Less appealing is the Dart’s six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which Dodge calls the Dual Dry Clutch Transmission.
#DODGE DART RALLYE MANUAL#
Holding the transmission in 3rd gear with the manual mode took care of the problem, but a modern automatic shouldn’t need the driver’s intervention.
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This might be good for fuel economy, but it can sap the engine of power when leaving a turn just when you’re getting back on the gas. The automatic’s one deficiency is a tendency to upshift into a higher gear than necessary. Plus, it has a clutchless-manual mode that’s responsive enough to make it engaging - not the norm with these systems. The automatic clicks off refined upshifts without an appreciable delay in power delivery. The 2.0-liter’s available PowerTech automatic transmission is different from the one mated to the optional turbocharged engine, and it’s more impressive. Power, unsurprisingly, tapers off at higher speeds, and at 60 mph, there’s little left for a last-minute pass around slower-moving traffic. The 2.0-liter engine revs smoothly throughout its range whether equipped with the six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic transmission. On the highway, the Dart settles nicely and tracks confidently without asking you to make constant steering corrections.Īfter driving two of the Dart’s three engines, the biggest takeaway is that price-conscious shoppers who choose a lower trim with the base 160-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder will still get a refined powertrain that offers decent performance and gas mileage. The Focus provides a better sense of what’s happening at the tires than the Dart, whose steering has limited feel and less immediate turn-in. The Dart’s steering wheel feels weightier than most, but this doesn’t translate to the desired steering feedback. Steering tuning is a critical factor in how engaging a car is to drive, and compact cars vary widely.
#DODGE DART RALLYE PATCH#
Long stretches of smooth blacktop highlighted the suspension’s ability to control body roll and the Dart’s premium-car responses, but every once in a while a rough patch of pavement quickly reminded how firm the tuning remains. Chief engineer Mike Merlo said softer suspension tuning was introduced to suit American tastes, but it’s still firm for the class. It’s a well-proportioned sedan overall, and flared front and rear fenders accentuate its stance.Ī day spent driving the Dart on the winding roads of Northern California revealed a car with taut reflexes and a willingness to attack corners. The sedan’s sibling is the Alfa Romeo Giulietta that’s sold in Europe, but for Dart duty the platform was widened and lengthened. Designers also incorporated small flying buttresses into the sedan’s rear roof pillars, a design cue from Dodge’s past. There are familiar cues, like a version of the Dodge crosshair grille and available “racetrack” LED taillights like the Charger, but the Dart trades the angular, muscular lines of the Charger and Avenger for a look that’s more lithe and svelte. The Dart’s exterior styling represents a new direction for the brand. To see the Dart’s specs compared with the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Honda Civic, click here. The base SE trim level starts at $16,890, including an $895 destination charge. We tested Darts with the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and the available turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder. A sedan with Alfa Romeo origins and a name from the ’60s, the Dart is the first Chrysler Group product based on a platform from owner Fiat (Alfa Romeo is a Fiat brand). The Neon’s successor, the Caliber hatchback, was never a suitable replacement, but now Dodge finally has one in the 2013 Dart. There’s been a gaping hole in the Dodge lineup: the lack of a compact sedan since the Neon departed after the 2005 model year. The 2013 Dodge Dart is a good car, a solid entrant in the compact-sedan segment, but powertrain shortcomings keep it from being a great car. Editor’s note: This review was originally written in April 2012 but was updated in March 2013 after the evaluation of production versions of the 2013 Dodge Dart.