http://www.caranddriver.com/news/spi...os-future_cars

Many have seen this by now, but in the context of the Avenger thread, I thought it'd give some fodder for the future of Chryco hatches and sedans. My last hatchback was a new 1990 Dodge Omni I paid $5800 brand new. It was a stripper, but I loved how I could toss the car around. My previous 84 Horizon was one of the best cars I owned. When this FIAT hybrid comes out, I might just buy another hatchback. Hopefully they sell strippers, affordable and fun doesn't get any better.

 

Well, it may be a one-man thread, but I'll throw out some thoughts. According to the article the next Avenger and 200 are going to be built on this hatch platform by stretching it longer and wider. That doesn't make sense to me since they have true mid-size platforms already. I've read several articles from England on the Giulietta and it's supposed to be a great handling car, just under-powered. I hope they don't make the mistake of sending an under-powered car just for CAFE. It's got to be right.

 

Not a bad looking little car. It has dual exhaust so maybe it will have some power under the hood.

 

I like the way it looks.

 

Nice little ride. I like how they slid a 5 door in and made it look like a 3-door by shaving the door handles and keeping the window panels clean. An SRT-4 version could be fun!

 

I hope the front end looks like the drawing!

 

Looks better than that ****box that is the Caliber.

 

I actually like the Caliber. Looks kinda magnum-ish from certain angles. The neon sedan...blech.

 

I'm not a fan or detractor of the style of the Caliber. All I know is my(now my sons) 2003 Neon with an auto trans gets 35-38 mpg combined city/highway. The Caliber gets mid 20's and an occasional person will say they get 28 mpg combined. My 94 Plymouth Acclaim with the 3.0L gets 30 mpg on average. It is slow and while versatile, does nothing very well. It really seems like it was cobbled together and thrown into the market just for a change. The Neon, for all it's problems(which I haven't experienced even in my 97), didn't hurt Chrysler. The Caliber, for it's lack of doing nothing well and subjective styling, has hurt Chrysler.

 

Neons are MUCH lighter. But on the other hand, youre limited by the crappy sedan bodystyle. Yeah the caliber isnt quite the mpg champ but it can also make itself useful for much more in terms of carrying capacity and available awd. Its more like the little un-jeeps which for a commuter car make much more sense. Sedans really have nothing going for them.