When we travel to Hawaii we typically don’t rent a car (mainly because we are visiting family and they allow us to use their vehicles). But, during our last trip I ended up renting a car for a few days so I could take my daughter on a few overnight trips to the other side of the island. I reserved an “economy” car and received a 2007 Dodge Caliber.
Let me begin by saying that I am not in the market for a new car (not to say that I couldn’t use one, it’s just that it is not currently in our budget), but for some reason I found myself taking notes on all of the innovative features the car had to offer. Incidentally, I should mention that my neighbor happens to make a practice of using rental cars as a way to test out potential “new” car candidates. (He locates rental car locations, which feature the type of vehicle he is interested in and rents it for three days to see if it is the “right fit.”) The thought of doing such a thing never crossed my mind… until I met him.
As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t looking to test drive a new Dodge, I just needed some wheels to get to the other side of the island for a few days. Over the next two days I found that the rear overhead cabin light doubles as a rechargeable flashlight (simply turn it on and remove it from the holder), the glove compartment doubles as a refrigerator (well, more like a cooler, complete with grooves to fit water or soda bottles — the air conditioning vents keep the drinks cool), the cup holders contain lights so you can locate them in the dark, the arm rest/center console includes cellphone and iPod holders, and the tailgate features speakers that flip down. (Can you say party?)
The Dodge Caliber also has a SUV-like feel to it, without having to pay the SUV-like prices at the pump. The manufacturer says the Caliber can get up to 26 miles per gallon—we averaged about 20-22. The car also comes with optional all wheel drive, standard curtain side airbags (it received five stars on national crash test ratings), and has a low base price ($19,400).
The only problem: the car lacks pick up. Don’t get me wrong; it drives very smoothly, but you will be left in the dust if you try to beat a Honda Civic to a well-placed parking spot at the McDonald’s in Waimea. The lack of power is not noticeable if you are cruising around town looking at Christmas lights, but when you are trying to overtake a sugar cane truck on a two-lane highway you’ll want to make sure the oncoming lane is completely empty.
That said; I kept the notes I took during our car trip. I still love the fact that the Caliber is like a well-made backpack (there are more nooks and crannies in that car than a deluxe fishing vest), but if you are looking to get from point A to point B in record time I would suggest you look at other cars.
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