Dodge Dart

Wild and crazy car colors at the 2014 LA Auto Show

Most car buyers play it safe when it comes to car colors. White is the most popular exterior color, followed by black, silver and gray. Boring, right? But many manufacturers, seeking to appeal to young buyers, also offer limited edition to full-fledged models with wild color patterns: Plasma Purple to Tangerine Scream and Bronze Fire to Sun Fusion. The new wild and wacky cars colors have been inspired for several reasons, according to several manufacturers’ brand representatives at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. “The new colors appeal to younger buyers and those young at heart,” extolled a young man whose company is about to introduce a limited edition two-tone Scion Tc dominated by the color Magma. A young woman

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Joan Rivers, comic, Dodge spokeswoman, dead at 81

Throughout her long and often raunchy career, Joan Rivers maintained the ability to laugh at herself. She even did so as a spokesperson for what seemed out of character — promoting Dodge. Rivers, who died Sept. 4 at the age of 81, didn’t know anything but full-speed ahead. She ripped celebrities. She told dirty jokes. She had more plastic surgery than Tammy Faye Baker. And in this 30-second commercial for Chrysler, she compares the car’s leather to the leather on her face. Rivers could be polarizing. Her humor was funny, biting, and often cruel. Johnny Carson helped make Rivers famous, with the late night legend booking Rivers on the The Tonight Show often. But comedy duo never spoke in the

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Eight diverse 2014 cars for less than $20,000

Consumer Reports has lots of car lists. A recent addition is the best new cars to buy with prices less than $20,000. The eight-vehicle list is varied . . . from an SUV to several sedans, and there are a few surprises. All cars on the list have manual transmissions. An automatic transmission in any of the vehicles would come with a high price. Here’s the list of eight 2014 cars all available for less than $20,000: Vehicle/MSRP/National Market Avg./Potential % Savings/Potential $ Savings Ford Mustang Coupe V6, $23,335, $19,635, 15.9%, $3,700 Jeep Compass Sport 4×2, $19,690, $16,949, 13.9%, $2,741 Fiat 500 Pop, $16,995 $14,990, 11.8%, $2,005 Hyundai Sonata GLS, $22,260, $19,712, 11.4%, $2,548 Dodge Dart GT, $21,990, $16,626, 10.8%,

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2013 Dodge Dart Review: Romantic practicality

Is it a Dodge or is it an Alfa Romeo? Actually, it’s a little of both, although both automakers used to be worlds apart. After a long wait, Dodge has come up with a decent compact car, this time with the help of Italy’s Fiat-controlled Alfa Romeo. The new Dodge is the 2013 Dart model, which looks good, runs strong and is affordable. The front-wheel-drive Dart replaces the regrettable Dodge Caliber model and reminds us of just how international the auto world has become. For example, the Dart rolls on a lengthened and widened version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform and is given various modifications to make it suitable for U.S. driving. Key Takeaways $15,995 to $19,995 list prices,

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2013 Ford C-Max among Green Car of the Year finalists at LA Auto Show

The just released 2013 Ford C-MAX hybrid plug-in Energi  and its sibling hybrid as well as the Ford Fusion, Dodge Dart Aero, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Prius are finalists for Green Car of the Year honors, a highlight of the pending Los Angeles Auto Show. The eighth annual award, which is presented to the car that best exemplifies leadership in environmental concerns, is the brainchild of the Green Car Journal. It will be announced Nov. 29, the second press day of the the show. In addition to the publication’s editorial staff, the panel selecting the winning vehicle includes the director of the Sierra Club, Jacques Cousteau’s eldest son, and noted auto enthusiast and collector Jay Leno. The Honda Civic Natural

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Ford, Mazda, Dodge, Toyota named Green Car of the Year finalists

The Dodge Dart Aero, Ford C-Max and Fusion, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Prius C are finalists for the Green Car of the Year, the yearly honor selected by editors and guest judges of the Green Car Journal and announced at the L.A. Auto Show. The finalists list runs the gamut of fuel-efficient powertrains: hybrids and plug-ins to high-mileage gas burners. The two Fords, for example, make the list in part because they come in both hybrids and plug-in hybrid flavors. Past Green Car of the Year winners include the Honda Civic Natural Gas (2012), Chevrolet Volt (2011), Audi A3 TDI (2010), Volkswagen Jetta TDI (2009) and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (2008). The 2013 winner will be announced Nov. 29 at the

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2013 Dodge Dart Review: Fiat, Chrysler collaborate for rekindled iconic sedan

By Bruce Aldrich The 2013 Dodge Dart is interesting because it uses parts and a platform from Fiat, but the design is pure Chrysler. Fiat acquired a five percent stake in 2009 and this allowed the Italian manufacturer to share its technology with Chrysler. Dodge was given approval to build a compact car on the Alfa-Romeo Giulietta platform. This platform was lengthened and widened for the Dart, to suit American buyers. The car and motors are assembled in Belvidere, Ill. The name Dart was selected late in the development phase. The product marketing people said the name was familiar, comfortable and positive for the older crowd. For younger people who never knew the original Dart, the name gave them thoughts

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Dodge Dart, 2013: Pricing announced for return of iconic sedan

The 2013 Dodge Dart, which will be available in five trims when it debuts in the summer of 2012, will be priced from $15,995 to $22,495, according to Chrysler. The entry level price for the Dodge is lower than some of its main competition in the compact market, which accounts for about 15 percent of new car sales. “The all-new Dodge Dart is a groundbreaking car, offering features and benefits never before found in a compact car,” said Reid Bigland, Dodge President and CEO. With class-leading style, customization, safety, technology, and interior levels of roominess, the all-new Dart perfectly blends Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge passion and style into one all-new car that customers will be proud to own and

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Dodge Dart 2013 will offer automotive first, wireless charging

The 2013 Dodge Dart will not only mark the return of an iconic car in the summer of 2012, it will mark at automotive first — wireless charging for electronic devices. Called a power bin and measuring 8.27" by 9.5" by 3.25", the charger, made by Chrysler Croup's Mopar division, is installed just below the center stack and in front of the center console. The bin has a built-in charging grid activated when customers place in their battery-powered device. The unit begins to charge when the vehicle is started. A phone case, specifically designed for a variety of smartphones, is required and included with the feature. Mopar in-vehicle wireless charging is available for $199.99, plus installation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPzJCr9N3RI  

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Dodge Dart, 2013: Looking back into the future for iconic compact

Introduced in 1960 as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase alternative full size car in 1960, the Dodge Dart morphed into a mid-size car in 1962 and then a compact in 1963. Production continued through 1976. Nearly four decades later, the Dart name will return in 2012 as a 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan based on a stretched and widened version of the platform used in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. It debuted at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2013 Dodge Dart replaces the Caliber as Dodge’s entry-level vehicle. Engine options, all four-cylinder, will be a turbocharged 1.4-liter turbocharged unit also available in the Fiat 500, and non-turbo 2.0- and 2.4-liter engines. Six-speed manual, auto or dual-clutch transmission

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