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Dodge Caliber: Edmunds Weighs In


In continuing ACATT coverage of the Dodge Caliber, I now present the Edmunds verdict for you consideration. It's not "all good" over at Edmunds when it comes to the Caliber. The 0-60 time of 10.1 seconds did not impress. They accused the CVT of "severing the visceral connection between driver and power plant." Furthermore, they were cranky that the six-disc CD/MP3 option took away the auxiliary input jack on the stereo. Fit and finish? Don't go there. Edmunds said they found inconsistent body panel gaps, an ill-fitting airbag cover and a reluctant seatbelt retractor. Handling tests produced strong understeer and "mucho body roll." You can read the full review here.

The Caliber is not picking up stellar reviews anywhere. It's not very sporty, not that powerful, not that economical (as compared to other vehicles in its class) and so far the quality seems to be suffering. Some of the vehicles being tested are pre-production, but that can't explain away all the faults. Chrysler is reporting strong sales, but it has to be related to the car's styling and not so much it's dynamics.

Here are some other articles on the vehicle:

Why isn't the Caliber doing better in comparison tests.

Dodge Caliber, a sales success?

Dodge Caliber, a European perspective.