IMO both vehicles predate a few of the "new" vehicles now that supposedly are segment busters or are raved about. Where was the love for these 2 vehicles? Are they really that bad? Are they "concepts" that made production but needed some true fine tuning to be leaders?

When I see the BMW X6 or Acura ZDX concept I think the Caliber beat them to the punch by years. I see the Venza and 5 series GT and think the Pacifica beat them to the punch by years.

The Caliber was made to replace the Neon as Dodge saw buyers wanting a sporty vehicle that had cargo space and had a high view like a SUV. The Pacifica was made to blend the SUV/Van into something unique.

Its amazing car mags and people completely DROOL over the other cars but the Caliber and Pacifica are never mentioned or ridiculed.

Does their failures mean that people do NOT want vehicles like these as mainstream vehicles? Are they really just niche products (though I believe both sell/sold quite well at one point).

Is it just me?

 

I dunno, I think the X6 is pretty ugly, just like the Pacifica. I know a guy who's car of choice when he was 19 was a Pacifica. Who knows why. The reliability of that vehicle was terrible. Transmissions problems galore.

 

I fiddled around in the Pacifica @ the LA auto show when it was first released. The interior was cheap cheap cheap. Not a fan. I was with my then g/f's family and her mom liked the Pacifica's styling but when she sat in it her first response was "oh...that's disappointing"

 

One of my Exs had a Caliber and I can personally attest to the fact that it is nearly as big of a POS as the Cobalt I just turned back in to Enterprise.

The Caliber doesn't deserve to exist.

The Pacifica could have been nicely updated or redesigned to keep in competition with the Flex, Venza, Murano, and others but I guess it got pushed to the back, back burner.

 

If either of those had been well made, they may have had a shot ... maybe ...


(no love)

 

Driving a dodge caliber feels very awkward. They should have kept the neon.

 

I drove a Dodge Caliber rental from SF to Napa (about an hour), and around town in Napa for a few days. I can honestly say that it was the biggest POS rental car that I have ever driven, and I've driven a lot of rentals. The engine was gutless, the brakes were terrible, the handling was nonexistent, and the interior looked and felt like it belonged in an 80's Hyundai. It was so bad that I had more fear driving that car at the speed limit versus driving my car in traffic at 100 mph. As a comparison, I've driven a Suzuki Aerio rental down to Mexico, and it was 10x the car.

If someone comes on here to defend that car, ban them immediately. They're either retarded or work for Dodge. edit: (or most likely both)

 

LOL they had a SRT version

 

Totally agree on the Caliber; very bad even as a rental car. The looks are horrible, the handling is terrible and the interior feels VERY CHEAP.

The Pacifica, while not a big fan of it, was a car that I would consider to be OK at best. This car really has no "presence" while driving, and had Chrysler actually invested some money iinto this vehicle, as well as made the design alot more attractive, it could have been a hit.

 

Well, I wouldnt compare Caliber to X6. Caliber is a cheap, crappy car that is actually suitable for someone who needed some utility but didnt wanna shell out for an SUV. Too bad the car was built out of compressed rust and noone wanted it.

As far as Pacifica, dont forget its premium sibling that also failed, perhaps even more miserably. The R class. Its just uncool, unhip, whatever.

 

I've been a fan of the Caliber's design/architecture and was on my shopping list because I liked it's rugged looks and versatility for a compact.

I think it drives OK and is not as bad as some make it out to be. The interior quality is insulting though and has probably been the main deal breaker among shoppers. I have a Yaris which is also criticized for having a cheap interior but compared to the Caliber, it's top notch. Surprisingly though, the Caliber has a decent reliability record so far especially by Chrysler standards.

Also, let's not discredit it's success. The Caliber has, at least up until this year's downturn, was selling quite well.

 

I wouldn't doubt it. Fleet owners love them.

 

Fleet sales were high but it also did well with private sales as well. I see tons of them on the road everyday.

 

I've been in the Caliber once and surely it has not been the kind of replacement as the Magnum when it replaced the Intrepid.

 

I've driven both and dislike both.