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Test Drive: Dodge Nitro
Feb. 2nd, 2009 08:06 amNow that Justin's working at the Chrysler dealership, there's a lot of pressure to buy from them. It's probably because Justin is exposed to these cars 11 hours every day, 6 days a week. He gets ideas, you see.
On Saturday evening, about the time he was going to be getting off work he called me at home and asked me to go down there. He found something he wanted me to take a look at. He sounded so excited that I immediately got myself and Dominic got dressed, groomed, and driven to the dealership. He showed me his find: a 2008 Dodge Nitro. It wasn't what I had in mind, but I checked it out. Justin has been listening to me talk about cars for months. He knew exactly what I was looking for and he didn't disappoint. The first thing he looked for was a good sound system. Now, the Nitro's 4 speakers can't really compete with the C30's 8 (what could?), but once I fine tuned it, it sounded darn good. Next, he made sure it wasn't underpowered. The Nitro comes with a 3.7 litre V6. It's a lot of vehicle, but the engine gets it moving quickly. It also has part-time 4 wheel drive, which will be handy in these Ohio winters.
The Nitro is a Jeep Liberty with a Dodge badge. There are a few other differences. For instance, the Nitro is bigger. But the Liberty and the Nitro share a platform and are actually built on the same line in Toledo.
The interior is really nice. It has the two-tone look that I loved in the C30 R-design and the seats are comfortable and roomy. The control panel is easy to understand and use. It's not too difficult to climb into and I don't have to bend over to get Dominic in and out of his car seat.
The dealership was closing so they let us take it home for the night. We drove to Fairlawn to get some dinner and I was impressed with the ride quality. I didn't feel like I needed to stomp on the brake to go around a corner (or risk flipping). In other words, it didn't feel like a truck. I found the steering responsive and the turn radius acceptable. It's a large vehicle so I was impressed with its maneuverability.
This particular Nitro was equipped with some nice extras such as cruise control and a sunroof. I could care less about the color, but Inferno Red is a good look on this aggressive looking SUV.
We signed the paperwork yesterday.
I still want the C30 very much. But my Sephia is dying and I need a new vehicle now. And at the price they were selling this Nitro, I couldn't say no. Fred Martin bought it from another dealership that was going out of business. So even though it only had 44 miles on it, Chrysler considers it a pre-owned vehicle. I bought it for what Fred Martin bought it for plus taxes and title.
I'm sad to give up on the C30, but Justin is under strict orders. If the dealership gets one in, he is to immediately trade in his Rio for it. Then he gets the Nitro and I get the C30. So hope is not lost. In the meanwhile, I really do like my new truck.
One day, I will own a vehicle that doesn't have a stupid name. One day.
Dominic got to hit the sales gong before we left. The thing is so loud that the entire joint rattles and shakes. Kinda scary actually. The first time I heard it there was a woman in the room who was startled and said, "What was that?!"
Justin said, "The Chinese are invading." Justin and I were snickering ourselves to death, but the woman didn't think it was funny.
On Saturday evening, about the time he was going to be getting off work he called me at home and asked me to go down there. He found something he wanted me to take a look at. He sounded so excited that I immediately got myself and Dominic got dressed, groomed, and driven to the dealership. He showed me his find: a 2008 Dodge Nitro. It wasn't what I had in mind, but I checked it out. Justin has been listening to me talk about cars for months. He knew exactly what I was looking for and he didn't disappoint. The first thing he looked for was a good sound system. Now, the Nitro's 4 speakers can't really compete with the C30's 8 (what could?), but once I fine tuned it, it sounded darn good. Next, he made sure it wasn't underpowered. The Nitro comes with a 3.7 litre V6. It's a lot of vehicle, but the engine gets it moving quickly. It also has part-time 4 wheel drive, which will be handy in these Ohio winters.
The Nitro is a Jeep Liberty with a Dodge badge. There are a few other differences. For instance, the Nitro is bigger. But the Liberty and the Nitro share a platform and are actually built on the same line in Toledo.
The interior is really nice. It has the two-tone look that I loved in the C30 R-design and the seats are comfortable and roomy. The control panel is easy to understand and use. It's not too difficult to climb into and I don't have to bend over to get Dominic in and out of his car seat.
The dealership was closing so they let us take it home for the night. We drove to Fairlawn to get some dinner and I was impressed with the ride quality. I didn't feel like I needed to stomp on the brake to go around a corner (or risk flipping). In other words, it didn't feel like a truck. I found the steering responsive and the turn radius acceptable. It's a large vehicle so I was impressed with its maneuverability.
This particular Nitro was equipped with some nice extras such as cruise control and a sunroof. I could care less about the color, but Inferno Red is a good look on this aggressive looking SUV.
We signed the paperwork yesterday.
I still want the C30 very much. But my Sephia is dying and I need a new vehicle now. And at the price they were selling this Nitro, I couldn't say no. Fred Martin bought it from another dealership that was going out of business. So even though it only had 44 miles on it, Chrysler considers it a pre-owned vehicle. I bought it for what Fred Martin bought it for plus taxes and title.
I'm sad to give up on the C30, but Justin is under strict orders. If the dealership gets one in, he is to immediately trade in his Rio for it. Then he gets the Nitro and I get the C30. So hope is not lost. In the meanwhile, I really do like my new truck.
One day, I will own a vehicle that doesn't have a stupid name. One day.
Dominic got to hit the sales gong before we left. The thing is so loud that the entire joint rattles and shakes. Kinda scary actually. The first time I heard it there was a woman in the room who was startled and said, "What was that?!"
Justin said, "The Chinese are invading." Justin and I were snickering ourselves to death, but the woman didn't think it was funny.
