2013 Dodge Dart SXT - Welcoming An Alfa-infused Dodge Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1301_2013_dodge_dart_sxt_introduction/#ixzz2HnPUKuDx

The story behind the Dodge Dart goes back nearly four years to the period when Chrysler was entering bankruptcy. Italian automaker Fiat stepped in to help rescue the American giant, but the U.S. Treasury set several conditions for the takeover. Among them was a provision that Fiat help Chrysler build a 40-mpg car on American soil. The Dodge Dart was that car, and launching it allowed Fiat to up its stake in Chrysler by five percent to 58.5 percent.

Our 2013 Dodge Dart SXT won't break the 40-mpg barrier -- only the economy-minded Dart Aero does, with a 41-mpg highway rating -- but it is EPA-rated at 37 mpg on the highway. We skipped the standard 2.0-liter Tigershark four, and instead spent $1300 for the optional 160-hp, 1.4-liter turbo-four engine (the same one found in the Fiat 500 Abarth). Another $1100 got us a dual-clutch automatic transmission that is sourced from Fiat, the first-ever dual-clutch unit offered in a Dodge vehicle.

We chose the Dart SXT because it provides a good balance between equipment and pricing. Our car started at $18,790 after a $795 destination charge, but the upgraded powertrain and several other options bumped the final bill to $23,195. We paid $595 for the Uconnect touchscreen and an illuminated dashboard accent, $495 for navigation and a backup camera, $195 for SiriusXM satellite radio, and $225 for LED taillights that resemble those on the Dodge Charger. Finally, the $495 popular equipment group added cruise control, remote starting, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, illuminated cupholders, and an enhanced trip computer.

Because the Dart arrived at our offices in the middle of winter, we immediately called our official tire and wheel sponsor, Tire Rack, to order some cold-weather rubber. The factory Continental tires will wait patiently in our garage while we use Pirelli Sottozero Serie II tires for the rest of the winter. The Pirellis set us back $797.92, plus another $100 for mounting and balancing. Already they have proven their worth by providing plentiful traction in ice, snow, and below-freezing temperatures.

Shortly after arriving, the Dodge Dart took a 480-mile road trip to deputy editor Joe DeMatio's ancestral homeland, rural West Branch, Michigan (where the car posed for a photo-op alongside sheep and a llama at a local farm). DeMatio's first impressions: "The little turbo four has plenty of energy but is coarse, hoarse, and gravelly. The dual-clutch transmission seems to lack the smoothness and refinement of VW's unit, but perhaps it will improve with time."

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2009 DODGE CHARGER SRT-8

The Dodge Charger is a vehicle of many faces, most of them made up by engine choice. For the economy-minded, there’s the base Charger with a 2.7-liter V6. You can upgrade to a 3.5-liter V6 delivering 250 hp. Then there’s the 5.7-liter V8 that offers 370 hp. And for the power  hungry, there’s the SRT8 version with a 6.1-liter HEMI V8 that delivers a whopping 425 hp.

In my mind, the Charger is the best vehicle for Chrysler’s SRT8 treatment. It has a nice sedan body on a long wheelbase. It looks like it’s going fast even when it’s sitting still. Put the right engine in it and it ev en sounds fast while sitting still.

Let’s talk about the engine. The 6.1-liter V8 delivers 425 horsepower through a 5-speed automatic transmission. This is a smooth gearbox that we’ve seen in other Chrysler product cars. You have the option of shifting manually by tapping the gearshift lever to the right or left, but this is such a great automatic that there’s really very little need for the manual.

Acceleration is awesome – and awful. It took me a while to learn how to feather the pedal so I didn’t look like a crazy teenager behind the wheel. Granted, there are times when you want all that power immediately, but for normal driving it can sometimes be too much. I could learn to live with too much though.

One of the problems we had with the Charger was that the weather didn’t cooperate. We had residual snow and ice on many of the side roads we traveled, which made the rear-wheel drive charger complain a bit. Fortunately, the authorities cleared the roads quickly and we could have more fun with the car.

I also felt the engine delivered as much noised as power, especially in hard acceleration. In normal driving, though, engine noise was more acceptable.

The seats are from the SRT8 parts bin and offer excellent side support. Since the SRT8 also includes a stiffened suspension for better cornering, the side support is necessary. It also proves to be a useful comfort addition for more sedate driving. The seats are heated, which proved to be a blessing in some serious cold weather.

As I mentioned earlier, the Charger is built on a 120.0-inch wheelbase and is 200 inches long.  These are numbers from the glory days of Charger (which may be coming back). In addition, there’s a huge 16.2 cubic foot trunk in the rear that is a practical siz e for carrying all sorts of objects. We used it for some pre-Christmas gift deliveries and, combined with the rear seat we had lots of room.

The long wheelbase also provides for excellent rear seat leg- and kneeroom. At no time did I feel cramped sitting back there.

Among the options on the Charger were the SRT8 Option Group II package that goes for $1,195. This includes additions to the sound system, a high performance instrument cluster and a security alarm. The SRT Option Group III adds uconnect gps multimedia navigation system, Sirius radio, a uconnect phone, iPod interface and auto-dimming rear view mirror. Supplemental side curtain air bags add an additional $590, while the 20-inch wheels go for $250 and the rear seat video entertainment system adds another $1,450.

A lot of these options might not be necessary for the true muscle car addict, although it would be hard to drive around in a Charger SRT8 without the audio system blasting away.

During our test week we passed a couple of local Dodge Charger police cars, and while it was tempting to rev the engine to make the men in blue jealous, we did notice the SRT8 attracted attention. Since I was behaving, I assume the attention was more of the “hey police car, look at big brother passing by” type.

The Bottom Line: If ever a vehicle was made for Chrysler Corporation’s SRT8 transformation it’s the Dodge Charger. Here is a sedan that’s pretty prosaic in normal trim that’s changed into a roaring monster that sounds as if it can tear up any highway. What a blast!

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DODGE INTREPID

The Dodge Intrepid offers abundant power and decent fuel efficiency. It handles rough roads very well and delivers a comfortable ride. Handing is sharp and precise. There's plenty of room for five passengers.
In 1998, the Intrepid underwent massive design changes. These included an especially striking front end, and a substantially revised chassis. Dodge now offers the Intrepid in SE, ES and SXT trim levels. The SXT is a more powerful version of the ES. It is loaded with equipment and aggressively priced. (The R/T model has been discontinued.) All Intrepid models come standard with a four-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission. SE, priced at $21,155, is powered by a 200hp, 2.7-liter V6 with dual overhead camshafts. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, four-wheel-disc brakes, power windows and door locks, and tilt steering. ES ($24,475) and SXT ($24,005) are powered by a 3.5-liter V6.
Both engines are smooth and quiet, and road noise is less noticeable than in earlier Intrepids. As for economy, the ES average 20.7 mpg. There are low levels of body shake, reduced noise, vibration and harshness, and improved handling and stability.
The Intrepid is a spacious and comfortable car. The standard bucket seats provide good support. Reversed, black-on-white gauges add to the sporty atmosphere. Dodge now offers an in-dash, six-disc CD changer. At 18 cubic feet, the trunk is pretty huge. The hinges fold cleanly out of the way instead of crushing cargo when the trunk is stuffed.
              The Intrepid offers good value for money. Its stiff body structure means that it is a reliable car.

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2011 DODGE DURANGO

Model: 2011 Dodge Durango Crew AWD

 Engine: 5.7-liter Hemi V8

 Horsepower/Torque: 360 hp @ 5,150 rpm/390 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm Transmission: 5-speed automatic

Wheelbase: 119.8 in.

 Length x Width x Height: 199.8 x 75.8 x70.9 in.

 Tires: P265/60R18

 Cargo volume: 17.2/47.7/84.5 cubic feet (behind 3^rd row, behind 2^nd row, behind front row)

Fuel economy: 13 mpg city/20 mpg highway/14.0 mpg test

Fuel capacity: 24.6 gal.

Curb weight: 5,176 lbs.

Sticker: $42,570 (includes $850 destination charge, $6,525 in options)

 5 Reasons to buy this car 1. Good size 2. Power 3. Good cargo 4. Good people carrier 5. Capability as a SUV

 The Bottom Line: Dodge waited a year to introduce the Durango, and it was worth the wait.

 The Durango has the familiarity of a crossover with the capability of a SUV. It has some peculiarities, but its good road manners more than make up for its minor deficiencies.  It took a year for Dodge to fully test the new Durango before they brought it to the market. So, liked the mythical 1967 Corvette that never existed, there’s no 2010 Durango.

The wait was definitely worth it.    

       Durango is available in a number of configurations; our tester was the Crew AWD with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8. I’m not sure about the Crew designation, but the rest is self-explanatory. The V8 delivers a healthy 360 horsepower through a 5-speed automatic transmission. Even though the Durango is on the heavy side at 5,176 pounds, there is enough power to feel you’re driving a sedan, rather than a SUV.       

    Even with the power, there’s not a lot of noise from the engine, even on acceleration. We enjoyed the remote start feature, even though our test period was in the spring. We used it one time to find the car in a crowded parking lot at night and arrived to find a vehicle that was already starting to warm up.           In addition, the Durango is comfortable and has nice road manners, something that can’t be said about many other SUVs.           We parked alongside an earlier generation Durango one day and had the opportunity to compare the two. The 2011 seemed smaller and more aerodynamic, but the family resemblance was still there. It’s more like a very capable crossover than a true SUV, even though there’s no way you could not consider this a SUV.    

       Even though it appears smaller, the Durango is loaded with cargo carrying capability. Behind the third row seats is 17.2 cubic feet of cargo space; there’s 47.7 cubic feet behind the second row with the third row seats folded; and if you really need to haul stuff, there are 84.5 cubic feet behind the front seats.

 Sadly, we bought a new grille and had to tote it home from The Home Depot the day the Durango went back, so we didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy all this space.      

     Access to that cargo area is more convenient with a power tailgate, which can be powered with either the key fob or a button near the dash. Among the features we enjoyed were the rear view camera that made parking easier.

 Besides the camera, there is Park Assist that beeps when you’re getting too close to something behind OR IN FRONT of you. Blind spot monitoring is also available.

 While the Durango doesn’t appear or feel rugged, it is. The comfort level is high for a SUV, and the road manners are exceptional. Dodge obviously did its homework with this one and they can be happy the dog didn’t eat it.

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DODGE MIRADA

The Dodge Mirada was released in 1980 as the replacement for the Dodge Magnum until its end in 1983. It was a mid-sized, rear-wheel drive coupe, and was one of the three cars based on the Chrysler J platform.

The 1980 Dodge Mirada was a two door hatchback. It came with 3.7 liter, 5.2 liter V8, and 5.9 liter V8 engines. The 3.7 L engine was the standard engine in the base Mirada; the 5.2 L V8 was offered as optional, and the 5.9 L V8 was offered only as the standard engine in the Mirada CMX. The 3.7 liter was capable of producing 90 hp @ 3600 rpm, and 160 lb-ft of torque at 1600 rpm. The suspension of the Mirada utilized transverse torsion bars in the front with an anti-sway bar and leaf springs in the rear. Transmission was three-speed automatic.

The interior of the Mirada was offered in a variety of styles and colors, although the most common color interior was dark red. The base model dashboard was black. The seat options were either vinyl bucket seats, leather bucket seats, or a 60/40 split cloth bench seat.

The Mirada was predicted to sell quite well and do well in its class against vehicles such as the Buick Regal, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and the Mercury Cougar, but it didn't fare well at all. With big rivals such as GM and Ford, the Mirada just didn't seem to get the consumers’ attention, and as a result it was produced for just three years.

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DODGE NITRO

The Dodge Nitro is one of those cars, and there are increasingly few these days, that’s so bad it leaves you momentarily bereft of speech. If the engineering was as derivative as the styling something on it might have been good. But no.

• Comfort

  The Nitro's spongy dynamics ought to provide a comfortable ride, but you're too busy hanging on for dear life to notice. And the transmission tunnel intrudes so badly into the footwell of right-hand drive cars that you effectively have to ride it side-saddle.

• Performance

  The 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine is a weed of a thing, neutered all the more by its standard, and artless, four-speed gearbox. The 2.8 diesel is a better all-round drive, but that's like saying you're better off getting poked in the eye than kicked in the nadgers.

• Cool

  There is no car less cool than the Dodge Nitro. Devoid of a single redeeming feature and yet styled with the sort of shouty arrogance only an American could achieve, this truly is the nadir of 21st Century motoring.

• Quality

  If it doesn't fall apart you'll probably tear it apart out of sheer frustration. Dated design, cheap grey plastics, terrible ergonomics. Does the American public not deserve better? Well, no, but even so...

• Handling

  This is a thoroughbred stinker on the road, the sort of car that makes you laugh hysterically, though whether through fear or contempt you can never be quite sure. Floaty, rolling, indirect, hopeless.

• Practicality

  The Nitro is reasonably spacious inside, but that terrible incursion into the driver's footwell, presumably an unavoidable mishap during the conversion to right-hand drive, renders the whole package null and void. If the driver isn't happy it's a non-starter.

• Running costs

  Even the diesel engine could do better on fuel economy and the V6 petrol is woeful. CO2 emissions are high as well, so it'll be expensive to tax as well as fill up.

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DODGE JOURNEY

Large, manly MPV with plenty of space for the contents of any child’s toy box. Styling will be a personal issue – women may shy away from the Journey’s overt manliness

• Comfort

  Loads of room all round. And there’s storage to match. Like we already said, ride can get a touch floppy, but that goes with the territory somewhat.

• Performance

  Two-litre diesel unit is borrowed from the VW group, so expect decent torque, but also expect to have to rev it to get the best the engine can offer. The 2.4 petrol is really only for complete oil-burner-phobes.

• Cool

  Few MPVs can claim to be truly cool, and the Journey isn’t one of them. It does the job, but more than that… well, it doesn’t shout “cool” to us.

• Quality

  Probably the kindest thing we can say about the Journey is that quality is getting there. Interior plastics are a lot better than they have been, but it has yet to reach its full potential. Panel fit is good, though, and reliability is likely to be high too.

• Handling

  Any car of this type will be wallowy, and the Journey is not the one to prove the exception to the rule. However, it’s more than reasonable through corners and won’t surprise or upset in its reactions.

• Practicality

  The Journey has all the attributes of an MPV, so spaciousness and practicality are givens. The usability of the storage areas is what impresses here. Not only is there stacks of room to fill with kiddie paraphernalia, it’s in sensible, easy-to-access places.

• Running costs

  Servicing from a Dodge dealer will not set you back a fortune, and economy on the diesel is superb – 40-odd mpg – so once you’ve swallowed the initial asking price, it should all be downhill.

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DODGE AVENGER

Despite actually looking quite interesting in a retro sort of a way, the Dodge Avenger is one of the more dreadful cars you could even have the unhappy accident of buying. Run a mile. Then take a bus somewhere. And run another mile for good measure.

• Comfort

  You'd have thought an American car would be the height of soggy, indulgent comfort. Not so the Avenger, which is rough over broken surfaces and all over the place when the going gets uneven.

• Performance

  Rough engines, be they diesel or petrol, providing lacklustre performance. But bear in mind if the Avenger was any quicker it'd probably be absolutely terrifying.

• Cool

  No. America is way overdue a cool car. But this isn't it.

• Quality

  Not on your life. America's quality standards in its befuddled auto industry are on an approximate par with India's. The Avenger feels like a badly built Airfix kit, and you don't get to paint it yourself.

• Handling

  Handling isn't a total disaster, in so much as there is some, but the ride is bouncy and unstable enough to dissolve any trace of confidence in the Avenger at speed.

• Practicality

  One thing you can say for the Avenger is it's big. After all, Americans have to fit in it. Masses of space front and rear, and a huge boot for burgers and steak and guns.

• Running costs

  Fuel returns aren't so bad from the Avenger's VW-sourced powerplants and insurance is low because who, in their right mind, is going to steal this? But buy one new and it'll probably be worth next to nothing that afternoon.

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DODGE CALIBER

The Dodge Caliber offers the (pig ugly) looks of an SUV in the form of a poorly packaged hatchback. What’s not to like? Bearing in mind this is America’s attempt at the VW Golf, full marks must be awarded for sheer optimism.

• Comfort

  Soaks up the bumps, you have to give it that, but at the expense of any composure in quicker corners it's a bridge too far.

• Performance

  The 2.0-litre diesel is relatively lively, managing to find 60mph in a respectable 8.8 seconds. It's another VW unit though, so we can't give Dodge any credit for that.

• Cool

  There aren't really words to describe how far removed from cool the Caliber is. Anyone who buys one deserves public ridicule. And will surely get it.

• Quality

  Not as bad as any number of its shabbily assembled countrymen, primarily because Dodge has gone for ‘chunky' switchgear that is inherently hard to break. You'll manage eventually though.

• Handling

  In a market bursting at the seams with agile, sprightly offerings like the Focus and Golf, the Caliber is nothing short of laughable. Wallowing US-spec suspension and unsophisticated front-wheel drive make for a disastrous combination.

• Practicality

  There's a big boot here, but there ought to be; the Caliber is quite a bit larger than your average hatch, and for all that it doesn't feel particularly large inside.

• Running costs

  It's reasonably economical, CO2 figures aren't disgraceful so in theory running costs should be OK. But then it'll also shed money like a snake on a permanent moult cycle, so overall running costs will be dreadful.

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