Looking into a 2013 Dodge Dart

[Parker]

Alright guys, its time for me to buy a car. I've been daily driving my '91 Dodge Ram D350 with a Cummins Turbo Diesel since I was able to drive (bought it when I was 15, took my drivers test in it) but with my current job I have to park in a parking garage and drive in the city which isn't ideal when you drive something with dual rear wheels. Not to mention diesel is over $4 a gallon while regular gasoline is hovering at $3.50.

So all that being said I've been looking long and hard at the new Dodge Dart. I actually went and test drove a few and loved them. Both cars I drove were the Rallye version with the 1.4L turbocharged engine, one had the 6 speed manual and the other had the DCT automatic. The auto was really nice and smooth and is easily something I could live with everyday and the manual was very nice to drive as well.

So, does anyone here own a Dart or have any experience with them? Like I said, I absolutely loved the car when I test drive them but I need more information about reliability, durability and all that. I know the 1.4L engine is also used in the Fiat 500 Abarth but I haven't been able to find any other information about it.

I appreciate any responses.

 

[Tornado]

Ask Minty.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Ask Minty.

This.

Also, have you shopped around a little? The VW Golf, Mazda3 Skyactiv, and Ford Focus are all good cars in the segment.

 

[Parker]

This.

Also, have you shopped around a little? The VW Golf, Mazda3 Skyactiv, and Ford Focus are all good cars in the segment.

Yes, I've driven all of the cars except the Golf. I'd love to have a diesel Golf as well but I like the Dart much more than any of the others and the TDI Golf really doesn't get that much better fuel mileage anymore after all the emissions equipment was put on the diesels.

 

[Gil]

Pretty much ANY car in this price point is a good little commuter.
It pretty much comes down to test driving the lot of them and picking the one that you like most.
It is the best and worst time to be able to buy a car.
The worst, because it's difficult to pick.
The best because there is so much to choose from.

First. Figure your favorite 3 or 4 cars in the segment.
Do your research on all of them at Edmunds.com.
Check the "Driven car reviews" Podcast to see if Tom Voelk has reviewed the car. Watch his videos. His reviews are intelligent, and neutral.
Check Everyday Driver and TFLcar as well to see if they have a video review of the car you want.
After you read up, watch the vids, TEST DRIVE, TEST DRIVE, TEST DRIVE.
You may find that one car has an annoying engine drone at highway speed. Or has a crappy stero without MP3 integration. Or doesn't come standard with central locking (a clicker) but only the driver's door has a keyhole.
Don't laugh, I have a Ford SUV and the only keyholes are in the driver's door and the rear hatch. One of my friend has small children, and her Sentra is keyed entry only, and only on the driver's door. So she has to unlock the car from the street/traffic side, then go back to the curb side to open the door to put the kids in the car.

Drive and enjoy, but look at some of the little things that might potentially drive you crazy in the long run.

For example: I'm sorta looking for my "mid-life crisis car". One dealer tried valiantly to sell me an '09 Miata. Nice car. But let's start with the obvious problem--I'm 6' tall 300 lb, and most of my height is in my torso. My head rubs the headliner.
The car is an automatic-Not a deal breaker, but not at all what I want to reclaim my youth.
The tech is pitiful. There's a headphone jack to plug in an MP3 player. REALLY?!?!
This stuff wouldn't bother my wife. It would make me CRAZY!

 

[Minty]

As far as reliability, I've put near 2k miles on it since I got the Limited, and so far I've had no problems. The only problem I've ever had as far as something not working correctly is the volume read out didn't appear on the main screen once, but I could still control it, and that's it.

And because of the "spring" weather we've been having it's been started and driven while covered in snow, rain, or clear sunlight, so I can attest to the heating and AC being extremely quick for both.

I've got the 1.4 turbo with an auto and love it so far. The dual clutch thing makes the changes feel like nothing when you're normal driving it, but even when you punch it the changes are quick and would be difficult to notice without the sound. You might not have had a chance to push it on a test drive, but the thing sounds amazing with the windows down if you put it to the floor. It's also fantastic fun if you have any smooth curves nearby, the thing grips like crazy, so much fun to drive.


I wouldn't know much about durability, I've been babying the thing since I got it, other than the drivetrain. I've pushed the engine a few times and it's held together, but as far as the interior I've cleaned it 3 times since I got it a bit over a month ago. It all does feel really solid, the only thing is the little plastic bit on the bottom of the steering wheel came loose once, so I had to push it back in, haven't had a problem since. All of the plastic around the interior is holding together and nothing has continued rattling. One bit of the passenger door rattled when my music hit the right pitch, but a little tap fixed it. All of the hinges and doors still feel solid and smooth, and all of the seals are holding up.

Here's what I had to say about it month ago.

And the thing is, I only went there with my eyes on the Rallye, so I would definitely recommend it, they just happened to have one with exactly the options I wanted when I went to the dealer.

 

[YSSMAN]

I think the Dart has absolutely fantastic visual appeal. Inside and out, it really looks like they've done a great job designing a car that straddles a fine line between being European and American. The few that I've tinkered around with were very comfortable, quiet, and felt fantastic to the touch. Not a bad way to go.

I think my biggest complaint about the Dart is that the pricing is all over the board. There are far too many trim levels and tiny details that stack up to a pretty hefty price tag. Tinker with the options list a bit, and it doesn't take much to quickly add $4500 worth of options with a selection or two. Granted, it seems to be an increasingly common occurrence here with a lot of small(er) cars.

The good news is that the Dart isn't selling well. Not even remotely close to what Chrysler wanted. So, they'll likely shovel money at you to take one off their hands. I would be willing to bet that, if you aren't picky, you could get a great deal on almost any variation.

But, if it were my money, I'd definitely be checking out a lot of the competition and cross shopping it. Although I'd regularly suggest something like the Mazda 3, we're due for an update there, and it would be better to wait for the next-generation model. The Honda Civic and Corolla aren't worth much these days, and serve only for basic transportation. Perhaps the only Japanese option I'd consider currently would be the Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport, combining some pretty solid construction quality, fuel economy, and practicality.

The interesting options these days mostly come from the Americans and Koreans in the C-Segment. The Cruze and Focus are pretty straightforward in what to expect based on what's been there since 2011. Both are due for some updates soon, but the current models are more than adequate. I know the Cruze has a $1500 automatic rebate right now up here in Michigan, in addition to a bunch of other write offs you could probably get from the dealer. I'm not up to date on Focus deals at the moment.

But the most interesting car in the segment right now?

It's easily the updated Kia Forte. The 2014 model benefits from a ton of the R&D done on the Hyundai Elantra, the price isn't bad (under $18k for the top-trip EX model), and it looks like it's finally become an extremely class-competitive option.