Hundreds of 2013 Dodge Dart’s Drive Away From Texas Motor Speedway

[xcel]

Bigger than Life and appropriate sized launch plan for the State of Texas.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Jun 17, 2012

Nearly 250 2013 Dodge Dart vehicles waited on pit row at Texas Motor Speedway where Dodge dealers gathered for a track-worthy send off to dealerships across the Southwest. This is the first of 12 such Dart events across the country to support the Dart arriving in dealerships this month.

Nearly 250 Dodge dealers gathered at Texas Motor Speedway to drive their first Dodge Dart to Dodge dealerships across the Southwest. The celebration will be commemorated by Mike Herzing, president of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), with a presentation of three industry trophies for the 2013 Dodge Dart: Compact Car of Texas, Best Value of Texas and Best New Feature (Dodge Dart Thin Film Transistor display).

The Dart

The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart leverages the Alfa Romeo brand and infuses it with Dodge passion and design, creating an agile compact car with mid-size levels of interior roominess and unmatched style, safety and customization. The Dodge Dart brings this style and technology to market starting at a U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of just $17,995 for the SXT with A/C (excluding destination), delivering a modern small D-Segment that’s sharp and crafted with high-quality materials.

Loaded with technology including the available “Best-in-Class” Uconnect Touch 8.4-inch touch screen and Garmin SW based NAVI, a customizable 7-inch TFT gauge cluster and class-leading safety features. The 2013 Dodge Dart sets a new standard in the compact car segment by offering unmatched personalization, roominess, functionality and fun-to-drive dynamics.

The 2013 Dodge Dart is available in five different trim levels in the United States. Customers can choose from the SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T.

The starting U.S. MSRP for the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart (all prices exclude $795 destination):

• Dodge Dart SE: $15,995
• Dodge Dart SXT: $17,995
• Dodge Dart Rallye: $18,995
• Dodge Dart Limited: $19,995
• Dodge Dart R/T: $22,495 (available Q3 2012)

Short term and very early impressions?

It has excellent room for both the driver and rear seat passengers, it has a nice exterior design, it has good ride and handling and it has the safety with its 10 airbags plus the latest in active and passive safety equipment. Where it lacks is in the fuel economy arena more than likely due to an overly verbose just under 3,200 pounds base weight the 6-speed MT and on the powertrain side of the fence, an oil weight not known to be conducive for the best fuel economy.

2012 Dodge Dart at the 2012 MAMA Spring Rally


A full-on competition level of P&G on a 9-mile RT loop. I will let the result speak for itself.


5W-40 required for the 1.4L Turbo.

We will wait for the aero version arriving this fall to perform a full review but I do have questions regarding its actual capability given the above results.

[bethomas463]

I wondered why all the ones I saw leaving the factory were red. Now I know!

[xcel]

Hi All:

Here is Chrysler's second Dodge Dart launch extravaganza!

Nearly 250 Dodge Darts Will Drive Away From the Palace of Auburn Hills and Into Dealerships for Sale Across Michigan

What: The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is officially on its way to dealerships across the country. Close to 300 Dodge dealers will gather at the Palace of Auburn Hills to drive their first Dodge Dart vehicles into Dodge showrooms across Michigan.

When: Wednesday, June 20 -- 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Where:

The Palace of Auburn Hills
6 Championship Drive
Auburn Hills, MI 48326

[herm]

I wonder why they did not use a 0 weight oil..

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

What oil does Chevy spec for their 1.4 turbo ?

[twoodcc]

i'm actually interested in this vehicle. just under 49 mpg using P&G? not bad right? how does the 6-speed manual shift? smooth?

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

49 mpg in Wayne's capable hands and feet = not too good.

[xcel]

Hi Edwin:

Exactly.

Twoodcc, most cars with sticks on that same Elkhart Lake, WI loop are good for 60 to 80 mpgUS depending on the segment and I was greatly disappointed with what my first drive in the 3,200 pound Dart provided. In fact so much so I have to someday give it another shot.

As a benchmark comparison, the 2012 Ford Edge with the 2.0L EcoBoost and a 6-speed AT pulled 50.7 mpgUS (OEM aFCD non-calibrated) and the Prius c pulled well into the 110 to 120 + mpgUS actual range. IIRC it pulled 127 mpgUS on a non-calibrated SG-II while the OEM aFCD was pegged at 99.9 mpg.

It is not uncommon for Accent's, Sonic's, Elantra's and other B and C-Segment non-hybrids (all with sticks) to pull 60 to 80 mpg on the same loop. Fuel efficient hybrids usually go a lot higher...

Ford Edge on a much shorter RT segment of the scripted drive loop...


Prius c...

As you can see, I need some time with the aero version of the Dart with even more tweaks because it is going to be a tough case for its owners to even match EPA combined let alone a highway number on a daily basis.

Wayne

[twoodcc]

thanks for the reply Wayne. i'm actually interested in the sonic, cruze, mazda3, jetta tdi, dart, civic, and corolla.

in your experience, which is your favorite out of cars similar to the ones i've mentioned? a manual transmission is a must for me, and i have a 25 mile commute one-way, all highway. so the highway mileage is important to me.

so far i've only test drove the sonic and cruze eco. i thought they both drove nice. i liked the cruze a little better since it's bigger. my brother has a VW GTI, and his transmission was a little smoother.

i plan on test driving the mazda3 tomorrow.

but i personally like the looks of the dart and the interior options (the 2 screens). i also like the dual exhaust and the sporty look.

[xcel]

Hi Twoodcc:

Boy is there a lot of great offerings in the B and C-Segment realm today.

If it was price and capability, it would have to be the Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio over the Sonic. More room in the rear, lower price for a feature to feature comparison and both have about the same capability with a 6-speed MT.

In the C-Segment realm, boy, another hotly contested arena. It would have to be a 13 Elantra sedan/hatch with a stick or a more expensive Mazda 3i sedan/hatch with SKYACTIV and a stick. If you can stand the cheap interior and bland exterior, a 12 Civic LX with a stick can be purchased for a touch over $14K new and when pushed, has the capability to own the segment in terms of fuel economy. The 36 mpg rating is EPA but if you really push, it will surprise you and the price is outrageous right now. There is ~ $3K under the table on Civics right now...

I have a ton of links to our previews and reviews for most of the vehicles you are considering so make sure you take a look. The Cruze is off due to its maximum capability, price and inability to find comfortable seating in the back but of course this is my own opinion after a week in one last year.

• CleanMPG Reviews the 2012 Hyundai Accent
  
• CleanMPG Previews the 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door Hatch
  
• CleanMPG Reviews the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  
• CleanMPG Begins a Review of the 2012 Mazda 3i Touring 5-door with SKYACTIV Technology
  
• CleanMPG Plays Its Hand in Las Vegas with a Pair of (MPG) Kings (Cruze Eco with an AT vs. Elantra Sedan with an AT)
  
• CleanMPG Reviews the 2011 Hyundai Elantra GLS
  
• CleanMPG Reviews the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited
  
• GM’s Most Fuel Efficient Car Coming to Chicago (2011 Chevrolet Cruze Review)

Wayne