Dodge Caliber is small car with big features

Dodge’s entry, the 2007 Caliber, is a five-door hatchback that’s classified as a compact, not a subcompact, and gets top government crash test ratings.

It’s also big on features and offers illuminated cupholder rings, all-wheel drive, a layer-it-on audio system, choice of three — and soon to be four — engines and even a glove box area shaped and cooled to hold water and soda bottles and cans.

Unlike its predecessor in the lineup — the Neon — the new-for-2007 Caliber doesn’t compete at the bargain-basement end of the small car segment.

Rather, starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $14,135 for a base Caliber SE puts it in the company of the 2007 Toyota Corolla sedan, which starts at $14,825, and the 2007 Ford Focus, which starts at $14,075 for a base hatchback.

But it’s most likely that a buyer will wind up spending at least $16,000 on a Caliber, because air conditioning and a continuously variable transmission, which a driver operates like an automatic, add $2,000 in options to the base Caliber SE.

Other Caliber trim levels — the SXT and R/T — are more generously equipped than the base model, wear larger, more attractive wheels and are likely to account for the lion’s share of sales.

And a fourth version — high-performance, 300-horsepower, Caliber SRT model — is due later this model year. Prices for the SRT aren’t yet announced.

The five-passenger Caliber is noteworthy because it’s the first Dodge planned from the outset to be sold in Europe and dozens of other countries, not just the United States.

As such, the Caliber’s front styling isn’t quite as bold as on other Dodges (think the Magnum and Ram). Yet, there are enough Dodge styling cues on the outside that the Caliber has some good on-road presence.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the test Caliber was a bright burnt orange color — Sunburst Orange Pearl — that was a $150 option.

I especially liked that the seating position in the Caliber is nicely raised some 4 inches above that in other compact cars. So passengers don’t feel like they’re resting on the pavement.

Yet, despite the car’s higher center of gravity, the Caliber tester with all-wheel drive held its line in curves and corners without feeling unsettled or tippy. Save for a 37.2-foot turning circle, the car looked bigger than it handled.

Indeed, the test car, an R/T model with standard CVT and sizable 18-inch tires, felt competent and comfortable in both city and highway travel.

And I didn’t lack for power.

The R/T’s uplevel gasoline engine, a 2.4-liter, double overhead cam four cylinder, can put out 172 horsepower and 165 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm, which is easily more sprightly than the Corolla’s 126 horses and 122 foot-pounds of torque. It’s also more than the 151 horsepower and 154 foot-pounds of torque in a Ford Focus with top, 2.4-liter four cylinder.

Drivers hear the engine when this powerplant is accelerating, but in regular driving, there was much more road noise than engine noise.

Don’t look to this engine for fuel economy. Even with the more fuel-conscious CVT mated to it, this 2.4-liter Caliber engine is rated at just 23 miles a gallon in city driving. A four-cylinder-powered bigger car like the Toyota Camry has a higher government rating than that.

Highway fuel economy isn’t much better. A Caliber R/T is rated at 26 mpg, which is equal to the government rating for a two-wheel drive Hyundai Santa Fe sport utility vehicle.

Buyers more concerned with fuel economy might want to test drive Calibers with the base, 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter, double overhead cam, four-cylinder engine. It’s rated at 28/32 mpg by the federal government.

The mid-level engine — a 158-horsepower, 2-liter, double overhead cam four cylinder — is rated at 26/30 mpg.

All Calibers using these three engines burn regular unleaded gasoline. A turbo diesel will be offered in European Calibers but not in the United States.

The nifty features of the Caliber add the fun factor.

How many times last summer did you want a cool bottle of water as you drove? You can have it any time in the Caliber with its aptly named "Chill Zone” glove box that holds up to four 20-ounce beverage bottles or cans.

Seat upholstery in the tester was an eye-catching mix of gray with bright orange inserts and, if you can believe, is odor-, fade- and stain-resistant. The material is a new fabric being rolled out into several DaimlerChrysler vehicles.

Another thoughtful touch: A Caliber center storage lid that slides forward and back 3 inches to provide better comfort for short-stature drivers.

And depending on the stereo system you want, you can add optional satellite radio, along with Boston Acoustics premium audio with new MusicGate that provides speakers that can be pulled outward from the rear liftgate to better direct the sound at tailgate parties.

I just wish the Caliber included stability control and side-mounted air bags as standard equipment for an extra measure of safety.