- hatchback 79,607
- Murray, UT
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- autoshopper.com
- hatchback 79,607 gasoline red manual
2009 dodge caliber review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Inexpensive and economical. introductionthe dodge caliber is classed as a compact car. A five-passenger, five-door vehicle, the caliber isn't easily categorized, combining elements from hatchback, wagon and minivan designs. The five-door hatch is a practical design, but most americans prefer the styling of a traditional sedan with a separate trunk. Maybe that's changing, however. Relatively affordable, the caliber is also fairly fuel-efficient, being epa-rated at 24/30 city/highway miles per gallon in its most frugal form. at the other end of the scale, the srt4 version has a turbocharged engine generating 285 horsepower. With a starting price of $24,840, it is a performance bargain. the front seats are comfortable, with lots of head room, and there's a large amount of cargo space. Packaging is functional, with folding rear seats that have an optional reclining adjustment and an optional fold-flat front passenger seat to make room for a ladder or lumber. A couple of innovative options, especially for a car in this price class, are an air conditioned compartment in the glove box to chill water bottles or sodas and a swing-down stereo speaker panel attached to the liftgate that converts the back end to a sound stage for beach parties or tailgating. for 2009 there are only minimal changes. In addition, there are changes to some of the options and packages. Air conditioning is not standard, nor are power windows. The se comes with manual roll-up windows and manual outside mirrors. Options for the se are as extensive as the standard equipment is basic. Options exclusive to r/t are the leather interior group 595) with leather seating surfaces and a manual lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat, and chromed 18-inch wheels 700). the srt4 24,840) has a turbocharged version of the 2. 4-liter engine pumping out 285 horsepower through a getrag six-speed manual transmission. Suspension, brakes and steering are beefed up to handle the increased performance, and aluminum wheels wear w-rated, p225/45r19 all-season tires. The srt4 has unique body aero add-ons, including a large rear spoiler. the srt4 gets sport bucket seats, a carbon fiber and leather-wrapped steering wheel, a reconfigurable display, a boost gauge, a six-disc cd changer, and aluminum pedals. Massive headlights are notched into the leading corners of the front fenders. A pouting lower lip-like bumper separates the grille and headlights from a slimmer, lower air intake and (uplevel) fog lamps. the side view shows strongly blistered fenders front and rear beneath a wedge-shaped beltline. The lower portions of the doors wear longitudinal moldings, again, body color or chrome highlighted, that look like a bi-level rocker panel but aren't, but that nevertheless minimize the caliber's height. Full-round door handles, either chrome-trimmed or body color, bridge scooped-out grip spaces. the roofline arcs cleanly from its junction with the hood just aft of the front wheel wells over the side door windows to pinch off at the tail end of the rear quarter glass. Topping this arc but stopping at the top of the backlight (rear windscreen) is an unbroken, thick strip of black molding the caliber's designers say is supposed to work with the arc and the truncated back end to impart a coupe look. We're not sure why that was important or that it necessarily succeeds, but it does buff up the caliber's side aspect. the back end pulls from the magnum, too, with a steeply raked backlight beneath a roof-mounted spoiler and above a mostly upright lower liftgate, employing a hatchback style arguing against any comparisons with a traditional station wagon. A relatively short rear overhang and oversize taillight housings add credence to the argument. the srt4 can be distinguished by several exterior features aimed at both form and function. The ride height is lowered. The front end features a functional hood scoop, dual hood vents, a unique front fascia with brake cooling ducts next to the fog lights, and a lower air dam. Gauges are large, round and legible with black markings on white backgrounds. In the srt4, the central gauge is the tachometer instead of the speedometer, a change dodge says it made because the srt4 is a driver's car. To the left of the steering wheel in the srt4 is a turbo boost gauge; this area serves as a small cubby in other models. the srt4 also has a reconfigurable display with what dodge calls performance pages. This feature can provide readouts of lateral and longitudinal g forges, 1/8 and 1/4-mile time and speed, 0-60-mph time, and braking distance. All of these controls are easy to reach, but the materials are cheaply rendered and lacking in quality. In cars equipped with a manual transmission, the shifter falls easily to hand. The power point serves neither the cell phone holder nor a radar detector well; located at the extreme base of the center stack, it leaves cords either draped over.
Murray, UTMurray, UT at autoshopper.com