Dodge Caliber Axed

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:08 am

Oh yeah, I forgot about the rack and pinion. Gods help you if you turn the wheel without the engine running. Ask Frank about that one.

I'm waiting to see how much of a time bomb the VVT filter screen in the head is.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:37 am

I'll admit that my first impression with the Caliber didn't bode well. The first one that I saw was at a dealership directly across the street from the Kokomo Transmission Plant and it had the (non-Kokomo-made) CVT in it. I remember telling the salesman that I thought having that model on display directly pointing at the transmission plant wasn't such a good idea.

And then I had the misfortune of driving a couple of them for rentals. No thanks.

MoxHair · Post by **MoxHair** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:41 am

RobsProjectSOHC wrote:im saying its good for front wheel drive. obviously awd cars are going to beat it anyday.

ok, FWD... Mazdaspeed3, VW GTI, Mini Cooper S

Driving like a jack ass in the rain and the traction control taking over and making it so you didn't kill yourself doesn't mean the car has a good handling suspension.

slowpeon · Post by **slowpeon** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:02 pm

MoxHair wrote:
RobsProjectSOHC wrote:im saying its good for front wheel drive. obviously awd cars are going to beat it anyday.
ok, FWD... Mazdaspeed3, VW GTI, Mini Cooper S

Driving like a jack ass in the rain and the traction control taking over and making it so you didn't kill yourself doesn't mean the car has a good handling suspension.

Travis what is your email so I can send the invite.

FAC3L3SS · Post by **FAC3L3SS** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:11 pm

Rob quit being so butthurt over a car you don't even own anymore. You mean to tell us you haven't tried throwing your Neon into stupid scenarios (based on previous stories) and it took the task a bit easier and better than your boosted bus did? Pfft.

Post by **racer12306** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:40 pm

Danteneon wrote:Oh yeah, I forgot about the rack and pinion. Gods help you if you turn the wheel without the engine running. Ask Frank about that one.

Due to the amount of PS fluid the dealer said they cleaned off, we think it was starting to fail prior to that, but it seems turning the wheel with it off did it in.

That was a cool $1200.

MoxHair wrote:
RobsProjectSOHC wrote:im saying its good for front wheel drive. obviously awd cars are going to beat it anyday.
ok, FWD... Mazdaspeed3, VW GTI, Mini Cooper S

Driving like a jack ass in the rain and the traction control taking over and making it so you didn't kill yourself doesn't mean the car has a good handling suspension.

This.

FAC3L3SS wrote:Rob quit being so butthurt over a car you don't even own anymore. You mean to tell us you haven't tried throwing your Neon into stupid scenarios (based on previous stories) and it took the task a bit easier and better than your boosted bus did? Pfft.

So he doesn't even own the car anymore and he's wasting this much breath on this argument?

Post by **jonnymopar** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:53 pm

Midnight_Rider wrote:DCX certainly miscalculated over what the American market was looking for in a small Dodge...

THIS. When the Caliber first came out, it was made clear in several press releases that, in the heads of people at DaimlerChrysler, the only reason that people buy small cars is that they can't afford a bigger car.

Really?! Geez, guess I'm an outcast there. Here I am buying a small car because I wanted a small car.

dtjackten · Post by **dtjackten** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:05 pm

The caliber was a terrible replacement for the neon i think. But the last trip at the track i saw a csrt... holy slow, i think it needed a driver mod but 14.8 was very slow to me.... the looks did start to grow on me. but not enough to buy one. lol

RobsProjectSOHC · Post by **RobsProjectSOHC** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:07 pm

lol, my first time at a track ever i ran a 14.8 cuz i left traction control on. my second run i did 17 something because i wheel hopped to much and it popped out of gear. way different then the street. my 3rd run i did 14.5....was starting to get the hang of it. that was my last run.

I definately needed a driver mod <---

iThane · Post by **iThane** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:08 pm

dtjackten wrote:the looks did start to grow on me.

This.

If i were to ever buy a csrt, it would be for the looks if anything. not
that thats not what i already have my nsrt for

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:32 pm

RobsProjectSOHC wrote:my second run i did 17 something because i wheel hopped to much and it popped out of gear.

It popped out of gear from wheel hop???

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:42 pm

JeffM wrote:
RobsProjectSOHC wrote:my second run i did 17 something because i wheel hopped to much and it popped out of gear.
It popped out of gear from wheel hop???

I can believe it. The R/T had some wicked wheel hop. It was easy to miss 3rd under a load too. Very squishy shifter.

srtjesse · Post by **srtjesse** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:43 pm

well i havent had any issues with my csrt i honestly love this freakin car its fast and super practical

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:34 pm

srtjesse wrote:my csrt4 is really fast it has a s256 and it handles really good with the 9 inch wide wheels and bc coils. im putting down 496whp and i love the thing i wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. I can smoke the crap out of any car on the street and still take the family on road trips with no issues at all so its a win win.

MMMMmmmmm I want.

The original link was based toward the base model Calibers. The SRT variant is a complete different monster. I know of a local with just Stage 1 and full exhaust and he put down around 320whp. I would LOVE to have one, but they are still pretty pricey. If my neon ever gets totaled I will probably invest in a CSRT-4. The looks have grown on me quite a bit...minus rear end. blehhh. Just need to be lowered on some 18's.
srtjesse, that setup sounds sweet. I love quick daily drivers. Any pictures?

MoxHair · Post by **MoxHair** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:10 pm

slowpeon wrote:
MoxHair wrote:
RobsProjectSOHC wrote:im saying its good for front wheel drive. obviously awd cars are going to beat it anyday.
ok, FWD... Mazdaspeed3, VW GTI, Mini Cooper S

Driving like a jack ass in the rain and the traction control taking over and making it so you didn't kill yourself doesn't mean the car has a good handling suspension.
Travis what is your email so I can send the invite.

Are you stalking me?

Kelevra · Post by **Kelevra** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:32 pm

Seeing the article all I can think of is:

Seeing people defend the CSRT and claiming it was soo much better then the NSRT all I can think of is:

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 12:45 am

I forgot to mention that DCX was definitely in a strange, alternate universe when it came to advertising the Caliber. The day that dodge.com went live with the Caliber, the first screen that came up was a live-action of some guy dancing around the car while stripping to his boxers.

And then came the "anything-but-cute" TV ads that really offended me with their Neon-bashing (DCX obviously knew nothing of the success and cash that the 1GN had brought to the Chrysler Corporation just a few years earlier). Yeah, I guess that I started off pretty biased against the Caliber.

SC62391 · Post by **SC62391** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:43 am

srtjesse wrote:well i havent had any issues with my csrt i honestly love this freakin car its fast and super practical

Post pics i wanna see this thing

And Mox that's what i was thinking

iThane · Post by **iThane** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:37 am

i've ridden in jesse's csrt before. its legit. i'd trade my nsrt for it LOL.
jesse hardly posts any pictures of anything so i'll had to snap a pic
next time i'm over at his place.

dbesade · Post by **dbesade** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 12:32 pm

RobsProjectSOHC wrote:Ill try to break this down for you.

Fast as hell - fastest car ive owned.
Beat nsrt4's - so it wasnt a shit car..had speed and handled great.

Therefor nothing to laugh about or shit on my parade. Good day.

I don't know man, my Stock NSRT beat Stock CSRTs all day long. How much money did you have to spend to get it up to spead? Not knockin ya just curious ... to each their own.

SC62391 · Post by **SC62391** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:30 pm

iThane wrote:i've ridden in jesse's csrt before. its legit. i'd trade my nsrt for it LOL.
jesse hardly posts any pictures of anything so i'll had to snap a pic
next time i'm over at his place.

Do itttt!

I never even knew he had one. I just figured he had the neon in his sig.

iThane · Post by **iThane** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:39 pm

he's just a bit... technologically challenged..

RobsProjectSOHC · Post by **RobsProjectSOHC** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:06 pm

dbesade wrote:
RobsProjectSOHC wrote:Ill try to break this down for you.

Fast as hell - fastest car ive owned.
Beat nsrt4's - so it wasnt a shit car..had speed and handled great.

Therefor nothing to laugh about or shit on my parade. Good day.

I don't know man, my Stock NSRT beat Stock CSRTs all day long. How much money did you have to spend to get it up to spead? Not knockin ya just curious ... to each their own.

I spent nothing for performance....my stock srt4 beat nsrt4....even top end would walk away and the nsrt4 driver will admit to it anyday. Sounds like either your not stock or the csrt4 drivers dont know how to drive.

P.S. - Regular calibers = junk csrt4 = pimp.

dbesade · Post by **dbesade** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:14 pm

RobsProjectSOHC wrote:
dbesade wrote:
RobsProjectSOHC wrote:Ill try to break this down for you.

Fast as hell - fastest car ive owned.
Beat nsrt4's - so it wasnt a shit car..had speed and handled great.

Therefor nothing to laugh about or shit on my parade. Good day.

I don't know man, my Stock NSRT beat Stock CSRTs all day long. How much money did you have to spend to get it up to spead? Not knockin ya just curious ... to each their own.

I spent nothing for performance....my stock srt4 beat nsrt4....even top end would walk away and the nsrt4 driver will admit to it anyday. Sounds like either your not stock or the csrt4 drivers dont know how to drive.

P.S. - Regular calibers = junk csrt4 = pimp.

Thats fair. Any car in the hands of a good driver is capable. You sound like a good driver. I'm not stock anymore, at the time I had a Mopar Catback and an Injen Short RAM ... not enough to really be a a huge increase.

Glad to hear you like your CSRT man.

-Dave

MoxHair · Post by **MoxHair** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:18 pm

dbesade wrote:You sound like a good driver.

When did he give us any proof he's a good driver? He ran mid 14s, high 14s, and a 17 in a Caliber.. and drives 100mph in the rain.

RobsProjectSOHC · Post by **RobsProjectSOHC** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:58 pm

lmao....true story. well the first part was my first time ever at a track...completely different.
drive 100mphs in the rain....cuz the caliber could do it.

i dont have it anymore....payments got too expensive. Either way, im building up a neon now, not a caliber

so no more hate. im a good driver, now.

@Dave - Didnt mean to sound rude if i did.....was saying that stock vs stock the caliber should win. its mainly neck to neck, but the caliber has top end speed for some reason. usually after 70 i start walking away

dbesade · Post by **dbesade** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:52 pm

MoxHair wrote:
dbesade wrote:You sound like a good driver.
When did he give us any proof he's a good driver? He ran mid 14s, high 14s, and a 17 in a Caliber.. and drives 100mph in the rain.

I made the comment uninformed of those activities. I made the comment since he said that the stock CSRT would beat an NSRT. I suppose a good driver could do it ... but most evidence from 2007/2008 showed that most could not.

@Dave - Didnt mean to sound rude if i did.....was saying that stock vs stock the caliber should win. its mainly neck to neck, but the caliber has top end speed for some reason. usually after 70 i start walking away

I disagree with you, most publications at the time of the CSRT release would disagree. However, to each their own, I don't know for a fact if you did or not so I suppose its a moot point. BTW: You didn't come off rude man. Its all a discussion.

-Dave

RobsProjectSOHC · Post by **RobsProjectSOHC** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:55 pm

I really feel like either way it would not change anyones opinion....i rather talk about building the neon that my old car. Sooooooo im outa this one.

theColonel · Post by **theColonel** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:05 pm

JeffM wrote:
Dodge should bury the last Caliber (and its somehow worse Jeep platform mate) in a cement tomb five miles underground, and guard it with ancient Mayan warriors and radioactive King Cobras. Treat it like the last remaining smallpox strains, both bring just as much harm onto humanity.

definitely the best possible solution ... they should include a "Smart" in the tomb for unlovable cars by Daimler

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:42 am

The replacement...

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/20 ... led-by-kgp