Originally published Oct. 27, 2012
Il ritorno di Dart.
Oh, pardon me, wrong language. I got caught up in this Italian thing with Chrysler; you know, the Fiat influence.
As I said, though, the Dart is back.
The Dart returns to Dodge showrooms after an absence of 37 years.
It drops right into the middle of the crowded, competitive compact class, battling popular names, such as Focus, Cruze, Civic and Corolla.
This is the first merger product for the Chrysler Group since Italy’s Fiat and its irrepressible leader Sergio Marchionne stepped in to rescue Chrysler from its financial collapse of four years ago.
Though it is built in Belvidere, Ill., the 2013 Dart is based on the platform of Fiat’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
Jan and I spent part of last week in Vail, driving a Dart Limited four-door. Vail’s an excellent test ground for new automotive products, and a few days ago was ranked third best ski resort in North America in Ski magazine’s annual report. It is where I introduced Post readers to Cadillac’s new 2010 CTS Sport Wagon three years ago.
There are plenty of twisty roads about the resort and to get there, the climb from the plains to the peaks is a challenge conquered impressively by the Dart’s 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder multi-air turbocharged engine and 6-speed manual transmission. The Fiat-designed engine, now built in Detroit, carries an EPA estimate of 39 highway mpg.
The turbo spools more slowly than many others, in the name of economy; once in full-power mode, though, it will climb anything in Colorado. The drive up and back, 280 miles, averaged 34.5 mpg, and with stop-and-go in-city maneuvering added, the overall figure for the week was 33.4. Horsepower rating is 160, torque 184. Other engines available for the Dart are 1.4 and 2.0 naturally aspirated engines, and soon to be added will be a 2.4-liter, all 4-cylinders. Optional to the manual transmission are 6-speed automatics.
The Dart is roomy; its overall length of 183.9 inches is beyond the Chevy Cruze at 181, Toyota Corolla 180, Ford Focus 178.5 and Honda Civic 177.3. Finely stitched, well-bolstered seats are a highlight of the interior, with lots of storage space, including a small compartment beneath the cushion of the front passenger seat. With 10 airbags, the Dart rates high in safety.
GPS navigation, rearview camera, blind-spot detection, rain-sense wipers, heated seats and steering wheel, the turbo engine and dual-zone air conditioning pushed sticker price on the Dart to $25,065, from a base of $19,995. The base-model SE begins at something less than $17,000.
Fit and finish of the Limited model I drove was above average until I opened the trunk, where rough, crude weld points and seal areas sticky to the touch were surprising. Mine was an early production model, so I stopped by John Elway Dodge showroom, where Jamie Martinez showed me the smooth finish inside the trunk of later models, and the sealer no longer is sticky. Wendy Orthman, Chrysler spokesperson in Chicago, said, “On some early units, we applied short-term containment measures, and have since resumed master craftsmanship.”
Sidebar: Get the best deal on new-car financing
Before you get new-car financing, take a few minutes to educate yourself on how the process works. It could pay off in better loan terms.
With new-car financing comes an interest rate that you will pay for the life of the loan. Before shopping for a car, you should first figure out your price range, then break that into the monthly payment with interest. There are many loan calculators on the Internet.
Your interest rate depends on your credit score. The better the score, the lower the rate you’ll likely get. Before applying for a loan, check your credit report for inaccurate information that could damage your creditworthiness.
If your credit report is clean, but your credit score is less than stellar, you can take some immediate steps to improve it. Pay down high-balance credit cards and make sure you make payments on time. Keep open credit cards that are at a zero balance.
You’ll probably visit several dealerships when car shopping, so it makes sense to shop for the best car financing as well. It might be easier to get a loan from the car dealer. But it might be worth it to check out a bank or credit union. Get at least three quotes – banks and dealers have leeway on the interest rate they can charge, so being armed with a few quotes will ensure that you get the best rate on your new-car financing.
– Bankrate.com
