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| Description |
The car experts at TheCarConnection.com combed through the most authoritative reviews on the new Dodge Caliber to produce this conclusive review of the 2008 Dodge Caliber. TheCarConnection.com’s editors have also driven this car and can add our expert opinion to help you decide whether the Caliber is the right car, as well as weigh it versus the competition.
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| Road Test |
The Caliber was introduced for 2007, replacing the Neon sedan as the small car in Dodge’s lineup. Available only as a five-door hatchback, the 2008 Dodge Caliber comes in three different models and with three different engines: 1.8-, 2.0-, and 2.4-liter four-cylinders. An all-wheel-drive system is available only on the top Caliber R/T model and can send up to 60 percent of engine power to the rear wheels. At the top of the range is the high-performance SRT-4 model, which adds a 285-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged four along with a bevy of high-performance equipment and a racier appearance, but it goes without all-wheel drive.
The Dodge Caliber is quite impressive at first glance and has some very clever and thoughtful interior features available, including a beverage cooler, an easy-clean cargo floor, and a setup that includes rear-facing speakers for tailgating. Seats are supportive, though their positioning is a little low, and there’s a generous amount of space in back for combinations of passengers and cargo. However, the execution is lost in the details as many of the interior plastics and surfaces are (literally) rough around the edges.
read the full bottom line review |
| Positive Points |
- Awesome available features
- Comfortable seats
- Impressive interior flexibility
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| Negative Points |
- Interior materials are subpar
- Difficult access to the backseats
- Sharp edges of center stack can be a pain in the knee
- Tepid acceleration in SE and SXT
- Engine noise with CVT automatic
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