Well I said in my post where I put up some pics that I would be getting the car, yesterday, and I did.
So here is a quick rundown on what I think so far, this is a 2007 R/T AWD
The car is really smooth. From what I have read, the SE and SXT have a slightly better ride over bumpy roads due to the R/T having a stiffer sport suspension, but the R/T is a lot better around corners, and I have to tell you this thing can take corners like it was glued to the road.
There is minimal wind noise, this thing sounds like I am in a sound booth compared to the Explorer, I am very impressed given the cost of the vehicle.
The CVT is all kinds of fun. I dont know why people knock this thing. You push the gas to the floor and it gets up to about 6000 RPM and the speed climbs. It is a bit slow off the start, that is for sure, but it seems to be getting better as I break the car in. The Auto-stick is better than I would have imagined. The car shifts better than any manual, and faster too, since there is no clutch time or anything like that, just very solid quick shifts. Also, if you start off in first, and dont even touch the shifter, it will auto-shift to each gear up to six when the car hits a certain RPM. So its like have a six speed auto that shifts at peek RPM for Torque and HP. This makes the performance great.
I got the sunroof and Sirius and all those toys, and they all work great. The Sunroof is very well made and sealed, no air leakage or any other issues.
The interior is very very good quality, this is one of the top vehicle I have seen as far as components that move and feel sure, they wont break off when you use them and the knobs are all very smooth and solid, not loose. My only complaint here is that they used super hard plastic for a lot of stuff, like the arm rest on your left and ride side are just solid plastic, which for me is quite uncomfortable over time.
Now for gas mileage. With 30 miles on the engine I drove from Marion, IN to Kokomo, IN. Average 55-60 MPH, and was getting 26.7 MPG. Then when I got to drive it in to Kokomo, where there are a million stoplights and all are poorly timed, I still got 23.6 and that is while being a bit harder on the accel playing with the auto stick.
My major complaint is this:
I got the base radio because I wanted an Aux in. From what I had seen, you could get Sirius and I thought it displayed Song and Artist info on the radio, it turns out it doesnt. So all I see is the channel number I am on. The only reclaiming feature is that I got the Driver convenience group which means it lets me see the channel name in the driver info panel in the dash. But I still cant find any way to display artist or song name.
I am pretty bummed about this, if I had known this is how the radio was I would have taken the upgraded radio and then just got the iPod integration kit later and not cared about the Aux input.
That is partially my fault, partially Chryslers. They took forever getting out brochures, every dealer I contacted from Michigan to Indiana said they did not have brochures, even after they had gotten their first Caliber's, which is unbelievable. By the time I got info on the radios and that they had already built my car.
So yeah, that is my major complaint, having Sirius isnt nearly as fun without having the artist and song info, and I am going to miss my rewind/fast forward functions from my Starmate Replay, as well as being able to be reminded of songs and artists that are playing on other channels.
I have not had a chance to use much else, the headlights are VERY good. This is something I am very very picky about, but I am extremely satisfied with these. If you put the fog lights on and the headlights, it lights up better then most cars I have driven with the brights on. My dad has a Dodge Stratus, 05 I believe, and he said these lights were a huge improvement.
Well thats all for now. I like the car, it gets great mileage, has great acceleration, and is a blast to drive.
Oh yeah, I tried out the cooler feature for drinks, works like a charm!
2007 Caliber picked up, first impressions
