While the 2.4L engine of the 2013 Dodge Dart GT was least efficient of the engine options for the first year of the new compact sedan, word on the street suggests that the Dart’s most powerful engine will get a big jump in fuel economy figures as it becomes the standard mill for the most popular trimlines among the 2014 model year.
The Chrysler Group announced recently that the 2.4L mill that was originally reserved for the 2013 Dodge Dart GT package will be the standard and only engine for the 2014 Dodge Dart SXT, Limited and GT. It doesn’t come as any surprise that Dodge would want its highest volume trimlines to pack the most power but with that power comes a substantial drop in fuel economy from the standard 2.0L mill and optional 1.4L turbo motor that came in the Dart SXT and Limited models. The 2013 Dart GT with the 2.4L engine offered 33 miles per gallon on the highway with a manual transmission and 30 with the automatic transmission. For comparison, the 2.0L engine offered 36 with a manual transmission while the 2.0 with the automatic transmission only offers 34mpg. The 1.4L turbo motor offers 41, 39 and 37 depending on the trimline and transmission chosen.
However, a rumor that dealerships have received a letter stating that the new standard 2.4L 4-cylinder engine from the SXT, Limited and GT package will offer 36 miles per gallon when mated with a manual transmission. That same bit of information suggests that the 2014 Dart sedans mated to the automatic transmission will offer 35 miles per gallon. This means that the most powerful engine in the 2014 Dart lineup is as efficient as the far less powerful 2.0L engine when fitted with a manual transmission and more efficient than the 2.0 when mated to an automatic.
Should the Allpar report on the new fuel economy figures for the 2014 Dodge Dart with the 2.4L engine be correct – it will be interesting to see what the company has done to squeeze out the extra MPGs. Hopefully this better fuel economy is achieved in some manner that doesn’t hurt power or performance.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
