Dodge Dart First Test.
 

I'm personally not a huge fan of this car-- i don't like it's proportions. But i've been following it with a polite interest.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ed_first_test/

IMHO the Dart is another one of those cars that looks better in person than it does in photos, but still not my cup of tea. 10 years from now it will make a good first car for someone.

That shit is the heaviest car in its segment. I never knew ford focus and honda civic competitors can be 3250+ lbs. I thought they all stayed under 3000 lbs.

A Dodge car that sucks?! No way!!! ;)

At least it's design concept wasn't based on a shoe-box like the other Dodges.

True... I've been following this car with the same intent as you. I do not understand how Dodge cannot make something GOOD and still be in business. How or why people bought the Caliber I will never understand... That would be one of my final steps on my way to committing suicide.

Having owned two Neons a decade or so ago, I've also been following the Dart with some interest, since this is filling the same slot in the lineup the Neon did. My Neons were two of the best all-around cars I've owned (20+ cars in the past 25 years), I autocrossed them frequently, one was an ACR, and they also saw trips to the drag strip (best of 14.6 in the 1/4), road course, and trips to 30+ states.

The biggest negatives I can see to this car right now, are its weight and the complexity due to all the electronic toys Dodge is throwing at it. My 1st gen Neon weighed 2500 lbs, my 2nd gen Neon 2600 lbs, and the Dart tips the scales at 3200 lbs, is considerably bigger than the Neons, and won't be as easy to work on. I hope it does well, but I just don't see it being the sales success the Neons were. IIRC, Dodge sold over a million and a half from 1995-2005.

:word: The only Dodge car I've held any ounce of respect for was the Neon. The car's name and the introductory ads sucked though. I'll never forget the "Hi" ads...

Yeah the old Neons sold well-- i think they sold in 6-packs.

why does the speedometer have a flower in the background?

Why don't they just bring over the Alfa version directly? Think of all the money they would save by firing the people whose job it is to make Alfas ugly and soft.

Also I don't think you can really compare this to the Neon, the Neon was a real contender in its day, and it sounds like the Dart just isn't.

Also the car they tested was nearly $21k, which makes the FRS seem like a screaming deal at $25k...

Fwd, that's too bad. I was hoping on more direct competitors.

Its not a bad design but it gives it some style