Let's face it, living in the city of Chicago means that having a smaller car is usually more convenient. It's easier to park. It navigates one-way streets and small alleys with aplomb. And, well, it's much easier on the wallet when gas prices rise above $4 ... and stay there.
The bummer, however, is that this often means you get a car without a lot of the cool stuff. No heated seats. No navigation. No tech gadgets. Sure, it's compact, convenient and affordable but otherwise blah.
Enter the
2013 Dodge Dart.
It's compact, convenient, cool and still affordable. A car you might actually want to own -- even if you don't live in the city. The best thing about the Dart: Every available up-level feature across the Dodge lineup is yours for the taking. For a price, yes, but even fully stocked, you're likely looking at something under $25K. And, oh, the features you can have -- including my current must-have: a heated steering wheel. Other features: Bluetooth connectivity, heated seats, blind-spot monitoring, 8.4-inch touch-screen information center (think: size of an iPad), rear cross path detection and dual exhaust.
Plus there are 12 different exterior colors and 14 different interior color and trim combinations, one of which includes the color lime green. Obviously the color choices increase as trim levels go up, but& nbsp all told there are 100,000 ways to customize the Dodge Dart. Virtually unheard of in the compact-car segment.
You also don't have to be limited by one engine or one transmission choice. In an unprecedented move, Dodge offers 3 4-cylinder engines and 3 transmissions in the Dart. The base engine is a& nbsp 2.0-liter TigerShark that can be mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic and delivers 160 horsepower. The mid-level engine is the 1.4-liter turbo mated to the same 6-speed manual or automatic transmission and also delivers 160 horsepower. The up-level engine is a 2.4-liter TigerShark that delivers 184 horsepower and is mated to either the 6-speed manual or a 6-speed dual dry clutch automatic transmission.
Since the 2.4-liter is a late model year release, we only had the chance to test the 2.0 and the 1.4.
This is an interesting study in the importance of torque. Both the 2.0-liter and 1.4-liter engines are rated at 160 horsepower. But the 2.0 delivers 148 pound-feet of torque whereas the 1.4 delivers 184 pound-feet of torque. The difference is staggering. And not in a good way.
The first car I tested had the 2.0 mated to the 6-speed manual. My driving partner, Nick Chambers, and I figured that the base engine with the ability to control the shifts would make for a better drive. Not so much. Chambers (@EcoChambers on twitter) and I quickly discovered that 2nd gear redlines too quickly, which made it difficult to accelerate fast off the start (think merging with traffic on the Kennedy at a metered ramp). Then 5th and 6th gears, which are tuned for fuel efficiency, are particularly power free. If you need to pass on the highway or go up a small hill, do not pass go, drop directly into 3rd gear. We were so spectacularly& nbsp underwhelmed by this powertrain that Chambers& nbsp dubbed it the "PoodleDolphin."
Luckily, I had the chance to do a quick loop in the 2.0 mated to the automatic transmission later in the day. While it wasn't quite a PoodleDolphin and I liked it a lot better than the manual, I still didn't love it. I appreciated that I didn't have to downshift and upshift with every dip in the road -- the car took care of that for me. But I still wanted a little more grunt from the get-go. The automatic, however, is worlds better than the manual. And anyone who has ever read a single word I've written over the last decade& nbsp knows that I don't say that lightly.
The 1.4-liter turbo mated to the manual transmission was my second car of the day and a completely different story. Thank goodness. I really liked this engine/tranny combo.& nbsp The shifting was smooth, the engine was peppy, and the drive was downright fun. What a difference 36 pound-feet of torque make. With that in mind, I'm curious how the 2.4-liter TigerShark will hold up, as it still has& nbsp 13 pound-feet less torque than the 1.4.
As someone who actually likes to enjoy driving, I wouldn't even consider the 2.0-liter PoodleDolphin, er, TigerShark,& nbsp as a viable option, which is interesting because Dodge expects the 2.0 mated to the automatic transmission to be its volume seller. While I didn't have the chance to test the 1.4-liter mated to the 6-speed automatic, I think this *should* be the volume seller.
PoodleDolphin aside, there is a lot to love about the ride and handling of the new Dart. It was relatively nimble on winding roads, and overall ride was comfortable and smooth. One of my favorite things about the ride, though, has to be the sheer quietness of the cabin. On more than one occasion, Chambers and I switched off the radio and air conditioning just to absorb the silence. Nicely done for an entry-level car, Dodge, nicely done.
I had seat time in both SXT and Limited models, so the interiors and features ranged from pretty basic to well-stacked. The cloth seats were comfortable and durable, though I can handily say: Unless I was having my car detailed once a week, I wouldn't opt for the light beige interior. While the plain center stack devoid of info screen was fine, I truly loved the 8.4-inch touch screen and the ease of navigation through the control menu. Plus the behind-the-wheel gauges that come with the up-level center stack are full of 4-color digital prettiness.
It's clear to see how much attention Dodge paid to the interior of this Dart. Most of the hard plastic surfaces are gone, the dash materials have some give, the stitching on the door panels add high-level finish, and the buttons on the center stack don't feel cheap. Overall, the interior is a complete win, and I can't wait to see it filtering throughout the entire lineup.
My primary complaint about the Dart is the fact that air conditioning doesn't come standard at the base under $16K price. To me, that's a bit of a sucker punch. They are advertising the heck out of that price, but I think people will be a bit surprised when they realize that something we've come to expect as a basic necessity will be a $995 upcharge with the "Value Package." Seriously? You can give me standard power windows but no A/C? Hmmm.
Air conditioning issue aside, however, the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart has more points in the "win" column than the "lose" column.& nbsp You'll have 3 engine options, 3 transmission options, loads of customization capability and a completely decked-out price tag around $25K. Oh, and don't forget that heated steering wheel. I don't think you'll see any of that in another car in the compact segment at the moment.