Here's my little Caliber story.
I started driving around 1999-00. Back then my family had a '92 Dodge Shadow, 4-door. I didn't get much used to it, because then I got my own car. However, I do remember that even what, 7 years from its release, the Shadow was a hit. It had plenty of space for the legs, even with clumsy-looking seats, and doors were light and easy-opening, so they didn't slam back at you and didn't hit others in narrow lots, you'd always get out and in easily. Back then I drove an automatic, I didn't really get used to it, but I remember it as being "okay".
Then in 2001, I got a manual Focus SE. This was my first car, and maybe because I just considered it so, but I was and still am overall satisfied with it. For the whole 8 years I've been driving the Focus, I never even had any weird or suspicious sound, noise or car behavior in general. The only thing that bugged me is that the manual had a bit of "roughness" on highways, but as far as I remember, that was about it.
Last year I got married, and me and my wife have opted for a new car, seeing as she wanted to drive but sold her previous one, and my Focus was already getting old. So we looked all over and went for a Dodge Caliber. Honestly, what attracted me in that car was two things: 1) it was a Dodge, and as I said, I've driven a Dodge before and 2) it had higher ground clearance than the Focus, and for me who lives up north where your every Winter is an ice age, well, that's what got me hooked. My wife, however, was over it for the price: around 22 000$ CAD, 4.61% which was a good deal in any way (my Focus had a 7.5%). So in short we went with the 2009 SXT with CVT.
That was merely in November 2009. Two weeks later, I had an slight accident on the road where I was going reverse and didn't see an object in the back window. I had to replace my left rear fender. As a result, every time the rear door now opens, it still squeaks, although the mechanics have checked everything. And it seems like the squeaking is coming from inside the door, rather than its jamb.
About a month later, I noticed changes in my transmission, esp. around 60-70 km/h, approx when you're about to switch to the last speed on a man. And if you wouldn't release the gas for like 2 seconds while the RPM goes down, there is now a roaring noise coming from the engine that doesn't stop. A week or so after that, the engine itself also started clicking, and upon showing that to a known mechanic, all he did was to shrug upon.
Finally, since February, squeaks in the interior started. First it was the right side of the dash, kinda cracking every time you'd accelerate from a stop. Then both front seats, then something in the back (still can't figure out what it is). In all, if you're driving around 50 km/h on a bumpy road, the car becomes one big rattle, to the point of being so unbearable you'd either have to open the window, or turn up the radio volume to even it out.
Sometimes I'm asking myself why did I go with the Caliber. Was it the price, the looks, or the whole feat package? Honestly, I really don't know. I kinda always wanted a crossover, and the only lesson I've learned from it is that REAL crossovers are the ONLY crossovers out there (so far), and maybe if we'd have opted for a Compass, it would've been better. But so far, I'm only disappointed with Dodge and strongly believe that if my next car wouldn't be a Japanese, I'd at least head back to Ford once again, who didn't offer much, but neither did it let me down so badly.