2007 Dodge Caliber SE Test Drive

With the focus on higher gas prices, more and more automakers are introducing space-efficient hatchbacks as their entry-level cars. Dodge is no different: The all-new Caliber stands apart from its low-priced competitors with its bigger size and stylish exterior. Is that enough for Caliber to see off rivals like the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa? To answer that question, I spent a week with the entry-level Dodge Caliber SE: $13,985 base, $14,985 as tested, EPA mileage 28 MPG city, 32 MPG highway.

I like the Caliber best from the outside. I really don't mean that as a back-handed complment: Most cheap cars look like cheap cars, but there was little exterior indication that the Caliber I tested was the least-expensive SE model, let alone one devoid of all extra-cost options except air conditioning. No ugly black plastic bumpers. No horribly undersized wheels. Wheels happen to be one place where entry-level cars often give themselves away, but the Caliber's steel wheels were clad in full-size plastic covers and big tires which filled up the wheel wells and gave the car a chunky SUV-like look. And does Dodge even make a car that doesn't look good in medium red? No, this does definitely not look like a $14,000 car -- not from the outside, at least.

Matter of fact, during the week I was testing my bare-bones Caliber, SUVs guide Jason Fogelson was driving a nicely-equipped Jeep Compass, a mechanical twin to the Caliber. To me, the Caliber was much better looking -- and much more expensive-looking.

So where does the Caliber reveal its low cost? Inside, right? Not quite.

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I've brought Dodge's parent, Chrysler, under fire for skimping on interior materials. They've done a much better job than usual inside the Caliber. Styling is great and the quality of materials is nice. It's no Toyota, but it's quite well done.

But not all is well with the driving position. The Caliber SE has no height adjuster for the driver's seat, and despite my diminutive 5'6" stature I felt like I was sitting up too high. Furthermore, the seat either put me too close to the steering wheel or too far away from the pedals. And while I'm complaining about seats, the rear seat has a short cushion that lacks thigh support.

The Caliber SE comes with crank windows (link goes to photo) and manual locks, something I normally don't mind. The problem is that the trunk has no separate lock button or release, so you have to lock/unlock it with the key - a real pain when you're trying to lock up the car with a week's worth of groceries in your arms. The base model Honda Fit includes power locks and windows as standard equipment. (Its $425 higher price is offset by the inclusion of standard antilock brakes, a $400 option on the Caliber.) A Nissan Versa with optional power windows and locks costs even less. Power windows and locks cost $540 on the Caliber SE and are included on the $15,985 Caliber SXT; because of the trunk, I wouldn't buy a Caliber without them. And speaking of the trunk: Its durable hard plastic floor is a nice feature.

I have mixed feelings about the Caliber's road manners. The steering feels great in the curves, but not on the straights; it has too much play on center. Let your attention wander and so will the Caliber, right into the next lane. Body lean is well controlled in turns, though, and the Caliber is very tolerant of emergency situations. I headed into one particular curve with a bit too much speed and missed the shift into third gear (damn gearshift!), leaving me with only the brakes to scrub off speed. That's the sort of situation that can lead to a spin-out, but the Caliber took the whole thing in stride and made it safely through the curve.

I wouldn't call the Caliber easy to drive; it requires too much effort to keep it in a straight line on the freeway. But it is very tolerant of bad driving technique such as my aforementioned curve excursion, and that makes it a safe car for new drivers.

When it comes to entry-level cars, the Caliber has a size advantage; it offers a lot of sheet metal for the money and it's handsome sheet metal at that. But if you only have $15,000 to spend, the Honda Fit is more frugal and better equipped and the Nissan Versa is much cheaper. If you're shopping in the $17k-$20k range, the Caliber SXT and R/T models deliver a lot more car for the money. For $15k, though, you can do much better than the Caliber SE. Were I in the market for a small hatchback, I'd go for the Suzuki SX4 -- for less than $700 more than the Caliber it offers power windows locks and mirrors, keyless entry, and all-wheel-drive. -- Aaron Gold