GET A BIRDIE WITH YOUR NITRO
2009 Dodge Nitro
By: Cathy Droz
I never find time to food shop no less golf, but when friends came in from Minnesota, my husband and I said, let’s go. I was dressed in winter attire complete with jacket, scarf and gloves for a 10:00 AM tee time. It was 62 degrees out and it was December in Phoenix. Our friends from Minneapolis arrived in shorts and short sleeve shirts. I questioned their apparel and kindly offered a coat. They just laughed; it was 32 below in Minnesota that day.
They needed to borrow some clubs from us so we packed the Nitro with three sets and some extra balls. The cargo area of this boxy SUV was perfect for clubs, shoes, coats, hats luggage and any other new gadget that men seem to need to “play” golf. Not me. I’ve used the same clubs for twenty something years and you can still plainly see Nancy Lopez’s signature on every club. When it was time to unload the bags, we didn’t need to bend, stretch or reach in where my shirt rises up. You see, this mighty Nitro has one of my favorite features a “slide-out” cargo tray to make unloading groceries, golf clubs or any hard to reach accessory easy.
The 2009 Dodge Nitro is a five-passenger midsize SUV with an aggressive exterior with large square grille, squared off front bumper and cool flared front fenders. You can see that the Dodge marketing team wanted the male species and self-assured females to embrace the boldness of their midsize SUV and for under $30,000.
I heard critics say the acceleration is only adequate. However, after driving a golf cart for four hours, I thought the Nitro with its 3.7 liter V6 felt like a race car. New for 2009 is the completely retuned suspension that has promised more responsive handling. I don’t know if that is what I felt, but the ride was very nice. Gas mileage is about 16/22 but so are the Jeeps that have the same look and feel.
I got the feel of a no nonsense industrial-type vehicle with aluminum accents. Legroom was good for my 6’1 husband and my 5’2 frame. With the rear seats folded down there are 65 cubic feet of cargo space. The front passenger seat folds forward in case you switch from golf to Kayaking and need the extra length.
My golf game needs some help; in fact the only birdie I got all day was a feathered one who never saw my ball coming at his head.
The comments at the golf course were favorable; mostly men liked the front of the Jeep. Just like a guy looking at what is up front or in the rear.
For more on the Dodge Nitro go to www.dodge.com
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