6 Things You'd Never Expect From the $20,000 Dodge Dart

After 16 years of production from 1960 to 1976, the Dodge Dart was tucked away in the archives for nearly three decades. Then, after the marriage of Chrysler and Fiat, the Dart was resurrected using the platform from the highly regarded Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The refreshed compact sedan saw improvements not only in physical styling but in better interior design, as well (thanks, Europe). We took the Dart for a spin, and were pleasantly surprised by the level of comfort. Check out these 6 Things You'd Never Expect From the $20,000 Dodge Dart.

One of the worst parts of being limited to entry-level cars is the fact that material quality and comfort are often sacrificed in order to keep prices down. The doors, dash and seats are cold and unwelcoming. The Dart isn't like that. Instead of plastic, you have a cushy console, leather arm rests, and no weird-looking attempts to create luxury-looking steel or wood. The seats were also some of the most comfortable we've ever sat in.

Heated seats are a luxury option. At least, they used to be. More and more cars are beginning to integrate the option, but none at a lower price point than the Dart. Our Limited trim edition kept our buns nice and toasty.

On our regular trip out of the city, we were gliding through turn after turn, when we realized something. Everything the GPS was telling us was a good suggestion. There was no confusion, every fork was carefully guided with specific images on the large digital screen, and every turn had sufficient warning. That's because the GPS was a Garmin. What a thought? Using a company with the sole purpose of road guidance in your car. Why do so many car companies insist on creating their own systems instead of turning to the pros?

Seats are one thing. Like we said, those are starting to pop up in more and more cars, but we wouldn't expect a heated steering wheel in anything lower than a Benz or Beamer. You won't need to keep those gloves on, when its pumping heat at a perfect level.

Almost every luxury car and sports car has a push-button start these days. Like heated seats, it's started to trickle down a little, but it's still not something we'd expect to see in a car that sits at less than 25 grand. Now, you can feel cool, keeping your keys in your pocket, and letting your index finger do that revving.

All of these unexpected features are all about convenience and aesthetics, but those are the types of things that are really missing from low-level cars. That's why we enjoyed the Dart so much. It had things that other cars in its segment don't. Something like ambient lighting really has nothing to do with the quality of the car, but guess what? Sometimes the mood in your ride can make a big difference. And glowing dashes and doors put smiles on our faces.