2007 Dodge Nitro

Dodge Nitro noses itself into dog-car contention

Sun, Feb 11th 2007

A pretty nice dogmobile was delivered this week: The Dodge Nitro. So far, the only DaimlerChrysler vehicle that hasn’t made a great impression was the Jeep Liberty, and since it’s an old model that’s supposed to be redesigned next year to be more like the Nitro, it’ll soon be difficult to get a Dodge or Chrysler minivan, SUV or crossover that won’t make a great dogmobile.

The Nitro is no exception.

The coming-at-ya front design is a little too hard-edged for me, but I can see how others might find it appealing. The Nitro’s overpowering grille is what really turned me off about this vehicle’s design, and I suspect that’s because its target audience is younger than I am, and male. The boxy design of the Nitro appears similar to the look of the Honda Element. Which means that you’re either going to really, really like it . . . or shy away in horror.

But if you’re in the latter group, get in and be convinced.

Longtime readers know my biggest complaint with utility vehicles is that the sloped backs and

rounded edges waste a lot of inside cargo space. This is not a concern with the Nitro, with its square back and high profile. You’ll find every inch of cargo space is useable, and Dodge has made it even easier than any other vehicle to access that space.

That’s because the Nitro has an innovative roll-out platform — the Load ‘N Go — that allows you to load up without leaning over and in, which as all we boomers know is the prescription for a back injury. Once you’re loaded up, the platform rolls easily back into the cargo bay. This is one of the niftiest features I’ve ever seen, and I immediately used it to load 50 pounds of dog food into the back (total capacity for the platform is 400 pounds, according to Dodge.) I lifted the box with my knees, set it on the platform and rolled the platform in. How cool — and safe — is that?

The rear cargo area also has six cargo tie-downs for securing crates and other gear once you’ve rolled them in.

Other pet-friendly features include second-row seats that fold completely and easily flat, and recessed cup-holders that deter a paw in the latte. The version I tested didn’t have heated seats, but it did have a moonroof for additional ventilation, and power windows all around for more. The rear glass didn’t flip up independently of the rear hatch, but the hatch itself was easy to lift.

Ground clearance is good enough for a turn down a bumpy road, but probably not for serious cruising to off-road dog-related events. The interior is comfortable and the handling good, but not exciting. Fuel economy: A modest 17/21, about par for most mid-sized SUVs.

Because I’m a little bit of a geek, I have to mention one exceptionally cool feature that’s not at all dog-related: The Dodge Nitro offers as an option a 20GB hard drive for letting you load up music and pictures, turning the vehicle into a virtual iPod. Or, you can just plug in your iPod and play music from there. The Nitro also has options for delivering an array of voice-activated commands. Dog-related? How about this: You can set the Nitro to have a picture of your pup on the screen as wallpaper. OK, so I’m impressed.

You won’t find all that gadgetry on the entry-level Nitro model, which starts at a tick under $20,000. But it doesn’t take much more of an investment ($3,000-$5,000) to load up all the bling on one of most promising dogmobiles out there.

For crate users, the space between the Nitro’s wheel wells is a 42.5 inches. That means the Midwest side-by-side crates will fit with the second-row seats folded flat.

-- Gina Spadafori

Carguy Comments: Overtly masculine in its appearance, the Dodge Nitro has the bite to back up its bark. Three trim models are available: the SXT and SLT, featuring a 3.7-liter SOHC V-6 producing 210 horsepower, and the R/T model featuring a 4.0-liter V-6 with 260 horses under the hood. The Nitro’s total cargo volume is 75.6 cubic feet with the rear and front passenger seats folded and towing capacity maxes out at 5,000 pounds.

View the Dodge Nitro video

-- Keith Turner, The Family Car

Big, bold and beautiful?

Barking Lot Banter: The Dodge Nitro is a mid-size SUV that strives to break the ho-hum design mold of its counterparts by going over the top with a masculine look and muscle. Is it dogcar worthy? Load up the special slide-out tailgate with 50-pound dog food bags and kitty litter and then you decide.