Overview & Reviews

Compact Dodge cars haven't had a glowing history, with names like Aries, Caliber, Neon and Shadow best consigned to the forgotten chapters of automotive history. However, the original Dodge Dart was one notable exception. Not only did it provide reasonably dependable (for the 1970s) family transportation, it also elicited quite a following among car enthusiasts.

It's this enthusiasm that Dodge is trying to recapture with its distinctive new Dart. The days of Darts with available powerhouse V8s are long gone, but with a front-wheel-drive chassis derived from the lithe Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the four-cylinder Dart promises a different sort of fun. Instead of laying down rubber, it offers sharp steering and commendable road holding whether you're taking a spirited drive on a back road or simply running errands around town.

More importantly, the new Dodge Dart offers a degree of quality, feature content and mechanical sophistication that greatly exceeds that of previous small Dodges. When compared to other compact sedans, it's not a class leader, but it's certainly competitive.

Current Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is a compact sedan whose basic structure, suspension and steering are derived from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a sporty hatchback sold in Europe. This isn't just an Italian dressed in an Uncle Sam hat, though. The Dart is not only much bigger than the Alfa, it's also larger than its myriad "compact" car competitors. Only VW's Jetta comes close. This results in more passenger space and also creates the feeling that you're driving something rather substantial. It certainly doesn't feel like a compact car.

There are five trim levels: SE, SXT, Aero, Limited and GT. All offer a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, with the exception of the automatic-only Limited. The base SE model has a 2.0-liter, 160-horsepower four-cylinder engine.  Acceleration can be rather slow with this engine, especially with the automatic. We recommend going with the SXT, Limited or GT, as all come with a 2.4-liter 184-hp four-cylinder. The fuel-efficiency-focused Aero features a turbocharged 1.4-liter four with 160 hp that offers more punch and better gas mileage than the base SE. Note, however, that the Aero's automatic transmission is an automated manual design that is considerably less refined than the conventional automatics found in other Darts.

Although the SE comes with just a basic level of equipment, the Dodge Dart nevertheless slathers on an abundance of comfort, convenience and luxury items as you move up trim levels and start checking off options boxes. Although features like blind-sport warning systems and dual-zone climate control have become increasingly common in this class, they still give the Dart a bit of an upscale feel. Several special trim materials and a broad palette of available colors make the Dart a little more distinctive as well.

Overall, we think the Dodge Dart is a competitive small sedan that ultimately falls short of its competitors. We would steer clear of the base model and the Aero model due to their unappealing powertrains, while some drivers have found the front seats to be uncomfortable. On the other hand, the Dart deserves consideration based on its sizable cabin and trunk, user-friendly electronics, big-car driving character and ample feature content.

Used Dodge Dart Models
The Dodge Dart was reintroduced for 2013 and cars from that first model year had different engine availability. The 2.0-liter engine was standard on all trims, while the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine and its wonky automated manual transmission were more widely available. Given that only the GT trim came with the 2.4-liter engine, we'd probably steer clear of a first-year Dart.

User Reviews:

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  Nice little car - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By Ray - May 19 - 10:54 am

  I bought this car new 8-14 and so far have put 10,000 miles on it, the only thing I have noticed with it is there is a turbo lag with it but it is only a split second, I get very good gas mileage with mid upper 30 range but I do use premium fuel regular fuel does not work well with this turbo engine, this little car has good get up an go,,it so far has been a good car

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  500 miles in - 2016 Dodge Dart
  By Kaleb Mays - May 4 - 1:29 am

  I bought my 2016 dart SE Saturday afternoon. I had several errands to run this weekend with Christmas just around the corner. We left the lot with 16 miles and now have 486 on the odometer. Interior- most cars Ive owned in the past have had the cheap plastic coverings on the dash along with very uncomfortable armrests in the doors. This car has a nice plush almost pleathery feel in its place. The interior styling on the SE is not flashy but not dull. Performance- for a 2.0 with no turbo its decently quick enough for the driving I will be doing. I commute 700 miles a week for work and dont do many hard accelerations. That being said I was not at all disappointed when accelerating. I reset my mpg average when leaving yesterday for a 180 mile round trip. 75% highway I averaged 35.7 mpg over the trip and hit 45.7 on the average on the highway driving at 56 mph. Technology- I wasnt looking for the fanciest car and I sure didnt get it. Theres no remote start, no xm radio, no touchscreen display or anything most newer cars have. It doesnt even have automatic headlights. But I wasnt looking for all of this Summary- I was looking for a car big enough for me and my family that got good mileage. Thats exactly what I got. After a few thousand miles I will update my review.

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  I tried them both - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Zyworski - May 26 - 5:15 pm

  I have tried the base SXT as a rental and own the GT. The first thing that I can tell you is that there is a difference. The GT feels more solid on the road and the steering is more responsive. My GT only has 15k on it and has so far been trouble free with one small exception. The idiot light came on for a minor recall and I ended up taking a day off from work for a minor tweaking that could have waited. I have not demanded much of my Dart having parked it in the winters and kept hot dogging to a minimum, so I am a poor candidate for telling you about reliability, but so far so good. What I can tell you is that getting into the dealership is a nightmare with waits of many weeks for service. Due to the poor performance of the service department I am giving the Dodge Dart 3 stars on what would otherwise be a 4 star car

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  Worst choice i have made. - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Justin - May 14 - 9:10 am

  I Recently bought a 2015 dart se base model and i absolute hate! at 1600 miles, i had to get the transmission control replaced because they didnt do the recall. Now im at 6500 miles and the car randomly dies. Sometimes it wont start and i have to sit and wait 20 minutes. I have been to several dealers and all of them are telling me something is wrong. Do not buy this car!

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  Buying this car is like rolling the dice! - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Very concerned father - March 7 - 10:35 am

  I am writing this on behalf of my son who just bought a new Dodge Dart. He has owned it for 3 months and it has been in 2 Dodge dealerships service departments for approximately 2 of the 3 months. The engine will randomly shut off while in motion. I could not believe this until I googled the problem and read several of the online blogs. There are numerous Dart owners whos engine just shuts off. When the car gets low on oil the engine shuts off, except the engine has plenty of oil. Is it an electrical problem? NO ONE KNOWS!!! Do not buy this car!!! I am going to help my son get rid of this car. Someone is going to get killed!

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  Worst P.O.S. Ive EVER OWNES - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By William Wilke - February 28 - 12:42 pm

  This is the most unreliable car I have ever owned in my life I bought it a month ago and its been in the shop for more than 2 weeks at 25K miles. It is also a terrible highway car that tends to wander and shake at high speeds around 70 or so.

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  Dodge the dart! - 2016 Dodge Dart
  By Jason Driver - January 21 - 12:06 pm

  This must be the most uncomfortable rental I have ever been handed the keys to! Had to have the wife drive couldnt get comfortable, bad back. Tried a pillow didnt help. Junk materials, headrest constantly pushes your head forward, isnt adjustable. Removed it and tossed it in the trunk. No wonder these POSs are just 16K. Gas millage is decent but it lacks any kind of wow. Youd be better off with a used make from a Japanese brand, which is killer to say because Im a Ford kind of guy! Haha, I wouldnt keep this if they gave it to me Id trade it in right away. If your renting and are over 55 150 pounds youll feel squashed ! Ask for another car or an upgrade because only short people would feel at home.

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  first newer car - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Robin Valencia - January 7 - 9:03 am

  I have had my car for 8 months now and love it. Except for the fact that apparently it doesnt like cold weather. I have to let it warm up for awhile when engine is cold or it stalls on me. It is a 2015 with 35000 on it.