Dodge Dart GT to offer 33mpg on the highway, 27 combined

The  EPA has announced the fuel economy for the upcoming Dodge Dart GT and the most powerful option in the compact lineup offers fairly impressive figures with 23mpg around town, 33 on the highway and 27 miles per gallon combined. Those figures apply to the Dart GT powered by the 2.4L TigerShark 4-cylinder engine and the 6-speed manual transmission with 184 horsepower and 171lb-ft of torque being sent to the front wheels.

While these numbers are a big drop from the 27 city, 39 highway and 32 combined of the non-Aero Dodge Dart powered by the 1.4L Turbo motor and the 6-speed manual transmission, they present a very minimal decrease from the 25, 36 and 29 from the base 2.0L TigerShark and 6-speed manual. Even though the base engine offers an advantage of 2 miles per gallon across the board compared to the larger TigerShark mill of the Dart GT, the 2.0L packs just 160hp and 148lb-ft of torque.

Having driven the Dart with the 2.0L base engine with both the manual and automatic transmission along and the Dart powered by the 1.4L turbo motor (again, with each transmission), the 1.4L mill is the far better option for those who want a some spunk out of their compact Dodge sedan. I’ve not yet driven the Dart GT, but the increase in power over both current engine options combined with very comparable fuel economy to the base engine should allow Dart GT owners to have the most engaging drive possible without emptying wallets for gas. More importantly, those numbers of 23, 33 and 27 (city, highway, combined) are only a bit below the most efficient Toyota Corolla available that offers 27 around town, 34 on the highway and 30 combined.

The Dodge Dart GT will enter the market later this year as one of the most powerful compact sedans available in the US – trailing only the Ford Focus ST that offers worse fuel economy, costs more (the ST starts at $23,700) and is only available as a hatchback. With the dealership debut of the Dart GT, there is no compact sedan in the US that offers the Dart GT’s level of performance and fuel economy. While Toyota, Hyundai, Ford and Chevrolet offer compact sedans with better fuel economy, they all fall well short in performance and while the Buick Verano Turbo offers more power than the Dart GT, the turbocharged Buick offers significantly lower fuel economy – and a price around $30,000.  You could almost buy two new Darts for the price of a loaded up Buick Verano Turbo.

No fuel economy figures have been announced for the Dodge Dart GT with the automatic transmission but rumors floating around the internet suggest that the self-shifting GT will offer slightly better numbers in the area of 24 miles per gallons around town and 34 on the open road.

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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