2013 Dodge Dart – The Americano of Cars

2013 Dodge Dart Overview

Everyone remembers the good old Dodge Neon back in the 90’s and early 2000’s.  Driving it down a busy street wouldn’t necessarily score a high mark graded by counting eye balls from the reflection on the door panel.  But you wouldn’t care because it was the affordability and fun factor it had to offer that made it sell remarkably well.  With that being said, I like to think of the 2013 Dodge Dart as a resurrected spirit of the Dodge Neon.

So is the 2013 Dodge Dart just a modernized version of a classical, permissible, yet, an accolade compact sedan?  I would say it’s a little more than that. Instead of designing the all new 2013 Dodge Dart governed by “Motor City” traditions, manager of Chyrsler-Fiat department, Sergio Marchionne made the bold decision to add an Italian flare by providing the Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform for Dodge engineers to play with.  The result is a stylish and affordable compact sedan with an attitude.

Under the Hood

To add to the complexity of the Americano race, the 2013 Dodge Dart offers a bewildering list of purchase options to choose from.  In terms of powertrain, buyers have three engine configurations.  Our tested Dodge Dart SXT model is equipped with a downsized 1.4 liter turbo engine with MultiAir sourced from the Fiat inventory.  The base powertrain configuration comes equipped with a 2.0 liter four cylinder Tigershark engine producing 160 hp and 148 ft.lbs of torque.  The power output from the upgraded 1.4 liter turbo engine remains the same, but with a gain of 36 ft.lbs of torque.  The upper 2013 Dodge Dart GT trim comes equipped with a larger 2.4 liter four cylinder TigerShark engine with MultiAir II producing 184 horsepower.

Coupled to a 6 speed automatic transmission, the power delivery is smooth and exciting.  Due to the smaller engine displacement, the turbo is required to spool up additional air, and this is apparent in the lower 2500 RPM range.  In the struggling scenario, the automatic transmission will often down shift one or two gears, resulting an uproar in engine revs.  The good news, is that the 2013 Dodge Dart has a pleasant exhaust tone, and the engine behaves well composed in the upper 6000 RPM range.  Once momentum is gained on flat road, acceleration in the 2013 Dodge Dart is lively and continuous.

The 2013 Dodge Dart fuel economy is rated at 27/39 miles per gallon(mpg) for city/highway, which are very respectable numbers for a compact sedan.  Decrypting window sticker numbers reveals a drop by 3 mpg in the city and 4 mpg on the highway for the standard 2.0 liter tiger shark engine.  This makes the 1400$ upgrade to the 1.4 liter turbo engine quite a bang for the buck considering a gain in torque output and better fuel economy economy.  However, the added stress of higher revs inherent to the smaller displaced turbo engine leads us to question its durability, but only time can confirm speculation.

Looks without Compromise

In terms of styling, you may not expect much eye candy when it comes to a car marketed towards the poverty pool.  But the 2013 Dodge Dart is actually pretty good looking.  The overall vehicle is minimalistic, but the front fascia and rear end has some distinct features that gives the 2013 Dodge Dart a very unique look in the already crowded compact sedan segment.  It’s as if the prototype Doge Dart was given a stock chassis that underwent transplant surgery.  The end result gives the 2013 Dodge Dart a refreshed and aggressive look.  Exclusive to the SXT, R/T, Rallye, and Limited trims is the 152 LED tail light that borders the top trunk – it’s pretty cool.  Not considered classy, but it does bring out the retro Atari TRON vibe into the modern era.

 

Cabin space shows no signs of Italian love unfortunately.  Exterior design cues can also be found inside the 2013 Dodge Dart.  Surrounding the rudimentary instrument cluster is also the red laser LED strip.  Cheap domestic grade plastic panels used throughout the cabin space is apparent, especially the side door panels layered by rejected factory jeans.  Cotton seat materials look somewhat durable, but nothing impressive.

The good news, is that Dodge had made improvements to the stock chassis by both widening and lengthening the wheel base.  The result is added cabin room for the 2013 Dodge Dart.  Front passenger area provide comfortable room and rear passengers will also enjoy added leg room even for taller passengers.

Driving Impressions and Final Thoughts

Throttling the 2013 Dodge Dart was quite an initial surprise.  In the consensus of most automotive enthusiast, buying a cheap car usually results in a numb and stagnant driving experience.  But the 2013 Dodge Dart has a driving personality on its own.  Acceleration was found to be very smooth and continuous.  Dodge engineers also identified the merits of a sub-compact chassis by lowering and flattening the front end.  Unlike bulkier sedans that obscure the view of the front hood, the lowered and shortened front hood boosts confidence and control by giving the driver an excellent view of the front end and the ability to determine exactly where the car is being steered towards.

The 2013 D0dge Dart isn’t exactly a fully inspired “Italian job”.  Its curb weight of 3,211 lbs is one of the heaviest subcompact sedans in the market which doesn’t make the 2013 Dodge Dart the nimblest in handling, and the interior cabin space won’t wow you with the latest design trends.  But that is also not the reasons why you buy the Dodge Dart, because not everyone needs a showroom on four wheels.  Certainly there are people who demand the most concentrated form of caffeine, but by most standards, most prefer a watered down version, and that’s what the Dodge is: simplicity and style minus the high end baggage.  And because of its simplicity, there is also less to complain about.

Pros:

• Affordability
• Distinct and unique compact sedan
• Excellent use of interior space
• Smooth and continuous acceleration and great driving experience

Cons:

• Mediocre interior quality
• One of the heaviest sedans in the market.
• Noticeable turbo lag in low end RPM range.