Darting about in Dodge’s compact sedan
Dodge gets back to basics for 2013 with the Dart, its first compact sedan since the 2005 SX 2.0 (née Neon) and an ostensible replacement for the crossover-ish Caliber.
The Dart comes to us courtesy of Chrysler’s relationship with Italian automaker Fiat and, by extension, Alfa Romeo. The platform that underpins this car is Italian, as is the turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir engine that powered my tester.
Its 160 horsepower is nothing too special for a small car, but the 184 foot-pounds of torque it generates, thanks to that turbo, is more noteworthy, lending this car more low-speed urge than most small sedans — but only once the engine spins up to about 2,000 rpm.
This engine sounds good when pressed; that, and the standard six-speed manual transmission, make for an entertaining combination, once you get used to the lazy throttle tip-in and the long throws of the easy-moving shift lever.
Fuel consumption estimates for the 1.4-litre turbo engine and manual transmission are 7.4L/100 km in city driving, and 4.9L/100 km on the highway. My test car averaged 8.7L/100 km in a week on city streets, including some spirited driving.
The Dart’s other engine choices are 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre four-cylinders. All three engines can be matched with my tester’s stick shift; a six-speed automatic is optional with the 2.0-litre, and a sportier dual-clutch automatic is available with the 1.4-litre and 2.4-litre motors.
A firm suspension is a nod to Dodge’s intent to appeal to potential buyers who view such a thing as essential to enthusiastic driving.
This is common in small cars, and while it’s overdone in many cases (the Mazda3 is a particularly hard-riding little car), the Dart’s ride is just compliant enough to make all but the worst roads bearable.
On the plus side, the tight ride contributes to sharp handling, and makes the Dart a fun little car to toss around.
Unfortunately, a bit too much emphasis is put on the “little” descriptor. By its nature, a compact car is going to be just that, but the Dart is really small inside, even by compact sedan standards. Front-seat space more or less meets expectations, but the rear quarters offer limited leg- and headroom, even compared to many one-size-down subcompacts. Trunk space is more impressive.
Aside from rear-seat space complaints, the Dart’s interior is comfortable, but quality is uneven. Dashboard materials feel cheap (not that this is uncommon in inexpensive cars), and the central touch screen, used to control many of the climate control and radio functions, sports iffy graphics; functions that can only be adjusted through the screen require too much attention to fiddle with while driving.
There are some nice touches to be found here, however.
Real metal interior door handles are a rare thing, even in many more expensive cars, and the matching (huge!) metal shift knob looks a bit cartoonish, but is pleasant to use.
Dodge has long put steeringwheel-mounted stereo controls on the backside of the wheel, and continues that trend here. You have to spend a bit of time getting used to which ones do what, but the end result is a lot less clutter on the front.
The thick steering-wheel rim is great, too.
Dart pricing starts at $15,995, but it’s a sizable jump up to the SXT’s $18,995 MSRP. The Aero trim is $19,795, and the top-trim Limited goes for $23,245. My test car’s Rallye trims slots into the middle, at $19,495.
Options in my car were the 1.4-litre engine ($1,300); “hyper black” 17-inch wheels ($300); popular equipment group, including automatic headlights, lighted vanity mirrors and overhead console ($295); premium audio group, which includes the large touch screen, backup camera, dashboard accent lighting and USB input with iPod integration ($1,000); Uconnect entertainment and communications system ($375); satellite radio ($325); navigation ($450) and Tungsten Metallic clearcoat paint ($150) for an as-tested price of $23,690, before freight and taxes.
Whether the Dart is the small car for you depends mostly on how you plan to use it.
Like the Ford Focus — another European-derived compact — this little Dodge is best suited for childless couples who will only use the back seat occasionally. Fitting a bulky child seat back there will work, but not without some discomfort for whomever occupies the seat in front of it.
That might limit its appeal, but the good news is that Dodge has created a small car that is enjoyable to drive, which will help it win favour with all kinds of buyers, enthusiasts or not.