RamblinE
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This is a game I play with myself on a regular basis. I hop on the Carmax app and see what used cars are out there with different features, motors, transmissions, etc, at a certain price-point, usually about $15k. What would you buy tomorrow if you crashed your car today? I drive a Fiat 500, and if I crashed my car tonight I'd go out tomorrow and buy a Dodge Dart.
The case for a failed product
I'm getting wearier of complexity, specifically turbos, direct injection, and CVT/DCT transmissions. The Dodge Dart was pricey compared to what was on the market at the time, and heavier. It wasn't a great value new. Used though, 16's have lost about 50% of their value based on Carmax listings, and dealers tend to undercut Carmax even more. The Dart's naturally aspirated motors still have port injection. Manual transmissions are plentiful. The uConnect infotainment system is highly rated. The Dart has a lot more room and creature comforts than my current shitbox. Weight vs power is an issue, but the chassis is based on the Alfa Romeo Guilietta. The MultiAir system in Chrysler's 2.4 liter Tigershark motor is somewhat complex. It uses hydrualically actuated lifters to control variable intake valves, as opposed to using an intake cam (that's why Multiair motors are all technically SOHC). I'm in forums and groups for Fiat/FCA vehicles, and Multiair failtures are rare.
It's funny to think I'm saying this about an FCA, but for a cheap car, with stout mechanicals, that's what I'd look at. My Fiat 500 is a creaky rattle trap with a broken arm rest and a few odd electrical failures, however the engine and transmission have been stout. To be fair, when I bought it at two years old and 17k miles, it needed a new transmission shortly there after, but I think my car had been somebody else's first manual. 60k miles on the second transmission with nothing but a bad bushing in the linkage a few months back.
I'd also consider leasing a 2019 Kia Forte for a lot of the same reasons. Port injection, available manual trans, no turbo and easily accessible service points under the hood and on the bottom of the car.
You ever play this game with yourself? What would you buy?
The case for a failed product
I'm getting wearier of complexity, specifically turbos, direct injection, and CVT/DCT transmissions. The Dodge Dart was pricey compared to what was on the market at the time, and heavier. It wasn't a great value new. Used though, 16's have lost about 50% of their value based on Carmax listings, and dealers tend to undercut Carmax even more. The Dart's naturally aspirated motors still have port injection. Manual transmissions are plentiful. The uConnect infotainment system is highly rated. The Dart has a lot more room and creature comforts than my current shitbox. Weight vs power is an issue, but the chassis is based on the Alfa Romeo Guilietta. The MultiAir system in Chrysler's 2.4 liter Tigershark motor is somewhat complex. It uses hydrualically actuated lifters to control variable intake valves, as opposed to using an intake cam (that's why Multiair motors are all technically SOHC). I'm in forums and groups for Fiat/FCA vehicles, and Multiair failtures are rare.
It's funny to think I'm saying this about an FCA, but for a cheap car, with stout mechanicals, that's what I'd look at. My Fiat 500 is a creaky rattle trap with a broken arm rest and a few odd electrical failures, however the engine and transmission have been stout. To be fair, when I bought it at two years old and 17k miles, it needed a new transmission shortly there after, but I think my car had been somebody else's first manual. 60k miles on the second transmission with nothing but a bad bushing in the linkage a few months back.
I'd also consider leasing a 2019 Kia Forte for a lot of the same reasons. Port injection, available manual trans, no turbo and easily accessible service points under the hood and on the bottom of the car.
You ever play this game with yourself? What would you buy?