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Fun to Drive
It may be labeled as bold, stylish, and versatile, but don’t buy into claims that the 2007 Dodge Caliber is a fun ride. Unless, of course, wishy-washy steering, a heavy feel, and a power train wholly unsuited for a car wearing an R/T badge fall under your definition of fun. Remedies are available, many of which we hope to see in the upcoming SRT version, namely added power, less body roll, responsive steering, and hell, toss in a manual transmission that doesn’t totally squander available ponies like, say, a continuously-variable automatic.
Front Comfort
They may be short of Barcaloungers, but the front chairs in the 2007 Dodge Caliber are ample for a small car. The bottom cushions are plenty long, with soft yet supportive cushions, though the side bolsters are rather insubstantial and give way easily on curvy roads. Adjustable headrests are plastic and not leather-wrapped like the rest of the seat. With a height adjustable seat and a tilt steering wheel, drivers can find a suitable position, though they won’t want to rest their limbs on hard armrests window sills for any long periods. Despite a tall dash that proves confining for legs, overall front passenger room is adequate.
Rear Comfort
Rear seat passengers in the 2007 Dodge Caliber enjoy gobs of foot room, but because of intrusive seat mounts, the foot well is narrow. Shorter riders should have enough legroom, but taller riders may rub their knees against the hard front seatbacks, and while there’s sufficient head room, the angled roof line makes for a confining feel. Hard sills and armrests make the door panels rather inhospitable, though they’re the only respite for tired arms as there’s no center fold-down armrest. Integrated rear outboard headrests are large and non-adjustable, sitting atop a flat, reclining bench seat devoid of bolsters.
Interior Noise
This puppy is loud. Fairly unrefined engine noise is always constant, made especially evident when running the continuously-variable transmission through its paces. Hammer the throttle and the CVT pulls the engine up past 6,000 rpm to redline where it hovers for some time, which when combined with a relative dearth of power, gets loud and annoying. Road noise is also intrusive, as poor sound insulation forces Caliber occupants to hear everything on the roadway. Wind noise may be a problem, though it’s too hard to tell with all of the racket in the cabin. Finally, the collection of plastics clunk and thunk over bumps.
Loading Cargo
Versatile looks aside, the 2007 Dodge Caliber is less cargo-friendly that it appears. Pluses for an average load height, dual pull-down handles on the trunk lid, a wide cargo area, and a portable flashlight incorporated into the overhead light. We also like the removable cargo cover and split seatback. Less desirable are struts stiff enough to make pulling down the trunk lid a chore, an optional Boston Acoustics subwoofer occupying valuable real estate, excessive use of durable but low-budget plastics, the absence of a paint-protection bumper pad, and steeply-raked glass that limits overall cargo capacity.
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