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16 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 17, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Dodge Caliber redefines best bang for your buck Continued from Page 15 all-season (Goodyear RS-A) or all-out performance rubber (Goodyear F1 Supercar). Outwardly, the front end gets a deep chinned spoiler, functional hood scoop, and a rear spoiler at the top of the liftgate that has been extended seven inches for more downforce and there is a ducted air extractor along the bottom of the rear end to improve airflow ACCORD ALL-NEW FOR 2008 MORE EVERYTHING MORE stirring performance MORE extensive safety including Honda's revolutionary ACETM body structure MORE interior space than the competition MORE dynamic, sophisticated styling ...and much more. Accord Sedan LX model CP2538E "Honda raises the bar with restyled Accord" Toronto Star ­ September 2007 '08 ACCORD LX GET MORE FOR ONLY LEASE FOR LEASE APR # $ 2008 HONDA 298 5.9 @ PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS ON APPROVED CREDIT. WITH $4,214 DOWN % £ $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT GET MORE NOW Civic Coupe DX-A model FG1128EX Pilot SE model YF1838JX '08 CIVIC DX-A SEDAN OR COUPE MORE FUEL EFFICIENCY Civic's bold styling, fun-to-drive attitude and "squeeze every litre" fuel efficiency never fail to lift your spirits. For 2008, the value-enhanced Civic DX-A offers these standard highlights: CFC-Free Air Conditioning · 1.8L 140hp SOHC i-VTEC® Engine · Power Windows and Door Mirrors · CD Audio System with MP3 Compatibility ...and much more. Get it with leather! Available in the all-new Civic EX-L '08 PILOT SE GET MORE FOR ONLY LEASE FOR LEASE APR # MORE ADVENTURES Don't let Pilot's good looks fool you; with a solid unibody construction, this workhorse is tough enough to take you and 7 friends wherever you want. Enjoy these all-new Pilot SE features: 3.5L 244hp 24 Valve SOHC VTEC® Engine · Power Moonroof with Tilt Feature · Honda DVD Rear Entertainment System · Driver's Seat with 8-Way Power Adjustment · Auto-Off Headlights ...and much more. GET MORE FOR ONLY LEASE FOR LEASE APR # $ PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS ON APPROVED CREDIT. WITH $3,012 DOWN (SEDAN) / $3,133 DOWN (COUPE) 218 5.9 @ % £ $ PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS ON APPROVED CREDIT. WITH $5,312 DOWN 548 4.9 @ $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT % £ $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT T Drive an '08 Honda T est oday! for more information and to locate your nearest dealer visit: w w w. h o n d a . c a #Limited time lease offers based on new 2008 Accord Sedan LX, model CP2538E / 2008 Civic Sedan DX-A, model FA1528EX / 2008 Civic Coupe DX-A, model FG1128EX / 2008 Pilot SE RES 4WD, model YF1838JX available through Honda Financial Services on approved credit. £5.9% / 5.9% / 5.9% / 4.9% lease APR for 36 / 48 / 48 / 48 months. Monthly payment is $298 / $218 / $218 / $548, with $4,214.40 / $3,011.73 / $3,132.75 / $5,311.54 down payment or equivalent trade, $1,390 / $1,295 / $1,295 / $1,540 freight and PDI, first monthly payment and $0 / $0 / $0 / $0 security deposit due at lease inception. Total lease obligation is $17,034.34 / $15,362.33 / $15,500.30 / $36,041.72. Taxes, license, insurance and registration are extra. 72,000 / 96,000 / 96,000 / 96,000 kilometre allowance; charge of $0.12/km for excess kilometres. Retailer may lease for less. Retailer order / trade may be necessary. #£Offers valid on new 2008 models from October 1st, 2007 through October 31st, 2007 at participating Honda retailers. Subject to change or cancellation without notice. See your Honda retailer for full details. under the car. SRT then specially tunes both the ABS system and the electronic stability control (ESC). The ESC has something called Brake Lock Differential (BLD) technology that moves the torque to the front tire with the most traction on this front-driver. Inside the front seats are similar to those used in the Dodge Viper with SRT4 embroidery, centre mounted tach, a 300 km/h speedometer, bright aluminum pedals with rubber studs for grip and a waycool turbo boost gauge grafted into the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel. There are a number of options like a 13-speaker sound system and power sunroof but the bottom line is that at $24,995 SRT4 has more power and features than the 2007 SRT4 but costs $2,500 less. The clutch pedal is medium heavy but not to a point where your instep can go numb. Pressure plate take-up at the flywheel is almost light. Give it a whiff of power and let home the clutch and the SRT trundles off like an econohatch. There isn't a lot of engine noise, like most big turbos, but there is a distant rumble that grows. The suspension on the SRT4 is firm but not kidney jarring. Cruising along at 55 mph (the cops literally infest the roads in Indiana), the tach was showing fewer than 1,900 rpm. Pull down one or two gears to pass a slow mover, and the power comes in swiftly, but not suddenly, which used to be a major big turbo drawback. On twisting, turning two-lane roads (I thought Indiana was flat like the prairies) and holding in it fourth, the SRT4 was amazing in terms of grip. I would crest a small rise only to find a 30 mph turn 30 metres ahead. Stabbing the brakes (they can stop the car from 60 mph in 125 feet) and dropping down to second, you just add throttle and steam around the corner literally like being on rails. But the capper to this was going to the Putman Park Raceway, a technical 1.6mile test track south of Indianapolis. With crash helmets and proper pre-track briefing, we set up to test the limits of the SRT4. On sweeping turns you can aim at the apex ahead and nail it every time. There was one wicked right that didn't look like much but being off-camber, it was easy to make a hash of it, and even take an excursion on the grass. I had to work at this one. By lap three, I was going faster and I know I could improve more each time I took another lap. I can only think of two negatives with the SRT4. First, only about 10-20 per cent of the target market of those under the age of 30 has ever driven a stick. Like the Mazdaspeed3, there is no automatic. Learning to drive a manual should be done in something mild, not a pocket rocket like the SRT4. Second, the insurance for the target market buyer could be a deterrent. But where there's a will there is always a way. The SRT4 is a low-volume car and I was told by Chrysler Canada that they can probably get 1,200 or more a year where the Mazdaspeed3 is limited to about 350 a year. But after all the performance and handling, the SRT4 is still a five-door hatchback with utility; meaning to me anyway, it combines the best of both worlds. If you believe in best bang for the buck, the 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4 is it.