The folks at Kelly Blue Book have announced their 10 Coolest Cars for under $18,000 for 2013 and two are from the Chrysler Group. Having two cars on the list is a great honor but having had the pleasure of spending time in all but one vehicle on the list over the past year – I have to wonder why the Dart wasn’t ranked higher.
As you can see in the full list below, the Dodge Dart was ranked as the 5th coolest car under $18,000 behind the Hyundai Veloster, the Ford Focus, the Kia Soul and the Honda Fit. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the Veloster, Focus and Soul over the past year along with a small amount of time in a Honda Fit. These are all great cars for what they do but I have a very difficult time finding much “cool factor” in the Fit. After all, it is a compact station wagon… regardless of what the company calls it. While I agree that the Veloster, Focus and Soul are all cool little cars, I don’t know that they are cooler than the Dart – especially when you consider the available features for the Dart that are not offered in those other vehicles. At the same time, many of the most impressive features of the Dart are only available on models with a price above $18k and that could be the difference.
The Fiat 500 was ranked the 7th coolest car in 2013 under $18k with the Mazda3 separating the Dart and the 500. The Fiat beat the VW Jetta, the Honda Civic and the Chevy Spark to claim its spot on the list but like the Dart, I think that the Fiat could have been ranked above the Honda Fit. Again, not trying to bag on the Fit but this is a “cool factor” list and I have a hard time finding much cool factor in the Honda.
In any case, the fact that the Dodge Dart and the Honda Fit have both been included in the top ten coolest cars for 2013 by KBB shows that the Chrysler Group is doing a great job of offering up cars that catch the eye of those who tell the consumers what to buy.
"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.
