While not how the expression usually goes, I think it's self-explanatory.
In the mid-'90s, Chrysler unleashed the Neon and all hell broke loose. To bring order back, they dropped the Neon 2.0 -- sorry, the SX 2.0 on dealer lots with little fanfare. In all, the Neon was around for 12 model years.
With all fires put out, the winged brand revealed its new Neon -- sorry, the Caliber. That didn't go so well, either. The Dodge Caliber bowed out after only six model years, leaving a big entry-level hole in Chrysler’s lineup. The moment Fiat took hold of Chrysler’s reins, I believe a collective sigh of relief was had by designers and engineers alike.
Fiat’s got loads of small cars onto which a Chrysler or Dodge logo can be affixed. This is why, last year, I test drove the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. At the time, rumours were running rampant about the lovely Giulietta becoming the donor-car for Chrysler’s next small car. The rumours were true.
Although no one would know that the Alfa and Dart are non-identical twins to look at, both are smashingly good looking.
Highs and lows
Side by side, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is clearly the more feminine of the two. The Dart is, after all, a Dodge: the same brand that carries the likes of the Challenger and the Charger (insert manly grunt here).
The 2013 Dodge Dart is immediately identifiable as a Dodge. The crosshair grille, badass demeanor and raccoon-influenced taillightss all work to make the Dart possibly one of the most attractive compact sedans currently available.
My Rallye tester's cabin was trimmed with youthful red accents, plenty of soft-touch plastics and the amazing class-exclusive Uconnect Touch 8.4” touchscreen.
This giant piece of tech-lover stuff is the centrepiece of what is a generally well crafted and designed dashboard. It's all quite “electric” with the aforementioned red highlights carried on through the gauges and seats. On that topic; the front perches are over-bolstered, but generally comfortable.
The Premium cloth that covers the 2013 DodgeDart’s seats is far from being nice; the material proved rough on bare skin as my knee left a mark on the rear bench after I reached for an item. The recently tested 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT has far nicer interior materials than the Dart. Then, there’s the Garmin navigation system which is not only awfully slow, but has terrible graphics.
Thank you Fiat!
The 2013 Dodge Dart’s base engine is the queerly named Tigershark 2.0L 4-cylinder. The optional motor, straight from Italy, is the superb turbocharged MultiAir 1.4L 4-some. At 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, this gem of a motivator is -- without evaluating the R/T’s Tigershark 184 hp 2.4L -- the best there is.
Twenty-two pounds of boost spit out all that torque in an instant from 2,500 rpm and hold it until 4,000. By the time the torque backs off, every horse comes into play at 5,500 rpm. How this entire action takes place is wonderful: there is no lag and the swell of power is wonderful. Unfortunately, in order to reach rapture, the driver must go through hell first.
To drive the car is to get annoyed. The tiny gas pedal requires 50% travel in order to respond which only ever turns into jerky take-offs from a start. I can only guess that Chrysler tuned the throttle response with improved fuel economy in mind. What’s more, this renders oh-so important heel-and-toeing extremely difficult; the widely spaced small pedals make fancy footwork difficult.
The weight
The 2013 Dodge Dart feels excessively heavy. By comparison, the Alfa Giulietta was lithe and reactive. The Dart is overburdened somehow. Steering is very heavy, which the driver will adapt to fairly quickly. Then there are the brakes which are so responsive that the first few stops will ruin the average hairdo when passenger's heads fly forward. Again, adaptable.
The ride is European-inspired, but with a difficult-to-pinpoint avoirdupoids that is poorly managed by the fully independent suspension. At moderate speeds, the front end of the 2013 Dodge Dart would push out and regularly need to be reeled back in. The drive is comfortable enough, but quickly falls apart in any type of spirited driving; namely, rally…
Darting forward
I liked the car, but the throttle management thing killed the whole experience for me. I want to believe that the optional 6-speed autobox will fare far better. I do love the aftermarket-sounding exhaust note!
At $15,995, the entry-level Dart falls within the competition. In fact, the same goes for all of its trims (SXT $17,995; Rallye, $19,495; Limited, $23,245; and R/T, $23,995).
Despite Chrysler’s excellent effort, and however attractive the car may be, I don’t think it’ll dethrone the likes of the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla any time soon. The small shoes, it turns out, do not fit.
In the mid-'90s, Chrysler unleashed the Neon and all hell broke loose. To bring order back, they dropped the Neon 2.0 -- sorry, the SX 2.0 on dealer lots with little fanfare. In all, the Neon was around for 12 model years.
With all fires put out, the winged brand revealed its new Neon -- sorry, the Caliber. That didn't go so well, either. The Dodge Caliber bowed out after only six model years, leaving a big entry-level hole in Chrysler’s lineup. The moment Fiat took hold of Chrysler’s reins, I believe a collective sigh of relief was had by designers and engineers alike.
Fiat’s got loads of small cars onto which a Chrysler or Dodge logo can be affixed. This is why, last year, I test drove the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. At the time, rumours were running rampant about the lovely Giulietta becoming the donor-car for Chrysler’s next small car. The rumours were true.
Although no one would know that the Alfa and Dart are non-identical twins to look at, both are smashingly good looking.
Highs and lows
Side by side, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is clearly the more feminine of the two. The Dart is, after all, a Dodge: the same brand that carries the likes of the Challenger and the Charger (insert manly grunt here).
The 2013 Dodge Dart is immediately identifiable as a Dodge. The crosshair grille, badass demeanor and raccoon-influenced taillightss all work to make the Dart possibly one of the most attractive compact sedans currently available.
My Rallye tester's cabin was trimmed with youthful red accents, plenty of soft-touch plastics and the amazing class-exclusive Uconnect Touch 8.4” touchscreen.
This giant piece of tech-lover stuff is the centrepiece of what is a generally well crafted and designed dashboard. It's all quite “electric” with the aforementioned red highlights carried on through the gauges and seats. On that topic; the front perches are over-bolstered, but generally comfortable.
The Premium cloth that covers the 2013 DodgeDart’s seats is far from being nice; the material proved rough on bare skin as my knee left a mark on the rear bench after I reached for an item. The recently tested 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT has far nicer interior materials than the Dart. Then, there’s the Garmin navigation system which is not only awfully slow, but has terrible graphics.
Thank you Fiat!
The 2013 Dodge Dart’s base engine is the queerly named Tigershark 2.0L 4-cylinder. The optional motor, straight from Italy, is the superb turbocharged MultiAir 1.4L 4-some. At 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, this gem of a motivator is -- without evaluating the R/T’s Tigershark 184 hp 2.4L -- the best there is.
Twenty-two pounds of boost spit out all that torque in an instant from 2,500 rpm and hold it until 4,000. By the time the torque backs off, every horse comes into play at 5,500 rpm. How this entire action takes place is wonderful: there is no lag and the swell of power is wonderful. Unfortunately, in order to reach rapture, the driver must go through hell first.
To drive the car is to get annoyed. The tiny gas pedal requires 50% travel in order to respond which only ever turns into jerky take-offs from a start. I can only guess that Chrysler tuned the throttle response with improved fuel economy in mind. What’s more, this renders oh-so important heel-and-toeing extremely difficult; the widely spaced small pedals make fancy footwork difficult.
The weight
The 2013 Dodge Dart feels excessively heavy. By comparison, the Alfa Giulietta was lithe and reactive. The Dart is overburdened somehow. Steering is very heavy, which the driver will adapt to fairly quickly. Then there are the brakes which are so responsive that the first few stops will ruin the average hairdo when passenger's heads fly forward. Again, adaptable.
The ride is European-inspired, but with a difficult-to-pinpoint avoirdupoids that is poorly managed by the fully independent suspension. At moderate speeds, the front end of the 2013 Dodge Dart would push out and regularly need to be reeled back in. The drive is comfortable enough, but quickly falls apart in any type of spirited driving; namely, rally…
Darting forward
I liked the car, but the throttle management thing killed the whole experience for me. I want to believe that the optional 6-speed autobox will fare far better. I do love the aftermarket-sounding exhaust note!
At $15,995, the entry-level Dart falls within the competition. In fact, the same goes for all of its trims (SXT $17,995; Rallye, $19,495; Limited, $23,245; and R/T, $23,995).
Despite Chrysler’s excellent effort, and however attractive the car may be, I don’t think it’ll dethrone the likes of the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla any time soon. The small shoes, it turns out, do not fit.
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