Welcome to Trade-In Tuesday, a regular feature in which I drive a vehicle that has been traded in to Galpin, The Autopian’s sister-company run by cofounder Beau Boeckmann. Today’s trade-in is a 2007 Dodge Nitro, Dodge’s self-proclaimed first-ever mid-size SUV and a Daimler-Chrysler posterchild for automotive mediocrity.
And the vehicle I drove was no ordinary Dodge Nitro, it was one that had had its catalytic converter hacked out. Here’s what it was like driving this mediocre version of mediocrity.
Today’s trade-in comes to us from Galpin Honda, a gorgeous dealership featuring not just a great cafe, but also a vintage old Honda N360 in the showroom. Someone had traded in this white Dodge Nitro, and, as I’ve always been curious about these machines, I decided to give it a spin around the block. [FYI the video is embedded below. If you can’t see it you can watch it here on YouTube]
Before I get into my review, I have to give the Nitro a bit of credit, because not only is it far from boring, it’s also really close to the concept car that Dodge introduced at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show. That’s this thing:
Here’s how Dodge described the Nitro Concept in its February 2005 press release:
What happens when you bring the Dodge brand’s “Grab Life by the Horns” attitude to the mid-size SUV market? You get the Dodge Nitro concept. Making its debut at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show, the Dodge Nitro is a mid-size SUV concept with a uniquely bold, powerful design statement that would ignite an automotive segment more typically characterized by bland styling.
Once again, the Dodge brand is breaking the rules and exploring yet another bold proportion with the Dodge Nitro concept. The Dodge Nitro concept would be the first mid-size SUV for Dodge, completing the brand’s current lineup, which now consists of passenger cars, minivans, trucks and a full-size SUV. The five-passenger Nitro is designed to attract a customer seeking style, performance and utility.
“The Dodge Nitro concept is brimming with character; it evokes emotion through its rugged styling and dominant stance,” said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Chrysler Group Design. “This is more than just another typical mid-size SUV design statement.”
By October, Dodge gave the vehicle the green light right around the same time that it greenlit the Dodge Caliber, writing in a press release:
At the California International Auto Show today, the Chrysler Group confirmed production of the Dodge Nitro mid-size SUV for the 2007 model year. Nitro will be the first mid-size SUV for Dodge, completing the brand’s current lineup of cars, minivans, trucks, commercial vehicles and a full-size SUV.
“The Dodge Nitro will strengthen and grow the Dodge brand by allowing us to attract a new buyer,” said Steven Landry, Vice President – Dodge Marketing, Chrysler Group. “Dodge Nitro will be more than just another typical mid-size SUV; it will attract customers looking for distinctive style, affordable performance and utility.”
By 2006, just a single year after the concept car’s debut, the Nitro production car made its debut in Chicago, and came with a couple of V6s, a couple of automatics, and the same stick shift (!) as the one in the 2007 Jeep Wrangler:
Three models are available: Dodge Nitro, Dodge Nitro SLT and Dodge Nitro R/T. Available on the Dodge Nitro and Dodge Nitro SLT is a 3.7-liter SOHC V-6 engine. It produces 210 hp (157 kW) @ 5,200 rpm and 235 lb.-ft. (319 N•m) @ 4,000 rpm. The Dodge Nitro R/T features a new 4.0-liter V-6 engine that delivers 255 hp (190 kW) @ 5,800 rpm and 275 lb.-ft. torque (360 N•m) @ 4,000 rpm. Standard on the Dodge Nitro R/T and optional on the Nitro SLT is a new performance suspension and 20-inch tires and chrome-clad aluminum wheels, providing performance-oriented drivers with fun-to-drive handling and a firm ride.
Three transmissions — one manual and two automatic — will be offered. The Dodge Nitro comes with a standard six-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. The Dodge Nitro SLT has a standard four-speed automatic. The Dodge Nitro R/T has a standard five-speed automatic. All U.S. models offer 4×2 and 4×4 capability. The new mid-size SUV boasts excellent acceleration, braking, handling and towing capacity of 5,000 lbs. when properly equipped.
It’s always cool when the production car actually looks like the concept, which, like I said before, was anything but boring. It’s a bold look!
The base production vehicle offered a 210 horsepower 3.7-liter hooked to a four-speed slushbox, and was generally considered on the slow side thanks to a 4,000-pound curb weight, but the 255 horsepower V6 hooked to a five-speed auto in the R/T models was definitely no slouch. Stickshift versions were probably acceptable, but they were rare to come by.
Initial reviews of the Nitro — which shared the “KK” Liberty’s platform but lacked a low-range transfer case — were mixed; many praised the bold styling, the powerful 4.0-liter engine, and the large interior:
But, especially as time marched on and fuel prices reached a peak in 2008, the gas-sucking Nitro’s reputation tanked (the 3.7-liter auto offered 18 MPG combined, the 4.0 managed only 17), and as it neared closer to its final model year, 2011, many criticized its interior materials, overall quality, handling, fuel economy, and base-engine acceleration. Here’s U.S. News.
And here’s Consumer Reports:
What did I think of the traded-in 2007 at the Galpin Honda wholesale lot? Well, looking at it in person, i have to say that the styling looks a bit childish — bold, sure, but almost as if it had been initially sketched by a child with a crayon.
The base 3.7-liter V6 was quick enough in town, where I drove it, though to be fair, the Nitro I was driving was a bit beat up and certainly not running correctly:
That became very clear when I fired up that 3.7-liter V6. Here’s how I reacted when I first heard that motor fire up:
I would later discover the source of this deafening exhaust noise; someone had hacked out one of the vehicle’s two catalytic converters:
Though it was hard to concentrate over that left bank of cylinders shooting explosions into my ears, I did find the steering radius to be rather tight and the ride to be fantastic, which is counter to what a lot of reviewers wrote. I thought the double-wishbone front suspension and the five-link coil-sprung solid axle really let the Nitro float down the street.
Does it make for a great handling machine? Absolutely not, but did anyone think this brick-shaped 4×4 would carve up a track? No, this thing is a cruiser:
The interior quality wasn’t great, but in 2007, you could say that about a lot of vehicles.
Aside from the narrow front footwells thanks to the wide transmission tunnel, there’s plenty of space in the Nitro, with good visibility, solid rear head and legroom, and decent cargo space, especially with the second row folded. Obviously, the trade-in I was driving wasn’t the finest example, with a nasty peeling steering wheel and stains everywhere, but overall I thought the interior wasn’t that bad, and was legitimately useful:
I like this little cubby in the dashboard:
And in the rear, there’s a false-floor to hide small items in:
Sadly, the 2007 that I drove did not come with the nifty slide-out:
Anyway, watch that video towards the top of this article to hear more of my thoughts on this dirty 2007 Dodge Nitro Trade-In, and to hear that insanely loud exhaust. Overall, I went in expecting to hate the Nitro after all the bad reviews I’ve read, but I can’t.
They’re cheap (good examples tend to go for under five grand), and if you get the 4.0 with the Mercedes A580, you get a practical machine that will do 0-60 in under 7 seconds and should be reasonably reliable. I can’t hate on that. The base 3.7-liter hooked to Chrysler 42RLE, though? You couldn’t pay me enough to buy one, not because it’s a bit slow, it’s because that four-speed slushbox is known to be a bit of a pile.
So the previous owner kept the cat, but left the cat toys behind?
Boy Galpin shuffled that POS to the back back back lot quickly! Throw out the crap and get that thing to the auto auction, QUICK! Maybe we can make back the $500 we gave that poor lady to make her feel better about her new Honda payments.
On the plus side, I feel like going from a 2007 Dodge Nitro to a new Honda anything is a pretty serious quality of life improvement
My wife had one when we started dating, she wanted an Element, but these were cheaper and bigger. It was fine for the time we had it, lots of road trip miles and camping trips in it.
Never drove the Nitro, but have driven a few of this generation of Liberty as rentals, one on a fairly long road trip. They were adequate cruisers for the time, but not something I’d want in my garage.
I could never understand how they road so poorly. Compared to any other mid-sized SUV at the time, this road like it was a 70’s 3/4 ton truck. Handled like one too. It was noisy and slow. Somehow my now wife thought it was great, until it slowly killed her bank account and love of being a Jeep girl.
I had a coworker with two consecutive jeeps that needed new engines and got rained into at pretty low mileages. She still identified as a jeep gal and probably bought another after that. What’s the deal with being a jeep guy/gal?
The only thing the Nitro seemed to be an answer to was the Isuzu Axiom – draping some dramatic sheetmetal on the bones of a more off-road oriented SUV.
Yeah, but the Axiom was like a nicely tailored suit while the Nitro was an Ed Hardy t-shirt.
Yeah, the Axiom was at least nice looking, and it came at a time when truckier bones were still in relative demand (as they’ve come back around to being now). I don’t know if there would have been any right time for the Nitro, but that was especially not it.
I have always liked the exterior of the Nitro. Interior, though…
Man, those are some FLAT seats. Especially in back. Those cannot be comfortable.
Curiosity got the better of me and I went Craigslisting for a manual Nitro.
Second listing I checked (and it was mislabeled in the description, as I’m guessing most of these are by car dealers who don’t want people sorting away the manuals): https://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd/d/essex-2008-dodge-nitro/7707682348.html
$2,500 – Trying to decide if that’s high. It’s almost throw away money in today’s car market, but it seems like a lot of cash for the mileage and the failed clear coat and the unforgiving embrace of hard plastics. I should buy this for my kids.
I gotta say, I kinda like it. Manual transmission AND a sunroof? Aside from sports cars, that’s a rare combo.
Next week, on Holy Grails…..
Awww, man!
I need to get my replacement 4.0L in my R/T Nitro, and now I also have to a convince DT to approve the story on it. That may have just gotten a lot tougher.
Dammit.
We want the JAG!!!
“Picture this: an epic story about rebuilding a $200 Jag XK8! Sounds great right?! Let’s gooooo!” -me
“Wait, so there are no BMW i3 or Jeeps involved in this story? Ehhhh.” -DT
Dude! It’s easy. Just tell him it’s a “Counter Point” article.
I actually filmed a counterpoint video for this piece that didn’t make it only to the cutting room floor. You win some and you lose some.
Argh! Bummer.
Here’s an idea DT is guaranteed to approve.
1) SWaG swaps a Mopar 4L engine into a jag
2) SWaG swaps a Jag engine into a Dodge Nitro
The shenanigans and grabbing defeat from the jaws of defeat are 100% gold.
I plan on seeing DT this week, so I’ll run Something similar to the above by him and see if we have something there – thanks Harv!
Good luck!
We couldn’t get you to buy one unless rusty and under $500. It does a disservice to review a just traded in not prepped for sale anything. And finally any good reviews compare price VS condition.
I’ve never traded in a car that I didn’t at least clean all my stuff out of at a minimum. Usually I try to detail it myself to try to extract some extra value. But I’m sure Galpin finds some “interesting” stuff in the trade ins. That might be a whole article in itself. “Weird crap that Galpin found in trade-ins this month.”
Anyway, I love this “Trade-in Tuesday” idea for an article series and it’s a great way to take advantage of your location and access to Galpin’s trade-in inventory. More of these please!
I briefly worked at an auto auction a decade ago. The “straight to auction” vehicles had all manner of stuff. Change (yes I kept it), tonnes of CDs, loads of pens, religious icons. Some cars were clearly on their last legs with piles of fuses and various fluid bottles. A few had clothes. Worst were the repo vehicles and transport trucks that came through often with rotting food.
I have no idea why anyone bought these. At least with the Jeep version you could tell youself (and I did) that the piss-poor mileage and hard plastic interior were the price you pay for an off-road vehicle. This, lacking real 4WD, cannot make even that claim. It’s just a mediocre to bad crossover.
They were big and cheap, probably one of the “best” bigness/$ ratios around at the time.
They weren’t that big, at least not on the inside. They were pretty space-inefficient.
But you do bring up a good point, which was the reason I owned a this-gen Liberty: they were cheap. The cheapest way to tow 5000 lbs (not that I have ever seen a Nitro towing).
Because they approved anybody with a heartbeat for financing ? see Dodge Journey for comparison
yeah, but Jeep did too, since it was the same dealership.
I recall thinking the styling was pretty good back when new, but the 3.7 started to get a bad rep, and it was a bit less capable than the Liberty it stole most of it’s stuff from, so it was hard to keep it in the lime light, the Journey was a bit less polarizing and far enough away from the Minivan it was based off of that I am sure it ended up being the death nell for this product in the end.
Way, way back in the day, I used to read Captain Marvel comics (the Marvel version, not DC). CM was male in those days, so you know it’s been awhile. Anyhoo, Captain Marvel once faced off against a supervillain named Nitro who was pretty stupid looking, too. Must be the name.
Oh no! Someone left their friends behind on the dashboard. Save the stuffed animals! Hopefully they’re reunited with their owner, anyway.
I will defend harder plastics in one regard, though: they might scratch easily, but guess whose dash hasn’t cracked in the sun here? My Lancer’s, which doesn’t seem to have a single soft-touch surface anywhere in the darn thing. (They at least broke it up with more cloth and leather in places that make sense, though.)
Strong point!
I will say the Nitro has a reeeeeally tragic implelmentation of hard plastics, though. Just kinda…style-less? Depressing? Blocky? You weren’t wrong there.
But as a Fisher-Price collector, I gotta say…hey! They did a better job than this on my Power Wheels GT3! Whether hard plastic looks bad or not is mostly determined by how it’s styled, IMHO.
Also, toys on dashboards fade, so I might move the friends, just in case.
It looks almost exactly the same as the interior of a Dodge Caliber, but vertically stretched a little bit. That was also a tragic implementation of hard, grey, plastics
Those era Dodges just kinda forgot to style things, I think.
That era of Chrysler in general just had awful dashes/interiors. Visually appealing? Soft touch? No and No. It is like they went through a period forgetting that people spend time inside the vehicle and maybe they should not just style the outside but the inside too.
To be fair, that was about the time when Daimler cut Chrysler interior budgets to the absolute bone, while at the same time mandating that even the least expensive cars use the likely-not-cheap M-B parts bin. We’re probably lucky they didn’t just use bare sheetmetal instead of gray plastic.
Hard plastics: nothing a bit of foam backed alcantra and a can of spray glue can’t fix!
I’m guessing that off-site lot is where they throw the straight-to-auction heaps.
Correct.
JACKPOT
WTB: Lemons Rally vehicle for the Route 66 event that starts in Santa Monica. I make special price. (read: I’m broke and cheap)
(IDK if I’d want the Nitro, though—I’ve got to at least make Day 2’s stopover without getting arrested.)
The stuffed animals reminded me of the time I borrowed my 70 year old aunt’s PT Cruiser. It had a plushy cat beanie baby and a praying angel figurine in the center of the dash.
I worked part time years ago for a major rental car company. We had these, CVT Calibers, and the full size Aspen SUVs. Definitely not Chrysler’s finest hour. My first experience with a CVT vehicle was with a Caliber and that set a very low bar. The Nitro was a prime case of all looks/attitude with nothing to back it up. We had the 3.7 with the 4speed automatic and it truly felt sluggish. The problem with Chrysler back then was everything felt half baked
> The problem with Chrysler back then was everything felt half baked
As opposed to all those other periods when Chrysler’s stuff wasn’t half baked?
The accelerator appears to be just a volume control: pushing the pedal creates more noise but nothing else happens.
I was amused at the 7:16 mark by the passenger in the car next to you closing the window. 🙂
The music was good and barking dogs were a nice touch, though I would not have been surprised to hear cats. Felines, I mean.
Tangentially related: somewhere in the mid-2000s I was poking around at a Jeep dealership, and saw a new Commander… with a 3.7. That had to be slower than the Nitro.
PS – I assume in Tales from the Slack you (collectively) will refer to Trade-In Tuesday by its abbreviation.
Right? That’s not a lot of motor for a LOT of car.
I thought about taking it for a test drive just to see how much it struggled, but didn’t want to give a salesperson false hope of unloading it.
My dad had a Commander with the non-Hemi V8 and it did pretty well. It was a little thirsty, but the 3.7 would have to work so hard I suspect the fuel economy – or “economy” – would have been about the same.
My wife and I test drove one once. She really liked it, but I pointed out the abysmal fuel economy, the gun slit windshield, and the cruel joke of a third row seat (that we really needed), and we passed on it.
Ended up with a Mazda5, and she LOVED that car.
Had one as a rental car way back when. It was definitely mediocre.
Except for a couple of places to hide your weed, there is nothing redeemable about these.
Fight me.
Definitely one of the ugliest cars to come out of Daimler-era Chrysler. Ugly outside, cheap and chinsy inside.
Chinsy inside? Give it a full denim interior & call it the Leno Edition!
(“chintzy” is what you were looking for.)
Not by the hair on my chintzy chin chin!
(Thanks btw)
I remember liking these when they came out (I was a bit of a Mopar fanboy back then…boy have I learned my lesson). I still notice nice ones though. Boxy is cool and nice ones will certainly do well at Litwood (Radwood for ’00’s cars)
A worse version of a jeep liberty without a low-range transfer case looking for the Poochie the Dog crowd as buyers. The people that wanted one of these ended up owning Dodge Journeys.
I like the verisimilitude of how it has the prior owner’s crap they didn’t care about in it.
was the nitro one of the first cerberus designed vehicles or did the project start under daimler chrysler?
Cerberus bought the company in August of 2007 and it filed for bankruptcy and sold most of its assets to NewCarCo Acquistion Company (which then renamed itself Chrysler Group) in April of 2009, so there was very little that was both started and introduced under Cerberus . The Nitro went into production 12 months before they bought the business, August 2006 for the 2007 model year
Yup. The last few years of the Daimler era were cost reduction and de-contenting. The Cerberus era was further de-contenting, with a regime led by the guy that didn’t make it at GE and almost ran Home Depot into the ground. The aughts were a rough time there for car folks.
Actually, the de-contenting started to reverse under Cerberus, the work on the Sebring -to-200 refresh started under them, as did the initial development work on the Pentastar V6 (the new engine program was announced just prior to the sale), but, ultimately, with like a year and a half before the company failed, its pretty hard to give them credit for a whole lot, or, honestly, blame for a whole lot, vs the 9 years Daimler had it (and Daimler remained a minority shareholder with board representation under Cerberus). They did do a pretty sweeping interior upgrade program on a number of models though, I mean, there was nowhere to go but up on that front, Daimler had been sourcing their interior components from the dumpster behind the Fisher Price warehouse.
Nardelli? Figures.
Yeah. The arc of “Maximum Bob” Lutz to “Minimum Bob” Nardelli.