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SAFETY | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Top Safety Pick; 'good,' frontal, side, and rear impact; 'good,' roof strength
IIHS
Five stars, frontal and side impact; five stars overall
NHTSA
blind-spot detection and a rear cross-path detection system, which uses radar to warn of oncoming cars when the Dart is backing out of a parking space.
CNET
The Dart’s optional rain-sensing wipers, blind-spot monitoring, and backup camera are rare in the compact class.
Car and Driver
Every 2013 Dodge Dart comes with ten airbags as standard, along with the usual list of electronic safety systems and a few firsts for the compact sedan class, including available cross-path collision detection and blind-spot warning systems. And it's one of the only models in this class--the Chevrolet Cruze is one other--to achieve top crash-test ratings from both major U.S. agencies.
The Dart gets top five-star results in both frontal and side impact--even in the new side pole test--from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). And the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated the Dart 'good' in all of its test categories--and a Top Safety Pick. The company notes that the car's frame uses 68 percent high-strength steels in several different grades.
Unlike the Elantra, the Dart actually has a glass triangular third window behind the door windows on each side. This enlarges the glass area, and combined with a lower trunk height than some competitors, it gives the Dart surprisingly good visibility to the rear and rear sides. Some other compacts could take a few lessons from Dodge in this department.
Conclusion
The 2013 Dodge Dart hasn't yet been rated for crash safety, but its 10 airbags and other safety systems should put it at or near the top of the pack.
