Dodge Caliber SRT-4

Hatchbacks are unpopular in the U.S. and muscle cars are struggling. Too bad. Dodge's Caliber SRT-4 is a lot of fun

by Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Raw speed, low price, reconfigurable display

The Bad: Torque steer, no all-wheel drive version, sloppy fit and finish

The Bottom Line: Unleash your inner juvenile delinquent (on a budget)

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

The '08 Dodge Caliber SRT-4 is a riot to drive. It's almost impossible not to, er … test the limits of legality as soon as you get behind the wheel.

The SRT-4 is a version of Chrysler's Dodge Caliber hatchback that has been souped-up by Chrysler's Street Racing & Technology (SRT) group. It's powered by a specially machined version of the company's 2.4-liter, 285-hp World Turbo four-cylinder engine—developed with Mitsubishi Motors (MMTOF) and Hyundai (HYMZY)—that generates 265 lb-ft of torque. That's a lot of oomph to put under the hood of a compact car that only weighs 3,189 lb.

In creating the SRT-4, the SRT group also modified the Caliber in numerous ways, upgrading the brakes, adding 19-in. forged wheels, lowering the suspension, and giving the car a new front fascia and hood scoop up front and a spoiler in back. The only available transmission is a sporty, six-speed stick shift.

The SRT-4 mainly appeals to young males on a tight budget. According to the Power Information Network (PIN), 81% of SRT-4 buyers so far this year have been men, and 73% of all buyers finance their purchase (as opposed to leasing or paying cash). Nearly half of all buyers have negative equity in the vehicle, an indication they aren't putting much money down. The average buyer's age is 39, and my guess is that the only reason it's over 30 is that a lot of parents are helping finance the purchase.

This isn't a refined vehicle. Torque-steer—which causes a front-wheel drive car with a powerful engine to pull to one side or another during fast acceleration—makes keeping the SRT-4 on a straight line when you punch the gas like keeping a skittish horse on a narrow trail. Front/rear weight distribution is a relatively unequal 58/42, so the car feels a little unstable when you throw it into a curve. Exterior fit and finish in my test car were sloppy. The gaps around the doors, hood, and rear hatch are much wider than they should be (and noticeably wider than in the Kia (KIMTY) Optima sedan I test-drove the same week). That's probably one reason the coefficient of drag (a measure of how slippery a car's exterior is) is a relatively high 0.396. Even, say, a Toyota (TM) Yaris has a drag coefficient of 0.29.

But, boy, you can forgive a lot of faults in a car that's as much fun as the SRT-4 is, especially when it comes at such a bargain price. The SRT-4 starts at just $23,930, and the average selling price so far this year has been $24,660, according to PIN. Add $1,395 for a navigation system and a six-CD player; $1,190 for an enhanced "Livin' Loud" sound system; $795 for a power sunroof; $250 for supplemental front side air bags (a major bargain); $400 for polished aluminum 19-in. wheels; and $150 for an "Inferno red" paint job.

The SRT-4 earned the top Five Star rating for front and side collisions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and a Four Star rating for risk of rollover. Fuel economy, not surprisingly, is lower than in a regular Caliber, but it isn't bad, considering the car's performance orientation. The SRT-4 is rated to get 21 miles-per-gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway; in 177 miles of mixed, very hard driving, I got 20 mpg. The SRT-4 does better than both of its main competitors, the Subaru Impreza WRX (rated at 19 mpg/24 mpg) and the Page 1 2 Next Page