Prepare to be Disappointed: The Dodge (Caliber) SRT-4

[YSSMAN]

REMEMBER ME?​

Caliberforums.com is dishing the dirt on the new Caliber SRT-4, and they don't seem too pleased. Forum member Ironside happened upon a 2008 model guide while visiting a local Dodge dealer and when he flipped through the book, he spotted the SRT specs and pics. He even photocopied the pages and posted them for proof. Many forum members seem to be let down, as the promised 300 hp is apparently not gonna happen. Here are the posted specs and a few comments:

* 2.4L DOHC 16V Dual VVT 4-cylinder intercooled/turbocharged World Engine with 280hp @ 6000-6400rpm, 260 lb-ft torque @ 200-5600rpm.
* 0-60mph = 6.2 seconds
* 1/4 mile = 14.6 seconds
* Top speed = 157mph
* The SRT-4 will have a choice of two different 19" 5-spoke rims, the painted ones like on current SRT's, and the chrome ones.
* Final colours that are offered are brilliant black, sunburst orange, bright silver and inferno red (So no new colours like we'd hoped for the SRT).
* The front driver seat FOLDS FLAT.
* NO MyGIG.
* ***NEW INTERIOR*** Offered in what they call a "new completely dark slate grey" (huge improvement from the sound of it).

Thanks for the tip, Jim!

[Source: Caliberforums.com]

The actual numbers aren't necessarily bad, but after what we were promised, these seem a bit soft. There's also the feeling that perhaps 300 hp was more than the Caliber could handle, which doesn't endear it to would-be backyard tuners. Especially when compared to competitors like the Mazdaspeed3 and new WRX, the Caliber seems to do less with more. Even with a horsepower edge, the acceleration, in particular, seems disappointing. We'll have to wait for a full road test to see if these numbers are conservative.

Well, thats a shocking disappointment, but did they really think they could get away with 300 BHP through the front wheels? I mean, granted, it has worked with larger vehicles (GM W-bodies, Acura TL), but with a car this small, its getting to be far too much. Knocking the power down a bit probably was a good move, and should make the game a bit more interesting between the Mazdaspeed3, HHR SS, Mini Cooper S, and obviously this Dodge here.

I'm eager to see skidpad and lane-change figures, which should (hopefully) be impressive.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Well, thats a shocking disappointment, but did they really think they could get away with 300 BHP through the front wheels?

I think they're having trouble with the current power. Maybe they should've tuned the car more for a little less torque.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, they are running a Hyundai engine after all...

 

[CDailey]

The front end looks much better than the non SRT model. 👍

 

[TopHat]

The car as a whole looks better IMO.

 

[Tornado]

and should make the game a bit more interesting between the Mazdaspeed3 and this Dodge here.

Fixed. I can't see the HHR SS being anything but a total letdown. And the Mini, as outstanding of a car that is is, has about 50 BHP too little to deal with the group; even if it is teh better handling car.


On the subject of "disappoiting performance figures," one must remember that the base Caliber (with the 1.8L anemic engine) weighs nearly as much as the Mazdaspeed 3. The Caliber R/T (which is what I'm guessing this is based on) is nearly 300 pounds heavier than the Mazdaspeed 3, and the SRT-4 no doubt adds weight. The fact that it is as close to the Mazda as it is despite the weight difference (the engine power difference between the two cars is negligable) must speak volumes for something.
Still, I'd rather have an Neon SRT-4 than a Caliber SRT-4, as they were faster (its amazing how 500 lbs can make power gains negligable) and weren't put together as poorly.

 

[Philly]

That car is faster than my GTI. Still, it only does a little more with a lot more. 200 hp and 200 lb/ft feels about right in a front-wheel-drive car. 280 seems like a little too much. Even at freeway speeds, all I have to worry about is the transmission downshifting, never mind the "low" power.

Racing? I can't see this car as being very good on the track.

 

[Eric.]

What happened to these being AWD? I was never expecting much from these to begin with as far as the performance goes, but I did expect roughly 300hp and AWD like the rally twins.

 

[Kent]

With the listed performance figures for 0-60 I doubt the engine will be do poorly. Just the same, I'm expecting the skidpad and lane-change to be reasonably high- face it, the thing is running 19" wheels, they've got to be huge and huge tires means huge grip.
Nothing helps a car feel sporty like a good set of performance tires.

 

[Philly]

With the listed performance figures for 0-60 I doubt the engine will be do poorly. Just the same, I'm expecting the skidpad and lane-change to be reasonably high- face it, the thing is running 19" wheels, they've got to be huge and huge tires means huge grip.
Nothing helps a car feel sporty like a good set of performance tires.

I wouldn't judge a FF car on its 0-60 time. The tires only get so much grip. I've broken the fronts loose on the freeway before at 60.

The grip thinng makes this car sound pretty hopeless. That much more horsepower and much more grip should make this thinng more than .7 seconds faster to 60 than a GTI and it has no excuse for being only .3 seconds faster in the quarter mile.

 

[Tornado]

it has no excuse for being only .3 seconds faster in the quarter mile.

That is the major problem, but again, the Caliber's weight penalty throws that into perspective. I'd be surprised if this came out weighing much less (if at all) than 1500 kg. The GTi clocks in at under 1350 kg.

 

[Philly]

That is the major problem, but again, the Caliber's weight penalty throws that into perspective. I'd be surprised if this came out weighing much less (if at all) than 1500 kg. The GTi clocks in at under 1350 kg.

I'm having a hard time believing a sports hatch(?) from America would weigh all that much more than a hot hatch from Germany, especially one weighing 3300 lbs.

 

[TopHat]

The thing is, the Caliber is built like a truck. Big, chunky, and burly.

 

[Philly]

Yeah. I guess. All of a sudden weight is a huge issue unlike the RS4 vs. M3 thread, where we decided that weight could be easily gotten around.

I never did figure out if the Caliber was a crossover thingy or a hatchback. I guess both questions are answered?

 

[Tornado]

I'm having a hard time believing a sports hatch(?) from America would weigh all that much more than a hot hatch from Germany, especially one weighing 3300 lbs.

The base 1.8L Caliber weighs more than the Golf GTi, at 2960 pounds. The current top of the line Caliber (2.4L R/T) weighs 3300 pounds. Dodge will pull the heavy CVT and part-time AWD out of the R/T, but they will also add turbos and heavy duty suspension pieces, so I doudt it will weigh much less than 3200 pounds. The Golf GTi, in comparison, only weighs 2940 pounds.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Well, motortrend.com and caranddriver.com both put the 3500 pound Eclipse GT at a 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds. Car and Driver also has the VW GTI weighing in at 3200 pounds with a 0-60 time of 6 seconds.

The Eclipse has 263 HP, while the GTI has 207 HP.

I guess I'll wait until a magazine tests it.

 

[YSSMAN]

Fixed. I can't see the HHR SS being anything but a total letdown. And the Mini, as outstanding of a car that is is, has about 50 BHP too little to deal with the group; even if it is teh better handling car.

I'd agree that the Mini will come up short on the power figures, track performances continue to make the car seem quite quick. As for the HHR SS, I have to disagree. I would also suspect the weight, similar to the Caliber, to come in somewhere around 3200lbs (given the weight of the current 2LT model with the 2.4L I4). It should, in theory, have plenty of power to play ball with, so more or less its going to come down to how well the engineers at GMPD have tuned the suspension, and furthermore, how well they are going to be able to put the 260+ BHP to the ground.

My guess is that both of the Americans will do their best to take a whack at the Mazdaspeed3, and both should succeed fairly well against it, but I'm uncertain if a clean and clear "beating" will be in order. The game could also become quite upset should GM bring the Astra VXR over here as well.

It will be interesting, to say the least, but I believe the Caliber SRT-4 and the HHR SS both go on sale later this fall, so I'm sure a heads-up competition will be splashed across every major automotive magazine in North America.

 

[Blackbird.]

You've done this in the past YSS... enlighten me!

Why oh why have they discontinued the Neon? In my opinion it was their BEST selling product and I very much liked the neon they were very reliable in fact my family has owned 4. (2005 SRT4, 2000 Neon ES[mine], 2004 Neon[sisters], 1999 Neon[sold but had till 2004]) But back to the point, as far as I could tell I couldn't be in a car for then 5 minutes without seeing a neon on the road. As far as the caliber goes, I hate it. I have not been in one yet as in I haven't gone on a test drive with it but i've seen the interior and it just looks cheap. Now since I haven't done much research I don't know if the Caliber is a reliable car but I don't think they've been on the market long enough yet to prove that.

 

[Race Idiot]

The poor lil dodge omni turbo is rolling over in its junkyard grave.

 

[Wolfe]

Nothing new. The Caliber has been a disappointment in every guise since the time the first photos and specs surfaced.

The rumor of AWD was just about the only thing that could've made the SRT-4 impressive in my eyes, yet they chose FWD...why? Someone looking for a ludicrously powerful FWD compact will just buy the Mazdaspeed 3, and someone looking for a sporty FWD that handles well would never, ever consider a Caliber anyway.

I have to agree with YSSMAN, though. This SRT-4 is definitely going to go head-to-head with the HHR SS -- they're both "performance" versions of ugly truck-like compact cars that will never be able to compete with anything designed on that big island east of the Koreas or that chunk of land south of Denmark.

 

[Jim Prower]

*sigh* well, at least it looks less ugly-sticked.

If it shares platform with the Lancer, why can't they use the Evo drivetrain?

I guess, though, that the HHR SS/Caliber SRT-4 battle will be enough of a rivalry. But I miss that damn Neon.

 

[YSSMAN]

You've done this in the past YSS... enlighten me!

Why oh why have they discontinued the Neon?

You can probably thank the folks at DaimlerBenz for pushing the previous Neon out of the way in favor of a "World Car" Dodge Caliber that is based on Mitsubishi Lancer underpinnings... All at a time when the Mitsubishi/Chrysler relationship was on its death bed... What it came down to is that DaimlerChrysler, while knowing that the Neon was indeed a pretty decent car, knew it wouldn't sell well in Europe or Asia, and thusly went with the hatchback-style look to find the market that Europeans especially like most.

...And while I loved the older Neons, particularly the racy ACR and R/T models, all was not lost in transition to the Caliber, IMO. While I have a very hard time liking a compact that weighs that much, under performs, and utilizes such un-competitive equipment... I still like the Caliber. Chalk it up to the somewhat attractive looks, the truly functional (but CHEAP!) interior, and the wide assortment of nifty features that make the Caliber seem like an attractive buy.

Taking this SRT-4 in comparison to the previous model, I think we're all going to miss the Neon-based version. It was lighter, looked the part, and had performance to back up the looks. The car was scary fast, really for a low low price, and I'm having my doubts over whether or not this Caliber can do the same.

...Chrysler Holdings needs a hit, and while I'm uncertain the SRT-4 will do it, we always have the Challenger coming down the pipe as well...

---

Furthermore: If Dodge gets fancy with the power plants, they should consider putting the turbo I4 in the Avenger for an SRT model... It might be fun, but then again, it isn't as though models like that sell that well. Remember, Mazda just killed the Mazdaspeed6...

 

[Tornado]

As for the HHR SS, I have to disagree. I would also suspect the weight, similar to the Caliber, to come in somewhere around 3200lbs (given the weight of the current 2LT model with the 2.4L I4). It should, in theory, have plenty of power to play ball with, so more or less its going to come down to how well the engineers at GMPD have tuned the suspension, and furthermore, how well they are going to be able to put the 260+ BHP to the ground.

I understand you point, but that's not what I meant. Can you honestly say that you would choose any HHR over even the base Mazda 3? Yes, Chevrolet hit it out of the park with the Cobalt SS, and yes the HHR sits on the same platform. However, the HHR is just junk, whereas the Cobalt SS was built on an already good car.
I'm sure it will be fast, but so is the Chrysler GT Cruiser. And does anyone care about them? People cared about the Cobalt SS and Neon SRT-4 because they were based on good cars to begin with, and added great performance on top of that. The Caliber and HHR halo models will undoubtably be fast, buy they will also most likely still be junk.

 

[forza2.0]

it looks a bit like a MPV. I wouldnt have thought they would want to even attempt to make a seriously sporty car with that shell.

 

[JCE]

Is Dodge/Chrysler TRYING to go bankrupt? 280BHP in the new SRT-4 (which is super hideous anyway), so lets see...the old SRT-4 with 250bhp-ish (or 239bhp if you BELIEVE Dodge) went 0-60mph in less than 5.5s so the new one with MORE power is slower than the NEON it replaced? Ummm, dumb? 6.2s to 60mph is higher than the Civic Si, Sentra Spec-V, Cobalt SS, Mazdaspeed 3, and the Golf GTI--yet these cars are faster (with less power) and cost reletively the same (+\-). I swear the only thing Chrysler or Dodge is good for is the Charger/Magnum and possibly the Challenger (if it ever meets expectations). Chrysler/Dodge is completely worthless. EVERY competeting car for the SRT-4 is faster and much better looking--and is much better built. Oh and they all will probably wipe the floor with it (SRT-4) on a track. If Ford wises up and remakes the SVT Focus it will as well join the group of "much better built+looking cars for the same money that are faster".

 

[YSSMAN]

I understand you point, but that's not what I meant. Can you honestly say that you would choose any HHR over even the base Mazda 3? Yes, Chevrolet hit it out of the park with the Cobalt SS, and yes the HHR sits on the same platform. However, the HHR is just junk, whereas the Cobalt SS was built on an already good car.
I'm sure it will be fast, but so is the Chrysler GT Cruiser. And does anyone care about them? People cared about the Cobalt SS and Neon SRT-4 because they were based on good cars to begin with, and added great performance on top of that. The Caliber and HHR halo models will undoubtably be fast, buy they will also most likely still be junk.

Don't get me wrong, the Mazda 3i is a great car, but the HHR isn't that bad either. Combine the fact that I get both the Amway discount and the GM discount on the vehicle if I buy it through my Grandfather, and I can get one for crazy-cheap. Of course, cheap doesn't always make it better. I've always had a thing for wagons, so its a matter of connecting the dots here...

...It appeared as though the HHR SS was heavily re-vamped on the inside, which was a much-needed improvement, and furthermore makes the choice that much easier. It isn't that I don't like the Mazdaspeed3, but the HHR SS is "different" enough (bonus that it is a GM product), and should pack enough performance to make it seem like a reasonable buy. That is, until Saturn throws the same engine in the Astra 5-door.

But otherwise, I understand what you mean, and I certainly would believe it to some extent.

Its going to come down to pricing and performance for both.

...And at least for the HHR SS, once again, what Saturn decides to do with the Astra, and furthermore, if they "pull an Audi" by only having one compact SS model at a time (ala the RS-program).

 

[Rotary Junkie]

SRT: Stupid, really. Truly!

I wouldn't mind seeing a stripped-down, lesser-than-base-model Caliber with the 280hp mill called the Caliber GLH, with a hotter-still version (think suspension, wheels, tires) called the GLHS.

Goes Like Hell and Goes Like Hell S'more. (Fine, I like the name) Even if it is front-drive.

AWD would've made this a great car. Unfortunately, we don't get that.


I want a small, RWD sports car that stickers for cheap. With a high-performance model with around 250-325hp. FoMoCo won't do it, it'll cut into Mustang sales. Dodge won't do it, they've invested too much in FF, and they don't want the Challenger outshined. Chevy is (sorta) doing it with the Solstice GXP and Sky RedLine, but I want a COUPE!! Two doors, hard top.

The Mazdaspeed 3 will win the FF races, and Evo V STi is getting tossed around. Someone got some specs on the Ha Ha Really Super Slow? The SRT-4 will prolly mop it. Once it gets moving.

And on that note, why didn't Chevy stick with the blower motor? It's cheaper to make quick power with (pulley swap)!

 

[Wolfe]

SRT: Stupid, really. Truly!

I wouldn't mind seeing a stripped-down, lesser-than-base-model Caliber with the 280hp mill called the Caliber GLH, with a hotter-still version (think suspension, wheels, tires) called the GLHS.

Goes Like Hell and Goes Like Hell S'more. (Fine, I like the name) Even if it is front-drive.

That wouldn't be good enough, IMO, and would be an insult to the Omni GLH. The Caliber is just a dumb car.

I want a small, RWD sports car that stickers for cheap. With a high-performance model with around 250-325hp. FoMoCo won't do it, it'll cut into Mustang sales. Dodge won't do it, they've invested too much in FF, and they don't want the Challenger outshined. Chevy is (sorta) doing it with the Solstice GXP and Sky RedLine, but I want a COUPE!! Two doors, hard top.

If you stretch the "stickers for cheap" requirement, BMW will have what you're looking for in 2008.

 

[YSSMAN]

I want a small, RWD sports car that stickers for cheap. With a high-performance model with around 250-325hp. FoMoCo won't do it, it'll cut into Mustang sales. Dodge won't do it, they've invested too much in FF, and they don't want the Challenger outshined. Chevy is (sorta) doing it with the Solstice GXP and Sky RedLine, but I want a COUPE!! Two doors, hard top.

Get in line, there are lots of folks who want it. Ford won't do it because they don't think there is a market for it, and furthermore, don't have a platform to do it. Anywhere. It wouldn't cut into Mustang sales if it was a "world model" that came only with the MZR engines, but with them tripping over their own feet when it comes to which market is most important, it won't happen until Mullaly grows a pair and decides how to run the company.

As for Chrysler, they don't have the money... Well, the company that owns them doesn't want to spend the money, we'll put it that way. The Demon concept would have moved things forward quite a bit, similar to what you are asking for, but then again, they showed the Razor as well, and look what that gave us (ie, nothing)... Once Chrysler is back on their feet, you never know...

As for GM, they're doing it, maybe. They keep playing with the idea of a Kappa coupe, but like most other folks they are uncertain how many people want to buy a dedicated two-seat coupe that isn't a Corvette. Sure, they showed that they can do a 2+2 Coupe with the Nomad Concept, but it probably won't happen (unfortunately). With the Kappa assembly line already working overtime, I doubt there would be much room for yet another Kappa car.

...Wait for the Alpha cars to debut for 2010, and you might get what you want...

And on that note, why didn't Chevy stick with the blower motor? It's cheaper to make quick power with (pulley swap)!

As far as I know, even die-hard GM fans (those who are better ones than I) don't even have a good answer for that. My assumption may come down to GM moving towards having a smaller collection of engines that can be used in models all around the world, and it would appear as though they thought the LSJ wasn't good enough to do so. That is not to say that the LSJ was a bad engine, but compared to the LN1, the choice becomes fairly obvious if the prices are the same, the weights are similar, and there isn't any loss in fuel efficiency.

 

[Pupik]

Did anyone really think it was going to get 300 hp? Two hundred and eighty horsepower for a car that small is hardly a disappointment.

It still looks like it was designed by committee, but everyone left the boardroom meeting early.