24th Apr 2007, 15:53

Hi 22:10...I love my Caliber CVT & it functions perfectly. But I think Jatco has computer limited engine power & rpms thru the CVT at low speeds for reliability reasons. Since you are an aggressive driver, you should possibly stay away from the Dodge Caliber CVT. Under hard acceleration the CVT hydraulic pressures rise close to 1000psi. The extra hydraulic pressure is supplied by the engine & takes an extra chunk out of MPG... above the level of lowered MPG you get in other transmission types.

10th May 2007, 08:48

I made a test drive with the Dodge Caliber a while ago and was honestly appalled by the dreadful build quality, the dashboard looks like it is made from recycled lunch-boxes.

Other than that the car is good and it's a bargain for all the bells and whistles you get, but in general I'm in favor of the Nissan Qashqai.

2nd Sep 2007, 11:32

I made the April 24 comment & am responding to the May 9 comment. I stated that the CVT is computer acceleration limited at low speed (0 to 20MPH). The May 9 comment stated that his Caliber passes other cars well.

The Caliber at higher speeds passes v. well. One magazine stated that Caliber accelerates from 45 to 65 MPH better by as much as a second than all other similarly powered cars. This good performance can be attributed to the CVT which is continuously in the proper gear for economy & when pushed hard it is continually in the proper gear for acceleration.

The CVT is a wondrously smooth transmission & performs well at higher speeds. You must get used to the less than stellar acceleration from a stop however.

24th Oct 2007, 12:52

Having been very impressed by the Caliber when it was introduced, I checked it out again before buying my last car recently. I was very disappointed to discover that it is no longer offered in ANY sporty colors. We had loved the bright yellow, as it was the only color in the entire Caliber line up that appealed to us. We were told it was no longer available. We have also loved (and owned) the bright red vehicles that Dodge was once noted for in their ads. Sadly (for us) we had to pass up the Caliber due to the lack of anything in the way of sporty or attractive colors. With the new hot RT4 version coming out, hopefully Dodge will at least release it in something other than the muted, boring non-colors so many manufacturers seem to have become addicted to. Still, for older people who are more concerned about practicality than sporting appeal, the Caliber remains great value.

31st Oct 2007, 17:57

The yellow Caliber was a limited run color (less than a year). Sorry other colors did not appeal to you. Like you I have few Caliber colors that appealed to me. I loved the Inferno Red & Sunburst Orange, but settled for Marine Blue in a v. inexpensive Caliber that otherwise had what I wanted.

But once colors are discontinued, other colors are instituted... at least for a while. So waiting sees an expanded array of colors.

23rd Mar 2008, 12:48

The caliper lloks nice and I am thinking about buying a new SRT-4 version. by the way, I am 55 years old and still love racing young kids on the roads who think that adding a louder muffler to their cars along with an amp and sub, automatically gives them a race car. I beat them with a stock Suzuki Aerio Premium AWD. It also has more horses and is lighter than a Caliper SXT. So to the guy in the UK, I wish I could meet you on the open road with my Aerio. I think you would be getting a message sent to you. The only Caliper to go with is the SRT-4.Give me a 1992 GMC Syclone. 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.