Dodge Dart, First Drive

[68_427]

Should have been like the Mazda 6 5-door.

[2o6]

Should have been like the Mazda 6 5-door.

That's ugly and useless.

[Eye of the Tiger]

If this still had an Alpha badge on it, all you guys would be jizzing in your pants.

[SVT666]

Alpha?

[SVT666]

Anyone watch the video from the link in the OP?  It sounds great.

[ifcar]

That's ugly and useless.

More useful than a sedan and no less attractive.

[AutobahnSHO]

More useful more of the time + secure cargo area = Sedan

We went through this in the other thread.
-most cars you can open the trunk from inside the passenger area with a button. So busting in to wagon/hatch OR SEDAN is just a window-break away.
-cargo covers hide the valuables anyway, just as a trunk would do.
-crazy bigger utility means hatch/wagon WINS.
-ONLY advantage sedan has is less cabin space to heat/air condition. takes a looooong while for my car to cool off in mid-summer.

[J86]

You forgot about the biggest advantage of a wagon (for me).  The extended roofline means you can actually cartop a boat without worrying about the inherent instability of having the racks three feet apart from each other... my mazda looks RIDICULOUS with my boat on the roof.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Alpha?

Alpha Romano

[93JC]

Alpha Romero

[Eye of the Tiger]

Alpha Romero

Dodge Dart?

[93JC]

Plymouth Volare!

[Raza]

We went through this in the other thread.
-most cars you can open the trunk from inside the passenger area with a button. So busting in to wagon/hatch OR SEDAN is just a window-break away.

But you'd have to do it on a hunch...

-cargo covers hide the valuables anyway, just as a trunk would do.

Since most people don't use their cargo covers, even though they're there. 

-crazy bigger utility means hatch/wagon WINS.

Yes, they are more useful on rare occasions that you have to carry large objects.  But if you want to carry a lot of cargo and passengers, most of the time, a sedan is more useful, unless you want to give up the rear visibility. 

-ONLY advantage sedan has is less cabin space to heat/air condition. takes a looooong while for my car to cool off in mid-summer.

Clearly not the only advantage, as I've stated others above.


Look, I like wagons and hatches.  I'm just stating why most people prefer sedans, before even getting into the Family Vacation stereotypical frumpiness. 

[2o6]

Yucky.


If you don't get the touch screen, you are stuck with this.





That's just nasty.

[TurboDan]

Yucky.


If you don't get the touch screen, you are stuck with this.





That's just nasty.

Yucky indeed. That looks like something out of a mid-90s econobox. The lack of the elegant touch screen ruins this interior. And on another note, why an old fashioned key? Couldn't they have given it the keyless ignition from the Charger? Just comes off as cheap to me.

[S204STi]

Yikes at the interior, overall.  Reminds me of late-90s/early-00s GM.

[Rupert]

Yeah, I see a bit of Blazer in there, too.

[2o6]

Yikes at the interior, overall.  Reminds me of late-90s/early-00s GM.

Yeah, it reminds me of this:

[TurboDan]

Yeah, I see a bit of Blazer in there, too.

Ha, my uncle had an S10. I definitely am getting some 1997-ish Chevy images. Of course, as a kid I thought the S10 was a really cool truck, coming from an all-car family.

[TurboDan]

The Giuletta's interior looks relatively crappy too, though....

[2o6]

OK, is everyone seeing the same car? People keep praising the interior and exterior design, but neither look particularly good.


AB doesn't have good shots of the dashboard.




It doesn't look much better with the nav screen, and the grey color looks horrible.

The Giuletta's interior looks relative crappy too, though....

I think the Giulietta looks nice, but lest we not forget it's fighting at the top of the class.

[S204STi]

The Guilietta at least is fairly "stylish" and interesting.

[2o6]

Reminds me of my old Neon.

[Rupert]

Ha, my uncle had an S10. I definitely am getting some 1997-ish Chevy images. Of course, as a kid I thought the S10 was a really cool truck, coming from an all-car family.

My folks still have an S10. Reliable, powerful, made of cheap cheap cheap hollow plastic on the inside.

[280Z Turbo]

Yucky indeed. That looks like something out of a mid-90s econobox. The lack of the elegant touch screen ruins this interior. And on another note, why an old fashioned key? Couldn't they have given it the keyless ignition from the Charger? Just comes off as cheap to me.

Keys are for poor people now? Damn, I am out of the loop.

[TurboDan]

Keys are for poor people now? Damn, I am out of the loop.

I wouldn't go that far, but if they already have a mass-produced keyless system (which they do for the Charger), why not use it in a car that's supposed to appeal to young people who love technology? It's the lack of little things like this that change people's opinions as to whether a car is something special/different or just another member of the pack of American cars all fighting to be the cheapest in the car ads.

[2o6]

I wouldn't go that far, but if they already have a mass-produced keyless system (which they do for the Charger), why not use it in a car that's supposed to appeal to young people who love technology? It's the lack of little things like this that change people's opinions as to whether a car is something special/different or just another member of the pack of American cars all fighting to be the cheapest in the car ads.

It's probably an option, I think.

[TurboDan]

It's probably an option, I think.

It shouldn't be, though. This brand needs all the help it can get. Give people something more for their money and the sales will follow.

[2o6]

It shouldn't be, though. This brand needs all the help it can get. Give people something more for their money and the sales will follow.

To be fair, Dodge tried gimmicks with the old Caliber and Avenger like the "Tailgate speakers" or the "Chillzone" and the product sucked.



I don't think this car needs that.

[Soup DeVille]

Keys are for poor people now? Damn, I am out of the loop.

Of all the changes to cars in the last 10 years, its actually the demise of the standard key that I'm having the most trouble getting used to.