Happily, once settled into those seats you should be able to get decently comfortable. I found them a good fit for my average-sized 5’11’ frame at any rate, although my hair was brushing the roof in the back seat (rear seat legroom is plentiful, however). Standard upholstery is a good-looking mesh type cloth, with leather a $1,525 option.

Also happily (and presuming you can get over the lack of real switches for things like seat heaters), the Uconnect system is excellent, being both responsive and intuitive to use. It’s not without quirks however: if you attempt to turn both seat heaters on or off at once, the system responds as if you pressed the touchpoint in the middle, which turns the touchscreen off. Another ergonomic irritant is the twist-to-operate wiper control located on the end of the signal stalk: In a region where the precipitation is as constant, varied and rapidly-changing as Vancouver’s, you can quickly tire of constantly taking your hand off the wheel to twiddle around with the wiper control. I did appreciate the big control knobs for the audio volume and tuning however, and I had no complaints regarding the powerful and clear-sounding six-speaker audio system.

Warranty:
3 years/60,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain; 3 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 5 years/100,000 km roadside assistance

Competitors:
Chevrolet Cruze
Ford Focus
Honda Civic
Hyundai Elantra
Mazda3
Nissan Sentra
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Jetta

Overall, at a starting price of $18,995 (before freight) for the base 2.0L SE model and running up to $25,995 for the range-topping Limited model the Dodge Dart isn’t the North American Alfa Romeo that many enthusiasts were originally hoping for, but it is a roomy and practical compact sedan with an above-average dose of character and the ability to specify a manual transmission in all but the uppermost trim. If Dodge had been able to sell enough to justify a redesign (or even a significant refresh) it could have become something truly special. As it is, if you desire a well-equipped and sporty sedan with an entertaining personality (especially if you prefer one with a manual transmission) and you’re willing to overlook a few foibles, then you might want to give the Dart a look while it’s still on the market.

Pricing: 2016 Dodge Dart
Base Price (Blacktop trim): $23,070
Options: $2,855 (Cold Weather Group $350, 8.4-inch Uconnect Touchscreen Group $795, Sirius Radio $350, Navigation $525, Mopar Dual Exhaust Package $835)
Freight: $1,745
A/C Tax: $100
Price as Tested: $27,770

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