Test drive: 2007 Dodge Caliber SE

I wanted to talk more about the Dodge Caliber SE review I just wrote, as it deserves more than the brief mention it got in yesterday's blog entry -- especially because it's only a lukewarm review.

Automakers are generally reluctant to put base-model cars with few options on the fleets of cars they loan to journalists for evaluation. Why? Probably, I imagine, because of reviews like this one. Often you don't get to see a car in its best light without getting to experience some of its fancier features -- in the case of the Caliber, things like all-wheel-drive, the continuously-variable automatic transmission and the Music Gate speakers that swing down from the tailgate, all of which were absent from my SE tester.

Now, it's become something of a policy around here that base-model cars get a fair shake. When possible, I always try to test the low- or mid-priced versions of popular cars. Indeed, several base-model cars have gotten stellar reviews -- the 2006.5 Kia Optima LX and 2007 Honda Fit Base are two examples. The entry-level Subaru Legacy 2.5i wagon, which I reviewed in 2005, remains one of my favorite cars to date.

Frankly, I don't expect the SE model of the Caliber to be the volume seller; I imagine more buyers will opt for the SXT and R/T models. BJ Killeen and Colin Hefferon both gave glowing reviews to the Caliber (BJ's article is here, Colin's is here). They drove higher trim levels of the Caliber equipped with more desireable equipment.

So was I unfair to the Caliber SE?

I don't think so. One of the reasons the SE exists is so that Dodge dealers can advertise a $14,000 Caliber. Buyers will come in and the sales people will explain that for X more dollars per month they can drive a Caliber with more desireable features. All well and good. But the Caliber isn't the only $14,000 car out there, and for people shopping in that price range there are other cars that offer more value for money. Pile on some options, bring the price up to $17,000 or $18,000, and the Caliber becomes a much more desireable car -- one that stacks up well against competitors in the same price range. It's only when the Caliber dips its feet into the sub-$15k pool that it gets into trouble. I've made that point in my review, and I hope it comes through clearly.

Thoughts? Click the "comments" link and share. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold -- check out our 2007 Dodge Caliber photo gallery