Dodge Dart - A Position Player At Best To Be An All-Star

As the first all-new model to emerge from the Fiat-Chrysler alliance, the Dart has been highly anticipated. It replaces the subpar Caliber, and many industry watchers have wondered whether it has what it takes to put Chrysler back in the small-car race. After testing two versions, our take is that the Dart is the first decent compact from Doge in decades and has some solid positives. But overall it can’t measure up to the best in class. For a car that needed to be an all-star, the Dart is a position player at best.

Dodge Dart Rallye Vs SXT

The Dart gets a lot of things right. It has a solid. Substantial feel and a relatively quiet cabin. It handles well, whether cruising on a two-lane backcountry road or being pushed to its limits at our track. The steering is well weighted, and there’s minimal body lean in turns. You can also get a wide variety of optional features, including some, such as a blind-spot warning system, automatic high/low beams, and a heated steering wheel, that aren’t uttered in many competitors.

Where the Dart stalls out is in its powertrains and interior accommodations. The 160-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in our $20,680 SXT feels notably underpowered. Our Dart Rallye ($24,490, as tested) has thrashy-sounding 160-hp, 1.4-liter turbocharged four with an optional automated-manual transmission that shifts poorly. Inside, the lumpy front seats have uneven, uncomfortable cushioning. And despite its generous dimensions, the rear seat is somewhat tight. The Dart also gets rather expensive with option; for the price of our Rallye, you could get a larger family sedan. Both Darts scored too low in our tests to be recommended. We have no reliability data yet for this new model.

Dart Rallye ($24,490, as tested) has thrashy-sounding 160-hp; 1.4-liter turbocharged four with an optional automated-manual transmission that shifts poorly

A solid core in need of a drivetrain

The Dart is fairly nimble and enjoyable to drive, like a sporty European sedan. The steering is responsive and provides decent feedback. It has a nice heft to it on the road but can be too heavy when parking. When pushed to its limits at our track, the car enthusiastically darts through corners with strong grip and balanced behavior, and it posted an impressively high speed in our avoidance maneuver.

Dodge Dart Rallye: The new automated manual transmission stumbles and clunks in traffic

Another of the Dart’s high points is its composed, compliant ride. Occupants are well isolated from pavement imperfections and road noise. And ride motions are taut and controlled, giving the Dart a buttoned-down feel that’s usually found in more upscale cars.

Those dynamic virtues are undermined by the engines. Our SXT got a decent 27mpg overall, and the Rallye, a good 29. But neither of our cars’ engines sounds refined. The lethargic response from the 2.0-liter is readily apparent when merging into highway traffic or climbing’s hills. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts very smoothly but can often leave the car feeling flat-footed.

The 1.4-liter turbo is definitely quicker but has notable turbo lag when you step on the gas. Chrysler’s new dual-clutch automated manual transmission works well under hard acceleration, but normal stop-and-go driving brings stumbles and some clunky shifts. This combination of turbo lag and hesitant downshifts makes the car feel unresponsive and difficult to drive smoothly. The available six-speed manual is a better fit for that engine.

Basic accommodations

The cabin is relatively roomy, with good head, leg, and foot room. But the low roofline, thick pillars, and dark trim can make it feel cakelike. A tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel helps you find a comfortable driving position. But the cloth front seats have squishy cushioning and over pronounced bolster, resulting in uneven support. Some drivers wanted more lower-back support, but neither car has adjustable lumbar support. The optional leather seats have better support and lumbar adjustments.

Dodge Dart SXT: The front passenger seat has a handy cubby under the cushion.

The rear seat provides decent leg room. But the flat cushions lack support, and head room is tight for adults. Forcing an adult to sit in the hard, perch-like center seating position borders on cruel and unusual punishment.

Overall, the controls are simple and straightforward, especially with the super-simple basic radio. But the main gauges have a stylized font that’s hard to read. The optional Uconnect 8.4 infotainment system in our Rallye, with a large, clear touch screen and buttons and knobs for common functions, is one of the best and most intuitive we’ve seen.

Even basic Darts provide Bluetooth voice control, but models with the touch screen let you choose songs from a portable music player or enter a destination in the navigation system by voice. Connecting a phone through Bluetooth is simple with either car. Both easily streamed music from Pandora, and the touch-screen system features apps for finding gas prices, weather reports, and more.

Dodge Dart SXT: The Uconnect touch-screen system is sharp and easy to interact with

The interior of the Dart is neatly trimmed but not plush. Buyers can choose from a wide variety of trims and colors. But we did notice a number of sharp edges on the plastics and some dash panels with wide gaps.

The trunk is fairly roomy and can be expanded by folding the 60/40-split rear seats.

More test findings

·         Braking: Short stops on dry and wet surfaces. The touchy pedal takes getting used to

·         Headlights: Low beams provide good visibility to the front and side, but intensity is modest. High beams provide sufficient visibility, but not as good as that in many other cars. Intensity is no better than the low beams. A distinct cutoff can reduce visibility as the car moves over uneven roads.

·         Access: rear access is somewhat tight because the wheel well cuts into the door space. It’s easier in front, but it takes a bit of ducking to avoid bumping your head on the sloping roof.

·         Visibility: So-so visibility, with thick windshield pillars and dashboard reflections compromising the forward view. Rearward visibility is restricted by small rear-side windows, large roof pillars and head restraints, and a high rear deck. Optional rear-view camera and blind-spot monitoring systems help

·         Cabin storage: good, with a deep center console, a roomy glove box, and a handy storage compartment in the front passenger-seat cushion. With the optional touch-screen, a CD drive takes up some room in the center console.

·         Head restraints: the second-row center restraint is not tall enough to provide adequate protection.

·         Child seats: some rear-facing seats might be difficult to secure. The LATCH anchors for the outboard seats are recessed and very difficult to access. The two inner LATCH anchors can be used for installing a child seat in the center position if the seat’s attachments are flexible and the child-seat manufacturer allows it.