On Tuesday, 26 November 2013, an era has come to an end. The "Topless Delivery Vehicle" has been officially retired after over 4 years of faithful service. I traded in my 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS Spyder for a black 2013 Dodge Dart SXT at South Oak Dodge in Matteson, Illinois. The Dart is the first hardtop I have driven since May 2007 and has already proven to be a wise investment. The only thing missing from the Dart's UConnect system is the GPS navigation, which I already have on my Blackberry Z10.
Trading in the Eclipse was emotionally like breaking up with a long-time girlfriend. I was somewhat sad to see her go it is but I knew it was the right decision to make in the long run. I am already seeing some positive results from the purchase. For example, the fuel economy in the Dart is much better, at 7.0 L/100 km (about 34 mpg) going to and from work, and 5.6 L/100 km (about 42 mpg) on the highway at 100 km/h (about 62 mph). The Dart's 2.0 L "Tiger Shark" inline-4 engine uses regular unleaded gasoline, unlike the Eclipse's 3.0 L V-6 engine, which requires premium unleaded gasoline. It's also nice to not have to shift gears for once.
Please note that as a General Manager, I rarely ever get to take deliveries anymore. Driving even 1000 km (621 miles) per month would now be considered a stretch. Therefore, the Dart will last far longer than has any other car I have previously owned.
