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Honest John Reviews Dodge

Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010) Review

Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010) At A Glance

2/5

+Tough looks, easy to drive, practical and cheap. Won't attract anti-4x4 vitriol.

-Doesn't handle and lacks refinement.

On average it achieves 95% of the official MPG figure

Now there's an idea. A car that drives like a truck. Stepping out of the Honda Civic IMA and into the Dodge Caliber was like climbing into a 4x4 pick-up.

You sit high. And the huge steering wheel is right in your face. There's no reach adjustment, so you have to keep the thing close to your chest. Just like driving a Navara or an L200 or a Rodeo.

Which brings me to the most obvious exterior feature: the bling wheels. On the SXT Sport version we drove these are planet sized eighteen inchers, made to look even bigger by generously deep-profiled 215/55 R18 tyres. Even on base models the wheels are 17" with 215/60 R17s. Very truck-like indeed, and perfect for shrugging off traffic harming measures such as the local council's chicanery to wreck your car.

2006 Dodge Caliber Road Test

Reviews for Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010)'s top 3 rivals

SEAT Altea
3/5
Roomy cabin with a decent boot. Distinctive styling. Excellent crash test rating.
Mitsubishi ASX
3/5
Well-equipped as standard. Impressive Real MPG scores. Plenty of room for five plus luggage.

Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010) handling and engines

So, before driving it, the niche it's aimed was as obvious as the three pairs of boob jobs in Big Brother. This is a motor from the people who make Jeeps, yet aimed squarely at socially responsible, environmentally aware school mums. They can park their Calibers on the kerbs outside junior's school without attracting anti-4x4 stickers. Dodge has built them the perfect car.

The VAG sourced 140PS TDI PD engine and six-speed box do the job of hauling its considerable 2,000kg along manfully, and the overall gearing of 30mph per 1,000 rpm in 6th translates to lower gearing for the intermediates too. So no need for 3rd in a 30 limit. It will happily trickle along in 4th or 5th. And it's a decent, quite cruiser on the motorway with easy to use cruise control.

But it's no handler. Undulating roads send the suspension into floatation mode. And those massive, kerb-crunching 18" tyres are so stiff they torque steer and tramline on hard acceleration. That's the price you pay for chunkiness. You can't have refinement at the same time.

For school run mums, though, it's the perfect family car. Imposing and tough enough for the battle for kerbspace. Practical enough for anything from DIY to long holiday journeys. Green enough to lay doubt in the minds of the newt-rearing, 4x4-hating, earth-saving, be-sandled, socialist benefits brigade. And cheap enough.

Engine MPG 0-62 CO2
1.8 38–39 mpg - 174–177 g/km
2.0 CRD 46 mpg - 159–161 g/km

Real MPG average for the Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

95%

Real MPG

29–53 mpg

MPGs submitted

30

Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010) interior

Dimensions
Length 4415 mm
Width 1800 mm
Height 1535 mm
Wheelbase 2635 mm

Full specifications

It's as big and chunky looking as any 4x4 battlewagon without dragging around all those extra gears and differentials that school run mums will never, ever use. And it's practical, with rear seats that fold flat, and a passenger seatback that flops forward onto its squab leaving length to carry a ladder, a pack of copper pipes, a surfboard or a coffin.

And there's a surprise and delight feature I'd never seen before. You've probably heard of air-conditioned glove lockers that can be used as drinks coolers. Well the Dodge Caliber has a drinks fridge that doubles up as glove locker. Inside there's a wine rack capable of taking four half bottles. Equally surprising but less delightful is the ‘MusicGate' stereo that enables you to fold down a pair of ghetto blasting speakers from the open tailgate while you are parked at a quiet beauty spot.

The car is easy enough to drive with a commanding view over its bonnet and a height-adjustable seat (SE versions up).

Dodge Caliber (2006 – 2010) models and specs

Dimensions
Length 4415 mm
Width 1800 mm
Height 1535 mm
Wheelbase 2635 mm
Miscellaneous
Kerb Weight 1460–1560 kg
Boot Space 525–1360 L
Warranty 3 years
Servicing 8000–9000 miles
Costs
List Price £12,495–£16,995
Insurance Groups -
Road Tax Bands G–I
Official MPG 38.2–46.3 mpg
Euro NCAP Safety Ratings
Adult 4
Child 4
Pedestrian 1
Overall -

On sale until January 2010

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.8 SE £13,495 38.2 mpg -
1.8 SXT £14,995 38.2 mpg -
2.0 CRD SXT £16,995 46.3 mpg -
2.0 SXT Auto £15,995 - -

On sale until April 2008

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
2.0 CRD SE £15,005 - -
2.0 CRD SXT Sport £16,505 - -
2.0 SXT Sport Auto £15,505 - -

On sale until November 2007

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.8 S £12,495 38.7 mpg -

On sale until July 2006

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
2.0D S £13,495 46.3 mpg -

Model History

March 2006

5-door US built chunky hatchback in Europe from 2006.

4,415mm long x 1,800mm wide x 1,535mm high.

VWG 2.0 140ps PD diesel.

Petrol engines from 2007 to include 120PS 1.8, 150PS 2.0 and 170PS 2.4.

RHD models in UK from July 2006 with 1.8 + 5-speed. 2.0 + CVT and VAG sourced 140PS TDI PD with 6-speed box.

Prices £11,500 - £15,500.

Massive 17" wheels with 60 profile tyres or 18" with 55 profile tyres. Ideal for suburban school runs.