The Dodge Caliber is a car that is just full of surprises. In fact, I got a pretty big one as soon at I arrived home in my test vehicle.
You see, I like to play a little game which I call "guess the press car sticker price". Basically, I drive maybe an hour or so home in my test vehicle, guess at the price, then open the little package from the manufacturers to reveal the answer. Ok, so it's not exactly Jeopardy or the Price is Right, but it amuses me.
Usually, my guess is reasonably close. After all, I've been in the car business for a number of years now.
With the Dodge Caliber SXT Sport, I was off by a mile. My guess was $24,000; the actual price was $21,340. That is quite a large spread for a guy who is supposed to know a thing or two about cars. I was quite shocked, so I thought that I would ask a colleague who is also in the publishing business. His guess was $28,000. That evening, one of my friends guessed at an astonishing $32,000.
Now, either my paperwork is all wrong, or I've stumbled onto the sale of the century. Let's take a closer look and try to figure this one out.
The 2007 Dodge Caliber SXT Sport certainly has the looks. It appears from the outside to be well put together. In fact, the build quality is, dare I say it, of quite high caliber. The vehicle has obviously been designed to stand out in a crowd and it follows the brand's other offerings by being instantly recognizable as a Dodge product.
Upon entering the vehicle, it immediately becomes apparent who exactly Dodge is targeting with this model. The interior has a real "young" feel to it and is loaded with features that will appeal to the younger buyer.
The first thing which grabs your attention is the large section of dashboard which is color matched to the exterior body color. The instrument panel has been designed to be easily read and it gives a pleasant ice-blue glow to the white gauges when illuminated at night.
I tend to notice silly little things and printed just above the fuel gauge in small script is "Fuel Door" and a little arrow. Now, you might think this rather pointless as most owners know which side their fuel filler is on, but think about it for a moment. The price of this car makes it an attractive rental vehicle, and those drivers now won't have to hang their heads out of the door before pulling up to the pump. This is one thing which gets me each time I drive an unfamiliar vehicle. To me, it shows forethought and demonstrates the attention to detail that the company has put into this car.
The glove box is also rather clever in that it boasts a Chill Zone (tm) which has been designed to keep your cold drinks cold. Is that cool idea or what? Then there's the holder specifically designed for your cell-phone or I-pod, which then plugs into the auxiliary input on the vehicle's stereo system. Speaking of sound, the Caliber SXT Sport boasts 6 Boston Acoustics speakers with an additional sub-woofer in the rear. It also has a unique drop down speaker box built into the rear hatch. This just screams to me "tailgate party"! Dodge even offers an available 115 volt built-in power outlet, although I wouldn't try plugging your electric guitar amp into it.
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| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
Usually, my guess is reasonably close. After all, I've been in the car business for a number of years now.
With the Dodge Caliber SXT Sport, I was off by a mile. My guess was $24,000; the actual price was $21,340. That is quite a large spread for a guy who is supposed to know a thing or two about cars. I was quite shocked, so I thought that I would ask a colleague who is also in the publishing business. His guess was $28,000. That evening, one of my friends guessed at an astonishing $32,000.
Now, either my paperwork is all wrong, or I've stumbled onto the sale of the century. Let's take a closer look and try to figure this one out.
The 2007 Dodge Caliber SXT Sport certainly has the looks. It appears from the outside to be well put together. In fact, the build quality is, dare I say it, of quite high caliber. The vehicle has obviously been designed to stand out in a crowd and it follows the brand's other offerings by being instantly recognizable as a Dodge product.
 |
| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
The first thing which grabs your attention is the large section of dashboard which is color matched to the exterior body color. The instrument panel has been designed to be easily read and it gives a pleasant ice-blue glow to the white gauges when illuminated at night.
I tend to notice silly little things and printed just above the fuel gauge in small script is "Fuel Door" and a little arrow. Now, you might think this rather pointless as most owners know which side their fuel filler is on, but think about it for a moment. The price of this car makes it an attractive rental vehicle, and those drivers now won't have to hang their heads out of the door before pulling up to the pump. This is one thing which gets me each time I drive an unfamiliar vehicle. To me, it shows forethought and demonstrates the attention to detail that the company has put into this car.
 |
| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |