2007 Dodge Caliber SE from UK and Ireland - Comments

ABS light came on, sensor replaced.

Rear driver side passenger door lock wouldn’t engage.

Trim falling off.

My company offered me this car, as its previous new owner no longer wanted it. So my one-year-old Ford Focus was given to another colleague. What a grave mistake I made. The fascination of owning a new American brand in the UK such as Dodge quickly dissolved.

The car definitely standouts amongst all the euro looking cars on my road, but I just wished it had the same quality and ride comfort of my old Ford Focus. The diesel engine is much more louder from within the cabin than any diesel car I have sat in recently. Vibrations are felt in the cabin, particularly the gear stick and steering wheel. It is also not as economy as I was expecting. I’m averaging about 36mpg. The same engine in a VW Golf gets 47mpg plus. The ride is harsh and I always thought American cars were soft riding.

The biggest disappointment is the cabin. It feels very cheap. All the plastics are hard, with some sharp edges on the door pockets and grove box lid. The heating control knobs are coming loose and the passenger side window button has fallen into the trim. I blamed this on my girlfriend, but now I think it is due to the quality. The overhead light is a neat feature, but won't stay in place and the plastic surround on the handbrake has came off.

I have recently been in a few Chrysler and Dodge cars in the showroom while waiting on repairs being carried out on my own car. I’ve discovered that the quality of any of their cars is sub standard. It reminds me of the quality of old Kia’s, but even Kia nowadays is more than a match. I have to keep this car for two years before my company upgrades me. Two very long years. I want my old Ford Focus back.

I feel very sorry for you.

I worked for a Chrysler/Jeep dealer when these things were launched and to be honest, they're pretty naff.

As you say, the trim quality is pretty awful, they don't handle very well and the ride isn't good either. Also, the diesel used is an old VW/Audi pump duse engine and several generations behind modern units, hence all the vibration, as least they go OK. (Thank your lucky stars you havn't got a petrol, which don't!!)

With the mpg, its because they're so much heavier than a Golf that the mpg isn't good, but I'd question whether they're in the Focus/Golf class at all, they're bigger, ie taller and wider, and I think they're more like a halfway house between a Focus and a Focus C-Max for example, which would still wipe the floor with one.

The only Chrysler group car with good build currently is the 300C, which is OK.

If you change job, you may get another Focus!

That's weird. In the US, the Caliber is pretty good and is fairly popular, but not available with a diesel. On gasoline, they advertise 30 mpg city/36 mpg highway, which is considered pretty good here. 4-cylinder gasoline, CVT transmission, front wheel drive. The mileage drops a couple mpg for the all-wheel drive versions. To my knowledge, we have virtually nothing available in this country that gets 47 mpg, including the hybrids. Interesting -- it's as though somebody doesn't want us to have super fuel-efficient cars.

Please don't be insulted by this, but I think that American car consumers in general have a lower expectation of build quality and fit and finish, hence the fact not many American brands have taken off in the UK or Europe in terms of sales.

The same is true of ride and handling, as in my experience having driven in America and american cars, it's completely different, roads are much wider and straighter, and there are few windy country lanes which really test a cars suspension and chassis.

Your time will come with more fuel efficient cars however, hasn't a bill just been passed requiring them to be achieving 34 mpg on average by 2020 something? (seems a long way off!)

I have the Caliber with the most commentary in Carsurvey. We don't have the diesel in the U.S. By your review, it sounds like the diesel isn't the engine to have. My gas engine is sweet, smooth & non-intrusive, as all the gas engines are. I suspect your diesel engine, as well as general construction wasn't performed right because that isn't the way Dodge built the Caliber.

In conjunction with the CVT transmission, my Caliber gives an exceedingly excellent magic carpet ride. Although my Caliber ride is taut, the suspension is easy on my bad back & I ride in comfort all day long.

My Caliber, as well as many other Calibers at several Caliber websites is functioning 100%. Also, there is not one squeak, creak or rattle in 18000 miles of driving.

My Caliber overall averages 31.4MPG with the elegant CVT tranny.

Here in Europe fuel effectively is the name of the game. We currently have a number of cars that can get over 60MPG. The Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo can manage an average 64 MPG, and then VW has just launched the Blue-motion range, where the Polo is believed to average a massive 85 MPG. So in a world like that 36MPG for a diesel engine is pretty poor. Hybrids just cut emissions and therefore get you out of some of the UK tax laws.

I agree with the comment above. I do feel UK buyers have one of the highest expectations for car quality any where in the world, but that is because we pay higher prices. That’s one of the reasons why American brands don’t do so well over here.

I read somewhere that Alfa Romeo won’t launch in the US unless they are successful in the UK with their drive to improve the quality of their products. So it seems that they are testing the British to decide if their products will do well in the states.

I find it interesting that in Britain, people would be used to a higher standard of fit and finish, and yet European cars like MGs, Fiats, and Renaults, as well as the much touted Landrover Discovery, are notorious for constant repairs and break-downs. Something doesn't jibe.

However, I would tend to agree about handling and the differences in roads. Roads in the US are much better, and distances are much greater, so cars have been historically built to cruise smoothly in a straight line with no need of cornering ability at speed.

An interesting point about European cars like Fiat, Renault, etc. Please, however, don't forget Audi, Mercedes, Volvo all the way up to Rolls Royce, Bently and Range Rover! I think it's more of the 'feel' of the car more than the reliability specifically. The Jeep Grand Cherokee that I drive feels 'cheap' - the plastics are brittle and harsh for example, whereas the Volvo XC90 feels of quality and soothes you while you drive (for example). The little things just aren't there on the Jeep. If this is the case with most European/American cars then I can see the arguement. It is also important to remember that American made cars ARE cheap in America, but not once they reach our shores in the UK. This may explain the different feelings between countries?

You get what you pay for. A $15000 car in the states sells for about $22500 in the Uk, and yet still feels very much like a $15000 car.

I completely disagree about the comment made re the build/reliability on Fiat, Renault and Land Rover. Whilst this was perhaps true in the 70s, 80s and possibly very early 90s, they have come on leaps and bounds and all are today well made, generally reliable cars. The comment is perhaps several decades out of date! As for MG, they don't exist any longer except for a licence to build them in China, oh, and Ford own Land Rover, and they're American!

I live in the US and the Caliber is seriously a "CHEAP" car.

I mean it looks like plastic from the outside and even more plastic on the inside.

There are better choices for that price in my opinion.

I would disagree with Feb 29. I think the Caliber is one of the best looking compact cars out. The corners look bold and aggressive, and the boxy front gives it the illusion of a full-size car, instead of just another bubble-shaped "compact" car. There are a range of interiors, and some do look bland, while others are quite tasteful.

As for plastic, most cars now are using lots of plastic or polymers in the fenders and rocker panels. You just can't base on opinion on the "price leaders" that are the lowest optioned models, and neglect the more nicely optioned models.

I would disagree with the last comment. I hate the Caliber - it's ugly, very uncomfortable to sit in. And the European commenters are right: it's cheap in every way.

I see Calibers everywhere, and people love them. They look great, much nicer looking than other hatches.

I have a Caliber. Am not overly enamored with its looks, but don't think it's cheap. Why don't I think its cheap? Because it has some of the highest American car reliability statistics. It is proving itself to be a finely made car. If your car is a wonderful looking car, but in the shop all the time, you ain't got much.

The Caliber interior is one of the lower vehicles in regards to interior toxic emissions. Many cars with 'nicer' looking interiors have much higher toxic emission interiors.