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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2009 Dodge Caliber

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2012 Dodge Caliber

Overview

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2009 Dodge Caliber Review

By KBB.com Editors

As fuel costs continue to fluctuate, small cars are increasingly required to be more than just frugal commuters. Few vehicles better epitomize this trend than the 2009 Dodge Caliber, a combination hatchback, wagon and SUV. Dodge's most affordable offering, the Caliber is no bargain-basement car. Models range from a fuel-efficient economy car to a powerful all-wheel-drive variant and include such appealing options as a flip-down rear speaker bar, built-in iPod holder and a refrigerated beverage cooler, features you won't find on the Volkswagen Rabbit or MAZDA3. Then again, the plastics used to form the interior are not as sophisticated or handsome as those inside the VW and Mazda, an important issue for many savvy young buyers.

You'll Like This Car If...

Changes for 2009 are minor, adding body-colored door handles to SXT models and improvements in interior sound reduction across the line. Anti-lock brakes are now standard on the SXT, while uconnect gps navigation is made available for the first time.

You May Not Like This Car If...

Whether you're looking to get some versatility with your economy or some economy with your versatility, the 2009 Dodge Caliber throws in a little attitude as well.

What's New for 2009

Driving the Caliber

Driving Impressions While the Caliber's mission in life is decidedly more utilitarian than performance oriented, we managed to have some fun in an all-wheel-drive R/T model. With its 172-horsepower engine, sportier suspension...

and continuously variable transmission, the R/T is the model we'd choose to take camping – especially if the campgrounds were at the end of a curvy canyon road. The continuously variable transmission offers the Auto Stick "manual-mode," which allows the driver to select any one of six "ratios" and thus hold onto that gearing step if necessary or desired. As for the more modestly-motivated Calibers, we found them as competent around town and on the highway as most of the competition.

Favorite Features

MusicGate Speakers
As part of the 458-watt Boston Acoustics premium audio system, the Caliber's rearmost speakers flip down from the open liftgate to project outward for tailgate parties, picnics and other outdoor activities.

CVT2 Auto Stick
While the idea of engineering artificial gearing into the Caliber's "gearless" continuously variable transmission might seem counterproductive, the ability to control the transmission with ultra-responsive manual shifts is very useful.

2009 Dodge Caliber Details

Interior

The 2009 Dodge Caliber is pleasantly roomy and functional, especially for a vehicle with such a modest price tag. With a fold-flat rear seat and fold-flat front passenger seat (SXT and R/T), Caliber's hatchback design accommodates a variety of cargo and passenger configurations. Standard cloth seating can be upgraded to stain-resistant cloth or leather. A sport appearance package features a shifter bezel, dash trim and seat inserts coordinated with the vehicle's exterior color. Overall, the interior is nicely designed and offers a variety of clever features as either standard or optional equipment.

Exterior

With unique proportions, sharp-curve styling and Dodge's signature crosshair grille, the Caliber is perhaps the most distinctive five-door/crossover/wagon offered in the sub-$20,000 arena. It's bigger than the MAZDA3 and Volkswagen Rabbit, not as streamlined as the Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe and has none of the retro vibe of the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevrolet HHR. Up-level Calibers are distinguished by chrome side moldings and grille, fog lights and bigger, aluminum wheels.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

Along with a 1.8-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission, a base Dodge Caliber SE features front and rear side-curtain airbags, inflatable knee blocker, a four-speaker AM/FM/CD/AUX sound system, sliding armrest with cellphone/MP3-player holder, tilt steering, illuminated cup holders, rear-window defroster and wiper, 15-inch covered steel wheels and manual windows, door locks and mirrors. The SXT adds anti-lock brakes (ABS), air conditioning with Chill Zone storage compartment, split folding rear seats, cruise control, Stain Repel stain resistant seat fabric, 115-volt outlet, 17-inch aluminum wheels, removable cargo light, and power functions for the windows, door locks and mirrors.

Optional Equipment

Dodge Caliber's powertrain options include 2.0- and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines, a continuously variable transmission (CVT2) with Auto Stick and all-wheel drive (R/T). Typical optional equipment includes leather seating, a power sun roof, front-seat side-impact airbags, uconnect tunes audio system with 30-gigabyte hard drive and uconnect gps with real-time traffic updates. Unique extras include a chilled glove box, uconnect Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and a Boston Acoustics nine-speaker audio upgrade with flip-down tailgate speakers.

Under the Hood

The three engine choices each have four cylinders and 16 valves. The base engine displaces 1.8 liters, makes 148 horsepower and is matched with a five-speed manual transmission. Up from there is a 2.0-liter version of 158 horsepower, and then a 2.4-liter version rated at 172 horsepower. Both of the larger engines are matched with the continuously variable transmission (CVT). On all-wheel-drive models, the CVT can be manually "shifted" through six simulated gears. With an optional trailer package, the 2.4-liter R/T model is rated to pull up to 2,000 pounds.

1.8-liter in-line 4
148 horsepower @ 6500 rpm
125 lb.-ft. of torque @ 5200 rpm
EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy: 24/30

2.0-liter in-line 4
158 horsepower @6400 rpm
141 lb.-ft. of torque @ 5000 rpm
EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy: 23/27 (automatic)

2.4-liter in-line 4
172 horsepower @ 6000 rpm
165 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4400 rpm
EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy: 23/29 (manual), 21/25 (automatic)

To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Dodge Caliber vehicles for sale near you.

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2009 Dodge Caliber Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

7.3

Out of 10

Based on 635 Ratings for the 2007 - 2012 models.

Review this car

Value

7.7/10

Quality

7.5/10
Reliability

8.0/10

Performance

7.5/10
Comfort

7.8/10

Styling

8.1/10

Reliable and comfortable with great utility.

By Alan (TX) on Friday, May 17, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 198,100

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "looks, utility, comfort, options"

Cons: "fit and finish, acceleration, toomuch hard plastic"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I bought my Caliber new in June of 2006. It now has 198,000 miles on it and runs as well as it did when new. At 6'4" and 260 lbs, I was looking for something with room, and the Caliber has it. It is painfully slow at take-off thanks to the CVT, but gas mileage is respectable and is has good storage in the back - great with the seats folded down. It is comfortable on the highway as well. I live in North Texas and have driven it to the Gulf Coast in summer, the Rocky Mountains in winter, up to Lake Michigan for vacation and a brutal number of miles in Dallas-Fort Worth traffic. It has handles asphalt, snow and sand equally well. If Dodge had not quit making them, I'd buy another. The fit and finish is cheap, I admit. It is also not at all sporty. But it looks great and if utility and comfort are your thing, it's a good choice. Mine has satellite radio, U-Connect hands free Bluetooth, 9 speaker stereo, leather seats and power sun roof. I know not everyone's experience is the same, but after 198K with only predictable upkeep and minor repairs, I'd have to add that it's pretty reliable as well."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Decent Car for the Money

By l6perry (MA) on Sunday, May 12, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 130,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I bought my Caliber with 30,000 miles on it and I am now at 130,000. I paid $13,000 for it. I am one of those people that somehow kills every car that I get. And I have to say, aside from some basic maintenence and repairs that are to be expected from driving it so much, it has been a great car. It has a ton of space, cleans easily, and is decent on gas. The interior is all plastic however, it is a low priced car. It is to be expected. But, the plastic has not cracked or chipped and everything functional. Very happy with the investment. The only sad thing is the Kelly Blue Book value is very low."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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Cheap in both meanings

By Josh (MN) on Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 96,000

10 3.0

overall rating 3 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 3/10
Value: 5/10
Reliability: 5/10
Quality: 3/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 5/10
Comfort: 4/10

Pros: "Cheap, ok mileage, novel features"

Cons: "You get what you pay for, plastic, poor quality"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"A ok vehicle with no major problems, though lacking in quality. Front-end supsension problems aren't uncommon before the 60k-mile warranty expiration. Also had a power window switch go out just at 96k miles. The vehicle is made primarily of plastic and driver seats arent comfortable beyond an hour long drive (I'm 6', 200lbs)."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Have loved this car

By melvablue (AZ) on Saturday, April 13, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 62,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "comfort,reiabikity, looks, economy"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Have thourougl enjoyed this car since ipurchased new in 2009. Love design, interior setup, comfort, fuel economy,satellite radio,waranty, reiability, power for being 4- cyl with 5 speed manual with overdrive. Got upgraded wheels, spoiler, tint and cargo cover. Have moved so much, love roominess, sturdiness,ease of driving, controls,satellite radio, uts easy for all people to get in and out. Really sad 2012 is last year. Other awesomething like dual glove boxes, chilled shwlf for drinks, lightedcup holders,auxiliaryinput, holders, cargolight that is also flashlight. Love it. Even fabric interior has remained awesome. Lovereclining back seat and fold flat storage. All with 30-35mpg and more room than smaller compacts."

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Lots of Trouble :-(

By younglove (IL) on Thursday, April 11, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 85,000

10 4.0

overall rating 4 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 4/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 4/10
Quality: 2/10
Performance: 4/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 6/10

Pros: "Fun features- great Boston sound system"

Cons: "Numerous major mechanical problems"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"This was our first new car purchase, and we definitely wish we could go back and NOT buy this car. Shortly after purchase the control arms, ball joints and tie rods needed to be replaced on the drivers side. We then had about 4 years of creaky rides (the suspension was still awful), lots of check engine lights, and a myriad of other annoyances. In the last six months we have had the following replaced: control arms, ball joints and tie rods on the passenger side, water pump, several pullys including the idler pully, fuel pump and alternator. We have practically had to rebuild this car, and it has not held its value AT ALL. We are planning on getting rid of it ASAP. It seems like this particular year is the most problematic, so other years might have fared better. The interior, sound system, sunroof and other features of the car are great, but are not very useful if the car is inoperable :-("

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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Great in Increment weather

By argantan (NH) on Wednesday, March 13, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 57,177

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "youngish and sporty looking"

Cons: "none that I could think of at the moment"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"I bought this car on a whim for I got so tired maintaining my old 2000 jeep grand cherokee. I am glad that it was an impulsive decision I didn't regret later on. It took a little getting used to driving from a very large vehicle to a more compact one. I love the way it handles during increment weather systems like heavy rain and snow. It gets me to where I am going with ease. I can definitely feel the powerful 2.4L engine on the freeway maintaining its cruise control speed level. I have the AWD R/T 2008 model and so far no complaints whatsoever. Of course like any other vehicle it needs it scheduled maintenance like oil changes every 3 months or so. I was even pleasantly surprised that it had a small cooler/refrigerator located in storage compartment on the passenger side of the vehicle. What a great idea especially for long distance travel. It also has a cooling feature for the cup holders, something that I would use during the hot summer months. I like the heated seats especially during the artic cold winter blasts that we get here in New Hampshire, plus it has better fuel economy than my old jeep saving me at least on the gas money that I budgeted for the month. It only takes a few minutes for the heater to heat up the entire car especially during the sub-zero temperatures which is great for me. I find myself peeling off my layers in the car even before hitting the traffic light. The air-conditioner is likewise cold too which is great for traveling in the southern states especially during the summer months. For me, I am sure that I will drive it for the next several years. I am so glad that I purchased this vehicle. It was at that time the right price and the right time. No regrets or complains at all."

4 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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See all 635 reviews