New caliber hate or like

[Jimster]

I am pretty keen on the car and it really has to be good considering that it is replacing the car that got Chrysler laughed at by the rest of the world.

I look forward to sampling one.

[das2123]

Originally Posted by Jimster

and it really has to be good considering that it is replacing the car that got Chrysler laughed at by the rest of the world

That's OK, I just laugh right back while getting 35-40 mpg in my $1500 neon

[G-man422]

i like it better than the neon it replaced.

[neon_rt]

Yes, Neons did get laughed at until it won the SCCA Nationals two years in a row. It still gets laughed at b/c Dodge did not choose to tune it to the rice killing street fighter that it is capable of. Just to have the last laugh, Dodge introduced the SRT-4 for a three year run, just to prove the Neon could clean those rice burning clocks if it wanted to. These cars have huge capability, you just have to be smart enough to find the "Easter Eggs" Dodge left for you.
Hopefully the Caliber will have the same or better hidden talents.

[Jimster]

Well, the full story of the Neon is that it was released in Europe, UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand etc. it was pretty much the return of the Chrysler brand into the mainstream for these markets, though it was soon heavily berated for flimsy build quality, shitty automatic tranny, bad safety record, crap engines etc, especially when compared to similarly priced models from Europe and Japan.

Basically it dealt the brand a HUGE blow and only now with cars like the 300C and (to a small extent) the PT Cruiser are they ammending this reputation.

[das2123]

Originally Posted by Jimster

shitty automatic tranny

Chrysler's auto trannies are some of the best built, especially on the neon. It has a reputation for being bulletproof, if taken care of properly. I know quite a few neon owners who have well over 100,000-400,000 miles on their original tranny without any complications. Just the routine drain, filter change, add fluid, adjust bands and away we go!!

[neon_rt]

It's funny that the PT Cruiser was mentioned by Jimster as one of the come back vehicles for Chrysler. The PT Cruiser is built on the Neon Chassis and shares a lot of parts with the Neon. One of the considerations on how a vehicle performs in the real world is the fact of the clientele that purchase such vehicles. PT Cruisers are usually well taken care of and maintained while the Neons are usually abused and neglected.

[G-man422]

^ i agree w/ that.

[Jimster]

The thing is that the PT Cruiser uses parts from the facelifted Neon, which adressed a lot of issues with the first one and I'm fairly sure (At least the ones built in Graz) get a 4 speed Auto.

The Auto may have been strong, but it was a 3 speed in a world where the 4 speed was the norm and the car was slow, used more fuel than it should have and basically made the car a misery to drive.

[neon_rt]

You get what you pay for.
Later Neons did get 4-speed autos, they also cost more.
I've had both, I prefer the 3-speed.
In fact I have been looking for a 2001 Neon (last year of the 3-speed) to buy for my kids for going to school.

[SRT-Wannabe]

i think the calibur's exterior design is lazy, it looks like every late gen dodge. and that's getting annoying, it should have been different, instead of being basic.

[sevenslotgrill]

SRT-Wannabe.....................just had to respond to this old post.

I like your "honda girl" first - "Pen" second and the Caliber third.......

No really, I am starting to see some Calibers on the road and they look pretty good.

[Jimster]

I actually took a drive of one not too long ago, a 2.0 CVT SXT model.


It was surprsingly crap, the Transmission was OK, but it handled and rode like crap and it's still as cheaply made as ever. It's definitely a bold car and many of the features are fairly clever ideas, but as a car, it's fairly hopeless.

[escort0526]

I bought a 2007 SXT ten days ago and so far I like it very well. I'm getting 29.3mpg, and though I'm not crazy about what the CVT does to acceleration and I'm still waiting for it to shift, I do like the car.

I think they should make some mods for the next model year, like moving the dash and front seats forward a couple of inches. I was a little put off by the cheap plastic interior, but I looked several brands and they all had tupperware interiors so i just opted for the one I hated the least.

My biggest issue is road noise. I was driving to work this morning and it really was an issue, so I'll likely be dynamatting the interior of the car this month.

The car handles well, and rides well (17 inch tires help I'm sure) and so far everything works as it should. I didn't expect a big car ride or feel from it, but I was honestly surprised last weekend when I parked between two medium sized SUV's and came out only to realize how small my new car actually is.


I will have to take it to rhino linings and have them spray the rear bumper to avoid scratches since there isn't a long enough bumper pad available as yet. But I think I'm going to be happy with it. If it's reliable it'll certainly beat that miserable mercury sable I've been suffering with the last three years. That thing hardly ever ran and no one could figure out what was wrong, good riddance to that car.

If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive ride that has plenty of features and decent mileage, this is a pretty good car for the money. I'll keep you posted about the reliability factor. I'm planning a move farther from work so I'll be racking up the miles pretty soon and that'll really tell the tale about this Caliber's caliber.

[corning_d3]

I'm not fond of some of the interior stuff. The armrest thats constantly sliding back and forth, the "cheap" feel of everything in the cabin... Exterior is OK, but I agree it looks like most late gen. mopars. The CVT doesn't impress me at all(and it takes forever to check the fluid, not good if you get paid .2 of a hour for maintenance). The new World engine is noisy, and poorly designed. The best color I've saw so far would have to be the blue metallic. It handled horrible and a cross-wind would whip it everywhere, 18-wheelers are a nightmare. I will spoil something for all the owners/want-to-own'ers out there... Get ready for a turbo version.. I've said too much. Anything else you'd like to know? I drive 'em all day with 1-3 miles on em..