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2007 Dodge Nitro R/T 4X4 Road Test

I don't know what It is, but the Nitro's got It. I wouldn't call It revolutionarystyling, except that it seems almost every other manufacturer has forgotten how to create aggressive designs, especially in the SUV segment. This is definitely no soft and cuddly crossover. Yet oddly, it is. It's clearly not meant for offroading, especially not on the 20-inch chrome rims my R/T tester was wearing. It's a City-UV. It's also not the most modern or technically advanced vehicle either, but boy, do I like it. The only thing stopping it from being a menace of tire-smoking mayhem is the wide rubber catching all sorts of grip whenever you take off with a foot to the floor. This is a crossover with plenty of attitude for city streets, and packing a 4.0L V6 to back it up.

My concern about this vehicle is whether it will find enough buyers. Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned; I've already seen a handful on the streets, mostly base and midrange models with the tacky grey plastic fenders—not so great together with the lurid orange

Go light on the options, and the Nitro is not only a blast, but a bargain. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

metallic that looks so good when completed with full paint. I can also imagine a few people trading their Durangos in for something less cumbersome, especially the kind of guy who options out the larger Dodge with just about every chrome accessory Mopar offers and even some they don't. It's a great vehicle for someone who wants to get noticed and make a loud entrance, but ultimately, those people really covet the cachet that only a Hummer or G55 AMG can offer. Then again, at half the price of a Hummer H2, and with a larger presence than an H3, the Nitro might just provide that budget Hummer shopper a kick-ass ride ready for their customizing dreams—can you imagine the in-car entertainment system potential of that tall, square cargo area ... it could make for

Nitro is a strict five-seater, but it's got a big cargo bay that slides out if Load 'n Go is equipped. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

a mad setup.

Despite the novelty factor, the Nitro is a pretty decent truck that lives loud andproud, fully living up to its marketing spin, and banking on attention-hungry drivers. And it delivers just enough content to satisfy shrewd shoppers looking for decent value from its sub-$21K price point, for a base SXT. Where it surprises, though, is when fully featured, as my 4x4 R/T was, pricing out to less than $33-and-a-half grand with the full visual kit and a hot-blooded V6 pumping out 260 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, a little short of the RAV4 V6 for class honors, but pretty thumpin' nonetheless. Power is managed by the R/T-exclusive 5-speed auto and a part-time 4WD system (you decide for yourself whether you're in the mood for 4WD or RWD) and Dodge will also soon have a full-time automatic 4WD system available in SLT models. Either way, it's a good, basic combination with plenty of

Perforated leather-trimmed buckets are comfy. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

power, smooth shifts, and some SUV traction to get you through winter weather, with moderate fuel consumption.

Its optimistic EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) ratings of 22 mpg for the highway and17 in the city weren't too far off, as I managed to keep it around 16 in a week of almost exclusively city driving, and as Justin said, I drive like my hair is on fire and I'm heading for the only well in town. I'm sure more reasonable drivers can get it closer to predicted levels, as even a quick crosstown trip at the end of the week raised my combined rating to 17, and I don't think I've ever finished driving a car with an average distance traveled per gallon over the city rating, so I was impressed.

As for its on-road demeanor, it was about as good as I would imagine a body on frame architecture can get, particularly when you set it up with a sport-oriented suspension on 20-inch rims. The suspension has to compensate for the truck's less rigid structure, but the live rear axle combined with a performance-tuned suspension does the trick, though

The 4.0-liter V6 engine is a MUST for the Nitro. Otherwise, it's sluggish. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

not quite as convincingly as a Mustang. It manages vertical impacts fairly well, absorbing the bumps and bangs with a bit of commotion and quicklysettling down, but the tall, top-heavy body will often force you to slow down through tight turns, and even on speedy curves. While it leans heavily, it maintains a rewardingly clear connection through the tight steering, and I appreciated that it made its limited potential through the twisties quite clear. The standard all-wheel disc brakes and ABS served up a healthy dose of stop in short order, increasing my confidence level. I wouldn't suggest any cone courses or drifting antics, as the wide, grippy rubber felt like it might grip and flip if you really got into it, but thankfully, Dodge also makes Electronic Stability Program (ESP) standard across the board, helping to defend against reckless disregard for the laws of physics.

ESP is just the first of many features that come standard, and looking over the list is giving me a headache, but I can tell you that even in base form the Nitro comes well equipped at a very nice $20,110, a price bested in the SUV segment only by the value-driven Koreans. Keep adding features (you can do sovirtually on www.dodge.com),

The Nitro might not have the brand image of Hummer, but this one's got plenty of attitude. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

and like the rest of the competition in this segment, you can start creeping well into the mid-twenties in price, which will take you over $30K before you can say IRS. That price may seem a little scary, but no vehicle is immune to those taxes, so the field is quite level, with most maintaining their brands' character, and in Dodge's case, its character standing grille and massive chrome rims are well ahead of the rest.

Dodge's badass SUV also has the benefit of some of Chrysler Group's latest gadgets and equipment, like the MyGIG Infotainment Center (with a hard drive for music, file storage and navigation), YES Essentials seat fabrics and the Load 'n Go sliding storage system (which I found rather useless, to tell you the truth—how often do you have to load big TVs?), but those are just features that will likely add to final transaction price and help dealers make a profit. What will bring people into showrooms are its ballsy grille and fenders, an unabashed attitude and a fairly hyped marketing campaign.

What might end up surprising people and finally sealing the deal is that it's a great truck to drive, particularly in an urban setting, that it sports a stylish, roomy and comfortable interior, and that it blows most of the competition away when it comes to power-to-price ratio.

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