My Chemical Romance? At least they had theatrics. Try some bottom-of-the-barrel butt-rock like, idk, Breaking Benjam- no not even that, more like Hinder
In Europe, this was the cheapest way to drive something which looked quintessentially 'Murican, a car for people who actually wanted a Chrysler 300 but couldn't afford a 300.
Exactly. I remember my dad absolutely fanboying over the design, then we went to the dealership to check it out and go for a test drive. I watched all of his enthusiasm fade within the first 30 minutes
It was exactly the same thing here. I doubt that anyone bought one because they wanted it. The only person I remember buying one of these new was a recently divorced guy that had a slew of kids and a ton of support to pay his ex-wife. She took the family car and he bought something new because of the warranty (which I think at the time was like 7 years). I believe he also got 0% financing just before the market crashed. The only person I know today with one will frequently drive a 20 year old F150 because it gets better fuel economy, which is impressive in its own way.
Yep, in Europe both caliber and Magnum looked masculine and murrican, but It all faded away when you got inside and touched the cheapest feeling interior plastics just behind dacia.
It’s impressive. My mom has the SXT with the CVT but it’s howling like a wolf. I had the sxt with 5 speed but ended up buying an SRT4 caliber and I’m obsessed. Running about 450whp
My brother in law bought a Dodge Caliber brand new in '09 with the "lifetime warranty" and as far as I know Dodge has honored that warranty as the Caliber has soared past 200,000 miles.
2022: Still have my '09 Caliber from the Cash For Clunkers era - mid 2009 - although I can't say it's my daily driver now. Weird coolant codes after about 80 miles until it cools off again.
idk if LA dealers are just shitty or something, but everytime I had a "lifetime warranty" they'd find anyway to make it look like the problem didn't fall under it lol
My 2009 caliber already has 150,000 miles today. Bought it new and runs fine. I don't know what they're talking about. I also own a Toyota 260k, Nissan 240k and Mercury mountaineer 155k. ZERO monthly payment, insurance low and parts/repairs cheap.
"They DoorDash for dinner and wonder why they have no money." [Roman starts laughing in the background.] Mr. Regular definitely hit the 10-ring on that one.
@@nathankaufman9559 I will never understand people working a 9-5 that get food delivered to them. My friend I live with who is always scraping by, went through a doordash phase, I remember him paying 18 freaking dollars for a milkshake. Then watched as he got out of his car and proceeded to drop his nearly 20 dollar milkshake.
I knew a girl in high school whose dad bought and built her a painfully original gold 1970 Chevelle. Right after graduation, she sold it to buy a Caliber just like this. I'm sure that's a decision she doesn't regret in any way.
I had a half hour standoff at a car rental desk because I had reserved a "Nissan Altima or equivalent", and they insisted that their replacement, a Caliber, was actually a free upgrade because it was an SUV. Fortunately, they finally relented.
I swear every Avenger and Caliber i see looks like utter dogshit. I understand their low price points but fuck me they always look like they came from the shittiest low income neighborhoods
I remember when this gen of Dodges were first sold in my eastern European country and everyone checked them out because of the "muscular" american design, which just wasn't available here before, only to be immediately disappointed at the interior and build quality
@@eurosonly I would disagree. On average American cars have better dependability and build quality than European cars. Sure there's turds on both sides. But neither can touch Japanese cars. The theory with American cars WAS low cost, high reliability. That's why the big 3 all had plastic fantastic interiors in the early and mid 00s. European cars were mostly ticking time bombs, however they looked and felt very nice inside.
“This car wanted so badly to be taken seriously…like a liberal arts major. But all it does it project insecurity about what it actually is like a liberal arts major.” Beautiful Mr. Regular. Said like a true liberal arts major
@@12ealDealOfficial I'm Gen X; we thought we *invented* cynicism and self-critique! These new young bucks...so damn _earnest_ all the time! The type to refer to themselves as Social Justice Warriors in an unironic sense. They could use a little "yeah, whatever, nevermind" in their lives!
Sounds like a lateral move if you ask me. Disappointing Japanese crap to disappointing American crap. Nobody who grew up in a home with both their biological parents thinks a Civic is some great car. It's a car you can afford used ages 16-20 that's pretty much it.
@@Iridiumcosmos humor me. What's so great about a Civic? It's small and cheap and doesn't have a whole lot of power. Don't act like the Japanese don't make cheap cars too. 🙄
I have a 2007 dodge caliber and I absolutely love it! I would buy it over again! The only thing I dislike is it's rusting out the bottom. And I love the seats with severe back pain they are the only seats I can handle for long periods of time.
You better thank that 5 speed manual. I GARAUNTEE that the cvt would be fried by now. I am currently daily driving my grandmas old 08 sxt (60k miles) and the cvt is already slipping severely
@@MyerShift7 Mercedes gifting them the old W210 platform was a real great leap forward for Chrysler. Without that they'd not have the 300C, Charger, Challenger, and Magnum. If anything they'd only debut a new RWD platform only about this year left to their own devices
Theres a lady in my complex who drives this and legitimately takes 40 mins to 1 hour and a half to parallel park. Usually she ends up on the curb and just leaves it there. High quality entertainment everyday
"The CVT never shuts up!" This is why my Caliber is named Karen. Every other Caliber is named Karen, but the car color goes in front of it, so this is "blue Karen." lol I, too, only have my Caliber because I needed a car asap. A lot of these came from the factory without working cruise control, and they're damn near possible to fix. I broke my right leg last year. ... Driving any distance in my Caliber fucking SUCKS.
Would it be worth the $300+ install for an aftermarket cruise control, maybe ease the pain on your long drives. I'm on the fence about it myself, driving a POS Saturn wagon on bypasses every day for work but there's a lingering though the car will break down any day now and that install would be a big ass waste.
My sequoia is named Karen by my daughters because she’s a big white bitch! But I call her Betty White because she’s an old lady with a lot of miles but is still pretty and loved!
Im used to driving without cruise control on the highway. But having CC wouldn't fix my issue with driving a really long way which is my back. Lordosis runs in the family and in my Mustang it's not great but not all bad but in my dad's Mercades C300 it sucks because his seats have no padding whatsoever. So in that thing I get to have a sore back and the repercussions of cutting off all circulation to my lower body for HOURS .
I had one of these and recently took it to visit family which was about a 1,000 Km drive one way. While it was great on gas and quite spacious for carrying my stuff, it's soooo slow! That drive is mostly uphill and going through the Rockies while pushing it to what I felt comfortable, I was BARELY passing semi-trucks also going uphill. If you don't want to or need to go fast, it's honestly a great little car, turns nicely, good on gas, has some decent features, I'd say its a perfect first car sorta thing.
You literally cant pass people in one of these. The cvt simply will not allow it. I have almost died multiple times because of this, its gotten to the point where i just stay behind tractors because i know i cant accelerate fast enough to pass
My daughter just bought the 07 SXT for $2800, runs great, 120k miles, needs struts bad other than that I can't complain, I've only driven it once but it seemed to have decent power on the highway, That's what I was surprised of is it had decent top end power, I've noticed it has an aftermarket air breather, that may be a good thing cause the stock breather system could've been limiting the power as they most of the time do, lol After hearing all the bad stories about the subframe I'm going to have it powder coated if its worth powder coating that is, lol We don't get much snow here in NC so hopefully it won't be too bad, 🤞🏻 lol
I used to walk to work. 3.5 miles each way. Did it for 2 years. One day a co-worker asked me if I would like to take over payments on a Caliber. $225 a month for 2 years. I did it. He really took good care of that car. I got a good 1. Only had to change the alternator, not an easy job. Other than that. It was a good car for My little commute.
The Dodge Caliber, a little slice of Detroit on wheels because despite its birthing grounds residing in Illinois, the Caliber was so perfect at channeling rock bottom poverty that you naturally associate it with The Free World’s largest dying metropolitan by default. Slowness and unreliability was the name of Dodges inappropriately named “economy” cars game which in the end left owners feeling like they just paid $17,380 for a car that’s gonna be worth $1,500 the second it rolls off the lot. Trapping a low income household in a payment as their new asset quickly becomes a liability.
Lol, l grew up in metro Detroit and this is absolutely perfect. The last sentence is absolutely accurate. "Dodge: the used car payment for those who can't make the payment"
My 2008 dodge caliber was the first new car I ever purchased. 250k and 14 years later, it is still running strong. Only work I've done is an alternator and struts. It is a beast that won't die. Such an under-rated car.
I got 60k on mine when I bought. Had to do alternator and now needs front struts. Also changed CVT fluid. I put alot of audio into it so I hope it lasts like yours.
I was a Chrysler dealer when this car was introduced. I took the first one off the truck for a ride. Within minutes I was horrified...thinking "What a TERRIBLE car! THIS is the replacement for the Neon?!?!" The build quality was poor, the drive train was extremely noisy, the driving dynamics miserable. AND it was stupidly UGLY...looking like a dodge truck had mated with a neon. Fortunately, my dealership collapsed just days later and I never had to inflict this mess of a car on our hard working community.
Speaking of women, I'm pretty sure the person that provided this car to the regular car guys is not a woman. Listen to The voice and look at the hands. They don't lie
An 07 Caliber SXT was my first car! Even by 2010 they were pretty affordable. Dodge wanted so badly to have this seen as a cool car with one print ad showing it placing it's rear end up on a photocopier. Slow to accelerate is an understatement, it was dangerously slow. The onramps of the Merit Parkway in CT with a stop sign then 30ft of road before dumping you into the highway were a test of your faith in god as you floored it hitting the end of the onramp at maybe 20mph screaming GOOD LUCK EVERYONE out the window as cars fly past at either 55mph or 90mph with no in between. The RPM's sit at redline as you accelerate up to 60 for the next 30 seconds to the comforting sound of what sounds like a rusty coffee can of 3-4 ball bearings being gyrated around coming from the CVT gradually adjusting to maintain a few hundred rpm under redline. You flip on cruise control because who the hell are you passing and select disc 6 of your stock headunit that plays CD-R's full of mp3s for total of a few gigabytes of menu-less total capacity to scroll through track by track. Gorillaz 19-2000 plays out the actually decent Boston Acoustics system's speakers and sub. With no mechanical link between the shifter and transmission, you whack it into reverse while rolling down the highway knowing it will just stay in neutral to turn on the reverse lamps and scare the absolute shit out of that tailgating Audi. Thirsty, you open the glovebox that has a shelf with ridges to hold 4 bottles of soda and PUMPS IN COOL AIR FROM THE A/C TO BE A FRIDGE (ok seriously this bit was great and I miss it so much) and grab a 'dew then just sit back and wait for your exit. You arrive at your friends house and back in up to the deck, open the rear hatch, and flip out the rear speakers to face backwards so you and your buddies can listen to some tunes. A few years later, the engine decides it wants to try out it's limp mode, cutting power so hard you need to sit in neutral at stoplights and give a rev before dropping into drive as you hobble to the dealer again, and after loosing power steering in the middle of a long sweeping turn a second time as it enters limp mode for the 5th, and a "specialist" from dodge who came to your dealer who already swapped the entire wiring harness is still scratching their head, you decide its time to let it go to be wholesaled off as someone else's problem, or more likely be a parts car. It was slow as balls and after a few years had issues but that's not unusual for a cheap used first car. And like learning to ride on a used 250cc vs a Hyabusa, as a new driver you could floor it downhill on a twisty road and focus only on practicing hitting apexes as your tires chirped through the corners. With its little party tricks like the flip out rear speakers, glove box fridge, and plenty of room for your idiot friends and their shit, it was a fun first car and I almost kinda miss it.
Man I don't know if 155k miles is actually low for an 07 but my caliber r/t accelerates like a champ. Sometimes it can take a while to spool while turning but otherwise I'm hitting 3k rpm the second I'm out of a stop and passing most everyone who isn't trying to race me without much trying I have had my fair share of mechanical issues but nothing other than a punctured brake line I couldn't take care of, from a old and solid valve cover gasket that was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold to front stocks so old I could rock the front of the car with just a finger and a broken throttle body that was probably the hardest part to replace just because I have big hands But it's been in the family since 07 and it's one of the cars I grew up in and still drive for work to this day so I guess I do have some rose tented glasses I never really go to drive any other car too, we used to have a grand caravan and then a Pacifica that I would drive around every now and then and the Pacifica could accelerate faster than it honestly should be able to but it was a huge in comparison and felt unwieldy because of it, my mom had a mini Cooper for a while that I only took out once or twice but that was like 3-4 years ago and I don't remember much about it other than it being way too small So while I guess not everyone is getting the same experience driving the caliber as me I still really enjoy my ride
Perfect I’m buying my 16yo a shitbox caliber and I’m going to keep her 2nd gen Camry wagon she hates it I think it’s a cool old car but I get why she hates it! Wait till I slap rims and a stereo in it she’s gonna be like wait dad the Camrys cool!
^this I have a Dodge Journey on the shitty 4 cylinder that was - as rcr points out - handed down to me from my mom who only bought it new in 2009 bc Cash For Clunkers would offer $3500 for the rust bucket Dakota. And even she knew it was slow... It was always slow... And taking her on the merrit was fun because she knew - yes my 60 yr old mom would LAUGH at what was about to happen. I roll up to the stop sign and wait for my opening.... there it is HIT IT. Pin that crappy little peddle to the floor and we reach redline.. my wouldn't even do the "hold onto the door handle think - you know, like in that mom way when you're driving her to the grocery store... because she was too busy laughing at that hideous sound coming out of the car.. And now it's still kicking... it throws CE codes every 9 months and leaks coolant and the doors fill up with water when it rains.... and I cant wait to get rid of it
*In Defense of the Caliber* I owned a 2010 SXT and I freaking loved that thing. I had zero problems with it and all it needed was the A/C recharged. Sadly, it hit a concrete pylon because some asshat left a FREAKING MATTRESS in the middle of the road in Austin when I swerved to avoid it. 2 good years I got outta that car.
The perfect evolution of a car. It only took 7 years to go from a relatively sporty, great handling car even in base trim that dominated in autocross to this turd that is specifically BANNED from autocrossing due to rollover risk.
Before I knew anything about cars, and was like 23 years old looking to buy my first NEW car, it was between this and 2008 fit. Thank goodness I blindly made the right choice.
My dad bought one of these brand new - a super deluxe edition with the extra speakers that would swing down for tailgating in the back and some type of cooler-glovebox or console up front. Everything about it was flimsy, but for some reason the thing that stood out most were the interior door locks. No bezel or anything - they had just punched a hole through the shitty door-cover plastic where the lock would go and that was it - there was even little bits of plastic around the edge like it was an unfinished project. He offered to sell it to me for the "bargain" price of $7K at one point a few years after buying it. It only had 30,000 miles on it. I could have used a newer family vehicle at the time, but hard pass on that one.
LOL! The door lock holes! I thought i was the only one who noticed that! They literally just drilled holes in it and left the residue around the edges. The entire car is a poorly thought out project! Like those plastic headrests.... i understand they wanted to save money, but WHY DO THE REAR SEATS GET REGULAR CLOTH HEADRESTS WHILE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER GET THESE AWFUL PLASTIC THINGS?!?!?
I was a small Dodge guy back in the day. I had a 195 Neon. Commuter race car but not very reliable. A 2003, much better interior, boring as toast, better to haul kids in, slightly more reliable. So naturally, I was interested in the Caliber. I test drove one and OH MY GOD!!!!!! It's like they took all the bad attributes of the 1st and 2nd gen, threw in a CVT and said "Screw it!" It was awful. The interior was awful. The powertrain was awful, the exterior was awful, the interior was worse than awful.
The “one-sided violent crime” conversation reminds me of this guy I used to work with at the railroad. Super-opinionated and would talk all through lunch break, yet not say a Goddamn thing. He was the only person I’ve seen willingly read a newspaper in the last 10 years. He would pick out controversial stories on purpose to start a conversation and thank God no one would answer him. Not everything can be an anecdote 🙄 It reminds me of that reference Mr. Regular made about the guy who knowingly takes up the treadmill in the very center of the gym and changes every tv to, Fox news, for instance. He waits for someone to set up next to him and then starts the conversation with “can you believe this??!!”
In the lunchroom at my old job there was this megadork who would ALWAYS sit down by and talk to this one chick who openly mocked him and what he had to say day in, day out if she listened at all and that guy was so minimally socialized and full of himself he never ever spotted it. Nobody gives a shit about your 60 mile drive last weekend (that's not even far WTF), the crap you saw on Reddit the other day and your stupid capeshit superhero movies you're going to stream when you get home, damn.
@@standyourground9973 Well, I'm pretty conservative, but complete strangers who "cold call" you with politics are almost invariably douchebags. Oh, and ALL cable news in the USA is "partisan porn" and an overt disgrace to the word "journalism." And yes, that includes Fox News, too.
The one thing I always will remember about these cars is that every single one of them, without fail, has only one working headlight. Every one I ever saw during the 2000s and beyond was winking at me and I did not care for it.
That's because replacing the headlight bulbs on these is an exercise in frustration. Unless you have child sized hands, it requires you to disassemble some things to do so. Therefore, no one does.
Not quite as bad as a chevy malibu...where you have to remove the FRONT BUMPER to gain access to the headlamp. P.S. it`s in the OEM service info like that also: step 1 remove front bumper.
@@__-cy9mv The service manual says you have to remove the bumper cover to replace the headlights on my Fusion, but you don't have to do it. My hands are medium sized and can change my bulbs without issue. I just have to use my fingertips.
I sold vehicles briefly in the early 2010's at a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram dealership, and the "Crapiter" was, by far, the worst in all senses of the word, followed by the Nitro. My conscience wouldn't allow me to sell these buckets to anyone, and if we didn't have any pre-owned vehicles in someone's price range, I'd direct them to the Toyota dealership next door.
I used to work with a guy in retail who drove a Nitro. He'd take off the shitty plastic piece that fits under the steering wheel and hide weed in there, and he didn't even show me where else he hid shit. That whole interior was falling apart so much he'd just find new places to screw around with trim pieces and hide shit. That's about all these 10-20 year old dodges are good for lol
@@darthdarthbinkss A friend had a Nitro and gave me rides while my Frontier was in the shop. I quickly realized it was just a poor emulation of the Nissan (also Xterra) in almost every way.
Every couple of months or so my 75 year old neighbor, who no longer drives, tells me about how she owned one of these, and loved it so much, and wishes she could find another 🙃
Tried one out some years back when I was looking for something easier to get in and out of than my 2004 Dodge Stratus 2-door. (these days, I wish I'd kept it) The Caliber looks pretty good from the outside, but that's where the appeal ends. Found the interior incredibly low budget; the driving experience terrible; and the noise level unacceptable. Ended up going with a PT Cruiser instead. I have to wonder if the later revamp solved some of these cars many problems. All in all, another example of Daimler's criminal neglect of it's merger partner. If Daimler was a parent and Chrysler its kid, someone here would get charged with child abuse.
From what I can tell you were in an SXT the entire time which does not come with the 2.4 - only the RT and SRT models came with the World engine. As someone who has had both an SXT (2007 and 2011) and currently an RT (2007) I can tell you there is a HUGE difference in the cars. The SXT is a pile of garbage and yes, that CVT does sucks balls...but the RT, which comes with more power due to the 2.4 and an auto-shifter with AWD, is a much different beast. So while not on the same level as the SRT model it still boots around like a little go-kart... and I can say this as I also have an SRT6 Crossfire and I don't cry when I have to park the SRT for the RT, it gets the job done nicely and the gas consumption on the 2.4 compared to the 2.0 is so much better. I guess what I am trying to say is...for someone who only rode around in an SXT (and probably with blown head gaskets at that) you sure hit a lot of the issues on the head, but since you probably have never been in an RT or an SRT4 trim you are lacking in ALL the information and therefor this is a pretty shit video as its biased to the lower-end models.
I remember renting these out circa 2010. The Caliber is best described as a collection of parts flying in a very loose formation. They'd rattle like crazy if you dared to go over 60km/h. It may possibly be the worst car I've ever driven. Worse than even the Cobalt/G5s with the sticky ignitions.
lol i remember renting a cobalt and the buttons were in terrible positions for looking forward and adjusting things. literally my 88 camry felt better put together. calibers really must be shit
I’ve rented literally hundreds of cars for business travel over the past decade and a half. Whenever the subject of my worst ever rental comes up, one car immediately comes to mind, the 2008 Dodge Caliber I rented to drive from Hickory, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL and back. Road tripping the Caliber was one of the worst automotive experiences of my life.
@@CngBng they suck bad man, don't buy one. Works great as a grocery getter or a short distance commuter. My mother drove on 120 miles a day, 5 days a week, for 7 years.
I had one of these as a rental car in 2009. While it didn't seem particularly underpowered or low quality, I found the rear visibility to be poor. That made merging into the expressway challenging, not the limited engine power. To be fair, I don't have high expectations of rental cars. I'm not concerned about the long-term reliability. I usually don't find anything noteworthy unless it's particularly bad. (I have a childhood memory of a Chevette in Florida with doors that had difficulty closing properly. We had to really SLAM the doors, or they were guaranteed to be incompletely closed.)
The electrical problem with the headlights is not the ECU. It's most probably a problem with the TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module); Chrysler's answer to a problem that didn't really exist in properly designing an automotive electrical system. So much can go wrong with the TIPM that causes all sorts of bizarre issues, from headlights not properly working to the fuel pump cutting out. And the TIPM is not usually repaired. They're replaced ... and at potentially huge expense if you have it done at the dealer or a garage. For this particular car, you can manage the replacement yourself if you're handy. Some auto parts stores can order a remanufactured module from Dorman or Cardone. Returning the core will get you some money back, which usually brings the actual price to around $300-$400 for this part. Of course, is it worth spending that money to fix it? As the problem with the headlights has already been addressed, albeit improperly, then maybe not ... especially if the owner doesn't plan to keep it for very long.
Man. This is top 5 RCR reviews ever. Incredible work gentlemen. “It’s better than a pogo ball but not better than rollerblades.” F me that’s brilliant.
There was one of these in my old neighbourhood and you could hear the distinctive CVT sound from a block away. Almost sounds like an 80s Ford power steering pump going bad. What’s interesting is there were also two Cavaliers. I bet both of those older Cavaliers (they were axed in 03 or 04 I believe) easily outlast the Caliber.
One of my highschool friends had one of these, and installed a 13 inch subwoofer in it. Shook the whole parking lot. I remember we were all piled into it on a pre football game energy drink run (Marching band kids) and it could barely get up the hill to our highschool. He now has a Altima with 2 subwoofers and a full alpine stereo. The highschool car scene is a fun place
@@dedandflooded More than you think, by the sounds of it. Being in my 20's for the early to mid 2000's golden era of car audio, between the '94 MX-6 and the 2000 Maxima SE I had several different systems. Always great at parties too. Today I'm happy throwing a Yellow Top into my 2013 G sedan and let Bose on Wheels rip through OEM 10's they threw into the front doors. Not even close to old school quality, but... it's potent. A home audio approach to car audio, it works but it's not my preference. I can make a pair of amplified components sound better than the 17 speakers they put in today's cars. Having fun yet? Nah t'was 2 am when you talked shit, now it's grown-up morning time and you're out for a while. No job right? :-)
Kennwood or Pioneer Supertuner III sterio with JC Whitney power amp. Jensen 6X9's in the package deck and door mounts from anybody who made them, cut into the door panels of a 63 Impala. (Yes we butchered nice cars like that back then, they were dailies too.) 1986 callin' in.
They can't make anything that is reliable or technologically relevant so they have to make high horsepower boomer mobiles or overly aggressive looking heads for insecure guys wearing monster energy snapbacks
My wife and I looked at one of these when they came out. Dealer had 1! On the lot. A white stripper model. I have never formed an opinion of a car so quickly. Once around the block and back to the dealership. Cheap and plastic inside, moaning engine. It all came back watching this video. Salesman “what do you think “ Me “well, I don’t like it. I think we’re done here”. Just nothing positive to say after a 7 minute drive. So what did we buy? A 3 year old purple PT Cruiser with chrome wheels, leather/Swede interior and wood grain side panels .... so there’s that. We liked the PT Cruiser.
God Bless the PT with the divine (😩) wood paneling. As a pt cruiser fan, there is next to nothing more desirable then a pt cruiser with that package of features.
Chrysler has managed to remain in business for the last 50 years building subpar quality cars and flirt with bankruptcy multiple times. That’s quite an accomplishment.
They did sell this after 2012, it was just called the Jeep Compass/Patriot. Same chassis, with slightly tweaked suspension for more clearance. Just look at the interior layout, almost the same.
Stranger: "May I ask what tragedy beset you that put you in a Dodge Caliber?" Owner: "I got into an accident in my Civic and good used cars are too expensive." Stranger: "Makes TOTAL sense. May God be with you." Yes, older throwaway cars like the Stratus, PT Cruiser, Impala, Taurus, etc, still have a role to play in our society. I feel safer knowing they are out there if the worst should happen to me.
One of my favorite things about this channel are the references to zeitgeist from my childhood. The angelfire domain shout out made me laugh - had a "website" on there back in the 90's like all of the cool kids. Also being a band nerd myself and having went to school for education your sense of humor absolutely has me in tears. Calling it a Caliper makes me cry though. Almost worse than someone installing a Cadillac converter on their Kia.
I had one of these as a rental when my car was in the shop....same color too! For 3weeks I was called Avatar. I DID like the Caliber because 1. It realllly made you appreciate what you were driving before and 2. You started to enjoy not caring and being invisible....complete "whatever " mode.
I drive a 2008 in beige and I'm oddly attached to it. My mom got it in 08/09 when I was 12 years old. My older brother gave it some hell in a few mild crashes, and so did the salt from the snowy roads up near the great lakes. I accidentally ripped out a door lock switch with the strap of my backpack, because I used to toss it in the back passenger window after school. I eventually learned to drive in that thing, and mom gave it to me in 2017 when she upgraded to a Chrysler 200. It's honestly not bad for a free car. The biggest repair it's needed was a new subframe right when I moved to Philly (the roads in Manayunk knocked it loose of course). The best thing about this car is that it can haul some pretty big stuff if you put the back seats down, and even longer stuff if you put the passenger seat down. It's been a godsend whenever I've had to move furniture, bicycles, fish tanks, etc. And my bf and I just love the hatchback for drive-in movies (shout-out to the Mahoning in Lehighton!) Not sure when I'll be forced to get a new car, but this strange beige box is special to me.
I've flipped close to a dozen of these in recent years, the last one just 4 months ago - Women LOVE these Calibers! They flock to every one of them I post for sale and usually go for top dollar (I'm in Michigan). They do absolutely nothing well, but definitely aren't expensive to maintain or repair unless you're getting ripped off. I have had to replace a couple ECU's in them (they sell for pennies used and not difficult to reprogram), but otherwise I never bought one with major engine or transmission issues and none had low miles. Get one cheap (they generally all are), drain and refill the CVT fluid as preventive maintenance, then drive the shit out of it until it dies and throw it away.
Very true that. My mom has one, was the first car I ever drove. Not good at anything, but not horrid either. Never had to do anything other than basic maintenance.
Caliber is great at one thing. It has 4 cup holders in reach of the driver. That's at least 4 trips to your fast food location of choice before you have to take out the trash.
wait your supposed to change the cvt fluid?! I've had mine for 2 years now and I've had ppl in a FB caliber group tell me it doesn't ever need to be changed unless something is wrong. And I get mixed messages after doing a few google searches. Mine jerks/jumps a tab bit when shifting gears but it's done that since I got it.
Dodge caliber...The official car of not being able to tell how many miles your car has because the "Oil change required" warning on your dash won't go away.
@@alechall7082 They are ok but 2ZZ is not great. If its a 1ZZ its ok, but still not great. I've had to wok on enough of them to not like them anymore 🤣
I remember when this car came out in the UK and just thinking how very American it looked, but on a european car scale. Like a baby version of those sorts of big burly North American vehicles. I think that was probably the main selling point, it was so different to anything else you'd normally see sold in europe, and then it sort of faded into obscurity. I saw one a while back and said to myself "huh, haven't seen one of those in a while", like I could have gone my entire life without even remembering that it exists.
It sucks! That is its biggest problem! It has no reason to exist! They tried making a high ground clearance hatchback, with a cvt (that fails before 70k miles, ask me how i know 😡), and make it an economical commuter car. The problem is that it doesnt fill ANY of those criteria well, so what your left with is a slow, truck-like handling, low mpg hatchback with zero interior space and an uncomfortable interior. I am honestly surprised mr regular didnt talk about this in the video. The car fills NO MARKET!! It irritates me that this car was able to make it to production without anybody at chrysler asking "what market does this car fulfill?" This video is honestly as accurate as it gets to anybody driving one of these, the ONLY reason anyone would ever drive a dodge caliber is that they had no other choice for a temporary transportation method.
My ex had one of these in 2011. It was like 3-4 years old with 50k miles but it felt BROKEN. It somehow felt worse than my parent's 8 year old Alero did with more than double the miles. That's an achievement.
@@TheAllstar420 lmao that's insane. Meanwhile my 2014 mazda3 with almost 200k km is still on. The original bushings and they are still perfectly fine too. The Caliber truly was a piece of shit
My aunt had a base model of this turd and it drove like an aluminum shed on the outside and a plastic shed on the inside. Everything rattled badly. EVERYTHING.
These things really hurt the mopar fanboy in me to my core...because it represents so much about what went wrong after the "merger" Chrysler 100% correctly predicted near total market shift to crossovers. The Original Pacifica was the first attempt, and this was the 2nd, aimed at the compact segment while the Pacifica was the full size. There was so much clever design in places, but it was all wrapped in a package of "eh, good enough" and sent out the door.
This is 100% what I was thinking. I’ve only ever seen Calibers from a distance, and I’ve always thought that Chrysler was ahead of its time for coming out with a tall hatchback/compact CUV so early. I didn’t realize they were such heaps of sh*t
Caliper was before the merger. Dodge hasn't made decent vehicles since the way early 00s. Neon, can't kill it. Beyond being rust buckets, their trucks and even the durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Rango were ok.
You honestly think that Dodge looked at the Caliber and said "Eh, good enough."? They knew this was shit the second they built it and sent it out away because they knew Dodge fanboys would buy them.
@@MattyH1992 I really don't think dodge fanboys were buying calibers, they were buying rams chargers and challengers. Maybe Durangos as well. The people who bought these were people with bad credit and not a whole lot of money
I love my Caliber... 195.000 and still running strong, great fuel mileage as well.... My first delivery car was the 03 Neon.. It too was an amazing car. Its all a matter of perspective and how you take care of it!!
When photos of the Caliber first appeared before it was launched, I thought it was a pretty good idea. A little more SUV-like small car with hatch versatility wrapped in Dodge's chunky-but-funky styling. Then I saw one in person.
15 year old me wouldnt have questioned the thought of suicide because of these. While that family trip in california was memorable(for many wrong reasons. Some of which involve me lol), there lye's the core component of the shit fest. The Dodge Caliber lol. These things are awful in every way possible. not a nice thing could be said of them.
Chief, I was that student. Used to calculate how much I had to score in test and the minimum amount of projects/homework needed to be turned in, in order to get a passing grade.
(Sigh) -.- as a 2007 Caliber owner I can say this is accurate. It has been reliable as hell for 4 year but took a dive and has been a suddenly a money pit and is still falling apart. Suddenly. Getting rid of it...I Can't keep this going
Dodge Caliber: the official car of that seedy door dash guy named Joey that you notice that your drink is missing and someone ate half of The Chick-fil-A waffle fries
I remember being a young dumb fool in like 2009 or 10 wanting to trade in my Charger but unsure of what to get - something more "economical". I remember looking at one of these and actually considering trading in my car for one for like a week. I convinced myself that the option for a built-in drink cooler was neat, that I would save money on gas, and have a more useful hatchback. I was young and afraid of pulling the trigger, ended up keeping the Charger for a few more years, and thank god.
The Dodge Caliber is for people who have either never seen a Honda Civic or Mazda 3 before or simply need 4 wheels and an engine to get them to work till spring comes and they have enough for a down payment on something else. Perfect for those who could give a fuck whether or not it gets towed/stolen as long as their good baggie of _______ and tools aren't in it.
A car that gets passed down free from an aunt. Wierd. That's exactly what's happening to me right now. My aunt passed and mom said "come take this, I don't have room for it." Free car? Sure, I'll add it to the fleet. Lol. Clean with 93k, so it shouldn't be too terrible.
I feel like FCA likes to min-max their stats, like here is 707hp motor but the interior plastic is cheaper than a work van, or here is the ultimate 4x4 system but creaks and wind noise is gonna drive you insane. not with this car here though, they just phoned in that one
Fun fact... The phone holder that flips out of the console is actually not for a phone, but for an iPod Mini. No other device would fit in it other than old receipts.
@@dcan911 Wow I didn't know that. I still have my 2008 Dodge Caliber I bought brand new. 220k miles and 14 years later, I have not had any issues with it. I'm super lucky. Other than maintenance and two sets of control arms in its lifetime, it's been alright.
The Dodge Caliber is basically a PT Cruiser that went to a My Chemical Romance concert
I'd call it a Pontiac Vibe pretending to be a Subaru
My Chemical Romance? At least they had theatrics. Try some bottom-of-the-barrel butt-rock like, idk, Breaking Benjam- no not even that, more like Hinder
@@flurpoid ooh, yeah, with that cover of Nirvana’s “About a Girl” too, good call
@@RobCamp-rmc_0 What? Breaking Benjamin has some pretty cool songs...
Yes
In Europe, this was the cheapest way to drive something which looked quintessentially 'Murican, a car for people who actually wanted a Chrysler 300 but couldn't afford a 300.
Exactly. I remember my dad absolutely fanboying over the design, then we went to the dealership to check it out and go for a test drive. I watched all of his enthusiasm fade within the first 30 minutes
As a European I can agree
It was exactly the same thing here. I doubt that anyone bought one because they wanted it. The only person I remember buying one of these new was a recently divorced guy that had a slew of kids and a ton of support to pay his ex-wife. She took the family car and he bought something new because of the warranty (which I think at the time was like 7 years). I believe he also got 0% financing just before the market crashed.
The only person I know today with one will frequently drive a 20 year old F150 because it gets better fuel economy, which is impressive in its own way.
@@ileutur6863 Chrysler will do that to you.
Yep, in Europe both caliber and Magnum looked masculine and murrican, but It all faded away when you got inside and touched the cheapest feeling interior plastics just behind dacia.
Can we marvel at the fact that a Chrysler CVT is still going after 16 years.
It's a Nissan part. The ones that tend to die at 50/60K miles
It’s impressive. My mom has the SXT with the CVT but it’s howling like a wolf. I had the sxt with 5 speed but ended up buying an SRT4 caliber and I’m obsessed. Running about 450whp
@@justinmckee2256 you actually modded a SRT-4 Caliber...a unicorn you are
I'm not sure I've ever even seen a Caliber SRT4, that's got to be one of the rarest cars.
@@quixomega I saw one back in 2011-2012 in north east Florida. Not sure I’ve seen one since.
My brother in law bought a Dodge Caliber brand new in '09 with the "lifetime warranty" and as far as I know Dodge has honored that warranty as the Caliber has soared past 200,000 miles.
2022: Still have my '09 Caliber from the Cash For Clunkers era - mid 2009 - although I can't say it's my daily driver now. Weird coolant codes after about 80 miles until it cools off again.
just got a 2007 dodge caliber with 2 previous owners. it's got almost 150,000 without any warranty. its definitely got some longevity to it
idk if LA dealers are just shitty or something, but everytime I had a "lifetime warranty" they'd find anyway to make it look like the problem didn't fall under it lol
@@mcfarofinha134 thats probably an LA thing. here in georgia we (usually) dont have problems like that
My 2009 caliber already has 150,000 miles today. Bought it new and runs fine. I don't know what they're talking about. I also own a Toyota 260k, Nissan 240k and Mercury mountaineer 155k. ZERO monthly payment, insurance low and parts/repairs cheap.
Every Dodge Caliber service ticket I've ever written is just filled with "Customer Declines"
"They DoorDash for dinner and wonder why they have no money."
[Roman starts laughing in the background.]
Mr. Regular definitely hit the 10-ring on that one.
Is it Roman? I thought it was Adler.
@@themaritimegirl sounded like Adler to me
@@nathankaufman9559 lmfaoooo
@@nathankaufman9559 I will never understand people working a 9-5 that get food delivered to them. My friend I live with who is always scraping by, went through a doordash phase, I remember him paying 18 freaking dollars for a milkshake. Then watched as he got out of his car and proceeded to drop his nearly 20 dollar milkshake.
@@themaritimegirl The bird guy?
Dodge Caliber. The car for people who think Mazda 3 hatchbacks are "too fancy"
Meh, not really
A Dodge Caliber once crashed into my Mazda 3 hatch lol
@@rybread1346 probably for the best. Better to go quickly and get an insurance check than prolong that suffering
@@StupidDummyIdiot Ryan had the Mazda, so RIP to a fun car. ⚰️
In the same sense a 300ZX is "too fancy" for a Corvette, according to RCR. XD
The return of DJ Double Lunch. The calibre where the interior has all the comfort of a police station
Caliber: McDonalds new grey themed exterior is more exciting than this car.
DJ DL had to switch stations because he couldn't keep himself on the DL from HR
I have been to a police station in Fairbanks one time. I do not want to go back.
I had to go back and check. I thought I heard “DJ Donkey Punch” the first time
My dad had one for a while so I agree. Your description is dead on.
I knew a girl in high school whose dad bought and built her a painfully original gold 1970 Chevelle. Right after graduation, she sold it to buy a Caliber just like this. I'm sure that's a decision she doesn't regret in any way.
Jesus, that's depressing.
That actually caused me physical pain reading your comment.
Whoever bought that Chevelle got the deal of a lifetime.
Did the father trade in for a new daughter?
Cash for Clunkers in a nutshell.
I had a half hour standoff at a car rental desk because I had reserved a "Nissan Altima or equivalent", and they insisted that their replacement, a Caliber, was actually a free upgrade because it was an SUV. Fortunately, they finally relented.
Man, this car is so regular I could have sworn this review was already done
The avenger one came to mind,only to realize they're different cars,look almost the same tho
True
I'd like to think that cigarette burns on the seats were factory standard in all Calibers and you can't convince me otherwise.
I bought one years ago… It did has cigarette burns in the fuckin seats lmao
@@Forbiddensirenz of course it did
I swear every Avenger and Caliber i see looks like utter dogshit. I understand their low price points but fuck me they always look like they came from the shittiest low income neighborhoods
I bought mine about a few months ago no cig burns but a lot of dog hairs
@@davidl3266 I don't believe it
The radio DJ bit was probably one of the best bits I've heard on this channel in a long time. Fuckin lovely
MORE
Got old rcr vibes
Got Kunkleman Chevrolet vibes all over
As soon as the "Oh yeah give me more!" part showed up I lost it
Lease a Truck at Kunklemen Chevy for only 595959.99
I had a coworker who was tricked into buying this as the first car she bought on her own.
That salesman saw the 19 year old girl coming a mile away.
Dodge Caliber. The car for people who answer the phone by saying "yellow".
I remember when this gen of Dodges were first sold in my eastern European country and everyone checked them out because of the "muscular" american design, which just wasn't available here before, only to be immediately disappointed at the interior and build quality
There's the reason why all the ones I've seen are red or black.
That's almost every single american car ever lol.
there is one in my small eastern european town and I can feel the cheapness from a distance. I bet it's worse than my 22 year old skoda.
@@eurosonly I would disagree. On average American cars have better dependability and build quality than European cars. Sure there's turds on both sides. But neither can touch Japanese cars. The theory with American cars WAS low cost, high reliability. That's why the big 3 all had plastic fantastic interiors in the early and mid 00s. European cars were mostly ticking time bombs, however they looked and felt very nice inside.
Typical dodge
“This car wanted so badly to be taken seriously…like a liberal arts major. But all it does it project insecurity about what it actually is like a liberal arts major.”
Beautiful Mr. Regular. Said like a true liberal arts major
His self-awareness is unfortunately unique to his generation and mine, half the time. Zoomer liberal arts majors are insane.
@@12ealDealOfficial I'm Gen X; we thought we *invented* cynicism and self-critique! These new young bucks...so damn _earnest_ all the time! The type to refer to themselves as Social Justice Warriors in an unironic sense. They could use a little "yeah, whatever, nevermind" in their lives!
@@bcubed72 Are you sure you're not a Boomer in disguise?
@@12ealDealOfficial I could make the same argument for most Boomers, but that would be pot calling the kettle black.
@@jakekaywell5972 No: while I may aspire to be a member of the Coolest Generation, I was born in 1972.
To go from a Honda Civic to a dodge caliber has to be the greatest car tragedy since the invention of the dodge caliber.
Sounds like a lateral move if you ask me. Disappointing Japanese crap to disappointing American crap. Nobody who grew up in a home with both their biological parents thinks a Civic is some great car. It's a car you can afford used ages 16-20 that's pretty much it.
@@ScubaSteveM45 Civics are crap? In what dimension? Miles better than a Caliber. Lol.
@@Iridiumcosmos I'm sorry your father wasn't there when you grew up to believe things like that 😘
@@ScubaSteveM45 At least I had a father direct me to not spout such ignorance. Sorry yours left and never came back. 💋
@@Iridiumcosmos humor me. What's so great about a Civic? It's small and cheap and doesn't have a whole lot of power. Don't act like the Japanese don't make cheap cars too. 🙄
I have a 2007 dodge caliber and I absolutely love it! I would buy it over again! The only thing I dislike is it's rusting out the bottom. And I love the seats with severe back pain they are the only seats I can handle for long periods of time.
Want to buy my 60k mile rust free grandma driven one? It literally brings me physical pain to drive. If you like them then please buy mine
@@engineerisengihere44Do you still have it and how much if so???
@@engineerisengihere44 how much and where from?
@@engineerisengihere44How much, which state?
I have a 2011 5speed Manual Caliber with 170k miles on it and it’s still running great. It has the updated interior and I like it 🤷♂️.
Lol bro I got 2007 my mom gave me she got it new I still have it and it still drives good . 138k on it. Daily driver only holds 40 if that lol
@@tucansam3147 LOL???
You better thank that 5 speed manual. I GARAUNTEE that the cvt would be fried by now. I am currently daily driving my grandmas old 08 sxt (60k miles) and the cvt is already slipping severely
The Caliber truly embodies Chrysler’s “Zero Effort” period and considering this is Chrysler we’re talking about that’s saying something.
Considering that Dodge's current line up hasn't been updated-at all-for about a decade, they seem to be permanently in a "zero effort" period.
@@Geotpf Honestly, both the Avenger and Caliber are the laziest cars that I've seen.
They have had 3 owners during the life of certain platforms
This was because of Mercedes (Daimler).
@@MyerShift7 Mercedes gifting them the old W210 platform was a real great leap forward for Chrysler. Without that they'd not have the 300C, Charger, Challenger, and Magnum. If anything they'd only debut a new RWD platform only about this year left to their own devices
Theres a lady in my complex who drives this and legitimately takes 40 mins to 1 hour and a half to parallel park. Usually she ends up on the curb and just leaves it there. High quality entertainment everyday
I'd pay HEAPS to see that
@reina akikawa's 1993 nissan skyline gtr bnr32 gonna start an only fans and livestream her parking 🤣
@@overlyattachedbean1050 do it
That’s just a bad driver
I’m laughing so hard. I hit my driveway at 10kph
"The CVT never shuts up!"
This is why my Caliber is named Karen. Every other Caliber is named Karen, but the car color goes in front of it, so this is "blue Karen." lol
I, too, only have my Caliber because I needed a car asap.
A lot of these came from the factory without working cruise control, and they're damn near possible to fix. I broke my right leg last year. ... Driving any distance in my Caliber fucking SUCKS.
Why is the CC impossible to fix? Just curious
F in the chat for the poor soul
Would it be worth the $300+ install for an aftermarket cruise control, maybe ease the pain on your long drives. I'm on the fence about it myself, driving a POS Saturn wagon on bypasses every day for work but there's a lingering though the car will break down any day now and that install would be a big ass waste.
My sequoia is named Karen by my daughters because she’s a big white bitch! But I call her Betty White because she’s an old lady with a lot of miles but is still pretty and loved!
Im used to driving without cruise control on the highway. But having CC wouldn't fix my issue with driving a really long way which is my back. Lordosis runs in the family and in my Mustang it's not great but not all bad but in my dad's Mercades C300 it sucks because his seats have no padding whatsoever. So in that thing I get to have a sore back and the repercussions of cutting off all circulation to my lower body for HOURS
.
I had one of these and recently took it to visit family which was about a 1,000 Km drive one way. While it was great on gas and quite spacious for carrying my stuff, it's soooo slow! That drive is mostly uphill and going through the Rockies while pushing it to what I felt comfortable, I was BARELY passing semi-trucks also going uphill. If you don't want to or need to go fast, it's honestly a great little car, turns nicely, good on gas, has some decent features, I'd say its a perfect first car sorta thing.
You literally cant pass people in one of these. The cvt simply will not allow it. I have almost died multiple times because of this, its gotten to the point where i just stay behind tractors because i know i cant accelerate fast enough to pass
My daughter just bought the 07 SXT for $2800, runs great, 120k miles, needs struts bad other than that I can't complain, I've only driven it once but it seemed to have decent power on the highway, That's what I was surprised of is it had decent top end power, I've noticed it has an aftermarket air breather, that may be a good thing cause the stock breather system could've been limiting the power as they most of the time do, lol After hearing all the bad stories about the subframe I'm going to have it powder coated if its worth powder coating that is, lol We don't get much snow here in NC so hopefully it won't be too bad, 🤞🏻 lol
I used to walk to work. 3.5 miles each way. Did it for 2 years. One day a co-worker asked me if I would like to take over payments on a Caliber. $225 a month for 2 years. I did it. He really took good care of that car. I got a good 1. Only had to change the alternator, not an easy job. Other than that. It was a good car for My little commute.
The Dodge Caliber: the official car of the guy who clears out the "take a penny leave a penny" tray at every gas station he goes to.
YES!!
That guy never puts more than $10 in his gas tank because filling it up is a waste of money, but he’ll spend four times that on scratchers
in fairness, they genuinely need the money...
@@RMSTitanicWSL How else are they going to buy their black and milds
@@kbaweshumvideos7454 XD
This is an instant classic. Between the turtle shaped sandbox flipped over bit and the add in the middle I was laughing so hard at this
I thought you meant the caliber and i was almost offended…then i realized you meant the video! Really was fantastic.
It was funny, agree. :) Drop by buddy, have some car material. :)
The Dodge Caliber, a little slice of Detroit on wheels because despite its birthing grounds residing in Illinois, the Caliber was so perfect at channeling rock bottom poverty that you naturally associate it with The Free World’s largest dying metropolitan by default. Slowness and unreliability was the name of Dodges inappropriately named “economy” cars game which in the end left owners feeling like they just paid $17,380 for a car that’s gonna be worth $1,500 the second it rolls off the lot. Trapping a low income household in a payment as their new asset quickly becomes a liability.
Lol, l grew up in metro Detroit and this is absolutely perfect. The last sentence is absolutely accurate. "Dodge: the used car payment for those who can't make the payment"
It would be interesting to know what vehicles, in terms of percentage, are repossessed the most. I'll bet this one was up there.
At least the Red Wings are looking promising
@@Blippity_Bloop64 Gotta be Altimas.
@@Blippity_Bloop64 Doge in general, I bet the muscle cars are at the top.
My 2008 dodge caliber was the first new car I ever purchased. 250k and 14 years later, it is still running strong. Only work I've done is an alternator and struts. It is a beast that won't die. Such an under-rated car.
I got 60k on mine when I bought. Had to do alternator and now needs front struts. Also changed CVT fluid. I put alot of audio into it so I hope it lasts like yours.
@@h8h81 all ive done is breaks and stabalizer links... 2011
i have to do struts and stabalizer links
I have a 2009 subaru outback and all I've done is brakes and tires
@@leadnsteel1428 And you haven't spent an entire new car in gas money unlike their calibers.
@@leadnsteel1428 So?
I was a Chrysler dealer when this car was introduced. I took the first one off the truck for a ride. Within minutes I was horrified...thinking "What a TERRIBLE car! THIS is the replacement for the Neon?!?!" The build quality was poor, the drive train was extremely noisy, the driving dynamics miserable. AND it was stupidly UGLY...looking like a dodge truck had mated with a neon. Fortunately, my dealership collapsed just days later and I never had to inflict this mess of a car on our hard working community.
"This car is toothless Stavros Halkias"
Hell yeah dude
Fucking diedddddd when I heard him say that.
did a spittake when i heard that hell yea dude
Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh
Shots fired
Buying a Dodge Caliber is like finding your sexual preference is women who remind you of Rosanne Barr.
Buying a Dodge Caliber must feel like that time you realized that you're not meeting your own definition of "successful"
Speaking of women, I'm pretty sure the person that provided this car to the regular car guys is not a woman. Listen to The voice and look at the hands. They don't lie
@@hoover2501 she's a women, deep voice or not. they said in the video that she is a women and that's pretty much the only proof needed
@@hoover2501 bro what who cares
@@hoover2501 your a classy guy must get all the puss
An 07 Caliber SXT was my first car! Even by 2010 they were pretty affordable. Dodge wanted so badly to have this seen as a cool car with one print ad showing it placing it's rear end up on a photocopier.
Slow to accelerate is an understatement, it was dangerously slow. The onramps of the Merit Parkway in CT with a stop sign then 30ft of road before dumping you into the highway were a test of your faith in god as you floored it hitting the end of the onramp at maybe 20mph screaming GOOD LUCK EVERYONE out the window as cars fly past at either 55mph or 90mph with no in between.
The RPM's sit at redline as you accelerate up to 60 for the next 30 seconds to the comforting sound of what sounds like a rusty coffee can of 3-4 ball bearings being gyrated around coming from the CVT gradually adjusting to maintain a few hundred rpm under redline.
You flip on cruise control because who the hell are you passing and select disc 6 of your stock headunit that plays CD-R's full of mp3s for total of a few gigabytes of menu-less total capacity to scroll through track by track. Gorillaz 19-2000 plays out the actually decent Boston Acoustics system's speakers and sub.
With no mechanical link between the shifter and transmission, you whack it into reverse while rolling down the highway knowing it will just stay in neutral to turn on the reverse lamps and scare the absolute shit out of that tailgating Audi.
Thirsty, you open the glovebox that has a shelf with ridges to hold 4 bottles of soda and PUMPS IN COOL AIR FROM THE A/C TO BE A FRIDGE (ok seriously this bit was great and I miss it so much) and grab a 'dew then just sit back and wait for your exit.
You arrive at your friends house and back in up to the deck, open the rear hatch, and flip out the rear speakers to face backwards so you and your buddies can listen to some tunes.
A few years later, the engine decides it wants to try out it's limp mode, cutting power so hard you need to sit in neutral at stoplights and give a rev before dropping into drive as you hobble to the dealer again, and after loosing power steering in the middle of a long sweeping turn a second time as it enters limp mode for the 5th, and a "specialist" from dodge who came to your dealer who already swapped the entire wiring harness is still scratching their head, you decide its time to let it go to be wholesaled off as someone else's problem, or more likely be a parts car.
It was slow as balls and after a few years had issues but that's not unusual for a cheap used first car. And like learning to ride on a used 250cc vs a Hyabusa, as a new driver you could floor it downhill on a twisty road and focus only on practicing hitting apexes as your tires chirped through the corners.
With its little party tricks like the flip out rear speakers, glove box fridge, and plenty of room for your idiot friends and their shit, it was a fun first car and I almost kinda miss it.
Honda CR-Z pipes air into the glovebox. Never kept water cool though...
Man I don't know if 155k miles is actually low for an 07 but my caliber r/t accelerates like a champ. Sometimes it can take a while to spool while turning but otherwise I'm hitting 3k rpm the second I'm out of a stop and passing most everyone who isn't trying to race me without much trying
I have had my fair share of mechanical issues but nothing other than a punctured brake line I couldn't take care of, from a old and solid valve cover gasket that was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold to front stocks so old I could rock the front of the car with just a finger and a broken throttle body that was probably the hardest part to replace just because I have big hands
But it's been in the family since 07 and it's one of the cars I grew up in and still drive for work to this day so I guess I do have some rose tented glasses
I never really go to drive any other car too, we used to have a grand caravan and then a Pacifica that I would drive around every now and then and the Pacifica could accelerate faster than it honestly should be able to but it was a huge in comparison and felt unwieldy because of it, my mom had a mini Cooper for a while that I only took out once or twice but that was like 3-4 years ago and I don't remember much about it other than it being way too small
So while I guess not everyone is getting the same experience driving the caliber as me I still really enjoy my ride
Perfect I’m buying my 16yo a shitbox caliber and I’m going to keep her 2nd gen Camry wagon she hates it I think it’s a cool old car but I get why she hates it! Wait till I slap rims and a stereo in it she’s gonna be like wait dad the Camrys cool!
^this
I have a Dodge Journey on the shitty 4 cylinder that was - as rcr points out - handed down to me from my mom who only bought it new in 2009 bc Cash For Clunkers would offer $3500 for the rust bucket Dakota.
And even she knew it was slow...
It was always slow...
And taking her on the merrit was fun because she knew - yes my 60 yr old mom would LAUGH at what was about to happen. I roll up to the stop sign and wait for my opening.... there it is HIT IT.
Pin that crappy little peddle to the floor and we reach redline.. my wouldn't even do the "hold onto the door handle think - you know, like in that mom way when you're driving her to the grocery store... because she was too busy laughing at that hideous sound coming out of the car..
And now it's still kicking... it throws CE codes every 9 months and leaks coolant and the doors fill up with water when it rains.... and I cant wait to get rid of it
Oh man. You truly haven't experienced driving terror until you've had to merge from one of those ramps in an underpowered car!
Completely stunned and impressed that you managed to reference Stavros in this video, it fits so well, you're a poet
*In Defense of the Caliber* I owned a 2010 SXT and I freaking loved that thing. I had zero problems with it and all it needed was the A/C recharged. Sadly, it hit a concrete pylon because some asshat left a FREAKING MATTRESS in the middle of the road in Austin when I swerved to avoid it. 2 good years I got outta that car.
I own a 2010 w/5 spd manual trans. It is still trucking at 298,300 miles - getting 28 city / 33 highway. Go Dodge!
This car looked dated when it first came out, and it hasn't aged all that well, it's still an eyesore.
Dodge Caliber. It's anything but cute.
Drop by Vule. :) Agree about the styling here. :)
I actually thought it looked neat when it first came out. But that didn't last long.
@@Dankcatvacs Sometimes our feelings are wrong. :) Drop by buddy. :)
Obese avenger that’s uglier basically
The perfect evolution of a car. It only took 7 years to go from a relatively sporty, great handling car even in base trim that dominated in autocross to this turd that is specifically BANNED from autocrossing due to rollover risk.
Before I knew anything about cars, and was like 23 years old looking to buy my first NEW car, it was between this and 2008 fit.
Thank goodness I blindly made the right choice.
I would've picked the bus
My dad bought one of these brand new - a super deluxe edition with the extra speakers that would swing down for tailgating in the back and some type of cooler-glovebox or console up front. Everything about it was flimsy, but for some reason the thing that stood out most were the interior door locks. No bezel or anything - they had just punched a hole through the shitty door-cover plastic where the lock would go and that was it - there was even little bits of plastic around the edge like it was an unfinished project. He offered to sell it to me for the "bargain" price of $7K at one point a few years after buying it. It only had 30,000 miles on it. I could have used a newer family vehicle at the time, but hard pass on that one.
LOL! The door lock holes! I thought i was the only one who noticed that! They literally just drilled holes in it and left the residue around the edges. The entire car is a poorly thought out project! Like those plastic headrests.... i understand they wanted to save money, but WHY DO THE REAR SEATS GET REGULAR CLOTH HEADRESTS WHILE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER GET THESE AWFUL PLASTIC THINGS?!?!?
I was a small Dodge guy back in the day. I had a 195 Neon. Commuter race car but not very reliable. A 2003, much better interior, boring as toast, better to haul kids in, slightly more reliable. So naturally, I was interested in the Caliber. I test drove one and OH MY GOD!!!!!! It's like they took all the bad attributes of the 1st and 2nd gen, threw in a CVT and said "Screw it!" It was awful. The interior was awful. The powertrain was awful, the exterior was awful, the interior was worse than awful.
The “one-sided violent crime” conversation reminds me of this guy I used to work with at the railroad. Super-opinionated and would talk all through lunch break, yet not say a Goddamn thing. He was the only person I’ve seen willingly read a newspaper in the last 10 years. He would pick out controversial stories on purpose to start a conversation and thank God no one would answer him. Not everything can be an anecdote 🙄
It reminds me of that reference Mr. Regular made about the guy who knowingly takes up the treadmill in the very center of the gym and changes every tv to, Fox news, for instance. He waits for someone to set up next to him and then starts the conversation with “can you believe this??!!”
funny enough I used to work with a guy who used to work a railroad job, who read the paper and wouldn't shut up.
@@FM4AMGV Funny how the railroad is full of guys like that. Lmao
omg we get it, you’re a insufferable millennial liberal , get over yourself
In the lunchroom at my old job there was this megadork who would ALWAYS sit down by and talk to this one chick who openly mocked him and what he had to say day in, day out if she listened at all and that guy was so minimally socialized and full of himself he never ever spotted it. Nobody gives a shit about your 60 mile drive last weekend (that's not even far WTF), the crap you saw on Reddit the other day and your stupid capeshit superhero movies you're going to stream when you get home, damn.
@@standyourground9973 Well, I'm pretty conservative, but complete strangers who "cold call" you with politics are almost invariably douchebags. Oh, and ALL cable news in the USA is "partisan porn" and an overt disgrace to the word "journalism." And yes, that includes Fox News, too.
The one thing I always will remember about these cars is that every single one of them, without fail, has only one working headlight. Every one I ever saw during the 2000s and beyond was winking at me and I did not care for it.
That's because replacing the headlight bulbs on these is an exercise in frustration. Unless you have child sized hands, it requires you to disassemble some things to do so. Therefore, no one does.
Not quite as bad as a chevy malibu...where you have to remove the FRONT BUMPER to gain access to the headlamp. P.S. it`s in the OEM service info like that also: step 1 remove front bumper.
It's usually a bad TIPM
@@__-cy9mv at least they make the bumper easy to pull, its a 10 minute job to do bulbs
@@__-cy9mv The service manual says you have to remove the bumper cover to replace the headlights on my Fusion, but you don't have to do it. My hands are medium sized and can change my bulbs without issue. I just have to use my fingertips.
I sold vehicles briefly in the early 2010's at a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram dealership, and the "Crapiter" was, by far, the worst in all senses of the word, followed by the Nitro. My conscience wouldn't allow me to sell these buckets to anyone, and if we didn't have any pre-owned vehicles in someone's price range, I'd direct them to the Toyota dealership next door.
Why anyone would take one over a Matrix makes me question most of reality...
I used to work with a guy in retail who drove a Nitro. He'd take off the shitty plastic piece that fits under the steering wheel and hide weed in there, and he didn't even show me where else he hid shit. That whole interior was falling apart so much he'd just find new places to screw around with trim pieces and hide shit. That's about all these 10-20 year old dodges are good for lol
@@darthdarthbinkss A friend had a Nitro and gave me rides while my Frontier was in the shop. I quickly realized it was just a poor emulation of the Nissan (also Xterra) in almost every way.
Every couple of months or so my 75 year old neighbor, who no longer drives, tells me about how she owned one of these, and loved it so much, and wishes she could find another 🙃
@@Marzimus I never realized that, it definitely is
Tried one out some years back when I was looking for something easier to get in and out of than my 2004 Dodge Stratus 2-door. (these days, I wish I'd kept it) The Caliber looks pretty good from the outside, but that's where the appeal ends. Found the interior incredibly low budget; the driving experience terrible; and the noise level unacceptable. Ended up going with a PT Cruiser instead. I have to wonder if the later revamp solved some of these cars many problems. All in all, another example of Daimler's criminal neglect of it's merger partner. If Daimler was a parent and Chrysler its kid, someone here would get charged with child abuse.
You know a car is bad when its predecessor (that had a lot of the same gripes and problems, and then some) is still...the more favorable car.
@@NaruSanavai Well, Chrysler does have a dubious track record when it comes to building small cars.
From what I can tell you were in an SXT the entire time which does not come with the 2.4 - only the RT and SRT models came with the World engine. As someone who has had both an SXT (2007 and 2011) and currently an RT (2007) I can tell you there is a HUGE difference in the cars. The SXT is a pile of garbage and yes, that CVT does sucks balls...but the RT, which comes with more power due to the 2.4 and an auto-shifter with AWD, is a much different beast. So while not on the same level as the SRT model it still boots around like a little go-kart... and I can say this as I also have an SRT6 Crossfire and I don't cry when I have to park the SRT for the RT, it gets the job done nicely and the gas consumption on the 2.4 compared to the 2.0 is so much better.
I guess what I am trying to say is...for someone who only rode around in an SXT (and probably with blown head gaskets at that) you sure hit a lot of the issues on the head, but since you probably have never been in an RT or an SRT4 trim you are lacking in ALL the information and therefor this is a pretty shit video as its biased to the lower-end models.
I remember renting these out circa 2010. The Caliber is best described as a collection of parts flying in a very loose formation. They'd rattle like crazy if you dared to go over 60km/h. It may possibly be the worst car I've ever driven. Worse than even the Cobalt/G5s with the sticky ignitions.
lol i remember renting a cobalt and the buttons were in terrible positions for looking forward and adjusting things. literally my 88 camry felt better put together. calibers really must be shit
The best result for a Cobalt is turning its parts into a DF Goblin.
I would rather drive an AMC pacer than this piece of junk.
@@IHateMyAccountName it’s a shame those rad little things aren’t based off Hondas.
I’ve rented literally hundreds of cars for business travel over the past decade and a half. Whenever the subject of my worst ever rental comes up, one car immediately comes to mind, the 2008 Dodge Caliber I rented to drive from Hickory, NC to Tuscaloosa, AL and back. Road tripping the Caliber was one of the worst automotive experiences of my life.
I know someone that moved from California to Michigan in one of these, in the august heat. The cvt overheated with the A/C running.
What happened? I'd love to hear about why it was so bad.
Got a story for us?
@@CngBng they suck bad man, don't buy one. Works great as a grocery getter or a short distance commuter. My mother drove on 120 miles a day, 5 days a week, for 7 years.
Ford Tempo. Turned it back in and told the clerk it was OK but I just didn't like the car. She said "nobody does".
"It's the kinda car you get when lady luck isn't putting out."
Previous vehicle was a 2nd gen Cummins that got repoed.
I had one of these as a rental car in 2009. While it didn't seem particularly underpowered or low quality, I found the rear visibility to be poor. That made merging into the expressway challenging, not the limited engine power.
To be fair, I don't have high expectations of rental cars. I'm not concerned about the long-term reliability. I usually don't find anything noteworthy unless it's particularly bad. (I have a childhood memory of a Chevette in Florida with doors that had difficulty closing properly. We had to really SLAM the doors, or they were guaranteed to be incompletely closed.)
poor car that's from people slamming it shut.
The electrical problem with the headlights is not the ECU. It's most probably a problem with the TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module); Chrysler's answer to a problem that didn't really exist in properly designing an automotive electrical system.
So much can go wrong with the TIPM that causes all sorts of bizarre issues, from headlights not properly working to the fuel pump cutting out. And the TIPM is not usually repaired. They're replaced ... and at potentially huge expense if you have it done at the dealer or a garage.
For this particular car, you can manage the replacement yourself if you're handy. Some auto parts stores can order a remanufactured module from Dorman or Cardone. Returning the core will get you some money back, which usually brings the actual price to around $300-$400 for this part.
Of course, is it worth spending that money to fix it? As the problem with the headlights has already been addressed, albeit improperly, then maybe not ... especially if the owner doesn't plan to keep it for very long.
Man. This is top 5 RCR reviews ever. Incredible work gentlemen.
“It’s better than a pogo ball but not better than rollerblades.” F me that’s brilliant.
I knew it was going to be good when the thumbnail simply said "yuck"
Dodge Caliber. The official car of measuring from the balls.
Remember guys, dodge got rid of the magnum lineup but kept this
There was one of these in my old neighbourhood and you could hear the distinctive CVT sound from a block away. Almost sounds like an 80s Ford power steering pump going bad.
What’s interesting is there were also two Cavaliers. I bet both of those older Cavaliers (they were axed in 03 or 04 I believe) easily outlast the Caliber.
My government teacher called me the "smartest dumb person"
My test and class participation were great but I never did homework.
One of my highschool friends had one of these, and installed a 13 inch subwoofer in it. Shook the whole parking lot. I remember we were all piled into it on a pre football game energy drink run (Marching band kids) and it could barely get up the hill to our highschool. He now has a Altima with 2 subwoofers and a full alpine stereo. The highschool car scene is a fun place
12 inch sub. Unless your high school kids had money for a W7, a Focal sub (no earth shaking there) or, somehow, a brand new T2/T3. So 12 inches.
@@jacquesc3166 you must be fun at parties
@@dedandflooded More than you think, by the sounds of it. Being in my 20's for the early to mid 2000's golden era of car audio, between the '94 MX-6 and the 2000 Maxima SE I had several different systems. Always great at parties too. Today I'm happy throwing a Yellow Top into my 2013 G sedan and let Bose on Wheels rip through OEM 10's they threw into the front doors. Not even close to old school quality, but... it's potent. A home audio approach to car audio, it works but it's not my preference. I can make a pair of amplified components sound better than the 17 speakers they put in today's cars. Having fun yet? Nah t'was 2 am when you talked shit, now it's grown-up morning time and you're out for a while. No job right? :-)
Kennwood or Pioneer Supertuner III sterio with JC Whitney power amp. Jensen 6X9's in the package deck and door mounts from anybody who made them, cut into the door panels of a 63 Impala. (Yes we butchered nice cars like that back then, they were dailies too.) 1986 callin' in.
Everything has to look like a muscle car with Dodge, most insecure marque on the road
They can't make anything that is reliable or technologically relevant so they have to make high horsepower boomer mobiles or overly aggressive looking heads for insecure guys wearing monster energy snapbacks
My wife and I looked at one of these when they came out. Dealer had 1! On the lot. A white stripper model. I have never formed an opinion of a car so quickly. Once around the block and back to the dealership. Cheap and plastic inside, moaning engine. It all came back watching this video. Salesman “what do you think “ Me “well, I don’t like it. I think we’re done here”. Just nothing positive to say after a 7 minute drive.
So what did we buy? A 3 year old purple PT Cruiser with chrome wheels, leather/Swede interior and wood grain side panels .... so there’s that. We liked the PT Cruiser.
After driving a caliber, I dont blame you for liking the PT, almost anything is a big improvement from a dodge product.
@@Madlux14 It's the same company
Purple and Wood PT Cruisers we're THE Best color combo possible
God Bless the PT with the divine (😩) wood paneling. As a pt cruiser fan, there is next to nothing more desirable then a pt cruiser with that package of features.
People actually like PT cruisers? Jesus.
Reviews like this make me wish I kept my 2008 Jeep Patriot just to submit it for review and win the "Worse than the Bravada" award.
Chrysler has managed to remain in business for the last 50 years building subpar quality cars and flirt with bankruptcy multiple times. That’s quite an accomplishment.
They did sell this after 2012, it was just called the Jeep Compass/Patriot. Same chassis, with slightly tweaked suspension for more clearance. Just look at the interior layout, almost the same.
Ugh, the Jeep Patriot. my grandparents have one.
Ugh good lord.
I mean I guess. They had the same motor/trans combo, but thats really about where the similarities end
Both incredibly disgusting vehicles that complete noobs buy
@@barryallen5507 Built on the same, but modified chassis, even the interior was almost the same. Look at where the shifter was on both. The same spot.
Mr. Regular and Adler have such goofy energy together! That radio DJ bit was brilliant xD
That fuckin bird caught me so off guard, holy shit XD
Stranger: "May I ask what tragedy beset you that put you in a Dodge Caliber?"
Owner: "I got into an accident in my Civic and good used cars are too expensive."
Stranger: "Makes TOTAL sense. May God be with you."
Yes, older throwaway cars like the Stratus, PT Cruiser, Impala, Taurus, etc, still have a role to play in our society. I feel safer knowing they are out there if the worst should happen to me.
One of my favorite things about this channel are the references to zeitgeist from my childhood.
The angelfire domain shout out made me laugh - had a "website" on there back in the 90's like all of the cool kids.
Also being a band nerd myself and having went to school for education your sense of humor absolutely has me in tears.
Calling it a Caliper makes me cry though. Almost worse than someone installing a Cadillac converter on their Kia.
My dad is that “ Cadillac converter” person, and he drives a Forte 😂
I never knew these had CVTs. Just 5 years earlier some Dodge models were using 3 speeds with an overdrive.
Same as patriot or compass. The 6 speed automatic and manual are much better.
Cvt is a mess
Nothing wrong with that
The Torqueflight 3 speed sounds like pure luxury compared to a Jatco cvt
is there such a thing as a 'good' cvt? don't read snark into that... im really asking
I had one of these as a rental when my car was in the shop....same color too! For 3weeks I was called Avatar. I DID like the Caliber because 1. It realllly made you appreciate what you were driving before and 2. You started to enjoy not caring and being invisible....complete "whatever " mode.
I drive a 2008 in beige and I'm oddly attached to it. My mom got it in 08/09 when I was 12 years old. My older brother gave it some hell in a few mild crashes, and so did the salt from the snowy roads up near the great lakes. I accidentally ripped out a door lock switch with the strap of my backpack, because I used to toss it in the back passenger window after school. I eventually learned to drive in that thing, and mom gave it to me in 2017 when she upgraded to a Chrysler 200.
It's honestly not bad for a free car. The biggest repair it's needed was a new subframe right when I moved to Philly (the roads in Manayunk knocked it loose of course).
The best thing about this car is that it can haul some pretty big stuff if you put the back seats down, and even longer stuff if you put the passenger seat down. It's been a godsend whenever I've had to move furniture, bicycles, fish tanks, etc. And my bf and I just love the hatchback for drive-in movies (shout-out to the Mahoning in Lehighton!)
Not sure when I'll be forced to get a new car, but this strange beige box is special to me.
The “angelfire” reference was pure art.
the more subtle e621 reference is the real art.
I've flipped close to a dozen of these in recent years, the last one just 4 months ago - Women LOVE these Calibers! They flock to every one of them I post for sale and usually go for top dollar (I'm in Michigan). They do absolutely nothing well, but definitely aren't expensive to maintain or repair unless you're getting ripped off. I have had to replace a couple ECU's in them (they sell for pennies used and not difficult to reprogram), but otherwise I never bought one with major engine or transmission issues and none had low miles. Get one cheap (they generally all are), drain and refill the CVT fluid as preventive maintenance, then drive the shit out of it until it dies and throw it away.
Very true that. My mom has one, was the first car I ever drove. Not good at anything, but not horrid either. Never had to do anything other than basic maintenance.
Which is why it will be a collectable someday
So basically the perfect car for a woman that doesn’t know what engine oil does
Caliber is great at one thing. It has 4 cup holders in reach of the driver. That's at least 4 trips to your fast food location of choice before you have to take out the trash.
wait your supposed to change the cvt fluid?! I've had mine for 2 years now and I've had ppl in a FB caliber group tell me it doesn't ever need to be changed unless something is wrong. And I get mixed messages after doing a few google searches. Mine jerks/jumps a tab bit when shifting gears but it's done that since I got it.
Dodge caliber...The official car of not being able to tell how many miles your car has because the "Oil change required" warning on your dash won't go away.
Modern tech not working means no tech is better. :) Drop by buddy, you may find it interesting.
"It consumes gasoline and advances" - RegularCars
I like my Dodge Caliber...
"Buy a Yaris hatch instead." The best advice ever given.
2006, they're 2,5-3k, in good working order
@@gertvanderhorst2890 We paid 2200$ cad for our 2005 Echo hatch (pre-Yaris, basically the same) Best car I've ever owned.
Nah buy a matrix
@@alechall7082 They are ok but 2ZZ is not great. If its a 1ZZ its ok, but still not great. I've had to wok on enough of them to not like them anymore 🤣
2007 Toyota Vitz for the win lol
I remember when this car came out in the UK and just thinking how very American it looked, but on a european car scale. Like a baby version of those sorts of big burly North American vehicles. I think that was probably the main selling point, it was so different to anything else you'd normally see sold in europe, and then it sort of faded into obscurity. I saw one a while back and said to myself "huh, haven't seen one of those in a while", like I could have gone my entire life without even remembering that it exists.
A testament to how regular the "Doudge" Caliber really is.
It sucks! That is its biggest problem! It has no reason to exist! They tried making a high ground clearance hatchback, with a cvt (that fails before 70k miles, ask me how i know 😡), and make it an economical commuter car. The problem is that it doesnt fill ANY of those criteria well, so what your left with is a slow, truck-like handling, low mpg hatchback with zero interior space and an uncomfortable interior. I am honestly surprised mr regular didnt talk about this in the video. The car fills NO MARKET!! It irritates me that this car was able to make it to production without anybody at chrysler asking "what market does this car fulfill?" This video is honestly as accurate as it gets to anybody driving one of these, the ONLY reason anyone would ever drive a dodge caliber is that they had no other choice for a temporary transportation method.
Oh yeah, not to mention it has an ipod holder in the center console, with no way of connecting an ipod to the stereo. Great job dodge!! 🎉🎉
I work at Copart....
I see about 15 of these per week totaled because of "Mechanical" damage
The local pick a part around me is nothing but 98 Corollas and Calibers it feels like
I'm sure that people are lining up to restore them
@@f-bodygarage 98-02 Corollas were trash
Fun fact!
This car was used for a npc role in need for speed hot pursuit (2010) so if you think you are boring remember the dodge calibre exists.
I own a 2008 Caliber, and this review is everything I've ever wanted. I commute to college everyday in this thing, and it's rough.
I have a 07 got it for free. Has 150k miles 20k I put on it and love it for cheap transportation.
these things should be given out for free as backup transportation. they are so basic that its kind of cool. maybe the caliber will be the next civic.
@@nitroxylictvmaybe if they didnt have those god awful cvts. Mine is starting to go out at 60k miles, and its my grandmas old car
Let me rephrase that, it is ABOUT to go out at 60k miles, as in its slipping so bad i can barely accelerate
My ex had one of these in 2011. It was like 3-4 years old with 50k miles but it felt BROKEN. It somehow felt worse than my parent's 8 year old Alero did with more than double the miles. That's an achievement.
its the CVT transaxle, theyre just terrible
@@TheAllstar420 the suspension bushings were also rattling like crazy. It was horrible
@@Upsh1ft ya man, front suspension on these need to be replaced EVERY 20k kms (16k miles) it seems lmao if you hit ONE pothole youre donezo! lol
@@TheAllstar420 lmao that's insane. Meanwhile my 2014 mazda3 with almost 200k km is still on. The original bushings and they are still perfectly fine too. The Caliber truly was a piece of shit
@@Upsh1ft they made everything out of aluminum and way too thin, its so dumb lol
My aunt had a base model of this turd and it drove like an aluminum shed on the outside and a plastic shed on the inside. Everything rattled badly. EVERYTHING.
These things really hurt the mopar fanboy in me to my core...because it represents so much about what went wrong after the "merger"
Chrysler 100% correctly predicted near total market shift to crossovers. The Original Pacifica was the first attempt, and this was the 2nd, aimed at the compact segment while the Pacifica was the full size.
There was so much clever design in places, but it was all wrapped in a package of "eh, good enough" and sent out the door.
This is 100% what I was thinking.
I’ve only ever seen Calibers from a distance, and I’ve always thought that Chrysler was ahead of its time for coming out with a tall hatchback/compact CUV so early. I didn’t realize they were such heaps of sh*t
Can you confidently say that Mercedes Benz was screwing Chrysler over at the time with their extreme cost cutting measures?
Caliper was before the merger.
Dodge hasn't made decent vehicles since the way early 00s.
Neon, can't kill it. Beyond being rust buckets, their trucks and even the durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Rango were ok.
You honestly think that Dodge looked at the Caliber and said "Eh, good enough."? They knew this was shit the second they built it and sent it out away because they knew Dodge fanboys would buy them.
@@MattyH1992 I really don't think dodge fanboys were buying calibers, they were buying rams chargers and challengers. Maybe Durangos as well. The people who bought these were people with bad credit and not a whole lot of money
I find it scary that RCR was once a teacher 😂
I love my Caliber... 195.000 and still running strong, great fuel mileage as well.... My first delivery car was the 03 Neon.. It too was an amazing car. Its all a matter of perspective and how you take care of it!!
How did you get good fuel mileage? I have done just about all i can and still cant top 25. Thats with a gutted interior
The whole review of the Caliber was hilarious, but the actual car was depressing at the same time. Magnificent as always guys.
When photos of the Caliber first appeared before it was launched, I thought it was a pretty good idea. A little more SUV-like small car with hatch versatility wrapped in Dodge's chunky-but-funky styling.
Then I saw one in person.
15 year old me wouldnt have questioned the thought of suicide because of these. While that family trip in california was memorable(for many wrong reasons. Some of which involve me lol), there lye's the core component of the shit fest. The Dodge Caliber lol.
These things are awful in every way possible. not a nice thing could be said of them.
That radio station sounds amazing
And need...... MORRRREEEEE
Chief, I was that student. Used to calculate how much I had to score in test and the minimum amount of projects/homework needed to be turned in, in order to get a passing grade.
Rcr has to have the best Mr. Plinkett impression I've ever seen
(Sigh) -.- as a 2007 Caliber owner I can say this is accurate. It has been reliable as hell for 4 year but took a dive and has been a suddenly a money pit and is still falling apart. Suddenly.
Getting rid of it...I Can't keep this going
Same story on my 2009 Compass
Transmission or the alternator
Just sell it for scrap, there's no way you can let someone else drive it. Not in good conscience.
@@HanabiiiUwU or part it out. Get other people parts for cheap and make a bit more while your at it
@@brysonkuhn3290 That's a good idea
Dodge Caliber. The car the NPCs drive in video games.
Dodge Caliber: the official car of that seedy door dash guy named Joey that you notice that your drink is missing and someone ate half of The Chick-fil-A waffle fries
My sister rented one of these. Apparently it was the worst vehicle she ever drove. Transmission left her stranded in the middle of nowhere.
I remember being a young dumb fool in like 2009 or 10 wanting to trade in my Charger but unsure of what to get - something more "economical". I remember looking at one of these and actually considering trading in my car for one for like a week. I convinced myself that the option for a built-in drink cooler was neat, that I would save money on gas, and have a more useful hatchback. I was young and afraid of pulling the trigger, ended up keeping the Charger for a few more years, and thank god.
Oh wow, DJ Double Lunch is back! And we were almost about to have yet another Time Travel Roman arc!
The Dodge Caliber is for people who have either never seen a Honda Civic or Mazda 3 before or simply need 4 wheels and an engine to get them to work till spring comes and they have enough for a down payment on something else. Perfect for those who could give a fuck whether or not it gets towed/stolen as long as their good baggie of _______ and tools aren't in it.
A car that gets passed down free from an aunt. Wierd. That's exactly what's happening to me right now. My aunt passed and mom said "come take this, I don't have room for it." Free car? Sure, I'll add it to the fleet. Lol. Clean with 93k, so it shouldn't be too terrible.
When Sergio Marchionne arrived on the scene he called this car "An Abomination".
I feel like FCA likes to min-max their stats, like here is 707hp motor but the interior plastic is cheaper than a work van, or here is the ultimate 4x4 system but creaks and wind noise is gonna drive you insane. not with this car here though, they just phoned in that one
You mean they min-minned it, right?
Fun fact... The phone holder that flips out of the console is actually not for a phone, but for an iPod Mini. No other device would fit in it other than old receipts.
I remember the only option my dad specified on his 08 Audi A3 was an ipod Dock. He had to buy an ipod to fit it when he got the car!
@@dcan911 Wow I didn't know that. I still have my 2008 Dodge Caliber I bought brand new. 220k miles and 14 years later, I have not had any issues with it. I'm super lucky. Other than maintenance and two sets of control arms in its lifetime, it's been alright.
Can't sleep perfect
Dodge Caliber - the official car of "I just need transportation."