2006 Dodge Caliber SXT 2.0 TDI turbo diesel from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Looks well, but admire from the outside, don't get in
Faults:
Mass airflow sensor failed.
Brake drums screech regardless of adjustment.
Seats have lost most of their vertical support.
Interior drink holder lights keep failing.
Cruise control has failed.
General Comments:
This car has a nice ride height.
It looks well externally.
It starts every time.
However the interior is a big disappointment.
The interior plastics are very hard.
The steering column almost removes my kneecap when I get in, thanks to a protruding piece of plastic underneath.
The A pillars either side of the windscreen make big blind-spots.
The support from the seats is very poor.
The gearbox is very notchy.
The performance is lethargic/wheezy at best.
It really only moves when up in top gear on the motorway.
Wind noise is very bad.
The clutch slips in cold weather.
This was a company car with a pampered life before we bought it.
It was always main dealer serviced (we worked for the company so can verify this), so no excuse but bad build quality.
I have owned a few Chryslers before a few years ago and loved them, it was an automatic, much better for USA cars.
I'd buy another USA car, but not a Dodge Caliber.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th March, 2011
4th Mar 2011, 14:11
I've rented several, each for a few days at a time, and liked them. I've rented a couple of R/T's from back in 2008, and recently rented a 2010 Caliber. There really has been an improvement in materials in just a few years. The door panels on the newer one, for instance, and the interior in general, was softer and more comfortable compared to the ones from a few years ago, which were hard plastic.
What I continue to like about them is the CVT transmission, which lets you zip up hills almost effortlessly without straining to change gears. It's always a pleasure to zip by the straining trucks and compacts in the slow lane, and you don't even lose speed.
I have never noticed this lack of power or hesitation thing that some people complain about, either. I do wish that they still made the AWD version. That would have been my first choice in a crossover station wagon.
4th Mar 2011, 13:46
I rented one once, just for a day. I hated it.