| Road Test Dodge Caliber 2.0 Diesel SXT Sport |
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On The Fence
I've now had two opportunities to investigate this. The car tested here is the range-topping SXT Sport (with the peculiarity that leather upholstery, which is standard on the lower-spec SXT, is an optional extra on this one), and I've already dealt with it in a previous road test. But that article was based on relatively short experience of the car. This time I've been living with it for the best part of a week. One of the first things to emphasise is that the diesel Caliber has a third appealing feature in addition to the two mentioned above. Chrysler is perhaps less keen to go into much detail about this one, because it's not a Chrysler item. In fact it's the Volkswagen Group's 2.0 TDI engine, which graces each of the vast number of cars it's fitted to, and which is by some way the best part of the Caliber.
Strange to say, then, that it can be rather annoying. The Dodge's noise suppression - unlike that of, for example, the larger Jeeps - isn't great, and the TDI makes quite a racket when you start it up from cold. Things get better as it warms up, but the diesel rattle remains apparent even when you're cruising along a motorway. To use the current buzzword, the Caliber is a crossover vehicle. At heart it's an SUV, but there are elements of a coupé in its design, presumably in order to forestall criticisms of its owners that they have joined the Chelsea tractor brigade.
As I've suggested in the past, though, the Caliber falls between two stools. It's an SUV only in that it's quite tall. There is no pretence at superior off-road capability, since four-wheel drive isn't available, though it will be provided in the forthcoming Compass and Patriot models which share its platform.
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