2013 Dodge Dart + Fiat 1.4t MultiAir

[NeilBlanchard]

A Cd of 0.30 is underwhelming, to say the least. But, at least they are trying. I hope that all car manufacturers get into a friendly competition to lower the Cd more and more.

[Neen]

A cd of .3 is fantastic for an "every-day man" car. It still has the functionality of pretty much any other car, allows for decent clearance and suspension travel and complies with fed bumper regulations. The Leaf has cd of .28 and is basically the most advanced mass production energy efficient vehicle.

[NeilBlanchard]

The Yaris, iQ, and the Prius C are 0.29, and the Prius is 0.25. My Scion xA is 0.31.

The Dart Aero (Arrow) needs to be 0.25-0.27 to be called "aero", in my opinion. None of the current high(er) mileage models from GM, Ford, or Chrysler are very bold or very effective at lowering the drag significantly.

[ksa8907]

my intrepid has a .30 Cd and the concorde is .29 Cd. the biggest downside to the dart it's short length.

[NeilBlanchard]

The iQ is 10 feet long.

[Daox]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the weight of the vehicle yet. Its lightest version weighs in at 3,186 lbs and heaviest at 3,348 lbs. The Corolla base model is 2,734 (heaviest is 2,800). The Civic starts at 2,608 lbs. The Prius with all its "heavy batteries" is only 3,042. The Dart is a little longer than these cars, but a couple inches shouldn't mean hundreds of pounds.

I found this particularly hilarious (my emphasis added):

The most portly Dart, weighing 3,348 lbs. (1,519 kg) with the new 2.4L engine and automatic transmission, actually is 21 lbs. (10 kg) heavier than the all-new ’13 Ford Fusion with manual transmission, which resides in WardsAuto’s Lower Middle car segment.

Dodge Dart Comes Big as Small Car | Vehicle Test Drives content from WardsAuto

[Neen]

"And while the iQ's coefficient of drag is a respectable 0.31, its tall profile and lack of length actually conspire to introduce more drag-inducing turbulence in back at higher speeds." - Green Car Reports

Where you getting your specs?

Anyhow cd is only half the equation. Weight is much more important for performance and efficiency. The Dart is a portly car for sure, but Dodge/Chrysler have always been heavier than the GM and Ford counterparts.

[luv2spd]

Dodge/Chrysler sometimes make very pretty cars, and this is one of them. Driving their cars is a bit disappointing, the heavy weight is not so great for this car either. I wouldn't buy one new, they made enough ****ty cars over the years to make me stay away.

[NachtRitter]

Well, it looks Dodge-y...




sorry, couldn't resist...

[ksa8907]

From a safety perspective i prefer heavy cars. No way in hell would i let anybody i care about drive around in a shoebox type vehicle. Smart car and the fiat 500 would be strictly for city use IMO. I do 70% highway so thats my basis for judging.