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Comments
* Great looking car, inside and out. Red is a great color for this car.
* Interior trim is nicely done, with trim that makes it look upscale, e.g. metal-like trim around the outboard air vents that looks like expensive metal (probably isn't), gloss black trim on the center stack, and good-looking HVAC controls. Had traditional gauges vs. the digital ones. Light grey fabric was grippy, felt durable. Not a lot of padding, but it was in all the important places including dash top and arm rests.
* Shifter knob is a big grey/silver plastic ball... didn't fit the quality of the rest of the interior. Would have been better off with leather. The wheel was leather-covered (option). Shifter and clutch action seemed smooth enough... clutch pedal has rather long travel.
* Driving position was comfortable for me, even with the manual seat. However, the height adjuster is the type that tips the seat forward as it raises, thus I needed to move the front seat back to be comfortable. When I adjusted it and the wheel for comfort, then sat in the back, usable leg room was not very good--less than in cars like the Elantra and Impreza, for example. There was enough knee room, but my feet hit the front seat back before my legs were fully supported, so I had the "knees in the air" feeling. I tried adjusting the passenger seat more forward, and that gave me a little more room in back, but my toes were stopped by something hard under the seat--probably the storage box that is built into the seat cushion. There might be more usable room in back, driver's side, with the optional power seat.
* Headroom in back wasn't good either. I'm only 5' 9-1/2" and my (rather short) hair brushed the headliner unless I slouched. Because the rear windows slant up towards the rear, there is a bit of a claustrophobic feeling in back--I wouldn't tend to get the black interior in this car!
Based on this initial impression, I probably won't keep the Dart on my shopping list. Because I prefer hatches, it would have to be pretty great and a great value to get my interest. It's sharp-looking, and maybe it drives well, but at about $20k for a basic car (2.0L, 6MT, base audio, cruise), and given it doesn't seem to "sit" as big in back as the car is, I'll likely stick with options like the Mazda3i hatch, Golf VII, Elantra GT, and maybe the Focus SE hatch and Impreza Premium hatch. All are less than $20k (Impreza a little more because I'd have to go with the CVT). None is as good looking as the Dart though.
I really try to stay with power seats (with front/rear adjustments) fnow.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I love the dual manual height adjusters that used to be common, esp. on Korean cars. The Cruze is the only small car I know of today that has this feature, and on BOTH front seats! At least, it used to have that feature... I read where maybe the newer Cruzes use a single adjuster now.
Oh well, the Dart was a stretch for me anyway, as I really want a hatch next time. A gorgeous car, though. Dodge will probably sell a lot of them.
I swear sitting in that thing, it was begging me to drive it, had that "drive me" feeling that the Mazda3 has. I just really wish they'd left the hatch on it, but the car's appealing enough where I might ignore that deficiency.
Afterwards I went down the street and test drove the first Hyundai Elantra GT that showed up in the county (that we know of anyway). It was white so no way I'd ever buy it. I wonder if that colored the test drive for me, it drove good and felt good...and that was it. No grin, no happy tug of the heart strings. Steering an suspension are improved over the Elantra Touring, but nowhere near a Mazda3, and you can feel how short the engine is on torque when going uphill.
I think that before Fiat the 2 owners before drained every drop of money without improving the product. The interior of the cars and trucks were made as cheap as possible. However Fiat has made some real changes for the good. The Dart is the first real new made under Fiat, not including the Fiat 500.
Especially good is the dart in made in the USA. The introduction of the Dart is not real good as all the first run Darts given to the dealers are pretty much the same, 6 speed manual, turbo engine, red in color and some high end things. Most sticker prices $ 22,500 to 24,695. which is not close to the Ford Fiesta. When they start with auto trans, and more moderate under
$ 20,000. prices then it should take off. We are anxious to test drive one.
My new first car was a 1964 Chevy 2 with the 283 V8 and air, auto, P s, & brakes. Got about 16 mpg and paid $ 2,872. out the door. But now when we talk the price to get a nice family car with real room for parents and 3 kids, it takes near $24,000. Trucks are high too. The vehicles 10 years from now may well be starting about $ 30,000. How on earth can a couple starting out afford a new vehicle, unless both are working and the budget will be tite.
I an not keen on buying a used car but I think that is where most lower middle class people are headed likeit or not.
The Dodge Dart looks nice, and if it's as good as the Neon it will sell good.
I'm wondering if the same barrage of complaints about interior design will come to haunt the Dart as they are currently haunting the 500? (lack of cupholders, weird button and knob placements, awkward ergonomics, etc).
The Fiat is really hig priced I think. A friend og mine won a Gucci one and he likes it. But he is 86 and does not drive much and he just bought a Ford Ranger last March.
But here is why I drive a Chrysler Pacifica Touring AWD. I think in an accident the bigger vehicle has a advantage. 4,800 lb against 3,200 lbs may well have a better chance. We have 128,000 miles on the PAC we bought in 8 of 07 it cane with the lifetime powertrain warranty, and we added to it the lifetime maxCare warranty. We put on 2,500 a month and the PAC is very comfortable, and easy to drive and ride shotgun. Little cars are fine for local driving but for us long trips are kinda hard on us older ones.
Give me a car with enough power and handling to avoid the accident in the first place, and I'm good.
Would that include insurance actuaries ..........?
Don't misunderstand me I do like cars the size of the DD but I have a handicap that would make the Dart very diffiicult. So for me and all the things that go with me the PAC is the best. The mpg on the PAC is better than the Chevy Aveo or some of the other small cars. The thing that really adds up for us is the Lifetime PowerTrain Warranty. However it is not your lifetime, it's the value of the PAC lifetime that determines the lifetime part. Chrysler goes by the NADA retail value of the PAC and if the repair is higher than the value of the car they just pay you out based on the NADA. Now the NADA value is $ 12,775. thats after 5 years and 128, miles at this point.200
Finish
Driver
Car
Team/Sponsor
Brand
1
Travis Pastrana
199
Dodge/Red Bull Rallycross/Pastrana 199 Racing
Dodge Dart
2
Samuel Hubinette
77
Eneos Oil
Saab 9-3
3
Brian Deegan
38
Rockstar Energy Metal Mulisha Ford/OMSE
Ford Fiesta
4
Tanner Foust
34
Rockstar Energy Etnies Ford/OMSE
Ford Fiesta
5
Ken Block
43
Monster World Rally Team
Ford Fiesta
6
Andy Scott
26
Scott-Eklund Racing
Saab 9-3
7
Liam Doran
33
Monster Energy Citroen Racing
Citroen C4
8
David Binks
17
eBay Motors Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
9
Stephan Verdier
12
Motorcity Disney XD/RMR
Hyundai Veloster
10
Dave Mirra
40
Subaru Puma Rallycross/VSC
Subaru WRX STi
11
Bucky Lasek
81
Subaru Puma Rallycross/VSC
Subaru WRX Sti
12
Patrick Moro
59
PMR Motor Sports
Subaru WRX Sti
13
Sverre Isachsen
11
Subaru Puma Rallycross/VSC
Subaru WRX Sti
14
Richard Burton
41
Team 41
Subaru WRX Sti
I wonder if the SXT version will be a rally-style trim a-la WRX?
Car is very nice looking. The pictures do it justice. The rallye looked like the one in the ads.
Anyway, I drove the SXT. Drives well, car is comfortable, seems well put together, and the materials in the interior seem very high quality, for the most part.
Car handles well in around town situation and was extremely quiet in operation.
I still think I'd give it a bit of time to see if there are any blatant issues but it seemed very sound in my brief testdrive.
I personally doubt we will buy one. However there seems to be a cautious way on how these Dart's are coming out. I read they are making 300 a day. I think it was Auto News that said the third shift started last Friday. ( at least I think so) I think there are a lot who want the 2.4 auto.
Me personally do not like turbo's and I think there is a lot power from a small engine running at high RPM's. Time will tell what's going on at the plant making these nice looking Dart's.
I am in the market and will be buying something within a month. I am leaning towards a Mazda3 . I presently have a Mazda6 that has been a great car.
I understand the 3 will get a USB port for 2013, as well as auto climate control on the iGT, that'll help balance things some. But the 100k warranty appeals to me too, given that I do 2000 miles a month.
Maybe full production might not be for sometime? Time will tell
And it does seem like all of the first run of these were red...a really nice metallic red, but red. All 1.4L MultiAir turbos. Apparently no 2.0L ones with the Hyundai automatic, and I have zero interest in that one anyway.
I am wondering how the steering and suspension feels. It's supposed to be a cut above most compacts, up in Focus territory, which is pretty friggin close to Mazda3 territory. It would be good if we get another compact like that, show GM and Toyota what a REAL compact car is like.
Try it out, you'll like it. Save yourself a grand, some gas money through the life of the car, and have more fun driving it to boot!
All in all, I test drove the elantra, forte koup, civic, and a mustang and this was by far the most fun and complete all around to drive. Sticker price was 23,390. I walked out of the dealership paying sub that total, think I knocked them down to <$21k with USAA/Chrysler/Military discounts. This model comes with almost all of the best options.
***Only down side so far is that with no rear windshield wiper a rear view vision problem occurs when driving on snowy winter roads with the salt spray drying on rear window. Fortunately this is something that does not happen too often (I hope).
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
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