Fiat’s Chrysler Group changes its name to FCA US

Associated Press ^ | Dec 16, 2014 10:59 AM EST

[Minsc]

I’ll put my 2013 Dodge Challenger R/T up against pretty much anything. I’ve never had an issue with it since I’ve owned it. The 5.7l Hemi has the same horsepower as an old 440 two barrel. Furthermore, according to Consumer Reports the Challenger R/T scores higher than either the Mustang or the Camaro with consumers who were asked if they would buy the car again. They’re absolute monster cars. I have yet to come across anything that will beat it without paying over $100,000.

So, yeah, whatever.

[Dr. Sivana]

I disagree, they are both enhanced versions of an economy car, and they will both fall apart and rust out after seven or eight years.

Sounds like you aren't very familiar with the old Darts. First, they were mostly UN enhanced economy cars. They just had more room, and solid drive trains. The new "darts" are loaded with gizmos and are small as a neon. Since I have Owned several Darts and put on plenty of miles on most of them, with ALL of them being 15-28 years old on purchase, that puts the lie to the idea that they fall apart, And that was in CT and IL, both states that use road salt. in the northeast Darts were used as every day drivers into the early 90s, long after the Novas and Falcons and Fairmonts of the same vintage disappeared.

[Secret Agent Man]

ferrari’s aren’t mass produced. for the money shoveled out to get one they make them work properly.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Point taken. I was thinking of the 340 Darts being analogous to the current offering. Very familiar with the slant six flavor and yes, the drive train was solid. The body not so much.

Also had a Coronet 440, A Fury III, a Stratus, three Chrysler minivans and a Plymouth Laser. The only one that was reliable was the Laser, but that was a rebranded Mitsubishi. Currently own a ‘05 Town and Country that is rusting out from the inside. In contrast, my ‘02 Civic had 315,000 miles on it when I sold it this year and it was rust free. My 01 Passat and 04 Jetta are about as reliable as the Chryslers I have owned, but significantly more solid.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

MOPAR = My Ol’ Plymouth Ain’t Runnin’

[catnipman]

Seriously?

FCAUS?

Doesn’t this scream out for one obvious pronunciation?

[oldsicilian]

OK, now that’s really low!

[Olog-hai]

Well, the old two-cylinder Fiat 126 and Fiat Panda are about even with the Trabi performance-wise, but at least they didn’t have two-stroke engines.

[uglybiker]

Mostly Old Parts And Rust

And it's done out of a sense of fairness. If we used all new bits, the bowtie & blue oval boys would never have a chance. :-P

[Dr. Sivana]

Big engines in A-bodies are too heavy for the the front end set up (and yes, when my ‘73 Dart died in 2003, it was because 30 years of Illinois salt ate away the dolder for the torsion bars, which ripped right out.)

Oddly, my two ‘66 Dodge Darts didn’t rust much. One ultimately died of neglect (even a slant-six needs SOME oil) and the other lost a fight with a cop Crown Vic during a snow storm (handling was never a strong suit).

I had a Honda Civic (’86) with 1/3 the miles you described, and went through a clutch, head, and then the head messed up the lower portion, all in the first 1,000 miles. I bought it for $500, sunk in $1500, and sold it for $180.

I’ve also had a Diplomat wagon (318) that was born in a bad year to be a Mopar (1979), but at least the brain was replaced with a proper distributor, and the lean burn was replaced. The 1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue (the last non-truck V-8 Chrysler would make for a long time) was almost mechanically identical to the Diplomat.

My Mitsubishi rebadge was a Plymouth Voyager (Mits. 2.6 litre engine). Front end and engine problems ALL THE WAY.

My 1965 Chrysler 300 (383 Carter 4 bar.) was a lot of fun, but C-bodies are a bear to maintain in terms of parts cost, and this one had all the nuisance items that Darts never had.

Dodge Dart ... you want air? Open the little door under the dash. Trying to troubleshoot electrical in a ‘66? There are all of five fuses. Replace a fuel pump? Fifteen minutes if you are methodical. Water pump? Under an hour if you are good. The size, simplicity, bench seats, utilitarianism are all missing from the Fiat/Neon. Admittedly, the front end, suspension and brakes are probably a lot better.

You seem to favor your smaller cars (Laser, Passat, Jetta, Civic). Don’cha miss the extra room of a Fury or even a Coronet SOME of the time? (I rented a Stratus once, numbingly uncomfortable.)

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Liked the Stratus, but had to replace the rack and pinion at 24k and it blew oil all over my driveway at 45k. Both known issues with the model.

As far as size goes, today’s “full size” cars aren’t much bigger than the Dart and certainly nowhere near a Fury/New Yorker/Imperial.

While I would love a big, comfortable car, I drive what is practical and what I can afford to keep. 30k miles per year adds up quickly.

[GeronL]

Sounds like a cuss word