There's no question the Dodge Dart is a huge improvement over its bland and somewhat strange predecessor, the Caliber. Thank to a few doses of Italian engineering and more love and care from Chrysler's part in general, the Dart is a solid compact sedan. But the question is whether it's good enough when facing off against some mighty good competitors. The answer, according to the most recent sales figures, is "no." The numbers released just a few days ago by Chrysler prove this.

A total of 6,135 Darts were sold last month, which is a 24 percent decrease from March 2013. What's more is that Dart sales from the first three months of this year are down by 30 percent when compared to the same time period last year. And get this - the recently discontinued Dodge Avenger sold better than the Dart last month. Yes, Dodge was offering killer deals on the Avenger to clear them off dealer lots but still, that's not a good sign. It's not that the Dart is a bad car, it's just that the competition is fierce and in many ways better. Since it was launched in 2012, a mid-cycle refresh should be coming up very soon. In fact, it really needs to happen ASAP.