The manual seats are substantially padded and easy to adjust, and they give the interior a whiff of sturdy, full-size-American-sedan essence. It’s a simple theme-and an effective way of pinching pennies. Inside our car, basic black covered every surface save for the off-white pillars and headliner. Wide (CUSW) chassis is competent but not as engaging as those in truly great compacts such as the Mazda 3 and the Ford Focus. A product of the mechanical and cultural crosspollination between Fiat and Chrysler, the Dart’s Compact U.S.
2015 dodge dart driver#
Wearing 205/55-16 Continental ContiProContact tires, the car managed only 0.83 g on our 300-foot-diameter skidpad, with our test driver noting heavy intervention from the electronic stability control (which cannot be turned off). Combined with the quiet and well-insulated cabin-we measured only 69 decibels at 70 mph, same as the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300-highway miles evaporated in near silence.īut the good vibes get derailed when the road gets twisty, as body lean and mild understeer make their presence known.
The Dart’s electric power steering is linear and has a discernible center valley that ensures straight tracking on the highway, which we like, and the chassis-with struts up front and a multilink setup out back-can soak up all but the most severe road imperfections. At least the six-speed automatic transmission capably handles its duties, allowing the engine to run to redline before upshifting and generally being in the right gear while tooling around town. And gunning for the horizon feels like much more of a chore in the Dart. Yet the 2.4’s acceleration is simply average compared to the rest of the class, with the similarly priced Mazda 3 sedan equipped with an automatic transmission completing the tasks in 7.6 and 15.9 seconds. It was also nice to not have to wait for a turbo to spin up-and to forego the lumpy surges of the 1.4-liter engine. Still, with 184 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque on tap, our naturally aspirated test vehicle easily (and exactly) matched the 8.2- and 16.2-second zero-to-60 and quarter-mile times of an earlier Dart we tested with the 1.4-liter turbo and a manual transmission. The tone improves with rpm, but burdened by the Dart’s 3244 pounds of mass, it’s fighting an uphill battle. The 2.4-liter four springs to life with an adenoidal exhaust note. Or the 200 like a big Dart, if you’re on the other side of the showroom. Being very similar to the exterior finish of the last Chrysler 200 we tested, the hue further emphasized the aesthetic similarities between the two cars that make the Dart look like a small 200. Our test car arrived wearing a fetching shade of Laser Blue Pearl paint, which accented its fluid lines and attractive profile. With our long-termer’s 1.4-liter turbo four now relegated to the efficiency-focused Dart Aero, we thought the time was right to check in with the volume engine, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder with an automatic transmission. (Think Honda Accord Sport.) Unfortunately, our initial enthusiasm for the Dart was tempered with the arrival of our long-term 2013 model the chassis showed promise during that test, but we came away disappointed, mostly in the powertrain. Nearly 40 years after the last of the original Dodge Darts aimed for the bull’s-eye, the new Dart emerged with a similar mission to combine basic transportation with all the current amenities in an affordable package.ĭull as that may sound, vehicles that successfully do so earn respect around here, especially if they mix in a heavy dose of fun. We had high hopes for the new Dart when it was rolled out during the 2012 Detroit auto show.
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