Dodge Dart missed oppurtunity

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I guess this isn't too surprising. Reputations matter and the Dart is a marriage of Fiat engineering and Chrysler production quality, both of which are damaged in the US.

The Dart could be a fine automobile and brand perceptions may be out-of-date but consumers pretty much evicted Fiat from the US marketplace decades ago and Chrysler has ranked at or near the bottom of reliability ratings for generations. With so many other good choices, why take a perceived chance with a Dart?

Consumer Reports hasn't exactly endorsed the Focus either, but it continues to sell 20-25,000 units/month in the US.
 
Originally Posted By: Danh
I guess this isn't too surprising. Reputations matter and the Dart is a marriage of Fiat engineering and Chrysler production quality, both of which are damaged in the US.

The Dart could be a fine automobile and brand perceptions may be out-of-date but consumers pretty much evicted Fiat from the US marketplace decades ago...

exactly. DECADES ago. the drivers this car is targeted at weren't even BORN yet the last time Fiat was here.
I think the problem is more of a very competitive price point. too many options for people in that price range.
 
This car is a great car.

Problem is the price is too high, and I think mistakenly Chrysler didn't name the car properly or make more of an issue of the Italian heritage. Fact is that Fiat while not perfect DOES make a very good small car. If I were Marchione I would have badged this model as a FIAT....NOT a Dodge.
 
I've seen literally just one Dart.

Not sure about the Focus comment, they are everywhere. It was the #6 selling car in the US in 2012 and the #11 selling vehicle in the US for 2012. Sales were up 40% from 2011.
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
If I were Marchione I would have badged this model as a FIAT....NOT a Dodge.

Or Alfa Romeo.
smile.gif
 
In my opinion, Chrysler needs to put a 270 Cubic Inch or 318 Cubic Inch Hemi V-8 in an enlarged Dart. I would buy a Dodge Dart if it had a V-8 motor in it.

My mother had a 1964 Dodge Dart with a V-8 motor, that she bought because of some stupid idiot at a credit union that convinced her that the Ford Mustang was not "worth buying." I was 10 yrs old at the time, and I told my mother NOT to listen to the idiot. I told her that the Ford Mustang would be a wonderful "Classic Car" someday and I was correct; my mother,in retrospect, finally admitted to me that she should have bought the Ford Mustang!

I do not see as many Dart Clubs (zero in my area) from that era in comparison to the Mustang Clubs.

Oh well, I am saving my pennies for a Ford Shelby Mustang V-8 that I will buy someday.
 
Perhaps Dodge pressed their retro-luck once too often. They were on the money with the Charger and especially the Challenger, but Dart missed the target.
 
They seem very expensive for what they are. Plus their resale value will probably be poor. If you don't mind driving an appliance a Civic or Corolla will be your best value. The Focus would be a good choice also. Not so sure about Eco-Tech technology in the long run.
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
This car is a great car.

Problem is the price is too high, and I think mistakenly Chrysler didn't name the car properly or make more of an issue of the Italian heritage. Fact is that Fiat while not perfect DOES make a very good small car. If I were Marchione I would have badged this model as a FIAT....NOT a Dodge.


+1 and +2 right here.
 
I'm waiting for the AWD turbo R/T before I even look at one. That said, I've probably seen a few dozen on the road... not too shabby IMO. Its not a generic Civic, after all... its going to be a little more scarce than grains of sand.
 
Originally Posted By: E365
I've seen literally just one Dart.

Not sure about the Focus comment, they are everywhere. It was the #6 selling car in the US in 2012 and the #11 selling vehicle in the US for 2012. Sales were up 40% from 2011.


I meant Fiesta oops.
 
It is a great car, the price is a little high and it's a new segment for the company. They haven't had a compact 4 door sedan since 2005, and I think that hurts them.
 
So to fix the high price, they came out with Dart GT and increased the price by $6000 (almost 50%) Now you know why these guys get the CEO jobs!
 
I'm not seeing too many of them around.

You an get a much more aesthetically pleasing vehicle for much less.

Personally, I think Chrysler * Fiat is a recipe for an exponential disaster.
 
I have seen none sold.They blew the introduction big time with a stupid ad campaign and didnt target the right buyer with the cars retro name,or Alfa body styling.Sergio said on "60 Minutes" that Chrysler could survive ONE launch failure,and he hoped that Dart wasnt IT.There is a lot of blame to go around here,launching with a manual tranny only,only red painted cars,only one trim level.... It seems to be a decent car,but I'm not interested that much.The car looks too much like other cars,and misses the "Dart" name lineage.I would aim more K-car in style,and target audience.That means families everywhere.A "Universal" car as Chrysler called the K,the new Dart isnt universal,its polarizing.And thats killing sales,compared to what it could do.
 
Generally I think the FIAT/Chrysler link has been very positive.FIAT has given Chrysler a lot of freedom that Daimler and Cerberus never let it have.What needs to change is it is fine to use FIAT/Alfa underpinnings...people dont see those...but the bodies must be Americanized.The Giulietta body on the Dart is not right.There were too many corners cut to save money.
 
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