2011 Dodge Nitro Compact SUVs Overviews

Dodge Nitro

The 2011 Dodge Nitro Compact SUV. Car reviewers love the 2011 Dodge Nitro’s styling, but they find little else to like about the pugnacious little SUV.

Most affordable compact SUVs are starting to look alike – but not the '2011 Dodge Nitro'. Consumer Guide says the '2011 Dodge Nitro' “works best as a style statement, trailing most crossovers for drive train refinement, rear-seat accommodations, and interior materials. “The Honda Element has boxy styling, a lower starting price and better fuel economy than the Nitro. For 2011 the Dodge Nitro is little-changed, with the exception of trim names. The Nitro shares much of its construction with the Jeep Liberty.

The "2011 Dodge Nitro" gets a few new standard and optional features. The 2011 Dodge Nitro is a five-passenger SUV available in Heat, Detonator and Shock trim levels. The Heat includes 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, fog lamps, roof rails, deep tinted windows, keyless entry, full power accessories, heated mirrors, air-conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, a 60/40-split-folding and reclining rear seat and a six-speaker stereo with a CD player, satellite radio and an auxiliary audio jack. The "Nitro Shock trim adds different 20-inch wheels", a sunroof, leather upholstery and heated seats.

The Dodge Nitro Heat comes with a 3.7-liter V6 engine that produces 210 horsepower and 237 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available, with the latter being a part-time system with high- and low-range gearing. EPA estimates are an underwhelming 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 16/20/17 with four-wheel drive. The stability control includes a trailer sway control feature. Rear parking sensors are standard on the Detonator and Shock. The 2011 Dodge Nitro has not been rated using the government’s new, more strenuous 2011 crash-testing procedures.

The 2011 Dodge Nitro is very much a niche vehicle.
The Nitro was rolled out a few years ago as a more aggressively styled, more road-going (and less off-road-focused) vehicle based on the Jeep Liberty. With crisper sheet metal, distinct Dodge cues, aggressively lipped wheel wells, and bigger wheels, the Nitro has more of a macho tuner look. Seat materials have been updated for 2011, and a newly available Heat 4.0 Package brings Bluetooth and audio upgrades, but the interior remains unimpressive in look and feel compared to other mid-size crossovers priced around $25k, where most Nitro land.

For more about the 2011 Nitro, which has changed little except in trim names, see either this full review of the Dodge Nitro, or our full review of the related 2011 Jeep Liberty.