Hello, I've always been a Caravan person, but the wife and I are looking into a Caliber as our commuter. Can anyone tell me what kind of gas mileage they're getting with the 1.8l and the automatic transmission? The EPA estimates are all based on the manual as far as I can see. The other question I have is, is the "auto-stick" i see mentioned , the same as the automatic. The Dodge.com website does not talk about an auto-stick under the caliber area. Thanks

I'm doing a mixture of city/highway driving, but I have the 2.0L with the CVT. My first tank I didn't measure (a little heavy footed ;)), but my second tank gave me 26 mpg. My daily commute is about 10 miles of highway (driving about 73 MPH), and then another 10 miles of slower moving traffic -- more like city driving. I have cruise, and use it on those 10 miles (hey, I'm lazy). It's also been in the mid 90's here in Austin for the last few weeks, so the AC has been on the entire time.

I've heard that mileage improves for a while after a car is new. However, 26 MPG isn't out of line with the EPA estimates for the type of driving I've been doing. I can't wait for my road trip up to my wedding (starting a week from tomorrow). That'll be 99% highway miles for 1800 miles. Plus, once I get closer to the north-east, I'll be using the AC much less.

First off, you can't get the 1.8 with an automatic tranny. You have to get the 2.0, which of course will suffer less MPG than a manual tranny.

i got 30mpg, driving at 65-70 from jacksonville to miami. i have 2.0 with an auto. gota love it!

Our 2.4 is getting about 26 mpg overall.

I really hate to admit this, but I'm only getting mid 24 to low 23 mpg in my 2.0 SXT w/auto. BUT, I do live just outside of Houston- VERY HOT and very humid. There's no way you can drive 9 or 10 months out of the year without the air blowing at stun level. Also, the main roads around here have a speed limit of 60 mph. So when I get to a light, I have to be the first one off the line. Then I drive for a half mile or less and have to stop. Then it's off again for another half mile or so. There is quite a bit of highway driving though, without the stoplights- sometimes. It's very mixed. I kept thinking that something was wrong, but after writing this and really thinking about it, I guess that it's not so bad after all- seeing as how I drive like I have to prove that this Caliber is really a bad ass- there's a whole lot of pick-ups down here, and they aren't that curious or impressed with a Caliber.
Fitz

The Caliber is a cool looking car, not so good on the gas. My brother bought one and is only getting around 22 mpg. This is not because of driving it hard. He took it to Dodge, because this mpg sure isn't what dodge was advertising it should be. They did some crapped up fuel consumption test and it showed that his car should be getting 40mpg. If you want a car for good mpg look somewhere else. Dodge hasn't be honest with this one. Just my two cents.

well, ive noticed this when buying new cars. it'll take 10k miles at least to see some "real" gas mileage. gota break these things in.

have the 2.0 SXT with auto.
can see it in my signature in liter/100km

My average so far is around 25-26 mpg overall. I just turned 1000 miles and I do about 50/50 city/hwy driving. I've heard that you should wait until 4-5000 miles with an oil change to really judge mpg.

On Friday night, I left on my Kyle, TX to Washington, NJ road trip. I passed about 4 calibers on the way up :)

For my 27.5 hours of driving, I averaged 31, with the worst tank being 29 and the best being 32 (and several being 31). I had the a/c running nearly the entire way, as it was a bit warm outside for my tastes.

Now, less than a month after I got the car, I'm already ready for my 3,000 mile oil change ;)

What are your specs? 1.8? 2.0? 2.4? Auto? Manual? AWD?

Please let us know what drivetrain and engine size you have.

Thanks!

Bump [8D]

ORIGINAL: ktoliver

Bump [8D]



Huh? [sm=confused06.gif]

"Bump" is the term for replying to an older thread so that it simply gets "bumped" to the top of the list.

Gotcha! ;)

I have a 2.0 SE and have 3600 miles on it. My daily commute is 70 miles round trip.. Highway & sitting in traffic. Each fill up I have been getting 29 mpg. I am impressed... This is why we leased the car... for commuting purpose's..

i'm gettin actualy 16-22 mpg
:D

Last tank I got 22.3mpg with 85% around town driving... 1700 miles on the odometer

Kimbo K:

Please post your engine specs (2.0 or 2.4)

Thanks!

its a 2.0 CVT
(autostick)
3000km driven

I would expect your mileage to increase as the engine breaks in. Please post again when you hit 9000km.

Boy, it better! 16 MPG, thats worse than my v-8 Dodge ram pickup, even if it still needs to be broken in! [:-]

I agree. I can get 14 with my 5.7 Hemi Ram1500 if I keep my foot out of the tank.

These types of posts give me a lot of concern.

He may have meant litres. If it indeed is only getting 16 mpg, I'd take it back.

Hmmm...I don't think that is possible.

If my math is correct 1 liter = .26 gallons. Therefore 16MPL in gallons would equate to 16 divided by .26 = over 61MPG.

Did I get that wrong?

Maybe he meant buckets.....I dunno....lol
A mere 16mpg makes no sense tho.

lol
its correct, 16mpg

14,3 litres/100km (-> signature)


this trip was about 230miles in 2 hours.
me and 3 people in the car and the trunk was full.
:D
back 's been the same

the fuel i use has 95 octane ;)

Aye.

At 115 miles per hour I believe the EPA mileage estimates would probably not apply!:D

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Mopar fan (all I drive are dodges) but the way dodge has advertised the Calibers gas mileage is a crock! Like I mentioned in an earlier post. my brother has one and he took to dodge because he is only getting 22-23 highway mpgs,( it has around 3000miles on it) Dodge did a "test" on it an said that it is getting nearly 40mpg. Wow this is better than what they have even advertised! Bull CRAP! I am avid dodge fan, but I am not so much a dodge dealer fan. It's all about $$$, who cares about anything else. Whatever. I really think that the Caliber is a really cool vehicle, but has been falsely advertised.

I have the R/T.... I filled up the gas tank which cost me about $35 ($3.00) and got about 215 miles and was barely above quarter tank I was trying to run it low so that I could find out how many miles I could get on a tank of gas but my husband took my car and doesnt like to let any car run under a half tank so he put gas in it and messed me up.... So I filled it up again today and i'll try this again .... This is also driving local 25 mph roads and 55mph on my way to work but mostly around town with alot of stopping and going with ac on full blast ...... Dont know if this helps any ....I'll let you know how it does on a road trip from Virginia to PA... hopefully this weekend... If not then to Michigan (home) over labor day from Virginia

it will be interesting to see what you get. It's really weird how much different the gas mileage is for the Calibers on here. Mabey some are just worse on gas. Mabey it's due to the fact the this is the first year and they haven't perfected all of the parts yet. Who knows?

I've been getting about 330-335 miles to a tank, mostly short distance and and alot of accelerating freeway driving. To have the autostick you need the CVT2, the CVT doesn't have autostick.

Hi All...
Mileage figures obtained by the Environmental Protection Agency should be considered as estimates, they really are to be used only for comparison purposes. The actual mileage you can expect depends on the individual driving habits of the person using the vehicle, the conditions under which it is driven, and the vehicle's mechanical condition.

You can check out estimated fuel usage on various engine/transmission combinations on the EPA web site at: www.fueleconomy.gov.

Hope this helps...

Kelly S

True.......but everyone getting vastly different mileage is a bit odd.

SXT with CVT:

4243 total miles with an average of 25.148 mpg

2.0 SXT with autostick

my average after 3700km is 21mpg

I was just looking at the jeep site which has specs on the compass now, after looking at that it definatly seems that the CVT is the culperate for the poor fuel economy, now adays normal auto's have fuel economy's about the same as manual, usualy 1mpg worse or better.

just for example first, here's a few different vehicles, 4-8 cyl, trucks and cars with both auto and manual fuel economys.

Jeep Liberty 3.7L
18/22 6 speed manual
17/23 4 speed auto

Dodge Dakota 4.7L
15/20 6 speed manual
15/20 5 speed auto

Scion tc 2.4L
22/29 5 speed manual
23/30 4 speed auto

Honda Civic 1.8L
30/38 6 speed manual
30/40 5 speed auto

Ford Focus 2.0L
26/34 5 speed manual
26/32 4 speed auto

So basicaly auto's are just as good, and in some cases a little better than the manual in the same car and in some cases a little worse, but then there's the CVT (which is suposed to give better economy that a normal auto) vs 5 speed manual in the compass.

Jeep Compass 2.4L
25/29 5 speed manual
23/26 CVT

Personaly that tells me they need to drop the CVT and go with a normal 4/5 speed auto, it would get better economy and performance.

R/T with CVT2, I average 18.2mpg. I do a lot of stop and go driving, and while in the "go" part, I do anywhere from 40-60 MPH. Sure would be nice to get above 20mpg average. I traded in a 10 year old minivan, as I was average 14-15 mpg in it, expecting to get an 8mpg bump in fuel economy, not 3. I'll be taking my car in tomorrow for it's first oil change, and to look at a few warrenty issues, hopefully after this oil change the milage will go up a bit.

Interestingly, right after I got this car, I had to make a 200 mile drive round trip, all highway driving, and I got 29mpg. But now, whever I do any highway driving I get 25-26mpg. Hmm...

I just traded in my 04 Dodge Ram for the Caliber and I have to say I Love it! Im getting about 25-30 mpg with the 1.8 manual. Thats a big jump from 12 mpg w the Ram... Although I have to say I do miss the room and the power, but I dont miss the 70 bucks I had to put into it once sometimes twice a week.

ORIGINAL: shiltz

I was just looking at the jeep site which has specs on the compass now, after looking at that it definatly seems that the CVT is the culperate for the poor fuel economy, now adays normal auto's have fuel economy's about the same as manual, usualy 1mpg worse or better.

just for example first, here's a few different vehicles, 4-8 cyl, trucks and cars with both auto and manual fuel economys.

Jeep Liberty 3.7L
18/22 6 speed manual
17/23 4 speed auto

Dodge Dakota 4.7L
15/20 6 speed manual
15/20 5 speed auto

Scion tc 2.4L
22/29 5 speed manual
23/30 4 speed auto

Honda Civic 1.8L
30/38 6 speed manual
30/40 5 speed auto

Ford Focus 2.0L
26/34 5 speed manual
26/32 4 speed auto

So basicaly auto's are just as good, and in some cases a little better than the manual in the same car and in some cases a little worse, but then there's the CVT (which is suposed to give better economy that a normal auto) vs 5 speed manual in the compass.

Jeep Compass 2.4L
25/29 5 speed manual
23/26 CVT

Personaly that tells me they need to drop the CVT and go with a normal 4/5 speed auto, it would get better economy and performance.

You cant always compare the milage of manual vs auto fairly. My 05 Dakota quad cab 4wd has a 4.7 v8 and the 45RFE 5 speed auto. I get almost 20MPG IF i set my cruise control at around 57. The manual tranny is with a v6 which is a trade off, the V6 cant really pull the auto and most definatly couldnt pull any kind of trailer load with the auto. The 4.7 V8 with the 5 speed auto gets a little MPG help from the extra gear.
I am curious how the owners of the CVT like them and if there are any problems with them. The reason I ask is that I work for Chrysler in thier transmission complex (three plants) in Indiana. The CVT is NOT made by us and its made by JATCO, a Japaneese company. We had a large layoff due to Chryslers decision to not build it at our plants. Consider that this rubberband tranny replaced the one used for neons, stratus, and the new Jeep line. Thats a lot of product and jobs lost. We are hearing there has been a significant percentage of problems with them and to be honest it serves them right. Rumor is there is a plan to use an existing 5 or 6 speed we are building next model year, and do away with the JATCO. Im interested in maybe getting a Calibre next year with a 1.8 and a MANUAL tranny for my daily 100 plus mile round trip commute.

Sorry to hear about the layoffs, that aside I really like the CVT tranny. I haven't experienced or heard of any problems arising from them as of yet. Performance has improved with more milage on it and getting accustomed to a new style of driving with this tranny. I'd like a little more off the line performance but overall it's not to bad at all and it really scoots well when your moving.

Hi everyone, new at this game. My Black SXT was built during the evening shift on July 6 and I picked it up on July 28. Didn't order, just looked around and found what I liked. Normal goodies inside an an ever so powerful 1800 cc 5 sp. ( I guess I am too old for speedy vehicles now). It works very well so far. What I learned from reading your comments certainly helped me make some decisions. Thanks for that.

Here is my mileage for the first two tank loads.

Comb city/hwy driving. 34.71 and 34.94 mpg. (8.11 ltr / 100k)

That's using the imperial system. For our American friends multiply that by .8318 to convert to mpUSg. (That works out to about 29.113 mpg) So it is pretty well bang on with the window sticker of 33 city and 42 hwy. Taking into consideration it is still under 1200 kms of driving of course.

4urinfo one US gallon equals 3.785 liters and one Canadian gallon equals 4.546 litre. We gott 'em bigger up here !!!

Looking forward to chatting periodically with you all..

I have a black SXT(cruise,security,2.0,cvt) and took a run up to the Ontario Mopar Fest in New Hamburg Ontario yesterday
I am 6'1" 230lbs and my passenger is 6'4" 240lbs.
Drove city 40kmh,set cruise at 110kmh and several passes on the expressway up to 140 kmh,
had filled up when I left and on return again ended up 34 mpg/imperial or abt 28 mpg/US.
No noises,no pings and no leaks (washers or anywhere as it was raining) car built June 22,06.
Happy Caliber owner.

i have the AWD R/T and so far i have averaged only 21 miles/g. with 1000 miles on it, 950 being highway, i really really hope this improves as the car breaks in. Luckily AC makes me sick and i never use it:D

With a little over 3000 miles on the clock... I am averaging 22-23 mpg... this is a mix (25 mile round trip commute with about 12 at ~60 and the rest stop and go city with the AC always on). I have yet to take it on the interstate for any long distance to calculate pure hwy milage.. this is all hand calculated as I don't have the computer deal... this is a little better than I was averaging in my '05 Kia Sportage (2.7L V6 - same hp and torque) auto that I had 18,000 miles on when traded..

SXT 2.0 CVT second tank of gas all city stop and go 10.276 km/liter;9.73 liter/100km;29 mpg imperial gal;
24.2 mpg/US,figured manually no EVIC.
Driving like I stole it!!!!

Wow, there seems to be quite a difference in gas mileage from those of you that have posted your mileage. some are not that much better than my caravans. I really want to test drive one, if only the local dealers could get and keep in stock the more basic models. They get in one (usually on order for someone ) and then they're gone.. Thanks for all the mileage info....keep posting as your motors break in and it improves (hopefully).

I got 33 miles/gal with my Caliber SXT Sport on my first fill up ever. It has the 2 liter with the CVT.

Hey all... got my Inferno Red R/T 2.4 w/autostick FWD 1 week ago today. Got 265 miles on the first tank (refilled about 5 miles or so after the low fuel light went on... the needle looked mighty close to the big bad E). Did the math and got just about 24 mpg for this first tankfull. Thats with some highway and more city driving, but also with a few HOURS worth of standing damn still inching my way to a parking spot for a concert at Toyota Park in Bridgeview IL...). I have used the autostick a bit... but haven't quite jumped on it... I really am trying to be good and break it in normally. Just wanted to throw my numbers into the ring.
Anyone with the fancy trip computers know how many miles it "claims" you have till empty when the low fuel light goes on? In my 2000 Dakota with the 5.9 it was 30 miles.
Also, just out of curiosity, anyone know if the driver info center (the screen to the left on the gages) can be added post production?

Tanks.

I drove 365 kilometers yesterday starting with full tank,speeds up 140km/h and sitting behind bad accident on the 400 expressway southbound idling along for 15 minutes,filled up on return,figured manually that I got 7.7 liters/100kms or about 37mpg(imperial gal).
Hopefully can only get better.

Got my 2 liter SE Caliber w/CVT & A/C about 3 weeks ago for $14,000. Have featherfooted 2 previous manual transmission econo cars to highs of 50+MPG. The smaller Toyota Yaris & Honda Fit didn't arrive in the U.S. with CVTs & the Nissan Versa CVT was too pricey. Love the magic carpet ride of the Caliber CVT. However, on a trip over 4000' passes & returning to sealevel, the Caliber would buck hard pulling away from stops. The Dodge dealer said the throttlebody interpreted the return to sealevel as the wrong oxygen level & changed it causing the bucking. But the software was reprogrammed & my Caliber is running velvet smooth again. Combinations of moderate town driving & some country driving give 27-28MPG. The mountain driving with lots of stops for photos give 32.5MPG. My wife & I drove on country roads to a party. The Caliber had 2 full cooldowns & 1 partial cooldown & got 35.6MPG.

You know that it does depend where you buy your gas too cause its a fact that some gas stations sell gas that burnup faster than others.I get different mileages with differents brands of gas.;)

Your great question about differing gasoline brands reminds me of my wife's brother who is a pilot. He stays away from Arco gas, believing that Arco will hurt your engine. I think Arco may have more variances than other gasolines. In one of my old cars with fixed spark timing, I noticed that some tanks of Arco gasoline gave a bit of spark knock. Then, I would keep my engine revs somewhat higher to reduce the knock. But generally, my MPGs from tank to tank were about what I expected depending on that tank's driving conditions & less on the gasoline I used. Also, there is some organization that recommends the use of many gasolines, but not others....one of the gasolines they don't recommend is Arco. My wife will not use Arco in her Saturn & I will not use it in my new Caliber. I may also stop using it in my 1988 Ford Festiva. Sometimes I add HEET to my gas tank here in Washington State thinking it helps to lock up water & get it out of the gas tank. I really can't tell the difference between other gasoline brands. Maybe you have further information.

I have a 2.0 with cvt the first 200 miles I got 24mpg, that is driving 70-75 with speed control. I hope it gets better, but I love the car!;)

I have the R/T model, 2.4L Auto. I drive mixed highway/city about 50/50. I am very disappointed in the mileage -- I am getting about 19.
What I am doing is keeping all my gas receipts and recording the mileage at each fillup. Never mind the calculatin performed by the car, it is purely fiction. Your real mileage is determined by what you put in at the pump.

Keep your receipts, and keep annoying the dealer. I have about 8300 miles on mine now and I don't see any real bump in the mpg at all. I am using the recommended oil and changing it every 3000 miles. I keep the tires well inflated.

With my mileage so poor, I am considerng class action status on this....

I see a lot of guys bosting great mileage here ... but I'll bet they are not really measuring it from the pump and odometer.

I get OK mileage with my Caliber getting 35MPG on the highway. I'm used to econoboxes & featherfoot them to highs of 50+MPG. I measure from the pump. & since I have an aeronautical engineeriing degree, I can figure it right. The Caliber has a high drag coefficient. Driving over 60 or 65mph will return you poor mileage. I love the CVT transmission, but I think it is sensitive to any leadfooters. Anything but even & gentle pressure(I mean real even & gentle pressure!) on the gas pedal will not get you good mileage. Saying that, I think I may have an above average nicely tuned Caliber SE from the factory without a lot of the gimcracks to weigh my car down.

I don't consider myself a leadfoot, but after reading what some of you guys say I am going to try the featherfoot approach. I haven't noticed a bump in mpg after an oil change, but I will take careful note next time since I am due for a change in about 300 miles.

I agree with the above 60-65 mph comment. I went LA to Phoenix last month and kept it at 75 mph *the posted limit, thank you* and I was in the low 20's for mpg. My morning commute usually gives me about 20 minutes at a steady 60mph so I kept and eye on the meter ... it went as high as 35mpg but it won;t be until later in the week when I make the Mobil Pilgrimage that I get a true picture. I too am an aerospace geek so break out the scientific calculators!

Hi Jaksel...I've also noticed that the Caliber is real quiet for wind, & engine noise, but road & tire noise is much louder. Wind & engine noise give away inadvertent speed increases more than the road & tire noise(which tends to be a lower rumble). Therefore, I find I have a tougher time keeping the Caliber at a very steady velocity, compared to my econo cars. Sometimes, I am going 5+mph faster than a lower speed I try to adhere to. You can have fine mileage if you do that once in a while, but not continuously(yo yo effect). Also, on the fast freeways, I don't go the speed limit but well under it. I love driving & seeing the country(whether I'm commuting or not). I keep out of the way of the people who just have to speed. Others have said they drive like me, but still don't get good mileage. As I said my car seems to be very well tuned right now. If you notice any black soot inside your tailpipe, your engine may be running rich which could lower your mileage. Your dealer should be able to lean out your Caliber's fuel-air ratio. But be careful....too lean a setting can burn your engine. My motorcycle had a lean burn engine. In its day it was a very quick bike, but could still get 75MPG. While going over 4000 foot passes & returning to sealevel, my Caliber's software adjusted my fuel-air ratio too lean & my Caliber bucked badly accelerating from a stop. My dealer easily adjusted the software program to avoid such an occurrence in the future. So good luck. Good mileage does not come naturally. Continuously, your engine burns fuel...so continuously, you have to think MPG.

Man, all this news is so varied that it is almost useless.
I have to wonder how many people really know how to figure there gas mileage.

Very simple, has nothing to do with oil changes or at what level you fill up.

1) fill your tank, and note the odometer reading.
2 drive your car for what ever distance you want.
3) fill your tank.
4) how far did you go? (subtract the original odometer reader from this one)
5) how much fuel did you put in?

6) The biggie - divide the number of miles you drove by the amount of fuel you put in and presto, you have your mpg for that
tank of fuel.

Forget the trip computer. They are almost alway a tad optomistic.

Arco fuel bad? Hmmmmmmmm Have been using it for 20+ years in everything from chevy and dodge pickups, chrysler, chevy, and ford sedans, my current 01 Dakota and my wife's 3.5 liter altima.

Never a problem, no pings, no hype, and no reason to change.

Like i said before,I drove from boston,ma to daytona florida and it cost me about $100 each way.Thats good enough gas mileage for me.:)

combined city/highway/freeway
20mpg actually with the 2.0 SXT autostick

Ok, I am the new owner of a Dodge Caliber SXT and am concerned about gas mileage. I have gone only 196 miles before I filled the tank just to see how things were going. My average agrees pretty much with everyone elses at this stage of ownership. I got 24mpg with a combo of Town and freeway driving. I'm sure I need to get a few more miles before I will notice any change.

As for why I bought the Caliber, I went to all the dealers especially Toyota looking for a 30mpg car. I owned a 1991 Mazda Miata before and only got 30mpg with continuous freeway driving with a stick. Normal around town driving was more like 24-25mpg.

I think for the money, room, features, the Caliber beats the lot. The Yaris interior was crap. I own a 96 Dodge 1500 truck and it is great. I think that Mercedes technology is rubbing off on Chrysler and we will see some nice stuff in the future.

Back again after more miles and service....
Regards
William Jibby
:D:D:D

Hi Jib01...You should get top mileage from the get-go. My 2 liter SE Caliber w/CVTgave 33+MPG on a slow country drive on its first tank. However, the Caliber is stingy about giving good MPG especially with the CVT trannie. If you drive fast, the Caliber will take away quite a few MPG because the Caliber is heavy & has a bad drag coefficient. If you accelerate fast(or even moderately), the Caliber will take away lots of MPG. If you yo-yo your speed on the highway, the Caliber will take away MPG. In short, if you drive like most other people(keeping up with everyone else), you will see 30MPG seldom, specially in a cold winter or hot summer with the A/C on. Yes, the CVT computer is always seeking the gear that will give best MPG, but it will not tolerate non-economical driving.

It all depends on how you drive the car. In looking at the RPM gauge it looks like 2000rpm is the optimum to get good mileage from. I wish we could ge a hold of the Dodge Caliber graphs of RPM vs Gas Mileage and acceleration charts. I know they exist. I don't know why they are not available directly from Dodge. It would sure help us all.

Still the best value out there bar none.

Regards
Jib01/02

Hi Jib01...Agree with you about the 2000 RPM range being the most economical. Don't know anything about RPM vs. MPG charts tho. In the Dodge Caliber brochure(should be at the dealers), possibly the next best graphs are available for the 3 Caliber engine sizes. It is the HP & torque curves vs. RPMs. For the 2 liter w/CVT the torque rises till 2800RPMs. At that point the torque drops a bit. Not till the RPMs reach well into the 4000 RPM range does the torque once more reach & pass the 2800 RPM level.
If I interpret the chart right, accelerating at over 2800 RPM should not be economical. Keeping acceleration below 2800 RPMs should be your best bet for economy.

Ok I drove using the 2000rpm rule and got 25.075mpg combined. this next tank I will have my foot in it a lot more to see how it accelerates. I found it gets off the line better if you use low and then switch to drive later. Getting off the line with just drive is not as fast. Still testing every tank.

Regards
Jib01

Hi, thought I would weigh in on my experiance with mpg. First the specs; I bought my Caliber last spring with the auto trans and 2.0 motor. Idrove itto work a few times (to show it off) and some highway driving.I checked the mpg the few times I filled it up and was getting around 24 mpg. When I took it to Missouri (about a 650 mile trip) to see my first grandchild, it had 530 miles on it. I checked the mileage everytime I filled up on the way there. As the motor was getting broke in the mpg was going up. At the last fill up before I left, I averaged 30 mpg. This was both highway and city driving in Missouri with the A/C on. Driving all highway on the way back (at about 75 mph) with also the A/C on, I averaged 32 mpg.

I have a R/T AWD with about 6000 miles on it. I only get about 17 - 18 mpg. For a little 4 banger that (in my opinion) sucks. I actually bought that thing for my son, but I was going to drive it until he turns 16. I'm starting a job in Pheonix, AZ and I would be driving back and forth for the next year. I hope this "break in" period changes the mileage, but I doubt it.

1400 miles and still getting 25+ overall with Freeway and City driving. Seems to be pretty stable. I checked on one small tank after freeway driving and I got 27mpg. Still not 30mpg yet....

Regards
Jib01

I'm beginning to wonder it the car knows if it is in town or on the freeway. I did a lot of freeway driving on this last tank and it only got 24.5mpg. I'm beginning to think I'll never get 30mpg with this car. I look forward to a long drive. If I don't get 30mpg with this car I will probably dump it. Some newer cars have come out that really get that mileage. I like the car but want the freeway mileage....

Regards
Jib01
2.0 SXT with Automatic.

Ya have to featherfoot the Caliber w/CVT. My initial surprisingly hi 30MPG average was nice. One of my flat highway runs was 34.9 MPG...more nice. Even better nice was the 32 MPG going over 4000 foot mountains from sealevel. But as the winter got cold & long, my average MPG dropped to 28.4 MPG. But with the coming of spring, the weather warmed & winter mix gas was replaced by higher energy summer mix gas. My average MPG began climbing again. One trip over those 4000 foot mountains netted my highest mountainmileage of 33.7 MPG. My overall average has risen to 29.4 MPG. I think I will net between 30 & 31MPG in my first year of ownership that ends late September 2007. We will see. I should have gotten higher MPG if I'd bot one of the smaller econo cars w/manual trannie. But the Dodge Caliber w/CVT is so elegantly smooth as to be like a magic carpet, that it would not have been worth it.

Ok, litesong, we need some information because this seems a little abnormal.

What were your speeds during these trips ? Did you have air on ? How many miles do you have on the car ?

Regards
Jib01

Yes, it is abnormal. More abnormal is I love the Earth, love to Drive, & love not to Pollute...three very jealous lovers.Ifeatherfoot like crazy, so my lovers don't drive me crazy. Previous econocars I've owned I got 42 & 45MPG average. I used to have a motorcycle. Traveling around America, I got 75MPG. On one 8000 mile trip, I used 120 gallons of fuel...& that while going over 10,000 foot mountain passes.I really work to stress my machines as little as possible. I live inWashington State, where the air is clean & I'll trymy best to keep it clean. Try to use a/c little.

I see that myCaliber is running especially good comparedto other Calibers. MPG has been good from the beginning & I have 8500 miles on Caliber now. Altho I try to keep speed down, I ain't giving heart attacks to those behind me. But I don't care if pretend auto racers have to slow down to the speed limit. The Dodge CVT seems especially prone to guzzling gas when driven even moderately hard. Tho the Caliber CVT was advertised to give 5 to 7 percent better MPG than 4 speed automatic transmissions, that percentage isonly available to real real careful ffeeaatthheerrffooootteerrss!At the same time, if driven with very careful featherfooting, it'll start giving "abnormally good" MPG.

Here's some tips. & remember, Caliber CVT responds best to these gas saving tips. Keeptires at recommended pressures. Low tires kill MPG.Europe loses 2 billion gallons of gasa year just from low pressured tires. Try keeping pressures 1 to 2 pounds per square inch over recommended levels, but no higher. Higher pressures make braking distances long...& dangerous.

As mentioned, slow down. Many freeway cars run well over the speedlimit, so slowing to the speed limit maybe dangerous. But slowing 1 to 3 mph will also save gas. For thosehighways where possible, slowing to the speed limit (or heavenforbid, even lower) can really save the gas. The Caliber w/CVThas a high drag shape. Slowing down really really adds to MPG.

Accelerate slowly. Remember, for Caliber CVTs, accelerate v.v. slowly. Accelerating like all the cars around you will dump lots of MPG.

Don't yo-yo your velocities. This activity takes lots of MPG away from you.

The number one gas guzzler technique is to accelerate uphill with the a/c on. This triple whammy of gas guzzling will immediately put your MPG in the dumpster. As you approach the hill, turn off your a/c. As best you can,accelerateBEFOREcoming to a hill(& let your speed reach a bit higher than your normal speed) without having to press the gas pedal really hard. As you ascend the hill,gradually let your speed fall till your speed is 1 to3MPH below your normal as you reach hilltop level. Once on the level(& only AFTER you reach the level), slowly bring your car up to the speed younormally run at. You arein effect,stretching the hill out & making it a shallower hill & more climbable with less engine effort.

Most of all, concentrate on saving gas. Your car continually uses gas.Continually think to save gas. Your planet will thank you....so will your pocketbook. Let those who would scoff at you waste their own money. Don't let other gas guzzlers waste your money too.

Ok, now we need a definition of what YOU mean by Featherfooting. It means different things to different people. As I said above, 2000rpm seems to be the rpm you want to not go over until you are on the freeway. Just maintaining that is featherfooting it to me.

Also, it sounds like you travel below normal freeway speeds. What about around town and coming up to stoplights, how do you handle that ?

Every little bit of information helps to get more MPG out of our Caliber.

Regards
Jib01

Others usingthis info have raised their MPG 10%. That's a good start.There is a month's worth offreereading at caliberforumz.com where great people are crazy for their Calibers...even when their Calibers aren't getting good MPG. I'm over there & you can look at 370 of my posts on various threads. We'll see you there.

This will make you feel good. I get 10 mpg. in the SRTand 14 MPG. in the HEMI.
What you will do for fun!!!:D

Hi Midnight Runner...Yes, you do make me feel good. Because you posted here, you have some interest & you have potential to save almostTHREE TIMESas much as me.If you got 10% better MPG, you'd save one tenth of a gallon of gas in 10 miles of driving...me I have todrive 30 miles to save one tenth of a gallon ofgas.

If I drive 300,000 miles saving 10% of my gas, I'd save 1000 gallons of gas & maybe $3000. But you driving 300,000 miles would save 3000 gallons & $9000. Of course, you won't just drive 300,000 miles. You're reallyenthusiastic & probably willdrive well over 1 million miles. If you drove 1.5 million miles, you would save 5 times more or 15,000 gallons &$45,000. & that's if you just stayed with 10MPG vehicles that you drove to get 11MPG.

However, if you did switch to a car getting 30MPG, you would save 100,000 gallons of fuel, 2.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide& $300,000.

Come on! Get on board!Save some money, so you can spend it on better things than makinga lot of exhaust smoke. That's really what we are...exhaust makers. I for one will not spend my time, energy& MONEY making exhaust. When they come, I will have a full electric car & tell the oil companies where they can stick their individual $400million severence wages, bonus's & retirements.

Ahha, litesong, I have figured out finally why you are getting better gas mileage than I am. You have an SE 1.8 with the CVT. I didn't know that was an option ? Of course you are going to get better mileage with that combo. Now I understand....unless you posted wrong.....

Regards
Jib01

Hi Jib01...Good to see you over on the other site. No, my SE Caliber is the 2 liter w/CVT. I posted such in this thread on 2/3/07. As you thot, the 1.8 liter is not available w/CVT, but only with the 5 speed. I would havebot the 1.8 liter w/CVT tho.I would like to meet someone with the 1.8 liter 5 speed who feather foots really good,calculates his MPG carefully& see how much more MPG he has than me. But I never would have bot a car with 5 speedmanual tranny. I already have my 1988 Ford Festiva that averaged 45 MPG earlier in its life...& that with a 4 speed higher rpm tranny. Yes, I was seduced by the dark side(the CVT was too magically carpet ride smooth to resist its charms). I'm very happy my feather footing has made for some of thehigher Caliber average MPGthat I've seen tho.

Well the verdict is in as far as I'm concerned,had Tsb#18-031-07
performed 2 weeks ago and filled up the tank.
Using Mopar oil/filters with 100% city driving my mpg has gone
from 27 mpg/imp gal to 32.038 mpg/imp gal.
Taking in summer gas blend and warmer temps with 10532 kms/
abt 6200 miles on odo I am happy Caliber owner.
A plus to this is that the CVT lag or hesitation 0-25 mph is
gone,what a difference.

Get the flash!!!!!!![/align]

BigTsr,

What are YOUR secrets to getting good gas mileage ???

Regards
Jib01

Jib01 I have no secret,I drive normally 99.9% of the time but when I
need to pass or get out a tight situation I will without hesitation hit
the pedal to the metal.
City driving I try normally to keep rpms below 2400 and I use cruise whenever
and where ever I can,saves on speeding tickets also.
One other thing I have noted is a decrease in rpm at specific speeds,
before TSB 100 kph(62.5mph) in cruise tach was 2300-2400 now
sits at 2000 rpm,hence better mpg.

Just a note to say that my rising MPG after a long cold winter, has now reached an OVERALL AVERAGE OF 30.0MPG. Hopefully, the MPG will continue to rise until my first year of ownership is over. Then, that will be the official overall average MPG.

I have a caliber se cvs trans 2.0 Mileage 36,600 miles normal driving 400 miles to a tank full
sometimes a little more thats about 31 miles to the gallon thats on race track gas stations here in Georgia.
Stay 65 or under , dont start out fast, tire pressure , air filter and change the plugs often.
The best thing of all stay away from the dealer for repair.
Also have a 2003 dodge 1500 with the smal v8 at 109,000 miles still runs like new.
Also have 1994 ford xlt pickup small v-8 with 185,000 miles runs good and air cond still works
Never had them at a dealer for repair---and the cost o---mi----
Thanks

I've known about odometer error, but have forgotten to figure my Caliber's odometer error. I lose 0.1 miles every 5 miles for an error of 2%. Therefore, my 30.0MPG is really 30.6 MPG. I now think I can obtain an overall average 31 MPG by the end of my first year of ownership(9/28/2007).

Just made new record for my car at 32.77 miles to the gallon
Intalled new bosh platinums in car , help gas mileage
2.0 cvt auto 37,000 miles on it still runs like new
run any were from 30--31 miles on gallon on avg.

Within 10 days of my first year of SE 2 liter gasoline Caliber w/CVTownership, this is an update. With 16,400+miles & 479 running hours, my average speed is 34+MPH. After a cold winter with low energywinter mix gasoline,where some tanks were below 25MPG, my Caliber had anoverall average of 28.4 MPG into early February. Withwarming weather(& a switch to higher energy summer mix gasoline), my overall average MPG began rising. Thru spring & summer, it rose, often getting 33+MPG & sometimes 34+MPG, till now my overall average for 50 tanks of gas is 31.3MPG. I'm v. happy. 2.9MPG doesn't sound like much, but that is comparing myself to myself, winter & the overall average. Compared to leadfooters, I have accomplished much. I have also averaged 32.7MPG going over 4000foot mtn passes from sealevel & have a highway high of 35.6MPG. I'm not a hypermiler, but my Caliberhas responded well to featherfooting.

I'm getting about 8.5 liters / 100 km in the city. What's this in MPG ??

2.0 SXT CVT in Durban, South Africa which is at sea level.

Hi Palehorse...Your 8.5 l/100mm is 27.67mpg(U.S.).

Palehorse here is a converter site to help you in future.

www.tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html (http://www.tdiclub.com/misc/conversions.html)

I have a buick Lesabre 2001 w 3.8L engine I get 29 to 31 on High way 17 to 20 in town. Why would you want such a small car when you can go big and economical.

My gasoline figures are superior to your figures which I, at least, wrote down. Did you repeat many of those 31 MPG tanks or did you just remember a highway tank of gas that you got while moving with the wind or descending a mountain pass? What was your Lesabre MPG for its last 50 tanks of gas?

The Caliber isn't that small of car or a car of outstanding MPG. Tho my Caliber MPG averaged 31.3 MPG, my old Plymouth Champ & Ford Festiva averaged 42 & 45 MPG, respectively. Newersmall cars, with airbags & other new safety gear can average close to 40 MPG, & feather footers get even more.

Your Lesabre is just big, but not economical. Iget rid of cars that get 17MPG.

I think the issue with the 2.0 and CVT is *how* we can drive the car to get optimal mileage. Myself, when I first got the car, I tended to accelerate hard from a stop in order to get up to speed, due to the dynamics of how the CVT works compared to a standard auto or a stick. We are used to "listen to the engine" in order to figure out how fast we go, but this is wrong with a CVT because the engine keeps a constant rpm while the car accelerates. The tranny always tries to keep the engine to the optimal torque and lowest possible rpm.

One need to get used to the "rubber band" effect and ease up on the pedal! Also, this is a pretty heavy small vehicle at 3000+ lb. I can tell you, just try smooth accelerations for a few days and you might see a big improvement on the gas mileage.

Just checked the mileage during the last few weeks, and it averaged 10.2 L/100km which translates into 23.1 mi/US gal. for 2/3 city and 1/3 highway driving. About the same as my previous PT Cruiser with a 2.4L engine!

So it seems that the "economy" features of the dual-VVT engine and CVT tranny aren't what we expected... But it's still fine, the Caliber is not a lightweight car by any means.

When accelerated hard the CVT Caliber's internal hydraulic pressures approach 1000 pounds per square inch. Any car when accelerated hard will drop its MPG. However, with the CVTs internal pressures so high, CVT MPG will drop even more. You have to be careful on the Caliber throttle...rrreeeeeaaaalllllyyyy careful. My Caliber throttle is a bit jumpy. If your throttle is jumpy too, you have to press the throttle down very very careful to eliminate the initial jump. If you can stop the initial jump(& those elevated hydraulic pressures), the smoothness of the CVT will lead you to further careful acceleration. Its true. My Caliber MPG is proof.

Well, I only still have 2200 miles on my Feb 2007 delivery SXT with CVT and 2.0 engine. I will be going on a long trip this Christmas and look forward to at least 30mpg when driving 70-80 mph. I hope it gets close to this. I still don't know how many of you are getting that kind of mileage. I accelerate using 2000rpm as max and people want to climb up my ass because I am going so slow. I think I am going to put a sign in the back of my car saying the following...[Gas is $3.00+ as gallon. I'm saving you money !!!].

Anyway, I hope I can report after Christmas that the gas mileage is as good as most of you say it is. I have not been able to get better than 27mpg with combined driving yet.

I rented a Chevy HHR and it was a little more comfortable and had a nicer ride than the Caliber. The door opening to get in and out was much better also. But then again, I am 275lbs and 6ft tall so I like an easy entry.

Happy driving....
Jib01

ORIGINAL: litesong
When accelerated hard the CVT Caliber's internal hydraulic pressures approach 1000 pounds per square inch. Any car when accelerated hard will drop its MPG. However, with the CVTs internal pressures so high, CVT MPG will drop even more. You have to be careful on the Caliber throttle...rrreeeeeaaaalllllyyyy careful. My Caliber throttle is a bit jumpy. If your throttle is jumpy too, you have to press the throttle down very very careful to eliminate the initial jump. If you can stop the initial jump(& those elevated hydraulic pressures), the smoothness of the CVT will lead you to further careful acceleration. Its true. My Caliber MPG is proof.

Very true.

Smooth does it when starting from a stop. You can feel the torque converter lock after about 2 seconds or so and everything else is done "direct" thereafter. The engine pulls well and we tend to keep the foot down...

Hi Jib01...I think EPA mandated lower energy winter mix gasoline is being used by now in the U.S. So MPG probably won't be as high as during most of the rest of the year. To get my high Caliber yearly overall averageof 31.4MPG(highest flat highway, 35.6MPG), I try to drive very smoothly(which the CVT helps a lot), & I never drive 80MPH...or 75MPH. I recommend no higher than 70MPH, & if you can get away with it, slow down to 65MPH on the freeway. Of course, slower speeds on 2 lane highways is almostalways good for economy. The Caliber has a high drag coefficient & the drag force at higher speeds is just too much for the best economy. Slow down & enjoy the scenery.

Read my above posts too if you haven't already.

Litesong,

Aha, you have an SE with the smaller engine. As far as I knew you could not get a CVT tranny with that model only a 4-5 speed manual. That explains why you get the mileage you get. I have the SXT with the 2L engine with CVT which will get lower gas mileage. I noticed that they have change the information on the newer Calibers and have lowered the EPA from 30mpg to 27mpg on the SXTs all of a sudden. I will be driving at 70-80mph on my trip this Christmas. I'll put on 2000miles of freeway driving. We'll see how well it does.

Regards
Jib01

Hi Jib01...Twice now you have said I have the 5 speed Caliber(in this thread & in another thread), tho you know I have the SE Caliber. My posts above clearly state I have the SE Caliber with CVT & 2 liter engine. You must have a mental block as you wish to negate my MPG reports.

The EPA MPG numbers only have been lowered because they are now driving the tested cars at higher accelerations & speeds like people drive their cars now. The EPA got tired of listening to American complaints about EPA MPG estimates, so now give Americans what they want.The EPA higher differences in the pre-2008MPG estimates as compared totheir present 2008 MPG estimates are proof that careful slow driving & slower acceleration(slow & v.v. careful accelerationfor the Caliber), will get you 10+% better MPG.

Use theright lane of the freeways.

But if you insist on driving 80MPH (& I assume you accelerate faster than me & probably more unsmoothly) during this period of low energy winter mix gasoline, I don't need to hear your unexpected surprise & complaintsanymore about low gas MPG. I've reported to you & others, over & over on this website & other websites how to raise MPG. If you don't use my methods because of some seeming American idea that you must physically keep up & tailgate the Jones' guzzle-mobile, take the gas MPG you get.

As for me, I love to drive & see the terrain ofplanet Earth thru clear air. I love to stop at gas stations 10+% less than others do.

The problem is that I do drive like you. Always accelerate with 2000rpm or less most of t he time. Never put my foot into it unless I have to really pass someone. What about the factory fixes, have you had all of those done ?

Regards
Jib01

If you are nonchalantly going to drive 80MPH, you don't drive like me. My wife gotv. tired on a vacation, so we came back home in one day driving considerably faster than my usual speed & passing people. That one return, 70MPH was my max speed on the freeway.

Usually, I don't pass people unless they are 10MPH below the speed limit & enjoy being behind someone who isa bit BELOW the speed limit.I don't have a tachometer, but seem to have v. fine Caliber MPG without it. If your throttle is a bit jumpy, you have to overcome that throttle & make it really smooth in the first 0 to 5MPH acceleration. The initialrpm may be less than 2000rpm.I've had the 'TSB 18-...something' done. It was not to increase my MPG, but to correct the oxygen sensor settingwhile descending from mountain passes of 4000 foot altitudes. My dealer is really good tho & I trust him with my Caliber.

Ok, I have completed my trip to California with the following results....

Phoenix to Needles driving 77mph and many hills 24.92mpg
Needles to Buttonwillow driving 67mph minimal hills 28.979mpg
Buttonwillow to San Mateo driving 65-67mph no hills 30.65mpg

So the MPG chart in one of the other forums seems to be correct. Optimal speed for best gas mileage is 65-67mph.

On my way back I will travel at 77-80mph on flat terrain but I think the mpg will be about the same as my first one.

BTW, the car rode fine and felt like a Mercedes ride (1987 280 from what I remember). It climbs hills effortlessly. That CVT is terrific on hills. And Grandma said it was comfortable riding in the back seat. So far a pleasure to drive.....

Regards
Jib01

ORIGINAL: Jib01

<snip>
BTW, the car rode fine and felt like a Mercedes ride (1987 280 from what I remember). It climbs hills effortlessly. That CVT is terrific on hills. And Grandma said it was comfortable riding in the back seat. So far a pleasure to drive.....

Regards
Jib01

I too found that the Caliber has a very comfortable ride for all passengers, front or back. The reclining backrests in the back seats are a nice feature. At highway cruising speed all we hear is a bit of noise coming from the tires on the road. My only (minor) criticism is the thick A pillars that sometimes block the view while in a turn.

I know there are thousands of MPG posts, but when my light came on I drove another 30 miles. I then filled up and got a little over 12 gallons to the TOP of the filler neck. If the tank is 13.6 gallons and I put in say 12.5 gallons to the TOP of the neck, then I must have had a gallon left and then a little in the neck. What is the neck capacity? Or, total tank and neck capacity?

I have the 2.0 CVT SXT with 17,000 miles on it. I have been real light and easy on it since I won't have cruise control until today. (being installed now hopefully.) My estimate thusfar is with a full tank to the TOP of the neck at 235 miles and right on half a tank on the gauge.

Thanks for any info.

If you insist on filling your tank to the top of the neck you are going
to mess up the gas vapour recirculation system by damaging the
charcoal recirc canister and then you will be paying for repairs.
If you look under the rear end left side of the muffler you can see the
canister and the associated plumbing.
I get 25-27 citympg US right now and when the low fuel light comes on
I have 1.9 gallons left and the capacity is reported at 13.6 gallons US.

It isn't that I insist on fueling up to that point everytime...I just got the car and wanted to know how far a completely filled tank would go. I don't know what to say other than at 255 miles I am just under a half tank. Thanks for that warning on the overfill. I hadn't thought of that.

Here's a good question. When I bought my car, the salesman put in 20 dollars...about 7.25 gallons. It was 10% Ethanol. Could that contribute to a lower fuel efficiency? I have not run anything other than 87 octane since.

Well while the Ethanol itself would notget as good mpg the amountup to10%
will itself be almost neglible in determining best mpg.
The things that are a detriment to mpg particularly in the "winter"
gas supplied are the other additives so that you don't have
problems in cold weather,these do have an effect on mpg.
The 87 octane is what the Caliber should be using,the higher octanes
really don't give better milage on a cost basis-you pay more for a minimal gain.
The best and surest way to determine your milage is to fill to first time the pump
turns off automatically,note your milage and if you can next fillup at the same
pump same station.
Don't forget that gas is heavy so the longer you go on that tank the better
the average mpg will be as you are not carting around all that gas as yougo.
I found that I get my best mpg from Shell or Sunoco 87.

ORIGINAL: Jib01

Ok, I have completed my trip to California with the following results....

Phoenix to Needles driving 77mph and many hills 24.92mpg
Needles to Buttonwillow driving 67mph minimal hills 28.979mpg
Buttonwillow to San Mateo driving 65-67mph no hills 30.65mpg

So the MPG chart in one of the other forums seems to be correct. Optimal speed for best gas mileage is 65-67mph.

On my way back I will travel at 77-80mph on flat terrain but I think the mpg will be about the same as my first one.

BTW, the car rode fine and felt like a Mercedes ride (1987 280 from what I remember). It climbs hills effortlessly. That CVT is terrific on hills. And Grandma said it was comfortable riding in the back seat. So far a pleasure to drive.....

Regards
Jib01





I drive 55 to work and 65 home. AC is on 50% of the time. I travel 60 miles a day. 10 miles is city, 50 miles is hwy. I am at nearly 370 miles on a fill up and the gas light came on 18 miles ago. I estimate 28.5 avg mpg, 26 city/30 hwy. Just about what the sticker said. I ease into speed from stops and dont use the resume on cruise from 26 mph to get to the set speed. My question is, I see where Jib01 states that 65 mph is the most efficient speed. But what about 55 mph all the time? I dont have many steep hills, so momentum isnt a big thing. I understand that i travel avgerage 60 mph. Anybody got input?

Hello again-well it souunds as if your doing the most to
maximize your mpg,there is a fellow/Caliber owner who
has done in depth work regarding actual mpg verses
speed study here is his chart.
I use cruise even in the city when I can,call it lazy
or what ever but it also saves me speeding tickets
due to not seeing radar traps or keeping up with traffic.

local://upfiles/36523/CD09E565C55F405C8958E29F263DDB8D.jpg

That looks like what I'm getting too. I live in southeastern alabama. its 60 degrees here right now at 5 pm. what hills we have are not enough to get past 3000rpm for more than 15 sec. again, this is a great car in my opinion.

So, after almost two years, we can say 26-28 mpg overall? I like the car, but with my 03 Neon SE (auto/ac) getting 34-38 mpg, I can rule out this vehicle as a replacement for my Neonlater this year. That is alot of money in gas. I am very disappointed. It sounds like a good car, but they have lost me due to the mileage. I will not buy a Japanese car or a General Motors, but WTF is Chryco thinking with this rediculous reverse-thinking gas hog?

Well, after pretty much getting 29-30 mpg, and 385-400 miles per tank, I think its a fair balance between gas mileage and and a great car.

Hi somenothingness....You're doing pretty good for MPG. Most of the U.S. is now using lower energy winter mix gas that gives lower MPG. Your state of Alabama, may be using higher energy summer mix gasoline tho.

For your conditions you may be able to squeeze a bit more MPG if you want to really feather foot. You say you drive to work at 55MPH & 65MPH going home. There should be a bit more MPG if you drive home at 55MPH.Sounds like you may drivefaster because people are pushingyou. The Caliber has a bad aerodynamic drag force. Higher speedWILL reduce MPG more with
Caliber than more aerodynamic cars. If you do start driving a bit slower, you should stay to the right hand lanes where you should be able to go slower& not make the speeders angry.

Another way to raise MPG is to watch those hills, even if they are shallow or small. Make sure you have good speed (even a bit more thannormal) at the bottom of the hill. As you ascend the hill, let your velocity dropevenlytill youare going a bit slower than normal at the very top of the hill. Gently bring your speed up to normal only when you are on the flat at the top of the hill. If the top of the hill immediately starts down from the top, don't pick up speed UNTIL you are going downward.Thismethod is like flattening out the hill.As best you can,seldomincrease your speed whileclimbing a hill. That will really kill your MPG.I know you're in Alabama, butwhen you're at the bottom of the hill ready to ascend it, turn your A/C off. When you get to the top of the hill, you can turn your A/C back on. Again, trying to accelerateup a hill with your A/C on will really kill your MPG.

When accelerating from a stop,the Caliber tends to be jumpy. The front of the car lifts upward.Don't let the Caliber do this. V.v. carefully step on thegas, trying to make the first motion your Caliber does is FORWARD, NOT UPWARD. You are trying to cut thru the jumpiness, trying to move like a breath of wind.Your rpms may have to be under 2000rpms. Remember, if the first Caliber motion is upward, you lose MPG. If your first motion isFORWARD, you gain MPG.

Read my previous posts too, tosee my MPG is considerably higher than other Calibers.

I can appreciate your thoughtfulness and thoroughness in explaining gas saving habits...and while i dont floor it from a red light and drive 75 mph, i do like to enjoy just driving this car. I got 33 mpg on my 06 sentra 1.8 and getting 29-30 mpg on this bigger 4 banger is satisfying to me enough. I do keep to the right when going a little under the freeway speed limit. But, its just not in me to creep along and analyze every hill as if it were a tactical maneuver. If I didnt rely on the speed control as much, then the whole hill scenario wouldnt be an issue. But, this caliber shifts at almost the same rpm points as my 1.8 sentra, and revs at the same points as well. I try to drive conservatively at least half the time, and sometimes I just want to let loose. Good points though....what mpg did you say you achieved?

HI somenothingness....Do like your name.

For 1 year of driving including a long Washington state winter last year, I'm overall averaging 31.4 MPG with the CVT tranny. Over 4000 foot mountain passes, the CVT really comes into its own &AVERAGES an excellent 32.7MPG on long trips. My highest flat highway trip is 35.6 MPG.

My econo cars used to get 50MPG on the highway & my motorcycle would average 75MPG. Now that was freedom! Once I took the cycle on a ride when gas was $1.50, I had $5 in my pocket & 3 gallons in the tank. Said I'd comehome when I ran out of gas. Drove 350miles that day & still had $2 in my pocket afterward.

I photograph a lot, always looking for fine pictures to take. Don't need speed, just need the land to move thru.

Does anyone have the MPG numbers for the diesel version of the Caliber? I know we don't have them in the US but saw them on their website before the launch. I think they're built inBelvedere ILalong side ofthe US versionfor the foriegn markets. Correct me if I'm wrong.

This is my first post and my first Dodge. I have an 07 Caliber SXR 1.8 CVT. I have 18" KONIG wheels andP225/55-R-18 YK520 YOKOHAMA rubber.I am inthe Pacific Northwest namely Washington State. I have 5,845 miles on my car. First, I truly love this car it has all the performance I can expect from the 1.8. It never leaves me wondering if I am going to be able to merge into traffic it is very responsive; again it isn't a muscle car but also not advertised as one. My real milage is something I can live with: 32/26 Hwy/street. I drive, with cruse, at 70 on the open road and the commute, to and fromwork,averages 40mph over rural roads 7 miles each way. I burn Shell gas exclusively the middle grade. I have had the car to 115, mpg notwith standing, and the car felt steady and secure. I have recommended the Caliber to many who are looking to a reliable car. I have read many posts with complaints but have not experienced any with mine. One caution I always tell myself when reading complaints: I know not how the car is driven, what maintance standards, fuel grades etc etc. Not to be high and mighty but I feel confidant praising the Caliber. Though truth be told I no doubt would have toally enjoyed the larger motor...

Hi outinolympia...I'm east of Everett. I love my SE Caliber as it is. But sounds like you would like more power. The CSRT with turbo-charged 280 HP when driven carefully, has been reported to get 30MPG in some cases. One person who added some performance mods, reported he turned 33MPG with his CSRT. I don't know what the CSRT actually averages tho. Hey, I'll look up fueleconomy.gov.............................. No luck. The gov't website has no CSRT listed.

Just reporting in on my gas mileage. 2007 Dodge Caliber, 2.0L, 3500 miles. With ~80% city/20% highway commute to work I'm getting a little over 27mpg. On a recent trip from Detroit to Cleveland I got a hair over 33 mpg traveling between 65-67 mph. Very pleased after coming from an Isuzu Rodeo 4wd that got 15mpg in the city and 20mpg on the highway.

I actively attempt to keep the rpm's below 2500 when accelerating from a complete stop and around 2000 once I hit 25-30 mph.

so what transmission is the best for mpg in the caliper

The general rule of thumb dictates that any car with a standard transmission
when driven with achieving economy in mind will give the best mpg and that includes
the Caliber,the CVT tranny requires a gentle touch to come a close second place.

Well, hey all. I've had my 07 Sunburst Orange AWD R/T since December and I have currently 22,120 miles opn it. I'm get'n around 24-26 MPG. Now the REAL question, who is full of crap or not. Can you run e-85 in it or not.

The Caliber is NOT a flex-fuel car.
The car will run the standard mix of up to 10% Ethanol
which refiners blend into the 87 octane fuel.
Check the EPA milage site and you will find your RT
is in the ballpark for mpg if your figure is 80%city/20%hiway.

I have to say that I'm really happy with the gas mileage on my 07 Caliber SE 2.0 automatic. I average 550km per tank,(yeah, I'm Canadian) and it costs approx. $50 to fill from empty. gas prices where I am is currently 1.26.

Hello all,
2007 Caliber 2.0 cvt SE June 2008 72100 miles avg. 30 mpg33 hwy drive 80 miles a day to and from work
Tips Change plugs at 20,000 or sooner w/Bosh Platinums. same with air filter and pvc valve.
This will also help you getting started from the stop light , but still start off easy .
Have not replaced anything else yet , runs better now then when i had 23000 miles on it.
also new tires and front end alignment. Its a good car for the money You all have fun now and drive safe.

I have a 1992 Celica w/ 5speed manual, 2.2L and 145hp and I average about 25mpg in town and around 30 - 33mpg on the highway at 70mph...

My truck I get 22mpg on the highway (have gotten 24mpg) and about 17mpg in town...

:-)

Yay.

I have 2007 SXT w/11,500 mi and over the last 6000 mi I have averaged 25.55 mpg. Hardly any hiway miles and a 4.5 mi stop and go commute to work 5 days a wk. A lot of miles on weekends 35to 50 mph. I am happy w/25.5 mpg because I started tracking mileage in January in the Boston, Ma. area, so half the driving was under cold conditions.
Cone air filter and changed plugs about 1,500 mi ago to Autolite Double Platinum APP5224 gapped @ .048. Original plugs were somewhat worn, although I thought the car was running OK. New plugs w/larger gap made a large difference. Carstarts instantaneously as soon as it starts to turn over and at 30-35 mph I barely touch the throttle to maintain speed.

My overall average has risen to 29.4 MPG. I think I will net between 30 & 31MPG in my first year of ownership that ends late September 2007. We will see. I should have gotten higher MPG if I'd bot one of the smaller econo cars w/manual trannie. But the Dodge Caliber w/CVT is so elegantly smooth as to be like a magic carpet, that it would not have been worth it.


This quote I made in April 2007. By the end of September 2007, my yearly overall average Caliber MPG did rise to 31.4MPG. I had made the assumption that the CVT was so smooth, that the extra MPG I could have gotten with a smaller manual economy car, would have NOT been worth NOT having the CVT. Indeed, I love the Caliber CVT.

But I have discovered that those economy cars, with strict feather footing, can get WAY WAY OVER the EPA highway rating! With my wife's 2008 Hyundai Accent(EPA 32MPG rating), I was able to get 45MPG. I've heard Toyota Yaris' & Honda Fits with careful feather footing can reach 45 & 48MPG! My own '88 Ford Festiva with new sparkplug wires & timing belt has obtained 51.8 MPG, WHILE traveling over a 5500 foot mountain pass! My Caliber has obtained 32+MPG over the same mountain pass.

In this present day of $4 per gallon gas, I'm driving my Festiva more than my Caliber.

Wow you guys have a lot of mileage information together. I am kinda new to the forum but i saw the thread and thought it was interesting. My 2007 Caliber SE with the 2.0 Auto gets me about 26-29. That is a lot of in town driving too. Probably 5 miles on a curvy hilly highway and then about 4 more in town on flat city streets.

Hi, If milage is a BIG issue they have a hydrogen kit that was available for a Chevy Metro that would boost milage by at least 10mg on cars. The kit works and simple...why it never got off the ground is beyond me. It uses water and lye and creates a hydrogen vapor that boosts effeciency.

Milage FYI on milage the hydrogen add on kit(that was originally for a Metro) is still sometimes availbable on ebay.

Hello, I've always been a Caravan person, but the wife and I are looking into a Caliber as our commuter. Can anyone tell me what kind of gas mileage they're getting with the 1.8l and the automatic transmission? The EPA estimates are all based on the manual as far as I can see. The other question I have is, is the "auto-stick" i see mentioned , the same as the automatic. The Dodge.com website does not talk about an auto-stick under the caliber area. Thanks
Hi,
Milage the Dodge Caliber efficency varies ...However, you should get between 23-33mpg it is a pretty good car. If milage is the BIG thing get the stick AND cruise control between the two you will really maximize your milage potential.

Brand new 09 2.0 w/CVT2 trans got 24mpg on the first tank mostly city driving. I'm sure it will get better with more miles on it. Only 340 miles right now.
Nice car for my wife. My 08 Hemi Ram gets about 14 around town.

19,000 miles on my 2 yr old SXT 2.0/CVT and last hiway trip
it turned in 33.6 mpg US with cruise set at 65 mph.

I was at the dealer today getting the U-Connect installed and was looking around. My 2009 2.0 CVT2 Caliber is rated at 23/27mpg, but a 09 Avenger is 23/30. Why does the larger car supposedly get better mileage? It was a 2.4L with a 4speed auto.

I was at the dealer today getting the U-Connect installed and was looking around. My 2009 2.0 CVT2 Caliber is rated at 23/27mpg, but a 09 Avenger is 23/30. Why does the larger car supposedly get better mileage? It was a 2.4L with a 4speed auto.
I noticed that to when I was in dealers-who knows possibly they have ECU
management changes and re ratio'd the tranny to final drive.I think 33.6 mpg
hiway is where I am happy so it while it raise questions I am not concerned.
Don't forget areodynamically the Avenger is an arrow compared to the Caliber.

I thought about the aero advantage of the Avenger since it is a little sleeker and sits lower.