2007-2009 Dodge Caliber Good buy?

[waloshin]

I'm looking at the 2007-2009 Dodge Caliber Sxt 1.8L 5 speed, as I do want to replace my 95 Neon which may I say is a rolling death car with its unsafe safety rating. The Dodge caliber seems to have a 5/5 safety rating from the IIHS.

I did search the internet for Dodge neons in car crashes and this is what i came up with:

May I say wow!

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/C...BAD_151233.htm

And the Dodge Caliber: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVdB7...eature=related

May I say thats more like it. * If anyone owns the Dodge Caliber on this forum, can you tell me if you like it or not? And no Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Mopar do not suck so dont even bother posting that. I was also looking at the Toyota Corollas ,but too plain for me.

Thanks!

[tersono]

I don't own one, but I rented a Caliber for a while last time I was in the US. It's not exactly dynamic to drive, but I liked it nonetheless. Very comfortable, good driving position and excellent visibility all around.

I'd say it was very good value for money.

[andreab35]

I haven't personally owned a Caliber, but I think it is an excellent value for the money. Whenever I see one on the road, I exclaim, "Wow, that was an awesome looking vehicle!"

I've test driven one before, and it was pretty satisfactory.
Basically I'm going to say is what you pay for is what you get.
Also for me, I have a different driving style. I like vehicles that handle nice and strong and also is built tough.

I drove a 2007 Hyundai, and that thing felt so cheaply built, it was hard to drive right after I came out of my '99 BMW!

Definitely do some more research to know that you are making the right choice for yourself. I definitely like it for the styling and handling.

Here's a nice site of opinions that I sometimes visit when looking at some used vehicles:
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/dodge/caliber/

Good luck!

[yg17]

I'd rather buy a car where I can be confident that the manufacturer will still be around in 5 years. I wouldn't touch a Chrysler with a 10 foot pole.

[Roy Hobbs]

Originally Posted by andreab35

Whenever I see one on the road, I exclaim, "Wow, that was an awesome looking vehicle!"

Seriously?? The Caliber is hideous

[quagmire]

Originally Posted by yg17

I'd rather buy a car where I can be confident that the manufacturer will still be around in 5 years. I wouldn't touch a Chrysler with a 10 foot pole.

You wouldn't touch any American automaker even if they were doing well.

Frankly, I would stay away from Chrysler simply due to their questionable quality. Interior is cheap and who knows how reliable they are( got burned by Chrysler products so many times).

[Mr. Giver '94]

Originally Posted by Roy Hobbs

Seriously?? The Caliber is hideous

+1


I wouldn't invest in a car from a sucky brand with well documented quality problems that is also a sub-division of a failing American brand.


So there.

[Sun Baked]

Heck, buy a used Chevy Malibu or Impala if you are looking at the $10k price range.

Would stay away from the sub-par quality of the Chrysler products. However I know the Hyundai/Mercedes crossbred motor is likely a step up from the Neon power plant.

You can likely go to a bland Chevy product if you want an increase in crashability compared to the smaller Neon.

[quagmire]

Originally Posted by Sun Baked

Heck, buy a used Chevy Malibu or Impala if you are looking at the $10k price range.

Would stay away from the sub-par quality of the Chrysler products. However I know the Hyundai/Mercedes crossbred motor is likely a step up from the Neon power plant.

You can likely go to a bland Chevy product if you want an increase in crashability compared to the smaller Neon.

Even the Cobalt is better then the Caliber.

[Keebler]

buddy's wife loves hers. great on gas. easy to drive. first dodge they've had in some time without any issues as far as i know.

[yg17]

Originally Posted by quagmire

You wouldn't touch any American automaker even if they were doing well.

Frankly, I would stay away from Chrysler simply due to their questionable quality. Interior is cheap and who knows how reliable they are( got burned by Chrysler products so many times).

Well, I consider doing well to mean not just being financially sound, but building safe, reliable cars that are fun to drive, so even if GM was financially well, I don't think they'd meet the latter part and thus, would not be doing well. If they were, by my definition, doing well, I'd consider an American car

[Demosthenes X]

Caliber would be last on my list in that price range. A Chevy Cobalt is a better car, as long as you can avoid the base model. The SS (non-supercharged) would be a fantastic buy... not sure if you can find one in your price range, but it'd be worth saving up the extra for.

[wvuwhat]

I'm sorry the Caliber is the ugliest vehicle I've ever seen. Top that off with them going under in about 6 months, you've got yourself a bad buy. I'd get a Honda Fit or something like around the price range (even though, in my opinion, which doesn't matter, doesn't look too good either).

[Sun Baked]

Remember, some people are attracted to the ugly chicks in Pontiac Aztecs, so no accounting for lack of taste.

[dmr727]

I've only driven rental Calibers, and they seem average for a lower end American car - my big complaint is that the aft pillars are pretty large, and create huge blind spots. You'll spend a lot of time looking over your shoulders to *really* make sure you're clear to change lanes.