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A Model poses next to a Dodge Nitro at the Seoul Motor Show 2007

The Dodge Nitro Is an SUV for People Who Like Familiarity

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of options on the used car market for an SUV. From old Nissans to even older Fords, the possibilities are endless. Look back far enough, and you might even find some cars that aren’t around anymore. That is the case for the Dodge Nitro, which was discontinued several years …

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of options on the used car market for an SUV. From old Nissans to even older Fords, the possibilities are endless. Look back far enough, and you might even find some cars that aren’t around anymore. That is the case for the Dodge Nitro, which was discontinued several years ago. The Nitro is a unique option for an SUV because you don’t see them on the road much anymore. It’s great if you don’t just want to be another Honda CR-V on the road, but they are still familiar enough for comfort.

The forgotten Dodge Nitro

No one seems to remember the Dodge Nitro, and it isn’t that old. Once upon a time, the Nitro was designed to be Dodge’s version of the already popular Jeep Liberty. It’s boxy styling, flat front end, and off-road capabilities were created to parallel that of the Wrangler, and it was actually a pretty neat option for an SUV. The Nitro was in production from 2007 to 2011, making some options less than ten years old, yet still, no one seems to remember they even existed.

Dodge Nitro | FCA
Dodge Nitro | FCA

A unique yet familiar compact SUV

With such a short production time, the Nitro is unique enough to stand out from a crowd of used SUVs, but still familiar enough that you won’t be uncomfortable with maintenance costs and repairs. Current and previous owners either love the Dodge Nitro or hate it, but it just comes down to personal preference. Depending on the year, there could be a handful of recalls that may need to be serviced, but for a capable SUV that you can buy for under $10,000 or even under $5,000, they are still a great bargain.

Dodge Nitro | Tim Boyle

A familiar base

If you’re familiar with Dodge vehicles, you can probably give this car a quick once over and distinguish a lot of the typical Dodge traits we know and love from those years. If you are more of a Jeep fan, this car will be familiar in different ways. While a lot of the styling choices are iconically Dodge, the Nitro shares a platform with a familiar Jeep. The Jeep Liberty was used as the base for which the Nitro was built, and there are a lot of apparent similarities.

The Dodge Nitro may not be loaded with all of the latest and greatest tech, and it is far from the most luxurious used car you can find. They are a little rough around the edges, but for what you pay, owners really seem to love them. They are familiar enough for comfort and rare enough to be unique, and at the end of the day, they are still a pretty cool SUV even though they were cut from production years ago.

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