Utility
Chock-full of useful utility, our favorite features of the 2007 Dodge Caliber are the 110-volt AC power outlet, the available rechargeable flashlight, and the slick tri-level “Chill Zone” glove box.
Innovative interior design is a 2007 Dodge Caliber hallmark. Whatever negatives we can find inside the Caliber are largely overshadowed by its long list of especially nifty features. The center armrest between the front seats, for example, can slide forward up to three inches to accommodate different sized drivers. Built into that armrest is a flip-up holder for an iPod or cell phone which makes it easy to the keep your tunes or telephone within easy reach. But that’s just the beginning. A 110-volt AC power outlet on the center console will allow you to top off your MP3 player or cell phone batteries while you’re on the go without the need for a separate 12-volt charger. Even the pair of cupholders in the console are pretty trick, with illuminated blue-green rings that help you guide your beverage to a safe resting place in the dark. And you’ll have no fear when darkness falls as Caliber SXT and R/T models both come with a handy rechargeable flashlight that pops out of a built-in holder above the cargo area. While you’re back there you can flip down the slick optional liftgate-mounted speakers to share your tunes with the outside world when the hatch is in the raised position. Without doubt our favorite feature is up front, however. The “Chill Zone” beverage cooler built into the tri-level glovebox of all air-conditioned cars can hold four 20-ounce water bottles. Taken together, these features make us think “road trips and tailgate parties, here we come!” With a cargo area floor covered in tough vinyl, the 2007 Dodge Caliber is ready for a rowdy tailgate crowd, and is designed to make bringing home a load of landscape materials on a Saturday morning a no-worries affair. With that in mind, we find it curious that the backs of the rear seats are carpeted, which means you’ll still have to throw down a tarp when hauling messy cargo with the seats folded down. A standard fold-flat front passenger seat on Caliber SXT and R/T models makes a passable table for parking lot picnics and, when combined with the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks, allows you to stuff an eight-foot ladder inside and still close the rear liftgate. We’re told that the rear cargo area will also swallow a pair of mountain bikes with their front wheels removed. If there’s any shortage in this well thought-out interior it would have to be storage space. In addition to the upper and lower compartments in the glovebox, there’s a shallow cubby in the dash below the radio, a couple of small map pockets in the front doors (oddly enough, they’re too short for a map), and a pint-sized bin under that sliding armrest in the center console. Storage for the odds-n-ends of back seat passengers is virtually nonexistent.
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