Long-Term Road Test Update
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Halfway through its stay, the Dart struggles to make friends.
Months in Fleet: 8 months
Current Mileage: 18,172 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 30 mpg
Average Range: 474 miles
Service: $139.77
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $1086.72
As it enters its eighth month in our hands, the oh-so-orange Dodge Dart Rallye remains one of the least-subscribed rides in our long-term fleet. Some editors’ enthusiasm has been dulled by the compact’s awkward pedal and steering-wheel angles, numb clutch, and uncomfortable driver’s seat. But the biggest reason for the Dart having accumulated just 18,172 miles since it arrived is its lackluster powertrain. (Our long-term test cars typically eat up their entire 40,000-mile stay with us in about a year.) Weak-kneed, laggy, and non-linear, the Dodge’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine has caught no shortage of flak for its around-town drivability.
The Magical Unbroken Alfa
On the bright side, the Dart has yet to be sidelined by any mechanical issues outside of its regularly scheduled maintenance. Besides two oil changes and inspections, one at 8847 miles and the latest at 16,798 miles—total for both: $139.77—we had to visit the dealer just once to explore an airbag light that came aglow in the gauge cluster around the 9900-mile mark. No problem was found, and the light was reset free of charge.
Given the Dodge’s lightning-quick development from essentially a chopped-up, up-sized Alfa Romeo platform and its mix of American and Italian components, we wondered if the car would haunt the dealership service bay. But the Dart’s lack of issues so far has us sleeping a little easier.
The Dart’s only significant downtime came through no fault of ours or the car’s. A ladder plunged off a work van and cracked the Dodge’s windshield and dented its front-right fender while it sat parked. Although the Dart’s wounds were healed using funds from the van’s insurance provider, it’s worth noting the tally for the new windshield was a reasonable $449.12 while the dented fender cost $637.60 to repair.
Teetotaling, Tottering Turbo
As the miles pile on, our complaints about the Dart’s powertrain haven’t tapered off. Nearly every logbook entry mentions the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder’s paucity of punch below 3000 rpm, as well as the lumpy mid-range surge. The engine’s responsiveness has taken the most flak for its off-the-line performance; simply put, it’s laggy on throttle tip-in. Keeping pace with the ebb and flow of traffic requires early throttle application and generous revs to keep the turbo’s turbine speeds up. Dropping down a gear (or two) helps as well.
We’re curious to see how the upcoming Dart GT, with its more powerful, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder, compares to our turbo long-termer. Sans turbo, its power delivery should be more linear and its torque more useable. Moving outside of the Dodge family, we’ve already found the 160-hp, turbo-less 2.0-liter Ford Focus to have better driving characteristics and a more-polished (manual-transmission) driveline than the turbocharged Dart in a comparison test.
On the flip side of the Dodge’s dynamic coin, plenty of praise has been heaped on the little orange sedan for its serene and comfortable highway demeanor. Still, some drivers might want to bring a pillow—multiple logbook comments note the seat’s soft padding means that butts and thighs sink deeply enough to touch the chair’s metal frame. The sedan’s high proportion of highway miles has resulted in wallet-friendly overall fuel economy of 30 mpg. Editors’ occasional abusive throttle usage around town to overcome the Dart’s sad launch behavior apparently has had little effect on the car’s noteworthy efficiency.
The Dart’s all-black cabin is holding up well visually, although several rattles and a suspension creak or two have presented themselves. The Uconnect touch-screen infotainment system works brilliantly, but some have decried the tedious temperature control, which requires occupants seeking hotter or colder air to tap hard buttons up and down while watching the onscreen display. Others have noticed the Dart’s front defroster occasionally creates pockets of condensation on the lower portions of the windshield and front-side windows after clearing broader swaths of fog. The only way to clear it up is to switch the mode control to blast air out at floor level, or roll down the windows and shut the system off entirely.
So the Dart is serving its duty reliably, and with a minimum of fuss—or excitement. We’ll be monitoring how the sedan’s mileage accumulation is affected as the summer road-trip season winds down.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE AS TESTED: $24,455 (base price: $18,790)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled SOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 83 cu in, 1368 cc
Power: 160 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.4 in
Length: 183.9 in
Width: 72.0 in Height: 57.7 in
Curb weight: 3277 lb
PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 8.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 21.8 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 28.4
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.8 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 24.1 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 12.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.1 sec @ 87 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 119 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 168 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.87 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 27/39 mpg
C/D observed: 28 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt
WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/100,000 miles powertrain;
5 years/100,000 miles corrosion protection;
5 years/100,000 miles roadside assistance
Continued…