As the title says I own a 2012 Focus SEL which slots in equivalently to a Dart Ralley. I also own a 03 PT Cruiser GT turbo that I am considering trading for a Focus ST, Speed3 or Dart SRT. Yesterday I test drove a Dart Ralley with the 1.4 turbo and 6 speed manual. I figured i would share my thoughts for any one interested. Below is my comparison of how it stacks up to the Focus.
Exterior:
I like the front end of both cars equally well. From the side and back the Dart is more distinctive looking. The Focus sedan looks too much like an Elantra from the side and back. However, we have a 5 dr hatchback that overall I like the looks of better than the Dart but I do like the overall looks of the Dart. I don't like the renditions I have seen of the Dart hatchback at all.
The car we drove was bright red which really didn't do anything for me, i like the Focus race red better. The other Dart on the lot was an SXT (SE equivalent) in grey metallic again an OK color but didn't excite me. Our Focus is Candy Blue which is a very distinctive color that I happily paid extra for. The aluminum wheels on the SXT and Ralley were the same powder coated silver 17x7.5 with 225/45 tires, overall they are good looking wheels, the optional wheel is hyper black finished 17x7.5. There are quite a few wheel choices as there is with the Focus.
Interior;
Immediately sitting down in the Dart I got the sense of roominess. The Focus center console is wide and high. For me it feels like you are sitting in a hole. I like the overall feel of sitting in the Dart.
The Dart steering wheel is thicker and the leather cover feels better than the Focus wheel. The Focus wheel has bumps at 10 and 2 that I guess is supposed to support your hands but they don't feel natural to me, also the covering is supposed to be leather but doesn't feel like it and the stitching is course feeling. The Dart speedo is easier to read, the Focus has mph and kph graduations that are about equal in prominence which makes a quick glance harder to distinguish between. Neither dash has a full compliment of gauges which I don't understand, at least having it as an option would be good. I like the blue back lighting of the Focus better than the red of the Dart. The Dart has a lot more places to store things, I really like the storage under the passenger seat.
Both the Dart and Focus have very fresh and contemporary styled interiors. I like them both a lot. They both utilize soft touch surfaces and varying textures. The Focus is a little flashier with the use of brushed stainless surfaces. The fabric on the seats of the Dart is nicer than the fabric on our SEL seats. This trim level Dart doesn't have a leather option.
My Focus only has the basic SYNC system that works very well. The Dart had that and the 8" touch screen. I only just tried the voice command and it seemed to function the same. The touch screen was very easy and intuitive, it only took seconds to figure out how to use. I don't have the Ford MTF in my car but from the forums and road tests MyFord Touch system has been very buggy and is not easy to use.
Performance;
I only drove the 1.4 turbo with a 6 spd manual. It really didn't have any seat of the pants advantage over the NA 2.0 in the Focus even though it had 20 ft-lbs more torque (same 160 HP). I don't feel it's worth the $1300 premium. The 2.0 Dart and Focus 2.0 are rated for the same power and torque. Coming from a turbo PT I don't think the 2.4 available in
the Dart RT will be satisfying either. So, my choices to replace the PT will be the SRT, Focus ST or the Mazda Speed3.
I couldn't find a chewed up road in the area to test the suspension but I did drive it over every hole, dip and bump I could find. The Dart is every bit as composed as the Focus and both are light years better than the PT. I am not a canyon carver but the Dart and Focus had the same precise handling to the extent that I pushed them.
In the end the lack of power from the 1.4 turbo will keep me from purchasing a Dart at this time. I will wait for the Dart SRT before making a choice. If the car was for my wife, there is enough more she liked about it over our Focus that if the Dart had been here last year when we purchased the Focus, the Dart would have gotten the nod.
Exterior:
I like the front end of both cars equally well. From the side and back the Dart is more distinctive looking. The Focus sedan looks too much like an Elantra from the side and back. However, we have a 5 dr hatchback that overall I like the looks of better than the Dart but I do like the overall looks of the Dart. I don't like the renditions I have seen of the Dart hatchback at all.
The car we drove was bright red which really didn't do anything for me, i like the Focus race red better. The other Dart on the lot was an SXT (SE equivalent) in grey metallic again an OK color but didn't excite me. Our Focus is Candy Blue which is a very distinctive color that I happily paid extra for. The aluminum wheels on the SXT and Ralley were the same powder coated silver 17x7.5 with 225/45 tires, overall they are good looking wheels, the optional wheel is hyper black finished 17x7.5. There are quite a few wheel choices as there is with the Focus.
Interior;
Immediately sitting down in the Dart I got the sense of roominess. The Focus center console is wide and high. For me it feels like you are sitting in a hole. I like the overall feel of sitting in the Dart.
The Dart steering wheel is thicker and the leather cover feels better than the Focus wheel. The Focus wheel has bumps at 10 and 2 that I guess is supposed to support your hands but they don't feel natural to me, also the covering is supposed to be leather but doesn't feel like it and the stitching is course feeling. The Dart speedo is easier to read, the Focus has mph and kph graduations that are about equal in prominence which makes a quick glance harder to distinguish between. Neither dash has a full compliment of gauges which I don't understand, at least having it as an option would be good. I like the blue back lighting of the Focus better than the red of the Dart. The Dart has a lot more places to store things, I really like the storage under the passenger seat.
Both the Dart and Focus have very fresh and contemporary styled interiors. I like them both a lot. They both utilize soft touch surfaces and varying textures. The Focus is a little flashier with the use of brushed stainless surfaces. The fabric on the seats of the Dart is nicer than the fabric on our SEL seats. This trim level Dart doesn't have a leather option.
My Focus only has the basic SYNC system that works very well. The Dart had that and the 8" touch screen. I only just tried the voice command and it seemed to function the same. The touch screen was very easy and intuitive, it only took seconds to figure out how to use. I don't have the Ford MTF in my car but from the forums and road tests MyFord Touch system has been very buggy and is not easy to use.
Performance;
I only drove the 1.4 turbo with a 6 spd manual. It really didn't have any seat of the pants advantage over the NA 2.0 in the Focus even though it had 20 ft-lbs more torque (same 160 HP). I don't feel it's worth the $1300 premium. The 2.0 Dart and Focus 2.0 are rated for the same power and torque. Coming from a turbo PT I don't think the 2.4 available in
the Dart RT will be satisfying either. So, my choices to replace the PT will be the SRT, Focus ST or the Mazda Speed3.
I couldn't find a chewed up road in the area to test the suspension but I did drive it over every hole, dip and bump I could find. The Dart is every bit as composed as the Focus and both are light years better than the PT. I am not a canyon carver but the Dart and Focus had the same precise handling to the extent that I pushed them.
In the end the lack of power from the 1.4 turbo will keep me from purchasing a Dart at this time. I will wait for the Dart SRT before making a choice. If the car was for my wife, there is enough more she liked about it over our Focus that if the Dart had been here last year when we purchased the Focus, the Dart would have gotten the nod.