A Review of the Dodge Caliber

In the small car market, the Dodge Neon had marginal success, but never lived up to its initial expectations. When it arrived in the mid 1990's, there was much pomp and circumstance, but it could not compete with vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, or Honda Civic. Quality control issues plagued it through much of its time on the market, so Dodge decided to scrap it, and replace it with a new crossover vehicle. The Dodge Caliber is in its first year of release, and it is quite different from the car it is replacing. It has gone from cute, to either "ugly" or "unique," as its design is far from conventional.

I recently test drove the Caliber for a couple of days, while I was considering different vehicles for my family. While I settled on something else, I was glad to have spent some time in this car, and think it might be a good selection for some families. It is certainly an improvement over the Neon, and it has a lot of personality associated with it. Consider it a family wagon with some masculine qualities, and the front end shouts "grab life by the horns." For someone who refuses to drive a minivan, this might be an option to consider.

The Caliber comes in different editions, such as the SE base which I drove, that had some added options that ran the price to $17,500. Usually it has a 1.8 liter engine, that produces 148 horsepower, but mine had the 2.0 liter which gave it an additional whopping 10 horses. If you want all the options, consider an SXT or R/T, which will push the price considerably past $20,000. In addition to the engine upgrade, the car I drove had power windows/locks,remote keyless entry, and the Chill Zone glove compartment cooler system.