This is the first Dodge product I have owned, and I must say that I LOVE IT!!
I purchased my '07 R/T AWD in December of last year (almost a year old now) and I have put about 63,000 Km on it. I made three changes immediately in it before it left the dealers' lot:
1. I dumped the oil and used Castrol Syntec 5w-20 instead. It is a full synthetic and after using it in four other vehicles (some of which had over 300,000 Km on them when traded) I will use nothing else. It has much better wetting power and a lower coefficient of friction than "normal" oils; so it reduces wear and friction which contributes to better mileage.
2. I pulled the stock spark plugs and installed Bosch Platinum +4's. These are a multi-electrode plug in which four electrodes surround the center one. They produce a larger spark which gives much more even and complete burning of the fuel. This equates to more power and better mileage.
3. I pulled the stock air cleaner and installed a K&N low restriction one. Besides being a permanent filter which only needs to be cleaned and re-oiled every so often, it has a much lower resistance to the air being drawn through it. This means the engine can breathe better and again, improves mileage and performance.
This car has been one of the best vehicles I have owned (and I have owned quite a few; domestics and imports alike). It has been utterly reliable and I am currently getting between 30 and 32 MPG (mixed city/highway driving).
I got it fully loaded and such nicities as the heated leather seats are especially welcome right now as the current high temperatures here in Calgary today are -24 degrees (-40 with the wind chill).
I would be the first to admit that I have had cars with better pure performance (Competition-equipped Volvo 123GT) and better handling (Mini Cooper S); but I have not seen a better combination of performance; economy; handling; space and comfort in a small to mid-sized vehicle as the Caliber.
I would not hesitate to buy another one and that is the best thing I can say about ANY vehicle.