[Arximedus]

Interesting... very, very interesting. Autocar is usually the most informed of all of the UK car magazines - in other words you don't find loads of big mistakes and ridiculous speculation in it. They usually discuss the engineering of cars too - looks like they're dumbing down! Nonetheless, if you compare it with Auto Express, it's still streets ahead.

[sauppyshurb]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarRe...24965/
What is it?
This is the Nitro, Dodge's bluff-nosed answer to the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sorento. It's a proper, no-nonsense, all-American 'lifestyle vehicle' designed to cart you and your family to the beach or to the slopes, to tow your jet-ski, and to generally be able to take you wherever your heart desires.
Underneath that butch, square-jawed, unapologetic styling, the Nitro is a proper Yankee SUV; they've 'Yurripean-ized' it by making a diesel engine available, but otherwise it's firmly from the American school, which means it's got a heavy duty chassis that allows it to go further off-road than, say, a Honda CR-V.
However, the Nitro is also supposed to serve up more power-per-pound than any of its rivals, and specifically to offer sporty, road-biased handling qualities. The problem is going to be, we suspect, that a live rear axle and long-travel suspension aren't the ingredients of a fine-handling road-going 4x4. That's why, when Dodge refers to handling qualities, you can assume that the word 'qualities' has been applied more in hope than expectation.
What's it like?
It would have been disappointing were it not so predictable. As expected, chassis components substantial enough to moor the USS Nimitz to are a serious limiting factor to the amount of fun you can have driving the Nitro on the road. The car's 2.8-litre, 174bhp VW Motori four-pot diesel engine is willing, if noisy, but it's bolted into a car that feels closer to a 1940s Willys Jeep than a modern 4x4.
The Nitro certainly steers better than any Chrysler Group SUV we've ever tried, but it rolls disconcertingly when cornered with any kind of urgency, bucks and shimmies over lumps that shouldn't really trouble it, and generally rides with all the composure of a rudderless dingy in an Atlantic squall.

Otherwise, the Nitro offers a competitive package. There's as much room in it as you'll find in most mid-sized 4x4s, and it's reasonably well kitted-out for the money; every one gets traction control, air conditioning, a folding rear bench and a folding front passenger seat. Material cabin quality isn't nearly as good you'd find in most rivals, but if you're going to treat this car as roughly as Dodge is suggesting, that shouldn't matter too much.
Should I buy one?
If you like strong-looking, distinctive SUVs that are a bit more capable off-road than the norm, but don't cost the earth, perhaps. However, don't fall for the 'fine-handling' justification; on the road, the Nitro is miles behind more car-like machinery like the new RAV4, both in terms of outright handling and ride comfort.
Having been denied the big red sandpit truck you longed for at the age of three-and-a-bit may, in fact, be the only reason you need to buy a Nitro. It's certainly got oddly appealing straight-out-of-the-toy-box looks, and will probably take all the abuse you can dish out.
It's just a shame that it's not better on the road because, regardless of what Dodge wants you to believe, this is no sporty 4x4. What it actually demonstrates is that, if they keep building 'em like they always have, American 4x4s will never handle as well as the new breed of monocoque-bodied Japanese and European 4x4s.

[induffike]

Hmmm, so Its capable offroad, but its not as good a handler on road. But its capable offroad. But its not as good a handler on road. So Its different, in that it doesn't handle as well, but its more capable offroad. But It doesn't handle as well on road. But its different from a Rav4 in that it doesn't handle as well. But its better offroad.
Hmmm, very informative. And after all of that, they didn't even test it offroad....

[sauppyshurb]

Well they tested it in real world conditions. Off-road it would be good, solid rear axle would actually be an advantage.

[Glipseagrilia]

This story is so useful, it should of been printed in toilet paper.

[Lhiistyssdds]

The Nitro was and is a silly move for Chrysler.

[ayWCZ7VT]

Quote, originally posted by Roadster44 »Well they tested it in real world conditions. Off-road it would be good, solid rear axle would actually be an advantage.
MotorTrend, in their SUV of the Year award review, gave the Nitro 2/5 stars for off-roadabilty. Even a some soft-roaders got 3 stars.

[induffike]

So Its no good on road and no good offroad but (Arguably) looks good?

[lisualsethelp]

Quote, originally posted by Comrade »
MotorTrend, in their SUV of the Year award review, gave the Nitro 2/5 stars for off-roadabilty. Even a some soft-roaders got 3 stars.
Which one were they testing though? Of course the blingy top-end models will suck off road, because they have road-oriented 20 inch tires with chrome wheels. Now, the base models with 16 or 17 inch wheels should fare just fine off-road. (Either that, or Motor Trend just wasn't testing them in the normal way, because the Nitro is based on the Liberty, after all.)

[ayWCZ7VT]

I found the review and it looks like they were 20's, but the review is very brief and they don't say anything about 4x4-ing. http://www.motortrend.com/ofth....html
ground clearance is only 7.8 inches. -a Q7 for example has 9.6 inches IIRC.

[lisualsethelp]

Quote, originally posted by Comrade »I found the review and it looks like they were 20's, but the review is very brief and they don't say anything about 4x4-ing. http://www.motortrend.com/ofth....html
ground clearance is only 7.8 inches. -a Q7 for example has 9.6 inches IIRC.
Its actually 8.3 for the R/T and 8.1 for the rest. I hate reviews like MT's. They give it 2 out of 5 stars (which is surely a subjective rating based on MT's past performance) and then don't explain why. There was not one thing in that blurb about off-road performance. Hell, they don't even include basic off-road data. (like ground clearance)

[ayWCZ7VT]

Only the winner got a full review, maybe I shouldn't have brought MT up since this test is not that credible. I'm sure it's be a lot better with th right gear and the Jeep sibling is probably going to get that in order to stand out.

[Glipseagrilia]

Quote, originally posted by Comrade »
MotorTrend, in their SUV of the Year award review, gave the Nitro 2/5 stars for off-roadabilty. Even a some soft-roaders got 3 stars.
MT? Tell you what, want a better article? Just write it yourself without ever driving the car. Guaranteed to be better then the garbage they write with the car.
MT on small/economy sports/coupe car:
PRO's: fun to drive on Sunday's. CON's: small trunk.... Geee- no sh!t, it took four years of collage to write that crap?
MT on luxury $100,000+ sports cars:
PRO's: very fast. CON's: very expensive.... Another great article from a 4 year old.

[veizKinquiz]

took a look at a current MT ragazine today: complete and utter piss

[Maymayfor]

Probably not a popular option among CSSers, but here is CR's take on the Nitro:
Highs: None
Lows: Everything (I didn't feel like typing out each of them, so see for yourself)
http://apollo.divshare.com/apo...6.jpg

[lisualsethelp]

Ha. Their opinion is less useful than even MT's. (and that's saying a lot, because I wouldn't wipe my dog's ass with MT)

[hechicxxrr]

I read the same review, but it was scratched on the wall of a public restroom toilet stall. It was right beside the "For a good time, call *insert number here*" message.
Atleast I didn't need a magazine while sitting on the can.

[Maymayfor]

This would be a good time to reflect and assess the current product portfolio, which Chrysler has and admitted the Nitro was a miss. Now begin and look for changes, hopefully for the better. Something not always easy but inevitable and necessary to evolve.

[SOgLak]

I like the idea of a Nitro with VWs v6 diesel.
Thata and the Patriots diesel suggests that Chrysler can get on the Diesel bandwagon very quickly in the US. But the general theme of poor quality and poorly put together interiors persists. Its not good to get a reputation guys.
And BTW, Patriot prices in the UK are TWICE the US price.

Reuters take:
This is Dodge's latest no-nonsense, hardy lifestyle vehicle designed to take you and the family from here to, well, anywhere really. It's a rival for the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and Kia Sorento but is more of an old-school 4x4 than any of these road-biased rivals. That's because the Nitro has a heavy-duty chassis, a live rear-axle and long travel suspension - not usually the ideal components of a 'fine-driving SUV' - but this should at least endow it with the ability to venture deeper into the rough than many of its rivals.
There are three engines to choose between: a 3.7 litre V6 petrol, a 4.0 litre V6 petrol and a 2.7 litre diesel sourced from the Volkswagen stable. Both American petrol units are woefully underpowered given their size and return poor fuel consumption. In fact, considering the current fuel price and CO2 emissions taxes in Britain, we'd sooner reveal our bank details to an anonymous caller from Barbados than run a petrol version of this car. So that just leaves the diesel, which packs the biggest mid-range punch anyway, with its 340lb ft torque. It also returns 38mpg and powers the Nitro past 60mph in a perfectly acceptable 11.5 seconds, but gets very vocal in the process.
And it's the Nitro's refinement in general that lets it down. There's too much wind and engine noise, the auto gearbox is frustrating and the lofty driving position is poor to the point of uncomfortable. And, as we suspected, on the road it doesn't drive as well as many other monocoque-bodied European and Japanese rivals. The steering feels lazy, it rolls into corners, and it gets unsettled by choppy surfaces. This, then, is definitely not the sports-bias utility vehicle that Dodge wants it to be. Even off-road, the Nitro won't perform as well as a Jeep Wrangler or a Land Rover Freelander in the mud. It has no low-ratio gearbox or hill descent system and you have to manually switch between rear- and four-wheel-drive. So perhaps it's not so tough after all.
At least it's good for a family with plenty of space inside, generous rear legroom and the SXT models come with a sliding boot floor which is helpful for loading heavier items. The optional multimedia system is also well worth specifying too.
And then the are the Nitro's looks. Its bluff-nosed, truck-style front grille may appeal to some, as will its 20 inch alloys, but for many it will lack the sophistication of its rivals, especially (the admittedly pricier) Freelander. It's a bit crass to European eyes but that said there are (slightly childish) feel-good moments to be had from rumbling along in a lifesize Tonka toy (ours was even bright red) while watching other drivers dive out of your way. If you aspire to a Hummer and live in Cheshire, this could be a step in the right direction. Otherwise, we can't recommend living with the Nitro. But for making us feel 12 again, we like it much more than we should.

[wrenjmerg]

Quote, originally posted by knicks125 »Probably not a popular option among CSSers, but here is CR's take on the Nitro:
Heh. The only good thing I have to say about CR is (from what I saw on the magazine rack at Safeway) they recognized the awesome of the Lambda triplets (or at least the Saturn version).