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If you are in the market for a Dacia Duster but you don’t have the money for a Duster, then the Dodge Caliber is your answer. If you are looking for a cheap and good car, then the Dodge Caliber is cheap and decent. Like the Duster, basically.

The only real issue is that the european Dodge Caliber usually comes with front-wheel drive, unlike the Duster which comes with 4×4. Of course, the Dodge Caliber also has versions with 4×4 transmission, but there the real advantage is lost, namely the price. With 2000 pounds you can buy a decent Dodge Caliber in 2024, which does not have billions of miles under it’s rusty belt and which is from 2008-2009.

Is it worth 2000 pounds though?

I’m not convinced. The Dodge Caliber came as a follow-up to the Chrysler PT Loser, although these cars are as close as relatives when discussing heritage, but if that’s what Chrysler decided, it stays that way. So we have a classic recipe for American cars in Europe – a very cheap car inside, mechanically simple and with engines bought under license from local manufacturers.

We already know that Dodge and Chrysler have a history with the Italians from VM Motori for larger cars like Dodge Nitro or Jeep Liberty or Mercedes for the Grand Cherokee and Commander, but for smaller cars like Dodge Caliber or the Compass they turned to a smaller manufacturer and called VW and bought the famous 2.0 TDI PD from the first generation, famously used on the Golf, Octavia, Passat, Audi A4 and so on. It is curious that the predecessor Chrysler PT Loser used the 2.2 diesel engine from Mercedes, bought under license. Chrysler – in permanent contact with the feminine side in the sense that it can never decide.

So yea, the Dodge Caliber is rather the predecessor of the Duster than the successor of the PT Loser. And yes, the Dodge Caliber was among the last American cars sold in Europe, in 2012 the pool closed for good and the Caliber was among the last ones to turn off the light, so it has no successor and that’s how I thought about the Duster.

Both are quite reliable cars, cheap, practical and with reliable engines taken from others. They both have such cheap interiors that it reminds you of the dorm rooms. They are cars for family members who want something cheap and decent, without too much fuss because fuss costs money and you don’t exactly have money to give.

Dodge Caliber Engines

Petrol

• 1.8 World Engine of 148 horsepower – All Dodge Caliber gasoline engines are actually the same “World Engine” in various configurations. This is the smallest and was created especially for promotional brochures in Chrysler dealerships. “Dodge Caliber, with prices starting from ….”, just like it was with the 1.4 TSI on the Audi A4.


• 2.0 World Engine of 158 horsepower – We have 10 horses more than the basic engine, a few extra quid in tax, some extra equipment and the most important thing is that we also have available a CVT type automatic gearbox that you don’t want. Yes, it’s a Jatco aka Nissan CVT box, but the performance leaves much to be desired.


• 2.4 World Engine of 172 horsepower – Dodge Caliber R/T was the only one that had the option of 4×4 and an automatic transmission (4×4 came standard with automatic) so good luck finding one. And to end the story here, this engine was built together with Mitsubishi and Hyundai and is the same engine that you find on the Chevrolet Captiva, Mitsubishi Outlander, Hyundai Santa Fe and many others. It’s reliable, but it doesn’t really punch and the fuel economy doesn’t impress you, but at least it gets along quite well with LPG conversions.


• 2.4 World Engine Turbo of 285 horsepower – Reserved for the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 and mainly for USA, this engine made a splash on the Dodge Neon and is one of the best small performance engines built by Americans in recent history. But Dodge Caliber makes you want to do sports like Olivia Newton John. Sure, the thought is there, but it won’t make me go physical.

Diesel

2.0 TDI of 140 and 170 of horsepower – As I said above, we have two engines borrowed from VW. The first is the 140 horsepower one that does NOT have DPF and was used on Golf and Octavia (code name BKD), and the 170 horsepower one has DPF and was used on Audi A4 B7 and Passat B6 (code name BMR) . I think that the 2.0 TDI on the Caliber is the only Euro 4 without DPF in all the cars where it was installed, from the Passat to the Outlander. It is possible that the Jeep Patriot 2.0 diesel is an exception, but I am not sure. As general issues, these engines have the flywheel knocks and occasionally the injectors fails. But overall they are quite reliable.

Dodge Caliber Reliability Issues

• This is a common issue in the US but I will mention it here as well, namely the CVT automatic box which has a limited life. We Europeans only have the automatic on the 4×4 versions and those are very rare, but it is important to mention.


• The front suspension is made of chewing gum, which was chewed upon, re-chewed and spat directly on the car. The stars are the shocks, bushings and anti-roll bars.


• Dodge Caliber has an appetite for batteries and alternators just as Jeff Sokol has an appetite for pizza. Went too far on this one, isn’t it?


• There are some nasty cases where the chassis rusts, also in the USA. But it’s good to check for rust here too, because if no one did it beforehand, at least you do it.


• It’s an American car, so the interiors are exactly as you would expect from an American car. A lot of plastic, a lot of gray. But at least you have the shifter sitting high up on the dashboard, like on vans.

Dodge Caliber Verdict

It’s a cheap car, not very comfortable, forgettable, decently reliable. Basically, a proto Duster. Is it worth buying one instead? Apart from the chassis rust, you don’t have much to raise your pulse from the Dodge Caliber. However, it won’t be the last word in terms of luxury and comfort, so it’s probably worth it, especially when you look at the prices it’s asking for. You just have to see if you can come to terms with an American car.

What engines do I recommend? For petrol engine any World engine is fine, and my personal pick would be the 158 horsepower 2 litre version for tax and insurance reasons, although most of the cars sold in Europe came with the non-DPF, Euro 4, 140 horsepower, VW-sourced 2.0 TDI engine.