Had the ole Nitro now almost 2 years, so, what do i make of it, where to begin....
Well to start, the Nitro is actually a rear wheel drive car. With the 2.8 diesel and the torque, you do have to be careful about putting power down in wet conditions if you are cornering. That said, the ESP does do a pretty good job of keeping you on the straight and narrow!!
The 4 wheel drive is switched in with a little knob by the gearstick. However, this is 4 wheel drive with difflock, which means all the wheels turn together. This is actually great when you need it in slippery conditions, but means you cannot use this mode for normal road driving, as at some point you would end up damaging the transmission.
I really bought the Nitro for occasional use, to tow heavy things, and since ive had it, ive frequently filled its spacious interior with rear seats folded with about a ton of wood. It does these things very well, without struggling. Its a big heavy car with plenty of power, built like a tank! yes, the boot space is much bigger than the Calibers, in the Nitro I just threw in a pushbike and shut the door. On the Cali, same bike, had to take the front wheel off and have the handlebars at 90 degrees.
Inside, there is less storage space than the Cali, but I havent found this to be a problem with my occasional use. It has the Infinity sound system, sounds great but id say the Boston Accoustics system on the Cali just has the edge to my ear.
The drivers seat is electric, up/down, front/back, and tilt. I don't have a problem with the driving position, but I would say I think some would not be able to find a suitable position due to pedal heights and leg lengths, but you'd have to try it to see.
Driving is almost as much fun as the Cali. Plenty of looks, the high ride height gives great views over hedges n such, its a bit rolly poly, but no more than what you would expect. The auto box is fine for poodling along, but best handling is achieved down the lanes (and the most fun) by using the slapstick and the correct gears.
MPG depends on what you do, been as low as 22mpg towing but flooring it all the time, as high as 40mpg rolling back from Scotland at 50-55mph, and I average 31-32mpg driving about reasonably steady.
And thats about it, you need a ladder to clean the roof!, no problems to speak of, 2 safety recalls, but all in all it seems reliable. I'm not certain id want one as an everyday car, the price of a tank of diesel is scarey, but does go a long way.
At the time of writing, the prices are pretty static, I think I could sell mine and almost recover the price i paid. The Nitro's were not built like the Cali's, with the same spec, so make sure you have all the bits you want on the one you are looking at (like the sunscreen glass).
Any questions tack them to the thread, and i'll do my best to answer them.
