Haven't seen one of these up close. I owned/drove a stock SRT-4 (neon) before my xfire and can testify to some scary-a$$ power in that econobox. The interior is as cheap as they come and it feels fragile on the inside. What an incredible shame. One of the absolute fastest cars you can buy (THE fastest for about 20 grand), yet the car screams Tupperware interior. Actually, that's a slight on Tupperware - Tupperware's a lot more sturdy than the materials in the Neon.

HOWEVER - for 16 grand used (what I paid last May) you cannot get more bang for your buck. The interior may suck - but the engine internals were designed to take 500 HP. It was truly a marvel. No turbo lag - just like being shot out of a cannon.

I hope the Caliber surprises like the Neon did. I hate what it looks like - but there will be plenty of people out there who will buy them. People love ugly cars - that's why manufacturers make them - I guess. As for me - I don't really need all that power, that's why I bought a beautiful car with decent power (My Xfire!).