isn't the new dodge dart basically an alfa romeo?

Actually a good idea because I hate driving a car that has thousands of clones all around me. The only problem is how will this effect re-sale or trade-in value.

I guess it's based on the Alfa Romeo Guilietta. Link

It strikes me as odd that Dodge offers absolutely no models that interest me.

I'll take mine with a 426.

Rapmaster2000: [image.moparmusclemagazine.com image 640x480]

I'll take mine with a 426.

welcome to my favorites

This is much like Miller light focusing their ad campaign around their can/bottle designs. It's what you do when you are trying to sell a product you know is crap.

Next they will start being open on Sundays!

I have the same issue with cars, though I would not buy a Dart. I understand the reason behind 2-3 types of the same car, but all that does is make me want to buy the cheaper one. Who really needs a car the day they decide to buy it? My wife is the only person I can think of, and that's only because she didn't have one before and needed it to get to her new job on the Monday after we bought it. I would rather wait the 2 weeks it would take to build the thing and ship it to me. Built on demand would also allow manufacturers to have less overstock, but would probably make the sheduling harder.

If I recall correctly, this is the 4th time a major manufacturer has offered high levels of customization. Didn't last very log before, but since everything mentioned is cosmetic and not functional, it might work this time.

I guess Subby must be too young to realize that this is a "back to the future" moment. In the 60's and 70's, before widespread mega-dealerships with acres of new cars, virtually all new cars were ordered at the local dealership by applying a #2 pencil point to the appropriate boxes on a printed form, writing a deposit check, and waiting six weeks for the car to physically arrive.

You spent that time dreaming about driving it, bragging to your friends about the new car you had on order, and hoping it would arrive without too many dents and dings and that what arrived matched your order.

/my manicured green lawn...get off it! ;^)

I'm one of those weird people that loves Chrysler's styling lines. Their cars are so ugly they're beautiful.

Sadly, I will probably never buy one due to build quality issues. While Ford and GM have worked tirelessly on improving quality, everyone I know that owns a Chrysler built car (including my dad) has had them basically fall apart after 2 or 3 years, or been plagued by engine troubles.

I should like to take a moment to memorialize my 1983 Plymouth Horizon: Painted in a two-tone treatment, and with an all-vinyl interior. Hatchback, too, of course.

I'd probably still be driving it if it hadn't been broadsided at an intersection ...

So, yeah, I would buy a new Dart.

Rapmaster2000: [image.moparmusclemagazine.com image 640x480]

I'll take mine with a 426.

Love the '68 GTS....thinly disguised drag car...from the factory (though if memory serves, came without a warranty and wasn't technically street legal)!

Bravo good sir, bravo!

Ajanu:
I have the same issue with cars, though I would not buy a Dart. I understand the reason behind 2-3 types of the same car, but all that does is make me want to buy the cheaper one. Who really needs a car the day they decide to buy it?... Built on demand would also allow manufacturers to have less overstock, but would probably make the sheduling harder.

Lots of people buy cars on impulse, which is why a lot of the scummy sales tactics still seem to work. :/

Automakers have generally gone to a "one size fits all" model, with a few option packages and engine choices thrown into the mix (Porsche being a huge exception to this practice) in order to simplify the manufacturing process, thereby reducing costs. I'm actually somewhat surprised they're offering more customization of the vehicles, especially on an entry-level car, but it's a nice change of pace.

StoneColdAtheist: I guess Subby must be too young to realize that this is a "back to the future" moment. In the 60's and 70's, before widespread mega-dealerships with acres of new cars, virtually all new cars were ordered at the local dealership by applying a #2 pencil point to the appropriate boxes on a printed form, writing a deposit check, and waiting six weeks for the car to physically arrive.

You spent that time dreaming about driving it, bragging to your friends about the new car you had on order, and hoping it would arrive without too many dents and dings and that what arrived matched your order.

/my manicured green lawn...get off it! ;^)

Yeah, this is a (welcome) return to the days of "choose your own car".

For the young punk Farkers out there - this is also the origin of all those odd "model names" - Z/28, L/27, WS6, Z06, etc - those were originally the option codes you could check to up-option your order. They didn't become marketing names until AFTER they became so popular as to be immediately recognizable.

StoneColdAtheist: I guess Subby must be too young to realize that this is a "back to the future" moment.

Eh, not really. I just went to build and price a Dart and I picked the top of the line model and if you decide you want leather for some reason that means you also have to get:
•Air Conditioning ATC with Dual Zone Control
•Heated Front Seats
•Heated Steering Wheel
•Universal Garage Door Opener

Want a base SE model? The only options are the color, transmission, and keyless entry.

Back in the 60s you could build truly bizar combinations. Take a base model and stick a big block in it or take a top line model and strip everything out of it. Those days are long since over.

Does it come with a slant 6?

An Alfa car? Really? I know people when I was in high school who had them. They seemed to cost about $1,000/month to keep on the road, and featured fun things like random left hand tighten bolts, where if you guessed poorly you stripped them out.

The FIAT is strong in that one.

ShawnDoc: I'm one of those weird people that loves Chrysler's styling lines. Their cars are so ugly they're beautiful.

Sadly, I will probably never buy one due to build quality issues. While Ford and GM have worked tirelessly on improving quality, everyone I know that owns a Chrysler built car (including my dad) has had them basically fall apart after 2 or 3 years, or been plagued by engine troubles.

I feel basically the same way. I like the tastelessly aggressive styling of a lot of their cars, but the quality of every Chrysler friends and family bought has been terrible, plus they all drive like crap. The 300 is a perfect example. I think it looks cheesily wonderful, but it's like driving around on distended bed springs all the time, it's just awful.... every corner you feel like you're going to fall out the window or slide off the side of the road.

Still, consumer reports has been giving them improving reliability ratings. They still aren't really competitive with most of their competition, but at least there's hope, I guess.

Well this has been an enlightening trip down memory lane. Thanks for sharing, onion-belters. I have a much better sense of why people seem to have such personal feelings for their old cars from that era. To me, a car is a car is a car, but I guess that is because I was born after the customization era ended.

However, I do feel the same way about my "obsolete" computers and probably for the exact same reason some people feel that way about old cars. They were built either by me or for me, according to my particular desires. I keep up with modern equipment (this is a Windows 7 laptop) but I have towers going back to the early '90s which still run perfectly fine. When I fire one up, it is a trip down memory lane.

/glory days, they'll pass you by

Land Ark:

Back in the 60s you could build truly bizar combinations. Take a base model and stick a big block in it or take a top line model and strip everything out of it. Those days are long since over.

This. Which is why cars from Gibb, Yenko, Harrell, Mr. Norm, et al are highly coveted nowadays.

Lost Thought 00: This is much like Miller light focusing their ad campaign around their can/bottle designs. It's what you do when you are trying to sell a product you know is crap.

Technically they do that because of lack of differentiation. The less the utility of your product is distinguishable from the competition the more you have to build some kind of differentiation into it This is typically done with lots and lots of advertising. See light beer, pick-up trucks, and cigarettes (when they could advertise).

ShawnDoc: I'm one of those weird people that loves Chrysler's styling lines. Their cars are so ugly they're beautiful.

Sadly, I will probably never buy one due to build quality issues. While Ford and GM have worked tirelessly on improving quality, everyone I know that owns a Chrysler built car (including my dad) has had them basically fall apart after 2 or 3 years, or been plagued by engine troubles.

My wife drives a 2005 Magnum (we purchased new), and with over 80,000 miles on it, not one issue. I just picked up a 2012 Charger R/T, and its great...so far.

ShawnDoc: I'm one of those weird people that loves Chrysler's styling lines. Their cars are so ugly they're beautiful.

Sadly, I will probably never buy one due to build quality issues. While Ford and GM have worked tirelessly on improving quality, everyone I know that owns a Chrysler built car (including my dad) has had them basically fall apart after 2 or 3 years, or been plagued by engine troubles.

I have a 2002 Dodge Durrango that has over 115,000 miles on it, including a couple of trips up the Haul Road here in Alaska (the Dalton Highway, where the original Ice Road Truckers show was filmed) from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. It still runs great, no problems at all.

/my 2 cents

"In my journey to the end of night, I must rely not only on dialectical paths of reason. I must have a good solid automobile, one that eschews the futile trappings of worldly ennui and asks only for basic maintenance. My Dodge Dartre offers me this elemental solace, and as interior parts fall off I am struck by the realization of their pointlessness. I might not know if the window is up or down. It is of no consequence"

Land Ark: StoneColdAtheist: I guess Subby must be too young to realize that this is a "back to the future" moment.

Eh, not really.

Granted, but my point wasn't that the Dart ordering options are a faithful resurrection of the old standard, but that fully customized ordering is nothing new.

But you already knew that... ;)

does it have a slant 6

I am planning to buy a new car soon. I checked out the Dart, but it doesn't offer a six cylinder engine, so I will pass on it.

This is how all cars were sold, before the 'packages' of options forced us to take options we didn't want along with those we did. What's next, à la carte cable subscriptions?

It doesn't suck, that much seems to be apparent.

I'd say it looks good. The numbers look decent.

It just has to compete against the ....

Chevrolet Cruze
Toyota Corolla
Honda Civic
Mazda 3
VW Jetta
Ford Focus
Scion TC
Nissan Sentra

To which I say good luck, for you will most certainly need it.

hah! because Chrysler is junk! teh fun

Farkengruven: What's next, à la carte cable subscriptions?

If they did, I might even come back to TV. As it is I have the web, Netflix and Amazon. Fark the cable company.

Nothing will fix Dodge's reliability woes like building off an Alfa Romeo.

soaboutthat: Nothing will fix Dodge's reliability woes like building off an Alfa Romeo.

What are you talking about? Italian cars are bulletproof! (Fix It Again Tony)

TheGreatGazoo: Does it come with a slant 6?

An Alfa car? Really? I know people when I was in high school who had them. They seemed to cost about $1,000/month to keep on the road, and featured fun things like random left hand tighten bolts, where if you guessed poorly you stripped them out.

Alfa called them "vehicle specific" not random.

/who am I kidding, they're Italian car makers, they called it "that's good enough"

Ah, yes. Just what I've always wanted! A $28,000 custom subcompact Dodge.

/has sights set low

Great so in 30 years I can hear someone like my buddy John who has told me multiple times that his 78 Cordoba is special and rare because it is the only one with an 8 track, orange shag seats, and painted molted red.

I am waiting for the return of the feather Duster. Slant six, with three on the tree. Drove one of those into the ground.

I ordered my 05 silvers do from the factory with some weird Options. 5.3L ext cab long bed, work truck. Rubber floor, premium seats, power locks ,windows ,mirrors. Tint. 3.73 Detroit locker. Trailer package, 17" alloys. Also got the z71 package.

Took 7 weeks to build,

ShawnDoc: everyone I know that owns a Chrysler built car (including my dad) has had them basically fall apart after 2 or 3 years, or been plagued by engine troubles.

My 12 year old Grand Caravan laughs at your oft repeated lie. So does my 8 year old Ram truck and 16 year old Plymouth Breeze. Everyone you know must be idiots if they can't keep a car, ANY car, running for 2 or 3 years.

seatown75: Ah, yes. Just what I've always wanted! A $28,000 custom subcompact Dodge.

/has sights set low

The Dodge Dart is a Compact and the base model is $15,995.

Vegan Meat Popsicle: I think it looks cheesily wonderful, but it's like driving around on distended bed springs all the time, it's just awful.... every corner you feel like you're going to fall out the window or slide off the side of the road.

Look at this picture, see how it proves you are a liar.

I'd rather have the old Dart. Farking indestructible. My parents had a '64, traded it in in '69, then some local redneck bought it up and was still tooling around town in it in 1985.

/lawn. off. now

Kurmudgeon: Vegan Meat Popsicle: I think it looks cheesily wonderful, but it's like driving around on distended bed springs all the time, it's just awful.... every corner you feel like you're going to fall out the window or slide off the side of the road.

Look at this picture, see how it proves you are a liar.
[jesda.com image 640x400]

All of the post-Daimler Chrysler stuff is much, much better than the trash they were putting out during Chrysler's "dark decade". The new 300 is seriously one of the best cars you can buy for the money. The 1st gen one? Not so much.

Chrysler's reputation was tainted by the stuff that was made during the Dark Daimler Decade™. Give the public a little bit of time with the new stuff, they'll see the light soon enough.

the dart has nothing on Mini when it comes to this; Mini claims over 10 million combos are available for its cars. subaru used to be pretty good about this.

its nice to see companies allow for this, its very annoying to have to select a $2000 option package or upgrade trim levels if you just want a moonroof.

Hyundai and Kia are very guilty of this lately ($2000 option package on a Rio? $5000 package on a Sonata?!) VW/Audi as well.

Over 100000 combinations sounds much sexier than "17 yes/no options."

So good job, marketing.

ShawnDoc: I'm one of those weird people that loves Chrysler's styling lines. Their cars are so ugly they're beautiful.

Sadly, I will probably never buy one due to build quality issues. While Ford and GM have worked tirelessly on improving quality, everyone I know that owns a Chrysler built car (including my dad) has had them basically fall apart after 2 or 3 years, or been plagued by engine troubles.

2006 Charger owner. Love that car. Absolutely hate the new charger body style. Going on 110,000 miles without anything major going bad.

Chagrin: seatown75: Ah, yes. Just what I've always wanted! A $28,000 custom subcompact Dodge.

/has sights set low

The Dodge Dart is a Compact and the base model is $15,995.

I don't want a base model, I want it FULLY CUSTOMIZED, which is is $28K. It'll be a subcompact when I get all the goodies in there. 4" thick shag carpet cuts into interior volume.

Kurmudgeon: Look at this picture, see how it proves you are a liar.

Considering I formed my opinion after having actually driven one, and disliking it for its sloppy driving, what is your random picture supposed to tell me?

Vegan Meat Popsicle: Kurmudgeon: Look at this picture, see how it proves you are a liar.

Considering I formed my opinion after having actually driven one, and disliking it for its sloppy driving, what is your random picture supposed to tell me?

Oh, never mind. I get it. That's the $40k+ version of the car.

If I were spending that kind of money anyway, why wouldn't I just buy a Mercedes Benz?

Vegan Meat Popsicle:
Oh, never mind. I get it. That's the $40k+ version of the car.

If I were spending that kind of money anyway, why wouldn't I just buy a Mercedes Benz?

Because a comparable base E-Class starts at 25% more money?

/Wouldn't buy a $40K+ Chrysler

IamSoSmart_S_M_R_T: Because a comparable base E-Class starts at 25% more money?

I guess, but at that price I think I'd rather have a decked out SHO or a Charger SRT8.

Regardless, I drove a (08? 09?) 300 and I didn't like it. It wallowed heavily in the corners even if you didn't flog it and the ride was nauseating as a result. I think what Kurmudgeon did - posting the souped up version that's nearly $20k more as "proof" that I'm "lying" - is more than just a little dishonest.

/ 2003 Mustang GT and 2009 Honda Civic