Used Dodge Nitro (2007 - To Date) review

Viewed as an exercise in ostentation, the Dodge Nitro will make sense for some buyers. If what matters to you are looks, affordability, a decent stereo system and the fact that not every car park Joe will have one, this could be a good option. It's not the most sophisticated piece of machinery out on the roads but it's a lot of car for not very much money, it doesn't take itself too seriously and owners are virtually guaranteed a bit of fun.

Choosing a used car can be a draining experience. There are so many models to consider that attempting to arrive at the perfect car through purely analytical means could easily put someone on the fast track to a breakdown of the nervous kind. It obviously helps to go into these things with your eyes open and the facts at hand but wouldn't it be nice to just go with your gut instinct sometimes and buy the car that produces the biggest wow? Even if it is a little bit silly. It's as a result of reasoning similar to this that many Dodge Nitros have met their owners.

HISTORY

The Dodge Nitro arrived during 2007, little more than a year after all-American brand Dodge was launched onto the UK market in earnest by the then owners Daimler Chrysler. It's a family-sized 4x4 that isn't lacking in road presence or chrome appendages and initially, buyers could specify it with a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine or a 3.7-litre V6 petrol. Hopes were never high that the petrol model would make much impact in the UK market despite the chrome alloy wheels that accompanied it. Sure enough, that rather thirsty engine was dropped late in 2008 leaving the dependable diesel to go it alone.

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY MONEY?

Just look at the thing. It's absolutely dripping in attitude, with vents, big flared wheel arches, huge door handles that look like the pulls on an industrial freezer, an aggressive high waist with a glasshouse like a gun turret and a front grille that looks as if it's about to suck in inquisitive children. The split-effect front headlamps are an interesting design touch, as is the big cross detailed Dodge family front end. There's also possibly the biggest moulded plastic bumper section I think I've ever seen. The Nitro probably isn't a car you'll buy for its excellent practicality, although getting four of your mates on board in comfort is an asset. The standard fascia is a little bit American insofar as it does the bare essentials without too much pretence of being built from the sturdiest materials but the dash gets a metallic plastic finish that lifts the cabin. The main instruments are clearly presented and are shaded by a trio of cowls and although the steering wheel adjusts for rake, it's lacking a telescopic column for reach adjustment. Taller or long-legged drivers may find a lack of seat travel an issue and headroom isn't as generous as you might at first think. Rear seat occupants will find little to grouse about and there are some quite smart stowage solutions in the luggage bay.

WHAT PRICE AM I LOOKING AT?

The Nitro towed the line that Dodge had adopted in the UK market with some attractively low pricing. This meant that depreciation wasn't as steep as it perhaps could have been but the petrol models still shed a major chunk of their value in the first year. A diesel Nitro in plush SXT trim retailed at just over £23,000 when new as a 57-plate and would now command something in the region of £9,000.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR?

There aren't a whole lot of Dodge Nitros out there in the UK which is part of the car's charm. It also means that it's hard to keep track of any weaknesses that the Nitro may have. Buyers should console themselves with the knowledge that the majority of the parts have been tried and tested in Jeep products and, therefore, should be plenty tough enough. The 2.8-litre engine in particular is a hardy sort.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

How does it drive? Who cares? You buy this thing for its looks and its attitude. Sit inside and you'll feel rather perched atop the thing, the hip point of the Nitro being fairly high. Move away and you'll feel the weight of vehicle right from the outset. Whilst the 1,888kg kerb weight is enough to steamroller a lot of smaller imperfections in the road and the chassis feels pleasantly rigid, there's a slight ponderous feel to the front end. Really try to drive through that feeling and the Nitro tracks reasonably flat and true, thanks in no small part to its thoroughly tarmac-biased independent suspension, plus squat and dive under hard acceleration and braking is also effectively quelled. The lack of a dead pedal when driving the Nitro in earnest can become a factor. So are the rather chunky windscreen pillars that will have you leaning out of and consequently losing support from your seat right when you need it most, in tight corners or when negotiating roundabouts. The automatic models are marshalled by a four-speed 'box with a very high top ratio, meaning that for most of your driving you'll be being shuttled between the remaining three gears. This can make the engine feel rather strained at times. Still, this isn't a vehicle that you'll buy for its all-out performance.

BY Steve Walker

PARTS INFORMATION

As you might expect for a car of American origin, parts are not particularly cheap. A clutch assembly is around £400. Front brakepads are around £40, a full exhaust about £700 (with the catalyst) and an alternator around £300.