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Dodge Caliber MPG-Real World Numbers

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What is this discussion about? Dodge Caliber, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Wagon

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#132 of 221 Re: 2007 Mileage compilation thread [dwade] by dwade Nov 09, 2006 (5:54 am)
Replying to: dwade (Oct 23, 2006 6:45 am) Replying to my own message...(cant edit)   I will edit this post when I make incremental measurements while my new Cal 2.0 CVT SXT is breaking in and warming up over the first year or so...Florida, 30%hwy/70%city commuting basis.    1st tank from 67 miles to 345 miles = 22.3 MPG. 9/29/06 4th tank from 1001 miles to 1301 miles = 25.03 MPG 10/18/06 8th tank from 2611 miles to 2901 miles = 25.64 MPG 11/09/06 Replies to this message: jhknight (Nov 09, 2006 4:15 pm)
#133 of 221 m-p-g it s-u-x and going downhill... by jhknight Nov 09, 2006 (4:15 pm)
Replying to: dwade (Nov 09, 2006 5:54 am) I have until now been recording a reliable 27 mpg. last two tanks; 26, and 25 mpg. NOT happy... current miles; 4800 running 87 octane with 10% ethanol.
#134 of 221 Re: Dodge Caliber: MPG-Real World Numbers [pf_flyer] by moparfamily Nov 11, 2006 (5:52 am)
Replying to: pf_flyer (Jun 12, 2006 8:06 am) Hi all, I'm new to this group. My husband and I own a small courier company and we bought a Caliber in May of this year. I already have 22,000+ miles on it. I average 250 miles of driving a day. We have been averaging 22 to 25 mpg. At first we went as low as 19 mpg. Then my husband had them put synthetic oil and it boosted our mpg a little. The service manager of the dealer we go through took our car home to see if he got the low mileage as well, he was very disappointed when he noticed he did. Apparently, they are not getting the mileage that they had hoped they would. Other than mileage, I love my car!
#135 of 221 Short Trip MPG by nonnemacher Nov 18, 2006 (4:31 pm)
I have had several four cylinder cars over the last 15 years. All of them have had 16-valve engines and automatic transmissions. I live in a town of about 30,000 people and nearly ALL of my driving is cold start trips of less than 5 miles where I never exceed 50 mph. I have never achieved the EPA city rating in this kind of driving.   Currently, I have about 8K on my Caliber SXT CVT and I get 24 mpg, just under the 26 "advertised." I have taken two highway trips that netted 31 mpg and 32 mpg.   Oddly, the only time I have beaten the EPA city rating was when driving a 1989 Dodge Dakota four-cylinder 5-speed to deliver pizzas...talk about hard miles. I think 8-valve engines are much more stingy in city driving than the 16-valve engines everybody is using these days for performance. Of course, a manual transmission, might help too.   Yes, I'd like better MPG, but the combination of style, performance, and safety for the price paid, can't be beat on the Caliber. The heavier Caliber should prove good in the snow too - at least better than most lightweight imports that might boast better MPG.   Keep driving... Replies to this message: jhknight (Nov 19, 2006 6:20 am)
#136 of 221 Re: Short Trip MPG by jhknight Nov 19, 2006 (6:20 am)
Replying to: nonnemacher (Nov 18, 2006 4:31 pm) Quick comment on snow; we recently had a 6 inch snowfall, heavy wet stuff. The Caliber handled it as well as the mini van it replaced. the tall tires and extra ground clearance do work. And the ABS brakes work great too.
#137 of 221 mileage by calibreath Nov 19, 2006 (10:42 am)
I have the 2.0 CVT, first 200 miles of driving with speed control at 70-75 mph i got 24mpg hope it gets better, but i love the car.   Calibreath Replies to this message: jessejames2 (Nov 26, 2006 4:05 pm)
#138 of 221 Re: mileage [calibreath] by jessejames2 Nov 26, 2006 (4:05 pm)
Replying to: calibreath (Nov 19, 2006 10:42 am) Every vehicle will vary a bit and most people on here it sounds like do not have very many miles, sometimes the mileage will improve when everything looses up or breaks in, usually after 10,000 miles is when that happens
#139 of 221 Why Caliber Doesn't Get Great Gas Mileage by micweb Nov 27, 2006 (10:59 am)
It's the size, weight, and acceleration.   I went out to see the Fit, Yaris, and Versa this weekend.   Last weekend I revisited the Focus (sedan and hatchback) and my current commuter vehicle is a Cobalt.   THE CALIBER IS THE LARGEST, MOST FUNCTIONAL VEHICLE IN THE GROUP.   The Focus is second best in terms of size and usable space, but a lot lighter, not as solid. The Cobalt is a little behind the Focus in terms of interior room.   The Fit and Yaris apparently get great gas mileage, but their size is a joke. Sure they look nice when new and get sexy gas mileage, but in reality they are not much bigger than the GM Metro's and Suzuki Swifts we laugh at today. The Versa is a little bigger, but not by much, but has a real cheap feel to it. People on the Versa boards complain about 22-25 mpg with the Versa, so gas mileage isn't only a Caliber issue; and the Versa is a lot smaller and lighter.   SO you can buy a "real" car (a lot bigger) - and get hammered on gas mileage - or downsize slightly but keep most of the functionality of the mid-sized car with the Caliber - and you'll get good gas mileage (most people here report about 25 mpg with a few reporting upper 20's. Your gonna have to seriously downsize to get the last 5-7 mpg of gas mileage to give you bragging rights, though, and I don't think its worth it in terms of long-term utility of the vehicle or saftey.   Like many of you, I wish the Caliber got the mileage of the Yaris and Fit, but it looks like King Kong when parked next to them. That's why it gets less mileage. BUT the mileage still beats almost all SUV's and cars....   (Oh yeah, acceleration - I DO get 35 mpg with my stick shift Cobalt - but that is on a long freeway commute using all the gas saving tricks I learned from Popular Mechanics and my dad years ago. AND the Cobalt is a lot smaller than the Caliber, check it out for yourself and you'll see what I mean. IF you have a leadfoot and insist on V-8 acceleration in your compact car, you'll never get compact car mileage. I KNOW how much more quickly other drivers pull away from me at lights, and how hard they have to slam on their brakes at the next stoplight because they don't coast down. The great American leadfoot is the single biggest factor in not making EPA rated gas mileage - that and the fact that you don't drive stick shifts. ) Replies to this message: drive62 (Nov 30, 2006 8:52 am)
#140 of 221 Re: Why Caliber Doesn't Get Great Gas Mileage [micweb] by drive62 Nov 30, 2006 (8:52 am)
Replying to: micweb (Nov 27, 2006 10:59 am) I went out to see the Fit, Yaris, and Versa this weekend.   I recently started comparing some of the smaller vehicles in preparation for purchasing a vehicle for my wife. BTW where are the comparo threads for the Caliber vs. ....? Is it not comparable to anything?   The Fit and Yaris apparently get great gas mileage, but their size is a joke.   THE CALIBER IS THE LARGEST, MOST FUNCTIONAL VEHICLE IN THE GROUP.   That's not what I seem to be finding. I guess some of it will have to do with one's definition of "largest".   The Caliber is about 16" longer in length than the Fit, but the inside measurements are fairly close. In fact the Fit has more front head and legroom than the Caliber. Second row is pretty close as well. The Fit also has more cargo volume. I haven't looked at the Yaris or the others you mentioned but I imagine the results will be similar.   For safety I do have concerns about the Fit being such a small vehicle, but the interior room advantages make me think twice.
#141 of 221 Re: Numbers to consider for MPG... [jstant01] by jim314 Dec 14, 2006 (11:24 am)
Replying to: jstant01 (Apr 27, 2006 5:28 am) At 350 lb if you are in a front seat and rear-ended even medium-hard, your seat back would probably break and collapse on whomever is sitting behind you. See here.   As far as know the best seats made are by Saab and Mercedes; possibly Volvo seat backs would not collapse, but I once saw a ~2000 Volvo wagon in the Dallas auto pound with a partially collapsed seat back. The rear end was crushed almost all the way to the back seat back.   I once observed a group of lawyers and investigators at a Chrysler dealership watch while a Chrysler tech removed the rear seatback from a Ram extended cab pickup. The truck had been rear ended, the driver's seat back had failed and the driver's head had struck the back of the rear seat. The tech cut away the cover and foam from a marked area on the rear seat back and the metal mesh at that point was deformed, presumably by the driver's head. The tech I was standing next to told me that it was either fatal or paralyzing to the driver. I scanned the faces of the investigators when the deformed mesh was exposed and some of them got very grim expressions; others' expressions suggested to me that they thought their side in litigation would be helped by this finding.

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