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Mazda3 vs Caliber

15K views 99 replies 40 participants last post by  MetalCord 
#1 ·
I just got my brochure on the new Dodge Caliber and I personally like it. How do yall think it stacks up against the 3? I think it's a hell of a car with some pretty cool features. I have not gotten behind the wheel of one just yet, but I was wondering if anyone has if they can compare it to the Mazda3 and let us know where the Caliber succeeds and fails.

I wish I had a scanner to scan some of the brochure pics (put the site pics to shame), but here's what I like about the car:

1) Style - looks chizzled, mean, and sporty
2) Features - spot for cell phone/mp3 player in armrest, aux jack, musicgate 458 watt sound system with flip speakers on the liftgate, mini fridge in glovebox, and plenty of options
3) Engines - Rival the Duratecs for power and fuel efficiency (1.8 = 148 hp, 28/32 & 2.0 = 158 hp, 26/30)
4) AWD - Available all wheel drive, which the 3 does not offer
5) Versatility - Can boast up to 48 cubic feet of cargo capacity compared to the 3's 31.2 cu. ft.
6) Instrumentation - I like the instruments in the Caliber. Very clear and organized dash and centerstack. Well layed out. On par with the 3.

Dislikes:

1) Rear Drums - Braking is not going to be as good as Mazda
2) Handling - I've heard it's above average, but still body roll because of the taller roofline (3 inches taller, but you get more headroom)
3) CVT - Could be a plus or a minus depending on how you feel about CVTs. Reliable, but with quirks. I'd rather have the 5 speed auto from Mazda.
4) Grille - Truck grille looks a little out of place and derails the rest of the cars sexy exterior. Atleast it's not as obscenely big as a Ram or Durango


I can't wait to get behind the wheel of one. There's a lot to like about the Caliber, but how does it truly compare to the 3?
 
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#2 ·
I saw in one and touched around..

I have to say the interior materials are better than I would have expected, but not Mazda3... better than Kia, FOcus os Cobalt though.

I would drive one before giving any judgement, because I saw some design decisions (such the hood) that might provide hellish roadnoise... but then again they might not.

Overall, the Caliber sounds like a good contender.. a good move form Dodge to combine the practical body of Vibe and more powerful engines and some advanced options (AWD, CVT etc) in one car...

I would wait for 2007 to come out to see whether they messed up something internally, and drive one extensively before buying one, but on the paper there is not much on the paper disqualifying it..

BTW the fueleconomy and power numbers are deceiving untill you drive one.. as a bigger car it most robably weights a little more, and will need extra ponies to move as swiftly as the 3 would... but again.. never rove one

The local dealer has only one.. in which I sat etc.. and I too have the brochure.. but they hahave none at this point to drive... unless I would buy the one off of the shoroom floor...But I personally am not excited about the design, although I like the options packaging.. I thing Dodge will do well with the car..

Igor
 
#3 ·
I test drove one. Its not good. I drove the 2.0 FWD SXT. it was as slow as a 87 caravan. weighs 3000+ pounds and has 150hp. It wasnt sporty at all. I compare driving it to driving a lowered caravan. The RT looked better since it had more power and AWD but it weighs more than 3300 pounds. Its pound to hp ratio was worse than the 150hp model.

interior was ok, not sporty and not cockpit like. plus you sit high - like a caravan. get my point, its a slightly smaller caravan.

If you want a utilicar i guess its ok but dont expect it to compare to the 3.

plus the front end looks like a 87 caravan and it has goofy plastic trim that goes from the windshield to the end of the car.
 
#6 ·
I think this was intended as a thread for people to provide more deailed comparisons than just calling the Cliber Fugly and POS...


I think there is time for us to actually provide useful information on this car on this Forum... some members might be considering, or even loving the car, and I know reactions like those above will not help them be happy about it...

Whadaya say we grow up for this one thread and let be a mature evaualtion of driving dynamics, comfort etc... I would like ot see it happen.

Igor
 
#8 ·
[quote author=igor2 link=topic=42891.msg632544#msg632544 date=1143257331]
I think this was intended as a thread for people to provide more deailed comparisons than just calling the Cliber Fugly and POS...


I think there is time for us to actually provide useful information on this car on this Forum... some members might be considering, or even loving the car, and I know reactions like those above will not help them be happy about it...

Whadaya say we grow up for this one thread and let be a mature evaualtion of driving dynamics, comfort etc... I would like ot see it happen.

Igor
[/quote]

 
#9 ·
The weight was my main concern as well.

Mazda 3 Sport
2885 lbs
160 hp
0.0555 power to weight ratio

Dodge Caliber
3308 lbs (423 lbs heavier HOLY CR*P)
173hp
0.0523 power to weight ratio

But it won't just be the power that will suffer. The Caliber will definitely not be as nimble and probably will feel more like a minivan because of its weight.

I just bought my 3 Sport and saw the Caliber release a few days later. I priced one out and thought damn, I could have had a 300hp SRT-4 Caliber for the same $$$ as my Mazda 3. Then I realized that they don't have the SRT-4 on the 'Build and Price' and that I had priced out the 173hp model. Well, for that money I am much happier with the 3. I would assume the SRT-4 version will probably be another $5k.

And on another note, my wife drives a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. It is nice and roomy but the build quality is no where near that of my Mazda. It also handles like crap. It seems that a lot of the domestics, especially Dodge, rely on muscle to sell their vehicles. Other than that I don't understand how Dodge thinks they can price there vehicles in the same range as Mazda/Honda/Toyota when there vehicles are not even in the same class. People must be buying them though - I see them on the road (or should I say the side of the road j/k).
 
#11 ·
Caliber SE: 2966 lbs
Caliber SXT: 3039 lbs
Caliber R/T FWD: 3156 lbs
Caliber R/T AWD: 3308 lbs

^^That is from allpar.com...

I believe the engines go as folows:
SE; 1.8l
SXT: 2.0l
R/T 2.4l
but I may be wrong (I do not feel like getting up and getting the brochure...

you can see that the AWD is what is so heavy...

there was an edmunds take on the Caliber and they said it nice nd clear.. the R/T FWD will have the best Power/weight ration even over the SRT4, because that pork will add even more weight with the turbo.

anyways... that was just for the specs

Igor
 
#12 ·
The Caliber has some cool features... (chilled glovebox, lighted cup holders, pull down stereo in the back) but it just doesn't look right. Whats with the black lines that run along the roof, matched with the same black lip. Blah, they should have made it the same color as the car. The thing looks too much like a Pacifica. They are dirt cheap though! I think the way to go with the caliber is to wait for the 300hp Srt-4 Caliber. That one looks better.
 
#13 ·
[quote author=igor2 link=topic=42891.msg632609#msg632609 date=1143263037]

Caliber R/T FWD: 3156 lbs

173hp

there was an edmunds take on the Caliber and they said it nice nd clear.. the R/T FWD will have the best Power/weight ration even over the SRT4, because that pork will add even more weight with the turbo.

anyways... that was just for the specs

Igor
[/quote]

Unless the SRT-4 porks to 5472 lbs, at 300hp, it will have a better power to weight ratio. It will not pork that high.
 
#15 ·
I went to the local Dodge Dealership today to look at one. Wow, that thing is horribly small. It feels like an Aveo or something of that "caliber". (LOL). It had large black plastic looking strips on the roof which I didnt like. THe interior seemed very cramped, even though I wasnt able to sit in one. My initial reaction was mixed, I'm not too happy with the execution of this. IMO it would've been better if it would have been built more to the size of the Liberty.
 
#16 ·
[quote author=holeydonut link=topic=42891.msg633920#msg633920 date=1143411478]



I'll have to drive one of these things to pass judgement, but I really don't like HB's - so I wish they had made a sedan version...
[/quote]

I like HBs if they're done right (e.g. MZ3 HB), but the Caliber just doesn't work as a hatch, sorry.

I saw one personally, and was NOT impressed.
 
#18 ·
Do you know what car the Caliber is replacing?

When Neons were introduced, my parents needed a new sedan, they heard good things about it, so they rushed out and bought one. Not a bad choice for a few years, but the early ones were notoriously unreliable. We've had a lot of problems with ours. Unfortunately, I'm still driving it and I'm waiting for a Mazda3. I personally don't trust buying the new generation of a car, unless it's a very reliable company. And I don't like Dodge much at all, though I will admit that Chargers look cool.
 
#19 ·
[quote author=joemomma link=topic=42891.msg634370#msg634370 date=1143436285]
Do you know what car the Caliber is replacing?

When Neons were introduced, my parents needed a new sedan, they heard good things about it, so they rushed out and bought one. Not a bad choice for a few years, but the early ones were notoriously unreliable. We've had a lot of problems with ours. Unfortunately, I'm still driving it and I'm waiting for a Mazda3. I personally don't trust buying the new generation of a car, unless it's a very reliable company. And I don't like Dodge much at all, though I will admit that Chargers look cool.
[/quote]

It is in fact replacing the Neon...except they won't make a sedan version of it.
 
#20 ·
Initial offerings for the Caliber have the R/T version's 2.4L engine only offered with the CVT. If you want an automatic, this is a good thing. But if I were in the market, I wouldn't even consider it until the R/T is offered later in the '07 model year with a 5-speed manual. And guess what? I hate the choice of 2nd gear in my Mazda3. I can't come out of a right hand turn with a smile on my face cause I'm either too slow, and bogged down at 2500 rpm, or too fast feeling like I'm gonna understeer into oncoming traffic. If Dodge has better gearing than the Mazda3, it might actually FEEL better as a daily driver.

I love my Mazda3!! I'll drive it for at least 10 years, but I hate 2nd gear!

Someone questioned why Dodge priced the same as imports.
Well, some people (me included) will never purchase a foreign brand vehicle new. I only decided to buy mine used because nothing else on the market offered as nice of an interior in a hatchback configuration with decent performance. If the Caliper would have been available, I probably would have gone that route to buy American. Buying used, I wasn't too worried about it since no more money is going over the pond when I buy used. But some people wouldn't be caught dead in a Japanese car. For many people, just having a domestic label has some value. It did for me, but not enough to get me into a Focus interior. And the performance of an SRT-4 (Neon) was not enought to make me give up having a hatchback.

The Caliber SRT-4 or Mazdaspeed3 5-door is everything I was looking for in a car last year. Too bad neither were offered. If I ever wreck my Mazda 3, I will have a hard time deciding whether I want a used Mazdaspeed3 or a Caliber SRT-4.
 
#22 ·
[quote author=mndsm link=topic=42891.msg634855#msg634855 date=1143481309]
All I gotta say is when was the last time Chrysler made anything more reliable than a 3, that didn't have a Mitsubishi drivetrain?
[/quote]

Well then you complimented the Caliber..

The Platform is going to be in EvoX and the drivetrains are co-development of I belive DCX - Hyundai-Kia and Mitsubishi (I am not sure on the last member of the group)...

I will wait on the relibility numbers, but the spec numbers vare not too shabby.

Igor
 
#23 ·
True, but with Daimler selling most of Mitsubishi off, how much is Mitsu really going to care? Plus goddamn that thing is a pig. Needs to go to the gym and lose some weight. I'd be after that thing with a Sawzall if it were mine.
 
#24 ·
I drove a Caliber right before I bought my 3. It's definitely a bigger car -- longer, taller -- and drives like it's bigger. I drove the SXT, and while the car was responsive, I didn't feel like I could do a burnout in it. The CVT was really smooth but slow. It also feels kinda dark inside; the windows are pretty narrow, like the Chrysler 300's. There were some cool features, and I'm sure that it's the perfect car for some people -- just not me. I wanted something smaller and more agile. If you're not into spirited driving, and want the utility of all the extra interior room you get, the Caliber is a good deal.
 
#25 ·
[quote author=lmp180psu link=topic=42891.msg634379#msg634379 date=1143436646]
[quote author=joemomma link=topic=42891.msg634370#msg634370 date=1143436285]
Do you know what car the Caliber is replacing?

When Neons were introduced, my parents needed a new sedan, they heard good things about it, so they rushed out and bought one. Not a bad choice for a few years, but the early ones were notoriously unreliable. We've had a lot of problems with ours. Unfortunately, I'm still driving it and I'm waiting for a Mazda3. I personally don't trust buying the new generation of a car, unless it's a very reliable company. And I don't like Dodge much at all, though I will admit that Chargers look cool.
[/quote]

It is in fact replacing the Neon...except they won't make a sedan version of it.
[/quote]

Now that's not that smart...they seriously should offer both a sedan and hatchback. Dodge would get more possible buyers this way.
 
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