when he helped introduce the Caliber at the Detroit auto show last January. This new entry-level Dodge surely is better than the Neon, he implied. Is it? Yes, the Caliber launched to a great start (as did the Neon in 1994).
The Neon was a small sedan. The Caliber strives to be something more: a versatile near-crossover wagon. Yet its ride and handling fall short of expectations. It's like a smaller version of last month's Ford Edge Sport/Utility of the Year contender, plowing through corners as if Dodge had benchmarked a full-size truck. Its tail gets nervous under throttle lift, and there's no steering feel to rebuild your confidence. While nearly five inches lower than the Jeep Compass, which is on the same platform (Chrysler Sebring, too), it's tall for a small car, and handles like it.
The Caliber will reach 120 mph (indicated), but takes over nine seconds to find the first 60 mph. With the optional CVT, the tach immediately snaps to its redline as the tranny catches up. You can save money, not time, by choosing the base 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter or the 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter four. Or you can spend more on the upcoming 300-horse turbo 2.4 SRT-4, a performance model that'll be available only with front-drive. Europe also gets a turbodiesel option.
The Caliber's cost-conscious interior features body-color plastic accents, a design that works better for the Mini, Toyota FJ Cruiser, and even the Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Chrysler hopes the Caliber will strike it big in the C-segment overseas. Europeans love the versatility of hatchbacks and wagons, and they'll probably like such features as the flip-down rear stereo speakers and the iPod holder. But Europeans expect more luxury and refinement in this class, qualities the Neon lacked, too, when it was sold in the Old World.
| 2007 Dodge Caliber |
| Base price range | $14,135-$20,035 |
| Price as tested | $19,335 (R/T) |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, FWD or AWD, 5-pass, 4-door wagon |
| Engine | 2.4L/172-hp/165-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 |
| Transmission | Continuously variable auto |
| Curb weight (f/r dist) | 3170 lb (58/42%) |
| Wheelbase | 103.7 in |
| Length x width x height | 173.8 x 68.8 x 60.4 in |
| 0-60 mph | 9.3 sec |
| Quarter mile | 17.2 sec @ 82.7 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 129 ft |
| 600-foot slalom | 63.2 mph, avg |
| Lateral acceleration | 0.74 g, avg |
| MT figure eight | 25.5 sec @ 0.53 g, avg |
| EPA city/hwy fuel econ | 24/27 mpg |
| Sum Up | Falls short of the European/Japanese/Korean small-car standard. |
| Bet you didn't know | Planned as a global vehicle from the get-go, the Caliber will be marketed in as many as 98 countries. |
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