The year is 2007, the recession hadn’t happened yet, and the automotive industry was thriving. The Chrysler group was adding horsepower to everything, without a care in the world. 12-year-old me is sitting in my family’s computer room looking at the 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4 being revealed at the Detroit Auto Show. A car that looks like it was designed by and for teenagers had just stolen all my attention. I was obsessed with the idea of this high horsepower economy hatchback.
Fast forward 19 years and here I am walking out to my driveway and parked there is a silver 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4. Walking up you are greeting with 19-inch chrome plated wheels with low profile tires. A very period correct body kit, with a function hood scoop, big spoiler and for this specific one, dual exhaust out the back. All this accentuated by the lower ride height.
Stepping in you are welcomed by bolstered SRT branded seats with red stitching everywhere and a 6-speed manual transmission. Once you’re sitting comfortably, there are white faced SRT gauges behind the wheel with the tachometer right in the middle and a boost gauge to the left of the steering wheel. The rest of the interior is more or less what you would expect from a Dodge Caliber. Lots of cheap plastic everywhere and some fun gimmicky stuff, like the glovebox drink cooler and pull-down speaker on the hatch.
Nothing about this car feels like a standard Caliber anymore. Under the hood is where you realize it is not just an appearance package. The SRT4 is powered by a 2.4L turbo 4 cylinder making 285 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque from the factory. This one is a little more special because it has Mopar stage 1 tune, an intake and that aforementioned exhaust. All this put together and the car now makes approximately 320+ horsepower and 330+ lb-ft of torque. An increase from 10lbs of boost to about 16lbs of boost made visible on that dash mounted boost gauge.
All that sounds amazing until you realize it is only front wheel drive. On paper, that kind of sounds like a bad idea and in some ways, it is, but for certain people it becomes a lot of fun. That much power being put through the front wheels will cause horrendous torque steer, a phenomenon caused when a lot of horsepower is pushed through wheels that also have the important job of steering the car. When you put your foot down, the wheels are pulling you left and right, when you just want to stay in your lane. All of this makes the car a handful under acceleration. and that’s kind of what I think the point of this car is. It drives as crazy as it looks and you need to hang on tight to not veer into oncoming traffic. That said, with a firm grip and your foot planted, you can be rocketed to 100kph in about 5 seconds. It pulls hard and can embarrass a lot of more expensive vehicles on the road. With every gear shift accompanied by the whoosh of the turbo that makes you feel like a character in the fast and furious movies.
Those gear shifts are done by a 6-speed Getrag transmission that is mounted up on the dash like an EP3 civic of Fiat 500 Abarth. It is notchy with throws that are not too long. The clutch is not the easiest clutch compared to newer cars but once you get used to it, its not too bad. The pedal placement is also fantastic, making heel and toe downshifts very easy.
When the road starts to get curvy, the SRT4 can hold its own. The steering is nicely weighted and response really well to inputs. It does feel like you would reach its limits pretty easily if pushed too hard This is a great car for back roads in wine country but would start to feel a little unsettled and out of place if you put it on a road course.
Overall, I love this car. It is flawed in many ways, from the plastic interior to the wild torque steer but it makes up for all of this with its character. This car is a blast to drive, and it can fit 5 people comfortably. I can even put my son in his car seat so he too can enjoy the car and scream with excitement as I floor it in second gear to “make the noise”.
