2007 Dodge Caliber SXT from North America - Comments

There have been no problems with the vehicle.

I wanted a solid commuter car that would give good fuel mileage at a reasonable price. It appears that Dodge has built that with the Caliber.

My fuel mileage for my 70 mile round trip commute (nearly all 55MPH 2 lane highway) is averaging 32 MPG (verified with a Scangauge). I expect that to increase some as the engine fully breaks in and I switch fluids to synthetic. I can get 34MPG with my wifes Subaru Outback Sport when I take it to work and drive carefully, so that should be doable with the Caliber.

I'm 6'3" and find the cabin very comfortable. I like the brightness of the interior materials-the previous vehicle had black leather and it felt like a dungeon at times. Seats are comfortable and tend to sit higher than many cars. For me it's a more comfortable seating position. It feels more spacious than the Cherokee did, but that may be an illusion.

There is plenty of headroom and with the seat all the way back I have to stretch to reach the steering wheel and pedals. The controls are well laid out, but I think the small buttons for the rear window defrost, AC and air recirculation could have been better located.

The interior also has some nice touches. I like the cell phone holder and the adjustable center arm rest. I don't expect to use the "chill zone" beverage cooler, but it's a good idea for those who would. I like the lighted cup holders.

I have no problem seeing out the back window, but my wife doesn't care for it. The rear window is a little small, but it doesn't bother me.

The engine seems to be well matched to the CVT transmission. The sound of the engine is difficult to get used to-I still expect to have it shift at times. But it seems to work well and the newer CVT's seem to be pretty reliable. I like the simplicity of the engine bay. I do most of my own maintenance and this should be easy to work on.

Overall it's a very competent car. I don't expect it to perform like a sports car or ride like a Lexus. The interior is a bit spartan, but I prefer that. The interior materials are decent, but not Lexus or Mercedes quality. However I didn't pay a Lexus or Mercedes price either. All in all I like the car and hope that it will prove reliable in the long run.

Few people say it, but I also like the light colored interior materials.

Think of the CVT driven Caliber as a propellor driven airplane. Set the tranny in Drive. Set your rpms with the gas pedal & away you go! Just like an airplane as you accelerate, the rpms stay the same. Just like an airplane, you feel no shifting. Unlike an airplane if you drive for economy, the engine is low in noise & vibration.

Drive the CVT carefully & feather foot. My feather footing gets as high as 34.9MPG on flat slow highways, AVERAGES 32.5MPG going over 4000foot mountain passes from sea level, & OVERALL AVERAGES 30.0MPG.

Hard acceleration raises internal hydraulic CVT pressures to near 1000psi. Continual hard acceleration will continually hit those pressures. Don't do it, which it sounds like you feather foot like me.

P.S...Just found a 2% error in my odometer, reporting fewer miles than driven. Therefore, all my numbers above should have 2% added.

I have a scanguage 2 and I gotta say, these things are not accurate in regards to mpg.

By that token, my 1999 honda civic EX gets 48mpg on the highway - with all settings in the scanguage accurate to the T. The '99 civic was rated at 35mpg highway. Something isn't right. After calculating my mileage the good ol' fashioned way I was getting 34-37mpg on long trips.

Hate to burst your bubble but you are probably getting less mileage than you think. The caliber is unusually heavy for a car of it's size. Yours should be about 3100-3200lb, which is about the weight of a early 2000's v6 camaro, or a mid 2000 honda accord. For a car of that weight to crack 30mpg is a miracle.

I have a Caliber and I average 33mpg on a regular basis. I do, however, do all highway driving. I have 112K on my 07 Caliber (I'm in sales) and can say that nothing has gone wrong with this car. I enjoy it very much and hope to get about 200K out of it, and then trade it for another one :)

To 03:56; I hope you have the luck with your Dodge I had with my last one (a 1990 Omni). I sold it in perfect running condition at 240,000 miles a few years back. The gentleman who bought it now has over 300,000 on it.