2013 Dodge Dart or 2011 Mazda 3?

"As Du Volant" (skuhnphoto)
08/15/2014 at 12:45 • Filed to: decisions, mazda3, dodge dart

I need to choose a new car to drive for the next 3-4 weeks.

Background- I work in upper management for an auto dealer group and my daily driver is whatever I choose off the used car lot. Since I pay for the gas my #1 criterion in a car is gas mileage, followed by "slightly fun to drive."

Anyway, I was driving a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! then they sold it. But I just so happened to be traveling to one of our other stores that day and they had a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that needed to be taken there, so I drove that for a day. And that other store had a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that needed to come back to the store where my office is located, so then I drove that for a day.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Now I've dropped off that godawful Galant, and that brings me to decision time.

Our two contenders are a 2013 Dodge Dart Limited with the 1.4 turbo and a 2011 Mazda 3i with the plain Jane 2.0. Both are 6-speed manuals (yes!).

The Dart is loaded up with leather and a sunroof and all kinds of other gizmos I'm never going to use, whereas the Mazda is fairly ordinary and doesn't sport much other than the usual power equipment.

I've always found the 1.4 turbo Darts to be pretty fun, but there's so much love here for the Mazda 3 that I thought it might be neat to try that one out for a few weeks, too... but then again, this is an old body style 3 with the 2.0.

So, Opponauts... what would you choose?

DISCUSSION (14)

Where have all the lightweights gone? > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 12:47

As much as I love my 3, I'd go with the Dart. The 2.0 was down on power and a pig on gas compared to others in its class.

yamahog > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 12:48

I had a Dart for a few days last year, it was fun even for a little FWD auto and the gizmos were pretty nice too. Would.

mcseanerson > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 12:49

Mazda 3. I had a 2004 2.0 5 speed and it was a hoot. Trail braking everywhere.

Nibbles > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 12:50

Dart Dart Dart DartDartDart

mcseanerson > Where have all the lightweights gone?
08/15/2014 at 12:50

I've broken 40 mpg in the 2.0

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 12:53

Tough choice, the Dart I know is amazing, but the mazda 3 is intriguing

spanfucker retire bitch > mcseanerson
08/15/2014 at 13:01

I don't think the 2011 had the SkyActiv 2.0, did it? I didn't it was until 2012 when that was introduced.

PelicanHazard > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 13:06

Dart. It stickers at a higher mileage than the Mazda, and it's still fun to drive. You only really get in trouble if you really throw it around since it's heavier, but you wouldn't do that in a car for sale would you? ;)

full disclaimer: I own a 1.4L Dart.

mcseanerson > spanfucker retire bitch
08/15/2014 at 13:18

Mine was a 2004 so no. I was just being gently. I averaged around the mid 30s on the highway when I didn't care but just to see how good I could do I peaked at 48 mpg.

spanfucker retire bitch > mcseanerson
08/15/2014 at 13:22

That's pretty impressive for the old 2.0. It did have a reputation at not being all that efficient.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 13:24

I gotta go Dart on this vote.

mcseanerson > spanfucker retire bitch
08/15/2014 at 13:25

The EPA results and observed mileage were typically low and I can give you two reasons for that. One, you have to drive it pretty conservatively to get good mpg and two, it's pretty hard to drive a Mazda conservatively. I autocrossed mine on all season tires and I loved it. I bought it after getting rid of a 2005 Sentra SE-R Spec V and I found the 04 base model Mazda 3 2.0 with a 5 speed manual on all seasons and no ABS to be a much more fun car.

GhostZ > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 13:30

Dart.

Mazda3 is good if you're paying for it because it's relatively fun to drive and highly underappreciated, meaning it costs far less than it "should" for the driving quality. The Mazdaspeed3 is also just a legitimately fun car.

But if you're not paying for (aka equal playing field) and you're not able to get a Speed3? Dart all the way.

RockRam > As Du Volant
08/15/2014 at 16:15

Dart. Because more toys