2013 Dodge Dart Revealed
03-12-14, 10:42 AM
#47
Only thing good about Dart is their press pics. Everything goes downhill from there.
03-12-14, 11:13 AM
#48
Probably about a year ago I went to my local great mall, and in the parking lot Dodge was doing demos with cones for the new Dart and had a Civic and Focus for competitive comparisons. I remember arguing the Focus was better driving than the Dart and the "Dodge" staff kept insisting it wasn't
03-12-14, 06:25 PM
#49
Lead Lap
I do expect to see a small blip upwards in Dart sales now that the 200 is squarely aligning with the mid-size family sedan and the Avenger is out of production. The discounts on the Avenger made it almost the exact same price as the Dart.
03-12-14, 06:44 PM
#50
Lexus Fanatic
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 7,864
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting the article suggests low customer awareness of small cars from Dodge. The Dart is easily the most advertised car in the segment. I barely see any TV spots for it's competitors. If you are unaware of the Dart's existence, then it's time to come out from under your rock.
Dodge tried to take a unique, sporty approach in this segment. Clearly, it's not what buyers are looking for. Even though reading the internet and every auto journalist insist that all cars must be sport oriented. Sales are always the exact opposite of what these people think are the best characteristics (driving dynamics, ect...).
#1 is the Corolla. That is what real people want. Bullet proof reliability and practicality. Dodge/Fiat = the worse in reliability.
Dodge tried to take a unique, sporty approach in this segment. Clearly, it's not what buyers are looking for. Even though reading the internet and every auto journalist insist that all cars must be sport oriented. Sales are always the exact opposite of what these people think are the best characteristics (driving dynamics, ect...).
#1 is the Corolla. That is what real people want. Bullet proof reliability and practicality. Dodge/Fiat = the worse in reliability.
03-13-14, 06:31 AM
#51
I had a 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye with the 1.4 Turbo. I traded it in after 6 months. Just was not a fun car to drive at all. When I first bought it I was in a rush to get a new car and when I first looked at it I loved the looks, and the interior was amazing. But the longer I drove it the more I hated it and ate my losses and traded it for a used Speed3.
1) Very long throw on manual.
2) Not two weeks after buying it I thought the clutch had gone out on me after it would no longer engage when I pushed in the pedal. In order to drive i had to force shift (thank god I never had to stop on an uphill). By the time I got to the dealer the clutch was working again. Apparently the hydraulic pressure just decided to take a nap that day.
3) SLOW. Holy crap did this thing feel underpowered for what it costs (what my unit cost anyway). My Dart costs more than a new Civic SI and couldn't even stay close to one. I couldn't imagine how much worse the 2.0 motor is.
4) Gas mileage, not even close to what they advertise. "up to 41mpgs" they advertise. Ha I usually averegaed 24-27 a tank and that wasn't even being that hard on the gas. Closed I got was mid 30s on a road trip from MD to norfolk, VA.
5) Way overpriced. Not long after buying the car I realized just how much I had to pay versus what I got. My bad for not doing more research ahead of time, but again I was in a rush and didn't want the civic.
If you get the right trim/package the car can be fun to drive if you are just about looks and a nice big touch screen nav/radio system on the center console, but as far as a drive I felt it was not up to par.
1) Very long throw on manual.
2) Not two weeks after buying it I thought the clutch had gone out on me after it would no longer engage when I pushed in the pedal. In order to drive i had to force shift (thank god I never had to stop on an uphill). By the time I got to the dealer the clutch was working again. Apparently the hydraulic pressure just decided to take a nap that day.
3) SLOW. Holy crap did this thing feel underpowered for what it costs (what my unit cost anyway). My Dart costs more than a new Civic SI and couldn't even stay close to one. I couldn't imagine how much worse the 2.0 motor is.
4) Gas mileage, not even close to what they advertise. "up to 41mpgs" they advertise. Ha I usually averegaed 24-27 a tank and that wasn't even being that hard on the gas. Closed I got was mid 30s on a road trip from MD to norfolk, VA.
5) Way overpriced. Not long after buying the car I realized just how much I had to pay versus what I got. My bad for not doing more research ahead of time, but again I was in a rush and didn't want the civic.
If you get the right trim/package the car can be fun to drive if you are just about looks and a nice big touch screen nav/radio system on the center console, but as far as a drive I felt it was not up to par.
03-13-14, 09:38 AM
#52
I had a 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye with the 1.4 Turbo. I traded it in after 6 months. Just was not a fun car to drive at all. When I first bought it I was in a rush to get a new car and when I first looked at it I loved the looks, and the interior was amazing. But the longer I drove it the more I hated it and ate my losses and traded it for a used Speed3.
1) Very long throw on manual.
2) Not two weeks after buying it I thought the clutch had gone out on me after it would no longer engage when I pushed in the pedal. In order to drive i had to force shift (thank god I never had to stop on an uphill). By the time I got to the dealer the clutch was working again. Apparently the hydraulic pressure just decided to take a nap that day.
3) SLOW. Holy crap did this thing feel underpowered for what it costs (what my unit cost anyway). My Dart costs more than a new Civic SI and couldn't even stay close to one. I couldn't imagine how much worse the 2.0 motor is.
4) Gas mileage, not even close to what they advertise. "up to 41mpgs" they advertise. Ha I usually averegaed 24-27 a tank and that wasn't even being that hard on the gas. Closed I got was mid 30s on a road trip from MD to norfolk, VA.
5) Way overpriced. Not long after buying the car I realized just how much I had to pay versus what I got. My bad for not doing more research ahead of time, but again I was in a rush and didn't want the civic.
If you get the right trim/package the car can be fun to drive if you are just about looks and a nice big touch screen nav/radio system on the center console, but as far as a drive I felt it was not up to par.
1) Very long throw on manual.
2) Not two weeks after buying it I thought the clutch had gone out on me after it would no longer engage when I pushed in the pedal. In order to drive i had to force shift (thank god I never had to stop on an uphill). By the time I got to the dealer the clutch was working again. Apparently the hydraulic pressure just decided to take a nap that day.
3) SLOW. Holy crap did this thing feel underpowered for what it costs (what my unit cost anyway). My Dart costs more than a new Civic SI and couldn't even stay close to one. I couldn't imagine how much worse the 2.0 motor is.
4) Gas mileage, not even close to what they advertise. "up to 41mpgs" they advertise. Ha I usually averegaed 24-27 a tank and that wasn't even being that hard on the gas. Closed I got was mid 30s on a road trip from MD to norfolk, VA.
5) Way overpriced. Not long after buying the car I realized just how much I had to pay versus what I got. My bad for not doing more research ahead of time, but again I was in a rush and didn't want the civic.
If you get the right trim/package the car can be fun to drive if you are just about looks and a nice big touch screen nav/radio system on the center console, but as far as a drive I felt it was not up to par.
03-13-14, 10:50 AM
#53
Definitely going to see what "true" Dart demand could be at the Dodge dealerships now that Avengers should be nearly gone. Hard for a lot of those budget minded people to choose the smaller Dart when the heavily incentive driven Avenger was right next to it, even if the style and technology was a step forward.
03-13-14, 11:09 AM
#54
Definitely going to see what "true" Dart demand could be at the Dodge dealerships now that Avengers should be nearly gone. Hard for a lot of those budget minded people to choose the smaller Dart when the heavily incentive driven Avenger was right next to it, even if the style and technology was a step forward.
Why is Corolla selling well when discounted base Camry is almost the same price?
05-06-14, 10:06 AM
#55
Dodge to focus on performance, confirms Dart SRT with AWD
SRT will become part of Dodge
The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shindig continues as Dodge has introduced their performance-oriented five-year plan.
Declaring "No kid ever grew up with a poster of a [Volkswagen] Passat on his bedroom wall," the plan calls for the company to drop the Avenger later this year and axe the Grand Caravan in 2016.
As for the survivors, the company will introduce a facelifted Viper in 2015. Since SRT is being integrated into Dodge, it will likely be called the Dodge Viper once again.
A year later, the company will introduce a facelifted Dart that will have revised styling, improved "driving dynamics" and a new engine lineup that better fits with the company's performance image. Speaking of the latter, the company will offer a Dart SRT with all-wheel drive and a high-output turbocharged engine.
2016 will also usher in the Journey replacement which is dubbed the D-CUV. Little is known about the model but the company says it will be better aligned with the new "Dodge brand DNA." As part of the change, there will be an SRT variant in early 2017.
Interestingly, the Durango's increased sales have apparently saved it from the automotive graveyard as a refreshed model is due in 2017.
In 2018, we can expect a new Charger and Challenger as well as a mysterious B-segment sedan and hatchback.
Last but not least, Dodge confirmed the existence of a supercharged engine which is expected to be called the Hellcat. It will be offered in the Charger SRT and Challenger SRT and previous reports have indicated it could produce up to 700 bhp (477 to 522 kW).
The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shindig continues as Dodge has introduced their performance-oriented five-year plan.
Declaring "No kid ever grew up with a poster of a [Volkswagen] Passat on his bedroom wall," the plan calls for the company to drop the Avenger later this year and axe the Grand Caravan in 2016.
As for the survivors, the company will introduce a facelifted Viper in 2015. Since SRT is being integrated into Dodge, it will likely be called the Dodge Viper once again.
A year later, the company will introduce a facelifted Dart that will have revised styling, improved "driving dynamics" and a new engine lineup that better fits with the company's performance image. Speaking of the latter, the company will offer a Dart SRT with all-wheel drive and a high-output turbocharged engine.
2016 will also usher in the Journey replacement which is dubbed the D-CUV. Little is known about the model but the company says it will be better aligned with the new "Dodge brand DNA." As part of the change, there will be an SRT variant in early 2017.
Interestingly, the Durango's increased sales have apparently saved it from the automotive graveyard as a refreshed model is due in 2017.
In 2018, we can expect a new Charger and Challenger as well as a mysterious B-segment sedan and hatchback.
Last but not least, Dodge confirmed the existence of a supercharged engine which is expected to be called the Hellcat. It will be offered in the Charger SRT and Challenger SRT and previous reports have indicated it could produce up to 700 bhp (477 to 522 kW).
05-06-14, 10:36 AM
#57
So Chrysler took SRT trim package and made it it's own brand like what a couple years ago (what I was told when buying previously mentioned dart), just to put it right back into Dodge?
05-06-14, 12:44 PM
#58
Lexus Fanatic
Probably about a year ago I went to my local great mall, and in the parking lot Dodge was doing demos with cones for the new Dart and had a Civic and Focus for competitive comparisons. I remember arguing the Focus was better driving than the Dart and the "Dodge" staff kept insisting it wasn't
05-06-14, 01:34 PM
#59
Lexus Test Driver
05-11-14, 12:17 PM
#60
2014 Dodge Dart Dumps Dual-Clutch Automatic, Except On Aero Model
The Dodge Dart compact sedan launched as a 2013 model hasn't sold as well as hoped.
One thing that hurt its debut was the unfamiliar feel of its dual-clutch automatic gear gearbox, brought over from Europe to boost the fuel economy of versions fitted with the 160-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine.
Now, quietly, that transmission has been withdrawn from the Dart lineup, with one single exception: the Dart Aero ultra-efficiency model.
One of the requirements placed on Fiat to gain control of Chrysler in the U.S.-backed restructuring that followed its 2009 bankruptcy was that it had to offer a car that received at least a 40-mpg EPA rating for highway fuel efficiency.
That model, the 2014 Dodge Dart Aero, is indeed on sale--although it hardly represents a substantial portion of Dart sales--rated at 32 mpg combined.
Its detailed ratings are 28 mpg city, and 40 mpg highway if you order the dual-clutch automatic, or 41 mpg on the highway test cycle with the standard six-speed manual gearbox.
Those numbers aren't that spectacular in the context of compact sedan ratings that now reach as high as 35 mpg combined, but they met the Government requirement.
Conventional six-speed automatics
Now, however, the 2014 Dart Aero is the sole model of Dart that uses the dual dry-clutch automatic, as the chart above demonstrates.
All other models, regardless of engine--the turbocharged 1.4-liter four, the 2.0-liter four, or the most powerful 2.4-liter four--now offer a conventional six-speed automatic transmission (with the six-speed manual gearbox as the base transmission on most of them).
The torque converter used in conventional automatic transmissions allows smoother takeup of gears, compared to the on/off action of the engagement clutch in a dual-clutch automatic.
The dual-clutch design can feel particularly lurchy in slow idle-creep situations, where it must slip the clutch to allow the car to move forward at speeds slower than its lowest gear would provide when fully engaged.
As well as the otherwise-abandoned transmission, the Dart Aero uses both underbody shields and active grille shutters to reduce aerodynamic drag at higher speeds, along with special 16-inch wheels--all in the name of the highest possible efficiency.
Its price starts at about $20,000 plus delivery for the base Dart Aero model with the manual transmission.
Chrysler 100 coming
In revealing its ambitious five-year plan earlier this week, the newly combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said it plans to make Chrysler its mainstream brand and move Dodge into more of a performance-car specialty niche.
That means that the Dart platform will soon spawn a compact Chrysler 100 model, intended to join the mid-size 2015 Chrysler 200 as the company's volume leaders in small passenger cars.
The Dart is slated for a mid-cycle refresh, probably for the 2016 model year, and may end up with more of a performance image.
Whether the Chrysler 100 gets an equivalent model to the Dodge Dart Aero--with its 40-mpg highway rating--remains to be seen.
But you can count on all of Chrysler's cars and SUVs getting steadily more fuel-efficient, as corporate average fuel economy rules in effect through 2025 grow increasingly stricter with each passing model year.
One thing that hurt its debut was the unfamiliar feel of its dual-clutch automatic gear gearbox, brought over from Europe to boost the fuel economy of versions fitted with the 160-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine.
Now, quietly, that transmission has been withdrawn from the Dart lineup, with one single exception: the Dart Aero ultra-efficiency model.
One of the requirements placed on Fiat to gain control of Chrysler in the U.S.-backed restructuring that followed its 2009 bankruptcy was that it had to offer a car that received at least a 40-mpg EPA rating for highway fuel efficiency.
That model, the 2014 Dodge Dart Aero, is indeed on sale--although it hardly represents a substantial portion of Dart sales--rated at 32 mpg combined.
Its detailed ratings are 28 mpg city, and 40 mpg highway if you order the dual-clutch automatic, or 41 mpg on the highway test cycle with the standard six-speed manual gearbox.
Those numbers aren't that spectacular in the context of compact sedan ratings that now reach as high as 35 mpg combined, but they met the Government requirement.
Conventional six-speed automatics
Now, however, the 2014 Dart Aero is the sole model of Dart that uses the dual dry-clutch automatic, as the chart above demonstrates.
All other models, regardless of engine--the turbocharged 1.4-liter four, the 2.0-liter four, or the most powerful 2.4-liter four--now offer a conventional six-speed automatic transmission (with the six-speed manual gearbox as the base transmission on most of them).
The torque converter used in conventional automatic transmissions allows smoother takeup of gears, compared to the on/off action of the engagement clutch in a dual-clutch automatic.
The dual-clutch design can feel particularly lurchy in slow idle-creep situations, where it must slip the clutch to allow the car to move forward at speeds slower than its lowest gear would provide when fully engaged.
As well as the otherwise-abandoned transmission, the Dart Aero uses both underbody shields and active grille shutters to reduce aerodynamic drag at higher speeds, along with special 16-inch wheels--all in the name of the highest possible efficiency.
Its price starts at about $20,000 plus delivery for the base Dart Aero model with the manual transmission.
Chrysler 100 coming
In revealing its ambitious five-year plan earlier this week, the newly combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said it plans to make Chrysler its mainstream brand and move Dodge into more of a performance-car specialty niche.
That means that the Dart platform will soon spawn a compact Chrysler 100 model, intended to join the mid-size 2015 Chrysler 200 as the company's volume leaders in small passenger cars.
The Dart is slated for a mid-cycle refresh, probably for the 2016 model year, and may end up with more of a performance image.
Whether the Chrysler 100 gets an equivalent model to the Dodge Dart Aero--with its 40-mpg highway rating--remains to be seen.
But you can count on all of Chrysler's cars and SUVs getting steadily more fuel-efficient, as corporate average fuel economy rules in effect through 2025 grow increasingly stricter with each passing model year.