Overview & Reviews
The enthusiast-oriented Dodge Caliber SRT4 makes its debut this year, bringing with it a turbocharged 285-horsepower engine. The rest of the 2008 lineup is pretty much unchanged. Caliber SXT and R/T models have some additional standard equipment this year, and all Calibers get new chrome accents within their cabins.
- Versatile interior, available all-wheel drive, wide range of engine choices.
- Sluggish acceleration from CVT-equipped models, low-quality interior materials, unimpressive build quality, several important safety features are optional rather than standard.
User Reviews:
Showing 41 through 50 of 115.00-
Horrible car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By Beng - August 24 - 1:55 pmIm renting a Dodge Caliber to replace my Suzuki SX4 that is being repaired. In comparison, the Caliber has a horrible turning radius, is sluggish to start, and nearly impossible to speed up. It is extremely heavy. The Caliber also has alot of road noise. The ride is not smooth at all. I feel most every bump on the road. When I change lanes I feel the whole car jolt over instead of being smooth, like my SX4. To top it off, the blindspots are a huge problem. The windows are very small, and placed so that turning my head to check the other lanes reveals only the Calibers interior. The nice things though are an air conditioned glove box and fancy storage between the two front seats.
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Not Bad - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By CV - August 13 - 1:05 pmOverall this car provides good value. We picked on up used for $12k about a year ago. We havent had any problems so far. We love the gas mileage although I tend to accelerate fast and burn more gas that way. Car has a great look from the outside. The interior color scheme is Nice, but the dash and plastics look cheap. Overall, I think its a good buy based on price.
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Its fun!!!!!!!!!!! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By twisty - August 12 - 5:44 pmThis is my second Caliber...I have 8,950 on the clock and it is running great..It does need a little gas of the lights but once it gets going its great.feels solid.no bodyroll in the corners.The driving view is good.except the large front pillars..you need to really check.they are quite intrusive..and do obstruct the view.i found adjusting the height in my seat to be better.The interior seems better than my 2007 model.everything is within easy reach no annoying digital readouts.easy to drive.the gearbox is good.bit slow at start but flies on motorway.good power for overtaking and the car seems solid whilst making quick maneuvers..all in all the Caliber is fun to drive.no problems
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Vehicle just purchased - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By lmartz - August 12 - 1:43 pmI had to give up my Suburban for a more economical vehicle and plus a lower monthly payment. Caliber was not my first choice but my only choice cuz the dealership were out of vehicles due to the clunkers for cash. I have been driving this vehicle for a few days and it is not no bad it does have room for our two kids and a nice family vehicle.
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I have 2.0L SXT - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By xjerseygirlx - July 18 - 2:19 pmIm also not sure why Edmunds hates this car! I have a SXT 2.0L CVT trans - red with black & red sport seats & red around the stereo. I LOVE MY CAR!! In my opinion, & also that of those whove been in my car, the interior DOES NOT look cheap. I took this car on a small road trip to go camping the day after I took it home & it was perfect for that. The seats were comfortable on the drive, it fit everything in it that we needed, we didnt even notice any road noise with the awesome stereo on (oh & to those of you complaining about not being able to see title & names on the radio/Sirius all you have to do is press the "info" button & it shows that stuff)...all in all this is a great car
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Good Gas Mileage with CVT - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By Lacpac - June 2 - 1:05 pm2.0 with CVT trans. Great mileage if youre light on the pedal. Up to 32 mpg on hwy at 65mph. 25-26 around town. Synthetic oil, Nitrogen in wheels at 39pds and K&N air filter. Trans is smooth! Interior is hard plastic, for which some reviews give it a bad rating. Slap a Honda logo on it and make it a box on wheels and the critics give it a 10!..Go figure. Sheet metal is a bit thin, easily dents if you try to push the door shut without using the handle. Great headlights, really covers a wide area. Comfortable seats. Like the partial reclining rear seats. Only mechanical problem was a clicking front bushing when it got wet outside. Rear brakes also need to be cleaned frequently.
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A good bit-little car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By happy driver - June 1 - 11:08 amMoved into Caliber from minivan and am impressed. Hard plastic interior panels make for easy cleaning after the kids. Driver seat crank makes for more customized feel. Fit of all body pieces and interior trim pieces is smooth and feels sleek. Solid thud is heard when doors close, never a question if it is or isnt shut. Slight rattle when radio is up too loud...good factory sound system! 2X trip meter and outside temp display is nice. Plenty of leg room for passenger and driver seat doesnt sit ON the floor. Easy to enter/exit because chassis rides tall. Good handling with 17" tires. Im eager to take a road trip to test it in the long-run.
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Pretty good machine......... - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By ILIKEMOPAR - May 9 - 1:19 pmI have had this car for a year now and I must say I am pretty impressed. Although I have had a few little issues (fuel pump replaced to correct a rough idle in wet weather, front swaybar bushings and rear swaybar links replaced, some dirt in rear brakes cleaned up, fuel guage reprogrammed), overall this car is reliable, it now has 40 000 kms on it. Rides great, gets between 25-30 mpg overall driving, handles well. CVT transmission is a great setup and the 2.0 engine has planty of power. Nice sound when full throttle.
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Dont Do It - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By RI Jeff - April 5 - 7:40 pmBought a 2008 Caliber with only 18k miles on it for $10000 figured I couldnt beat it. Boy was I wrong, within 4 months it was in the dealership five times, the computer would not hold the PCM/TCM update had it done 3 times. They had to replace both front struts, lower left control arm, the multifunction switch, airbag clock sensor. The transmission has been making a noise for a while, but they will not look at it because they do not have much experience with the CVT. My rear struts started making noises. The whole car feels and sounds like it is going to fall apart with only 24k Miles on it. Will never buy another Dodge EVER. Gas mileage was about 24 combined MPG, not as good as I thought
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Not sure why Edmunds hates this car! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
By DK - April 4 - 10:57 pmI bought this car for my wife she drives mainly in the city and the mileage is around 22-23. The car has the 2.0 automatic and, contrary to what Edmunds claims, it has plenty of get up an go. Hey, if I wanted something that REALLY moved, Id spend three times the money and by a 300C with a Hemi! It is more than adequate for this vehicle class. Our car is a base model, but has many options (power everything and side airbags) keeping the price below the SXT. We love the car. I dont care how Edmunds rates it, they can keep this car a secret for all I care!
