- hatchback 127,336
- 5,900 high price
- Eugene, OR
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- autoshopper.com
- hatchback 127,336 gasoline manual
2007 dodge caliber review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new compact boasts innovative design and features. introductiondodge has introduced a remarkable replacement for the neon. There's also a choice of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the latter making the caliber a capable winter vehicle. The caliber is relatively affordable. Its starting price is below last year's neon, and fuel economy is respectable, achieving 28/32 city/highway miles per gallon in its most frugal form, according to federal government estimates. At the other end of the scale, an srt4 version is expected in spring 2007 with a turbocharged engine generating 300 horsepower. the front seats are comfortable, with lots of headroom, and there's a large amount of cargo space here. Packaging is functional, with folding rear seats that have an optional reclining adjustment and an optional fold-flat front passenger seat to make room for a ladder or more likely, a surfboard. A couple of innovative options, especially for a car in this price class, are an air conditioned compartment in the glove box to chill water bottles or sodas and a swing-down stereo speaker panel attached to the liftgate that converts the back end to a sound stage for beach parties or tailgating. the caliber is no sports car, but we most enjoyed the mid-level sxt model with the 2. 0-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission. dodge is gambling a huge chunk of change on the hope new car shoppers looking for value and function can be persuaded hatchbacks are acceptable again, that five-door, small wagons have a place in american garages. The first two are available with a five-speed manual or an automatic continuously variable transmission. the se 13,425) comes with the 1. 8-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission. The 2. 0-liter engine is optional 100), and both engines are available with the cvt automatic 1000). Air conditioning is not standard, nor are power windows. The se comes with manual roll-up windows and manual outside mirrors. options for the se are as extensive as the standard equipment is basic. The power equipment group 545) includes power windows, outside mirrors and keyless remote central locking. There are two uplevel stereos, one adding cassette and mp3 capability and six-disc cd changer 420), the other just mp3 and the six-disc changer 320). Two other audio options are available, sirius satellite radio 195), including a pre-paid, one-year subscription, and a speaker package called musicgate power 435) comprising a boston acoustics sound system with nine speakers. A trailer tow group 130) adds an engine oil cooler and a wiring harness. the sxt 15,425) also comes standard with the 1. 8-liter engine and five-speed manual, with the 2. 0-liter engine and cvt optional, but the list of standard features expands dramatically. Seat heaters can be ordered for the cloth seats 250). Cruise control is available 250), as is a sunroof 750), and uconnect, a bluetooth, hands-free cell phone capability 275). A driver convenience group 400) adds a compass, an ambient temperature gauge, homelink, auto-dimming inside mirror and a tire pressure monitoring system. A security group 275) includes the cargo area cover, an alarm and an air filtration system. A sport package 645) includes fog lamps, 17-inch aluminum wheels and a sport appearance interior group with contrasting inserts on the cloth seats and color-keyed instrument bezels and gear indicator for the automatic transmission. Aluminum wheels are available 400). Audio options and other items listed above are also available. the r/t 19,425) comes standard with the 2. 4-liter engine, the cvt, and all-wheel drive. Standard features include the sxt features, the sport appearance interior group, cruise control, leather-clad steering wheel with audio controls, cargo cover, a sport suspension with performance steering and p215/55r18 all-season performance tires on aluminum wheels. Massive headlights are notched into the leading corners of the front fenders. A pouting lower lip-like bumper separates the grille and headlights from a slimmer, lower air intake and (uplevel) fog lamps. the side view shows strongly blistered fenders front and rear beneath a wedge-shaped beltline. The lower portions of the doors wear longitudinal moldings, again, body color or chrome highlighted, that look like a bi-level rocker panel but aren't, but that nevertheless minimize the caliber's height. Full-round door handles, either chrome-trimmed or body color, bridge scooped-out grip spaces. the roofline arcs cleanly from its junction with the hood just aft of the front wheel well over the side door windows to pinch off at the tail end of the rear quarter glass. Topping this arc but stopping at the top of the backlight (rear windscreen) is an unbroken, thick strip of black molding the caliber's designers say is supposed to work with the arc and the truncated back end to impart a coupe look. We're not sure why that was important or that it necessarily succeeds, but it does buff up the caliber's side aspect. the back end pulls from the magnum, too, with a steeply raked backlight beneath a roof-mounted spoiler and above a mostly upright lower liftgate, employing a hatchback style arguing against any comparisons with a traditional station wagon. A relatively short rear overhang and oversize taillight housings add credence to the argument. interiorstep inside the caliber and the dodge legacy is loud and clear. Gauges are large, round and gleefully legible. The center stack presents the stereo face and climate control panel in stark relief with functional knobs, buttons and switches and trimmed in matte metallic plastic or not-very-convincing wood grain. the shift lever extends from the base of the stack; the notched gate on the cvt makes ratio selections intuitive, the manual gearbox less so, but not bad for a front-wheel-drive. The power point serves neither the cell phone holder nor a radar detector well; located at the extreme base of the center stack, it leaves cords either draped over the center console's cup holders or dangling down the dash between the instrument cluster and the center stack. the mp3 player/cell phone holder flips up out of the front of the center console armrest and, while properly sized for an ipod or similarly shaped mp3 device, adapts best to candy bar-style cell phones. This eases climbing in and out. the front seats are comfortable, but far from plush, with decently bolstered back cushions. Bottom cushions, or squabs in designer lingo, are more flat than sculpted and a bit short on thigh support. Front-seat headroom is impressive, topping the five-door mazda3 hatchback by almost two inches, the five-door ford focus zx5 hatchback by almost an inch. It falls short of the pontiac vibe and toyota matri.
5,900 Eugene, OREugene, OR at autoshopper.com