As much as anything, this job involves taking the rough with the smooth. For every Italian exoticar we get to enjoy, there are countless Korean econoboxes to endure. It's impossible to leave certain preconceptions behind when encountering a car, even one that fits as few niches and stereotypes as the Dodge Caliber. I thought I knew what to expect. It's an American car, so the following attributes I figured we could take as read before it turned a wheel. It wouldn't handle, it would feature a cabin laden with toys but built laughably poorly and buyers would be somewhat bemused by it. I'm pleased to report that after driving the Caliber 2.0-litre model, I was very wrong about the first two qualities but I'm not so certain about the last.

Dodge's launch of the Caliber tried very hard to stress its young, in your face appeal. It's hard to imagine Peugeot or Vauxhall choosing the Pacha nightclub in Ibiza to introduce their car, although much of Dodge's best efforts were undermined by a senior suit describing the venue as a 'trendy disco.' After a number of lifestyle videos and viral ads that aimed at underlining Dodge's irreverent brand values, I found myself rather warming to the car. It certainly looked a good deal more distinctive than the usual family hatch like a Focus or an Astra. The tagline attached to the vehicle claims it's 'anything but cute' and you'd have to agree. The bold wheelarches, huge grille with the traditional Dodge crosshairs and the big alloy wheels that most ride on aren't your usual cuddly mainstream fare. This was underlined when the Caliber's designer claimed the name was dreamed up as a continuation of the Magnum theme. Are you feeling lucky, punk?

Pumped full of the Dodge message, I harboured a suspicion that this was as favourably disposed as I'd get towards the Caliber and that a subsequent drive would only dull the impression. The fact that my car was finished with an optional Mopar styling kit didn't do it too many favours, the bright blue plastics on the centre console resembling the sort of thing you'd buy for a mobile phone at a car boot sale. After sampling a standard car, I'd recommend that you keep your money in your pocket when it comes to options time. Otherwise things looked good. The interior quality was nothing to give Volkswagen a fit of anxiety but it's certainly a long way removed from the typical LAX hire car standard. An obviously Mercedes-sourced LCD display looked conspicuously slick, in much the same way that the BMW-sourced stereo systems rather stood out in the old Rover 75.

"It's impossible to argue with this sort of value for money. Buy this car before Dodge realise their mistake"

The 2.0-litre engine is the most powerful petrol unit in the line-up, for the time being at least. The standard 156bhp 1998cc powerplant is nothing particularly special in and of itself, but the automatic gearbox it's connected to merits a little inspection. Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) are nothing particularly new, having been around in various guises for well over thirty years. They tend to be unloved by keen drivers who often drive a car by ear as much as anything although they are undeniably fuel efficient, plugging into the meat of the torque curve with a dogged determination. Leave the Caliber's shifter in 'D' and the CVT gearbox does its thing rather unnervingly. Accelerate hard and the revs will rise rapidly to the 6,000rpm redline and stay there, the engine note not changing a jot from a rather discordant blare yet the car will accelerate rather purposefully. It takes some getting used to. It's also pretty dramatic and serves to endow the Caliber with a more purposeful feel than its undeniably modest power output would suggest.

If you're unwilling to put up with these rather odd characteristics, the gearbox also has a mode where you can knock the gear lever from side to side to shift up and down through six artificially mandated ratios. It's a lot more enjoyable and the shift times are lightning quick. Dodge call this Auto Stick and although it would have been better tapping the lever fore and aft rather than from side to side, it's pretty good fun. You don't get wheel-mounted paddles to play with though.

Performance figures aren't anything to get excited about, the Caliber hitting 60mph in 10.7 seconds before running on to a top speed of 125mph. The fuel economy is nothing stand out either, the 2.0-litre recording an average of around 35mpg. What is absolutely astonishing about this car is its price. This would appear to be a £17,000 car all day long. Your boss will think it is, your neighbours will too and so will anybody else looking. It seems a cut or two above the average family hatch but asking prices for the Caliber Range model open at an almost ridiculous £11,495 and even the generously stuffed 2.0-litre SXT model I sampled still only demands £13,790 of you.

That for a car that features gear like air conditioning, cruise control, 17-inch aluminium five-spoke wheels, leather upholstery, tyre-pressure monitoring and a Chill Zone beverage cooler. If you're feeling guilty and feel obliged to give your impoverished Dodge dealer a little more than that £13,790 sticker price, I can heartily recommend the optional MusicGate Power Group system. This adds a leather-trimmed steering wheel with audio controls and a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics premium sound set-up. Best of all there's a pair of speakers that swing down from the tailgate to face rearward. The party really is right here.

It's hard to argue with value like this. I've outlined the Caliber's shortcomings but it represents fantastic value for money. To specify something far less appealing, a 1.6-litre automatic Peugeot 307 say, up to this car's level would cost well over £16,000 and a 1.6-litre Golf over £18,000. If you're savvy enough to put the Caliber 2.0-litre on your next family hatch shortlist, like me you may find yourself struggling to come up with substantive reasons why you shouldn't buy it.

TOP 2 CALIBER DEALS

The results below show the top CALIBER deals on buyacar

	Dodge Caliber 2.0 SXT Sport 5dr CVT Auto Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £229	Saving £2,804	Price £12,696
	Dodge Caliber 2.0 SXT 5dr CVT Auto Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £231	Saving £2,809	Price £12,741

typical 10.73% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000