Dodge Caliber SXT CRD 2008 Review

Road Test

About our ratings

By American standards, the Caliber is a small or even a 'compact' car -- but in reality, it's a tall-standing, midsized five-door hatchback with strangely appealing, chunky lines.

Under the bonnet on our test Caliber there's a distinctly un-American 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine from Volkswagen and a slick -- if somewhat superfluous -- six-speed manual gearbox, all wrapped in a pleasantly surprising chassis.

The motor produces that satisfying, meaty surge of power in the midrange, but there's enough torque that six gears aren't really needed -- just three would probably  be adequate. There is currently no auto option.

That the VW 103 kW and 310 Nm powertrain fits isn't a surprise -- the Caliber's underpinnings are a joint-venture world-car design, developed by Chrysler and Mitsubishi with VW and other powerplants in mind. The platform is also used in Chrysler stablemates Sebring, Avenger, Compass and Patriot models, as well as the Mitsubishi's Lancer and Outlander.

Certainly the styling won't attract everyone -- it's pretty butch, with its stubby nose, wide-open signature Dodge 'crosshairs' grille, gaping shutlines, sloping rear-end, narrowed glasshouse and oversized wheel-arches. "Anything but cute" goes the advert, and so it is; you'd also have to be vision-impaired to lose this vehicle in a carpark.

Coupled with a roomy interior, generous cargo space and characterful driving experience, the Dodge Caliber quickly becomes an improbable favourite -- and for the money, it's attractive.

Caliber comes standard with an immobiliser/alarm, central locking, airconditioning, tilt steering wheel, electric windows and folding heated mirrors. There are height-adjustable headlamps, illuminated cupholders and, assuming you don't live in Harlem, Gaza or Guguletu, the paranoid auto-locking doors can be de-programmed.

On the safety front, there are twin front and side curtain airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control and brake assist software.

Inside, it's all a bit anti-climatic. Indeed, if you were expecting the usual American poor-taste excesses, the Dodge will disappoint -- in fact, aside from the new body-coloured centre console, it's relatively restful, although the hard-edged and industrial-grade plastics are reminiscent of 1970s Mazdas.

The comfortably proportioned cabin is packed with useful stowage areas; none of which will hold a standard Australian street-directory. There are, however, several thoughtful touches -- such as the four-bottle chiller in the glovebox, the sliding centre armrest that pivots open to reveal a phone or MP3 holder and even a rechargeable LED torch in the roof inside the rear hatch.

Footspace is adequate front and rear, and there's no sign of the compromise of the driver's side footwell that is so often a penalty of converting a left-hand-drive design for use on our roads.

The three pedals are all at different heights, making the transition from accelerator to brake a lift, rather just a slide. This irked some drivers more than others (ie: those with smaller feet) and is surely just a matter of adjustment.

The front seats are firm and supportive, although a bit more lumbar support would be appreciated, and there weren't any complaints from occupants of the rear seat either. Belying the impression of careful design, there's altogether too much hardware visible -- ugly steel seat-mounting brackets and bolts are just a bit too much on view.

Upholstery in the SXT is in dark cloth with orange inserts, and including the clever YES stain-resistant treatment. Like the exterior styling, it's very 'in-your-face': introverts and conservatives won't find the Caliber a comfortable choice.

While the sunvisors are usefully extendable to give maximum protection from glare, the secondary controls extend to a stalk-mounted cruise control, with audio buttons on the rear of the steering wheel (why not on the front?). The sound system is left-hand-drive too -- meaning a good stretch to the on-off/volume button. Furthermore, the tiny buttons for Recirc, Aircon and Demist might win some design awards, but they are dangerously hard to find without taking your eyes off the road. Zero out of ten for secondary control ergonomics!

Rear seat passengers don't get any form of air vent, and there's no power socket either -- so any electronic entertainment better have its own batteries.

Luggage space is fair -- neither Japanese-generous nor particularly tight. It toted enough to the airport for a family weekend away, with space to spare... Speaking of which -- there's a 16-inch temporary spare wheel in the floor of the boot to replace any of the 18-inch alloys fitted as standard to the top-drawer CRD SXT.

There is a fair degree of exterior noise -- road, wind, tyre and that clattery diesel growl. For good measure and just to make sure you're paying attention, the engine's power delivery can get a bit feral if it's provoked -- harkening back to the good old days of switch-like, on-off, delayed-action turbocharging. Once the engine revs climb enough to spool up the turbo, the available 310Nm is delivered in a rush, quickly overcoming the chassis and lifeless steering dynamics, resulting in dramatic torque-steer.

Frankly, while enthusiasts will revel in a car which isn't sanitised to within an inch of tedium, too-light steering, the sudden rush of urge and the somewhat unpredictable nature of its delivery (and its effect on the car's direction) can be a tad unnerving to the unwary.

Although the Dodge is fitted with stability control, it isn't quite up to the task of taming the turbodiesel's excesses on less-than-ideal surfaces -- such as wet asphalt or dirt roads. Even with the ESP warning light blinking furiously, dedicated abuse will see the wayward Caliber floating off-line as momentum reasserts the laws of physics.

This isn't helped by a suspension set-up that offers longer travel and more suppleness than a highish-performance vehicle can reasonably use.

When pushed, you get the feeling that the Caliber's suspension is half a second behind the engine. It's a curious mismatch of componentry, almost as if the turbodiesel option wasn't originally included in the development schedule for a less powerful range.

Balancing the occasional tendency to bite the hand that guides it, the CRD Caliber delivers astonishing real-world fuel economy -- with the cruise-control engaged, it sips its oily fuel at 5.7L/100km. Even brisk use rarely lifted the figure beyond 6.1, in over 900km of varied driving. Alas currently, the joy of this frugality is blunted somewhat -- when diesel retails for 20 per cent more than petrol.

A small gnat in the ointment is the woefully inaccurate fuel gauge that suddenly plummets from a quarter of a tank to a panicky "Where's the nearest servo?" in about 60km. And annoyingly, the rudimentary trip computer's 'Range' readout gets down to 50km -- and then unhelpfully merely suggests "Add Fuel". (By the way -- the rudimentary computer includes an outside temp gauge and also a digital compass -- one of life's enduring oddities.)

Doing as you're told will require the ignition key -- the Caliber has one of those old-fashioned caps, but at least it's tethered to the vehicle. Incidentally, the remote central-locking buttons are built into the key, not on a separate fob, so you can't lose one or lock your keys inside.

If you've the personality to stand out from the herd, don't mind if your car clatters like a saucepan in a tumble-drier, can live with a functional but aesthetically challenging  interior and enjoy a spirited ride that can be a little unpredictable, the Caliber CRD deserves a long, hard look. If, however, you prefer ho-hum looks, faceless conformity and appliance-like efficiency and intuitive ergonomics... Well, there's a Japanese dealership on most every corner.

» Watch the Carsales Network's video on the Dodge Caliber

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