Faults:

Seats stain easily.

General Comments:

My relationship with this car has evolved; thus far the car has no mechanical, or electrical problems. Once you get use to the CVT it's wonderful and smooth. The car pulls up inclines with ease. Like other reviews have noted that the car is meant to be driven with a feather foot. The car coasts well on the highway. The cabin is quiet and the CVT lends itself to a very smooth ride. The car is solid and I hope the problem free trend continues with this vehicle.

Faults:

I noticed a dent in the driver's side fender the day after I got the car, which popped out very easily without any damage to the metal or paint. I must say that the metal used on the Caliber is very thin, I'm almost convinced that it's made from recycled beer cans.

The passenger-side door rattles loudly when it is shut.

General Comments:

I am really enjoying my new Caliber! I was looking for something that gripped the road and didn't blow around in the wind like my Toyota Yaris I had before I purchased this Dodge. The car feels very stable on the road, although it doesn't have much get-up-and-go. It takes a while to get up to speed, making it difficult to jump out into traffic unless you have lots of room, but it keeps up well once you get up to speed.

It drives very well on the freeway; I drive 30 miles on it each way to work 5 days a week. It doesn't move around on the road much, unless the wind is really blowing, which I guess is normal. For it's price, it is really a quiet vehicle. The road noise is not bad at all.

The seats are the most comfortable of any car I have owned. I can see myself taking a long trip in this car while staying comfortable! It has plenty of room, especially in the backseat. My friends have already commented on this. And the fold-down seats are great; I have my bike in there right now!

The Chill Zone box for drinks works very well! With the air conditioner on full blast, it takes about 15 minutes for a bottle of water to get ice-cold. It's also good for melted candy bars.

There's plenty of room to store just about anything. I really like the little thing that flips up out of the center console for your ipod or cell phone.

Gas mileage is about 29 MPG so far. I'm still getting different amounts every time I calculate it. I drive mostly on the freeway about 75 MPH, and occasionally drive around town.

Faults:

There have been no problems with the vehicle.

General Comments:

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.