Dodge Caliber the new xB?
Scion (and its parent
company, Toyota) were surprised when older folks started to buy its youth-oriented xB SUV. But the buyers were
drawn to the vehicle's large space and practical features. Now it looks like it's Dodge's turn. According to the Automotive News, Dodge dealers are reporting sales of the new 5-door to be all over the generational map. Data from the Power Information Network shows thirty-one percent of buyers averaged between 16 to 35 years old with over twenty percent older than 56. While Dodge's marketing efforts will continue to be aimed at the younger segment (see here for Autoblog's posting on the barrage), a salesperson's response on what closed his sale ("Price range. A four-door car. Fuel economy. Small engine. Good insurance rating,") shows that certain items are ageless.
[Source: Automotive News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dodge Caliber 5:43PM (3/27/2006)
The Caliber has so much innovation built into it and I can't wait to see what the SRT version performs like. If only they had done an AWD version.
If you're interested in the Dodge Caliber, be sure to check out http://www.caliberforums.com/
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iQuack 5:46PM (3/27/2006)
This looks like a winner to me. It's about time hatchbacks received some respect in the U.S. and the Caliber just might accomplish that.
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Kowell 5:47PM (3/27/2006)
I agree I'm looking into this car to replace my old one who's lease will end in 2 months... I'm also dissapointed with the AWD model. It should have been available on the SXT model, not only the 18 inch wheels sport one. AWD is a winter asset to have on an higher vehicule, not a low rider sport and leather one. It would have put it to a better price too.
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Michael Karesh 5:58PM (3/27/2006)
Every one of these boxes has sold heavily to the fiftyish male crowd, including the Aztek and Element.
In my own review (http://www.epinions.com/content_221800074884) I noted that neither the handling nor the interior is up to par, which will hurt it among the sort of younger buyers who currently favor Hondas, Mazdas, Subarus, and such.
I thought I might be alone in this opinion, but the Car & Driver I received the other day said much the same thing when assinging the new Dodge sixth place in a seven-car comparison test.
How good the pricing is depends on whether you think of the Caliber as a Mazda3 or Vibe competitor. It's much more price-competitive against the latter. To perform your own price comparisons: www.truedelta.com/models/caliber.php
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Jay 6:08PM (3/27/2006)
I'm very interested in this car, but I'm extremely disappointed at the options packages...there are a few basic options I can't get and the few options I want come in expensive packages that include things I don't need and quickly drive up the price. I'd love to get an AWD steel blue SXT with a 2.0L engine, manual transmission, and beige interior. Can't get any of that to go together at all. According to Dodge's website, you can only get the stick-shift with the 1.8L engine, you can only get AWD with the R/T trimline and the extra stuff that goes with it, and you can't get a blue car with a beige interior. I could live with the black interior, and I don't absolutely NEED AWD though I prefer it, but it's ridiculous to not be able to get a manual with the 2.0L and have to pay extra for the CVT.
It does so much right and if it could be optioned well, it would be perfect for me. One or two of those problems individually is forgivable. All of them together means I'll probably be looking elsewhere when I buy later this year :(
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Jeff Gilleran 6:19PM (3/27/2006)
I really like what Im seeing with the Caliber.
Even in AWD form and several options and additional accessories I had the car around $21,500 (no leather or heated seats).
One thing I didnt like in one set of options was the appearance package goodies not coming with simple things like "mudguards" and "floor mats".
Some people may not like the aluminum fuel filler door, but its all and all not a bad package.
It has CVT, but no 5 speed, which is a small bother I suppose.
If I was to rate the cars practicality Id give it a solid 9 with lots of cargo space.
I havent driven one, but with the 2.4, I doubt its going to be a "slug".
The SRT4 will be a welcome option, but Im not sure Id get one, although I agree with #1 that it would have been a cool option.
Give it a year or 2 and im sure there will be a SRT available.
Now its just a matter of seeing how well this car fairs on its first year reliablitywise.
I usually wait a year to buy anything thats new to the show.
But again, I really like this new offering from Dodge and think it will be a hit with many.
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Michael Karesh 6:40PM (3/27/2006)
Chrysler these days seems to think gray is the only color anyone needs in an interior. Even in the 300C the dash, door panels, and console are only available in couldn't-be-blander gray.
Personally, I'd like to see at least the LXs and Grand Cherokee available with a tan and a black interior in addition to the gray. The standard black interior was one of the things that sold me on the Mazda I currently drive.
On the engine, the specs for the 1.8 and 2.0 are so close together one must wonder why they bothered with both--except the 1.8 lacks balance shafts. So it was essentially a way to offer a base car with about $100 less cost in the engine.
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Simon Speichert 7:15PM (3/27/2006)
I spotted a Caliber on the road today for the first time - still had a sticker on the window so I'm guessing it was on a test drive - and I was quite impressed. It has a physical presence much larger than its price. The SRT version with AWD will appeal to a lot of people. Only thing I'm wondering is if it'll cut into the market share of the Liberty.
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Michael Karesh 8:21PM (3/27/2006)
There won't be an SRT version with AWD. Rather, the 300-horse version will be front-drive. This is already quite controversial.
You are right that the Caliber has presence. It's very close in size to the Vibe Matrix, but from the outside at least looks much larger and less like an economy car.
The Liberty is a much different vehicle. That said, the upcoming butt-ugly Jeep Compass and more attractive neo-Cherokee Patriot, which are closely related to the Caliber, will very likely cut into Liberty sales since many are probably not bought by people who venture off-road.
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Matt Topper 8:32PM (3/27/2006)
I used to work for Polk that does a bunch of the automotive sales analysis. The thing that most people don't realize when they say these cars are being bought by an older crowd than expected is that the buyer are typically the parents buying it as a car for their child. Don't get my wrong, I seem plenty of these econobox cars being driven by an older generation, but much of the data is screwed because of my above point. Parents would rather buy their kids a reliable car now a days instead of letting them work for the money to get a $1000 beater only to have the engine and transmission blow in the first 6 months because the kid was doing donuts in it and letting it sit in the driveway until their kid has the money to fix it or buy a new beater. Where did the good ole days go anyways...
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justme 9:00PM (3/27/2006)
I think as people get older, they develop a keener sense of value. They realize that a small, roomy, economical car is a good thing most of the time and the flashy sports/luxury car is really not worth the money/hassle.
I see so many VW Golf around here (So. Calif.) with grey-haired drivers and like the Caliber it's supposed to be an entry-level car for college kids.
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Brian W 9:06PM (3/27/2006)
This auto will sell by it's price not merits.
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Kurt 9:58PM (3/27/2006)
So when is DCX going to give us a diesel model? If DCX were to bring a diesel Caliber to market, I would immediately abandon my '98 Jetta TDI and buy one at MSRP. Well, on second thought, I would haggle a little.
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Jaymez 10:06PM (3/27/2006)
I drove a FWD version a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what size motor it had, but, it definately had the CVT. I was throughly unimpressed with the car. Lots of road noise. Lots of hesitation. Huge blind spots. Plenty of room. Blah styling.
I will say one thing, when draped in all black paint, it's friggin' goregous from a distance.
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Rishi Khaitan 7:20AM (3/28/2006)
In this segment, style and value are probably the biggest factors. The Caliber succeeds on both of these. Where the xB looks funky-odd, the Caliber looks funky-hot. IMO, you can already chalk this up as another DCX hit. I'm glad someone in Detroit is willing to take risks with their mainstream offerings.
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Poe 10:14AM (3/28/2006)
Sit in one. The interior is a penalty box of cheap-looking/feeling, angular, ill fitting HARD plastic. Yuck! It's clear to see where most of the cost-cutting occurred in this econobox. The Neon it replaced had a better interior. I really wanted to like this thing (especially in light of the upcomming SRT-4 version) - and the exterior is even growing on me, but that interior is just plain awful. Definitely a deal-breaker for me - no matter what the price is.
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SaveGas 11:33AM (3/28/2006)
The XB is a city car with a soft youthful personality that thrives on personal expression and generally all things liberal. The Caliber is a menacing mini Durango built off the throwaway Neon. Where the XB is cute and playful, the Caliber is taunting and rebellious, taking on evil personality notes from its Hemi powered family. I'm glad to see that Dodge is finally starting to focus on fuel efficient vehicles, though can't seem to draw a parallel between it and the XB.
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Poe 1:03PM (3/28/2006)
"The Caliber is a menacing mini Durango built off the throwaway Neon."
Wrong. The Caliber shares absolutely NOTHING with the old Neon. It's a completely new platform.
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SaveGas 1:22PM (3/28/2006)
Although I have no direct access to Dodge's engineering schematics, it would be unreasonable to claim that the Caliber shares no commonalities with the Neon/PT-cruiser.
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Poe 3:09PM (3/28/2006)
"...it would be unreasonable to claim that the Caliber shares no commonalities with the Neon/PT-cruiser."
Sorry, wrong again. Such a claim would be completely reasonable - because it's true. The Caliber shares NOTHING with the Neon/PT. It is a TOTALLY NEW vehicle in every respect. The GS platform on which it is built was co-designed with Mitsubishi and is shared with the Lancer and Jeep Compass. The engine is a totally new design (the first of the GEMA "World Engines" - a joint venture between Daimler-Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai) - and the CVT2 transmission is all-new as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Caliber
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