When we think of the most powerful vehicles in the industry, the first thing that comes to mind are those sleek (and overwhelmingly expensive) European sports cars that look like futuristic rockets on wheels and probably jump from zero-to-60 mph so quickly that it actually makes the person behind the wheel reverse in physical age.

And good for those people that can afford vehicles like that. They’re probably really fun to own and drive, though they also probably aren’t great for ushering the kids around town, taking a cross-country road trip or even picking up the groceries. Most consumers have to decide between either buying a car that’s fun to drive or buying a car that’s functional to own. Rare indeed is the vehicle that can manage both.

Rare, but not fictional. In fact, Motor Trend recently came out with a list of the 12 non-performance automobiles that offer the most surprisingly entertaining performance, and we here at Woody Folsom Chrysler Dodge Jeep® RAM were very pleased to see that the 2016 Dodge Dart GT was among those models mentioned.

While it doesn’t offer quite the same horsepower as the Dodge Charger Hellcat and Dodge Challenger Hellcat models that have garnered such positive attention over the course of the last year, the budget-friendly Dart GT does make upwards of 184 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque, while jumping from zero-to-60 in only 8.7 seconds.

While those numbers aren’t winning the Dart any NASCAR races, they do make it surprisingly fun to drive and one of the more powerful automobiles in its segment. Best of all, it serves its purpose beautifully as an everyday car while also sprinkling in a little bit of entertaining driving for the Baxley owner behind the wheel. This is one of those rare instances where you actually can have your cake and eat it, too.