'Oldest Living Blogger' and his 2008 Dodge Caliber...

This is an interesting set of wheels, for sure. I've actually lost count of how many vehicles I've owned already, but it's somewhere over 6 dozen since the first in 1950. This one is equipped with more extras and accessories than any of them so far, including some I thought were quite deluxe.

There's goodies in this one that I haven't even played with yet, and I've had it now for three days already. For me, that's some kind of new record. "So, what's your first impression of it so far?" you ask.  OK, I'll try answering that. It's a bit 'plastic-y' but so's everything else in this price range these days, and even some in higher ranges. Not necessarily a bad thing, because it's easy to wash, and it pops back to shape if bumped (unless really whacked!) and it doesn't rust or rattle like it would if made from those recycled beer cans of old. The seats are quite comfy, but if you find that sitting on your wallet makes you uncomfortable in the bucket-style driver's seat, and you take it out and put it into that cute and handy little cubbyhole in the center console under the radio, try not to forget it as you get out, lock up, and go shopping. You may find yourself feeling a bit foolish as you head back to get your wallet from the car. (Been there & done that!)

One of the first things you should do after getting one of these beauties is take a drive to your nearest Canadian Tire, and get a pair of those memory-foam Velcro-on strap pads for your front shoulder harness belts, so those shoulder harness straps won't itch, scratch, or chew into your neck as you ride along. I once broke a collarbone when that shoulder belt locked up as I hit the ditch, fast asleep - and I do mean 'fast' - one night years ago in another little minivan that I loved dearly but killed prematurely because I got too comfy in it on a too-long trip. These strap pads probably won't help in a situation like that, but for everyday use they will save your neck from the sharp edges of those straps.


I'm not yet used to the responses of this CVT transmission, but I'm learning. So far, it seems to have some nice improvements over a conventional automatic transmission, and I like the way it can be placed into a downshifted mode while going downhill to slow the vehicle without having to do that entirely with the brakes. Older automatics warned us against doing this, because it could damage those conventional automatic transmissions if we forced them to in effect use 'reverse flow' to slow the vehicle.  This CVT isn't like that, and it can be used to slow you down without requiring you to overheat the brakes going down a long hill. If you ever have overheated your brakes on a really long and steep hill, then you already know the thrill of discovering that overheated brakes equals no brakes at all, because they glaze over and slip like as if they were greased. The only thing you have left after that is the parking brake which works usually on only two wheels, and beyond that, your only other recourse is to downshift into a low gear, and turn off the engine and pray a lot. Again, "been there and done that!", but I don't have the T-shirt.

Also, I like the seating position compared to that in a small car such as the Neon, because in this you sit up higher above the surrounding road, and it also has much better visibility to the rear and the sides, so that maintaining awareness of the traffic around you is easier and less worrisome. There again, it reminds me of that nice little Mitsubishi Eagle I loved so much back in the '90s. It's nice to be a little higher than the surrounding traffic, and be able to see what's happening before you get surprised  by it. At my age, I don't like a surprise - or as they call it in Beijing, "SUPPLIES!!!"

This car/minivan/SUV/RV is probably more intelligent than its average driver, and it can tell you  almost everything except your first pet's name, and the way to Grandma's house - and if you had the GPS navigation accessory, it would point you toward Grandma's house if you asked. I'm so old, I can remember when a car's driver was the smartest part of it. These days, that's no longer true. I've seen lots of these newer cars that were much smarter than their drivers. That's rather reassuring, when we consider all those idiots out there on the freeway playing in the traffic with their iPods and cell phones. Thank God for computerized cars! Now, if only we had the power steering linked to the GPS system and a forward radar, it would be much safer out there, I betcha.....

Enjoy your weekend, Everyone!


____________________________________________________________