Fiat and engines

I hear people saying Fiat will make Dodge engines more fuel efficient
and better. In my book they'll screw up Dodge and Chrysler cars if
they use Fiat engines.

The Hemi is one of the big marketing points Chrysler has. I am
guessing that Fiat wants Dodge tech and not the other way around.

Chrysler and Dodge and Jeep move cars, it is the management of the
money that caused problems.

The Challenger is one heck of a car, and the Charger and 300 are too.
Please don't Fiatize their engines!

 

Unless Fiat builds something larger than a golf cart, I can't see them
needing any of Chrysler's engines.

Daimler management set the stage for Chrysler's problems. Too much use
of German-made / German-designed suspension and drive train components.
The LX platform rides too high and is too heavy for anything other than
large cars and large SUV's. It leads to a boxy-style vehicle.

Any car built on the LX platform struggles to reach 3700 lbs curb
weight, a full 200 lbs more than the LH platform.

Under Cerebus management, Chrysler's design teams were gutted, which is
why Chrysler has nothing left in the design toolbox.

It's a sad day indeed when Chrysler must rely on Fiat even for a
mid-sized car design.

The Challenger's biggest weakness is that it's not available in FWD. I
would own one right now if it did.

The current 300 line is 5 years old. It's the wrong platform to build a
car on going forward into the next decade.

If Chrysler had any brains, they'd bring back the LH platform. I'm sure
they still have all the designs. The LH platform was very flexible.
They can build large and midsize cars on it. They can (but they never
did) build RWD on it.

If ever there was a time to produce the concept car (300N) based on the
car shown at the Detroit auto show in 2000, this is the time:

http://www.fast-autos.net/vehicles/Chrysler/2000/300_Hemi_C_Concept/2101

Chrysler could not produce these fast enough. Chrysler needs a mid-size
hit in the USA. The Mexican-made Fiat micro-cars will not turn Chrysler
around.

Don't worry. You won't see a Fiat engine going into an LX chasis.

If a Fiat engine is put into an LX car, it will be used as the power
window motors, or maybe the windshield wiper motor.

 

Chrysler's engines have always been one of their strong points.

All I know about Fiat cars is two I rented in the UK were definitely not
built for my leg and body length. Fiat has been fitting the Italian
body, they may fit many Asians, but not people of my body size. BTW I'm
only 5'-11".

 

I couldn't agree more with you MoPar Man.

Back in 2003 at our local auto show there was shock on a local
salesman's face when on seeing the 300 prototype I said: "No FWD, I no
buy it!
Actually since seeing many 300's on the street I wouldn't buy one if it
was FWD. The dam car is just too boxy and ugly for me and after renting
one for two weeks, it's visibility is too sub standard for me.

Unfortunately for Chrysler many mid sized car buyers felt the same as me.

 

What I'm reading is that Fiat will bring some small CARS, not
necessarily engines.

Chrysler is in outstandingly good shape, engine-wise.

The "World Engine" 4-cylinder currently used in the
Caliber/Compass/Patriot is performing well, and showing significantly
better efficiency than the engine it replaces, even in a marginally
crappy "small" car (see below).

The new V6 family (first called "Phoenix," now something else) is very
promising, light, efficient, and cheaper to produce than even GM's
cheapest v6 family, plus has VVT and a lot more other high-tech than the
GM v6.

The V8s are doing great.

What's missing are desirable small cars. The Caliber is fraught with a
wretechedly cheap interior and a gooey CVT that no one likes. Plus its
not exactly "small" compared to offerings like the Fit and Yaris.

 

True, the Calibers interior is kinda cheap but then so is the Matrix,
Vibe, Mazda 3 and others in its class. I looked at them all before
buying my Caliber. I now have a Caliber SRT4. Far more comfortable to
sit in than the Speed3 and far more reliable than it or the Vibe/Matrix.
The first year the Caliber came out Dodge had to go from 1 to 3 shifts
at the plant and still could not keep up with demand. Read the Caliber
forums and you'll find very high owner satisfaction. I loved my 2007
SXT and really love my new SRT4.

The Caliber isn't supposed to compete with the micro cars like the Aveo,
Fit and Yaris. Different market. Like I said, its closest competition
is the Matrix and Mazda 3. I don't care for either.

 

Isn't that essentially what Steve conceded? Actually, he's more on
target than are you...he compares size. You infer a marketing
intention.

 

In 2007, my wife and I were looking for a replacement for our PT
Cruiser Convertible and looked at the Fit, it didn't "fit" us, it was
to tinny, rode harsh and the seats were uncomfortable, too low and too
hard. We went to the Dodge dealer and saw a Caliber and bought it,
chair high seats, the 2.0/CVT was super smooth, I don't know what you
mean by gooey. The interior looks are OK, we personally like a
simple, easy to clean interior. We also like the hatchback and the
room it provides. We are getting 30-31 around town and we don't feel
"squished" in like the mini-cars that you mentioned. The car reminds
me of my 1986 Dodge Lancer hatchback, a great little car that gave me
years of service.

 

I replied to Steve with the same response. My wife and I love our
2007 Caliber, great comfort, room, mileage. We also looked at the
Matrix, Vibe, Fit and all the interiors are equal. Some people
complain about "cheap interiors" on American cars, but will accept
them on foreign cars! The CVT transmission is great, the 2.0 engine
gives us great mileage, 30-31 around town, and the hatchback is a
blessing for loading groceries and stuff. I think too many people
read the auto mags that decry cars like the Caliber as "boring,
unexciting cars", well, that is what most people drive, we don't all
drive exotic sports cars, we have families and need practical cars,
that is all subjective. If I want excitement, I will drive my 1941
Chrysler Windsor to car show and get waves and honks from people who
see it on the highway.

 

i owned a x- 1/9 by fiat. the engine was a detuned formual 4-cyclinder
engine that ran like crazy. That was a great car. My problem with fiat
is that they do make tiny cars, which for us linebackers can be tough
to get into.

 

I'm actually REALLY glad to hear that. I've been hearing a lot more bad
than good, and haven't yet managed to get one as a rental myself
(although rentals are notoriously low-end.) I've ridden in a couple of
Calibers rented by coworkers on trips, and I have to say that the
interior just didn't compare to similarly low-end GM products, which
was a shock.

You're an unusual case... I've NEVER heard anyone claim they like this
particular CVT implementation before. Many will say "its OK," but you're
the only one whom I've ever seen refer to it positively. Maybe its the
SRT-4 implementation that's different.

I think too many people

I agree with you for the most part. People over-criticize cheap plastics
in domestic cars, but there's NEVER been a Honda that wasn't filled with
acres and acres of the smelliest, cheapest, grey or tan plastic and
vinyl known to man.

On the other hand, I stand my my observation of the Caliber vs. current
GM and Ford interiors. Actually if I had any gripe with all the modern
Chrysler interiors, its that they're very stark. Exceptions are the PT
Cruiser (designed before the age of Teutonic harshness in Chrysler
interiors) and the Challenger (which is at least somewhat jazzed up from
the Magnum/Charger simplicity, but still falls short of what a
Challenger should be on the inside.)


And I wasn't criticizing the Caliber for its size, I was just pointing
out that the very small car is a hole in the current lineup. The Caliber
is at the smallest a compact, not a subcompact.

 

Thanks, my wife and I got the Caliber late in model year, August of
2007, and we were impressed by the room and utility of the car, along
with I always prefer upright grills, defined hoods/fenders, and what
"appears" to be the old style round headlights. I guess that is why I
love my restored 1941 Chrysler Windsor 4 Door sedan!

Steve, I think that is correct, that the SRT-4 version is "geared" to
be much different than the SXT version, which is what we have. I have
read on the allpar.com site that JATCO, which makes the transmission
for the Caliber and the Nissan Murano has been having no problems with
the unit, people seem to really like the reliability of the
transmission, maybe this will be the new "TorqueFlite" of the 21st
century

Steve, THANK YOU for saying that about Honda/Toyota, etc. When the
"cheap plastic" is rampant in those cars, the auto testers seem to
overlook that, what, is Japanese plastic more esthetic than American
plastic? If I want unique interiors, then I just drive my 41 Windsor
with wool seats, and beautiful two-tone wool door panels, and the most
Art Deco bakelite dash and accents you could ever see!

Right, the Caliber is the new Dodge Dart in size. It also seems to be
the same size as my 86 Dodge Lancer, which was a great car.

 

I think you can only get the stick on the STR4. At least that's what I
was told by one of the local Dodge dealers.

 

I agree, Chrysler interiors have really gone downhill the last several
years.
This Allpar article on the T&C Van implies Daimler was at fault here.
http://www.allpar.com/reviews/2008/minivans.html

 

lets not forget they own Ferrari and Maserati as well....maybe one reason
they are willing to keep the Viper around

 

All toy cars, not solid mid sized cars that will keep a car company
profitable.

 

So Ferrari is a toy car?

Don't need to sell many to make pots of money.

DAS

To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling"
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It definitely is a toy car.
Can't remember when I last saw one.
Perhaps elsewhere where many more people are rich more people buy toy
cars.

 

damn I'm sick of looking at them.........and Mercedes and lambos too

 

Do you live in London or LA?


DAS

To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling"
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