Dodge Neon SRT-4...

  • Thread starter Thread starter tehFAO
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95GTIVR6
What draws you to the Neon?

Is it the Turbo?

The 4-doors?

The image you display when you drive a Turbo Neon?

Simple Questions really, depending on how you answer them, we here might be able to help you with your car selection.
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Well, it's really more about the fuel factor... the thing I drive now has a 351 V8, and I'm lucky to get maybe 14mpg out of it. I've got a 33 mile commute to work, and they're about to relocate to an even further area. I need something more practical in today's fuel market. I'm not looking for something hugely efficient because I also want something with some balls.
What I see in the Neon SRT-4 is pretty much what I'm looking for. Way easier on the gas, getting double the mileage and cutting my fuel expenses in half! While at the same time, they're very quick and exciting to drive. It's also a bigger car too, being a sedan. I've got more room to work with than a regular cab pickup. Most of the Neon SRT-4's I've seen have always looked really nice. I actually can't recall a time that I've seen a questionable Neon SRT-4... it seems everyone who has one takes really good care of them - at least externally.

I also just find them to be a really clean-cut, sporty, easy to drive and maintance car.

But I'm also looking at the Supercharged Cobalt really closely too... I haven't had a chance to drive one. If it's got even 5/6ths the pull that the SRT-4 has and is cheaper, I wouldn't mind that drop in overall performance. They're also really nice too... just like the SRT-4, I can't recall ever seeing a ****ty SS.
 
Don't count on getting 28 mpg out of the SRT. Figure low 20s.
 
...If that. Plus the required premium fuel...

If you're willing to spend the money, the VW GTI/GLI with the 1.8T (180 BHP, MY2003+) will pull low 30's on the high. However, that requires premium fuel too.

I'm under the assumption that of the small cars that would have been competitors with the SRT-4, the VW and Honda/Acura offerings would be the most-efficent. Of course, that comes with a bit of a drop in power, but I'd say it would be fair to argue that their overall reliability would outshine that of the SRT-4. Likely, resale values as well.
 
Premium fuel is only $.20 more then regular fuel meaning a 12 gallon tank would only cost you $2.40 more to fill up then if it required regular. Honestly if you are already spending $54 to fill up what's $2 more?
 
No arguments from me on that point, but you know how people are... I've known quite a few people who have chosen not to buy cars because they require premium fuel.
 
And I know people who run regular in cars that are supposed to run premium because they can keep their foot out of it.
 
Any modern car that's not boosted will be able to take enough spark advance out of the ignition timing to avoid detonation, even on crappy 87-octane gas. Of course, your performance is going to suffer, but it shouldn't ping.

That being said, I always put the highest-octane gas in the car that it is optimized for, because it doesn't make a huge difference in the tank price. In the cars, that's 93-94, but in the van I never go more than 89 octane because the ECU won't advance the spark enough to take advance of anything higher.
 
YSSMAN
Of course, that comes with a bit of a drop in power, but I'd say it would be fair to argue that their overall reliability would outshine that of the SRT-4. Likely, resale values as well.
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People looking for cars like the SRT-4 are not going to cross shop with the float-iest and boat-iest of Golfs. I doubt reliability will be too much better, either (and you don't want resale to be good in a used car).
 
ACE_N_RANDIE
Honestly, I'm not trying to crap all over your thread here but basically, it's a Neon. I'm not saying it isn't impressive in it's own way, Mopar does all right for themselves, but at the end of the day it's still just a "faster" dodge neon. For that same price range you could get any e36 M3 with money to spare, maybe even the e46 if you could find the deal. If you're set on the ride then you're set I guess, and I hope it works out for you, but you can polish a turd all day, but it's still just crap in the end.
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:lol: Alright it may just be a neon, I do hate most of them but they are not just "turd". They are decently little cars, I know a guy who DD one and it's in the 400hp ranger. Thing is fast little car, and it has held up very well too.

Oh yea and the mileage thing, I don't know how well a SRT-4 gets, I can't imagine it too great being a boosted 4 banger. Just to put it into perspective my, 98' Trans Am A4 116k miles, gets about 23 mpg gallon with a 60/40 split of highway/city driving. The M6 verisions of these cars get 30 mpg consistently on the highway. And you can pick up a decent one with decent mileage in your price range. Oh yea these cars run for a long time too.
 
xXSilencerXx
:lol: Alright it may just be a neon, I do hate most of them but they are not just "turd". They are decently little cars, I know a guy who DD one and it's in the 400hp ranger. Thing is fast little car, and it has held up very well too.

Oh yea and the mileage thing, I don't know how well a SRT-4 gets, I can't imagine it too great being a boosted 4 banger. Just to put it into perspective my, 98' Trans Am A4 116k miles, gets about 23 mpg gallon with a 60/40 split of highway/city driving. The M6 verisions of these cars get 30 mpg consistently on the highway. And you can pick up a decent one with decent mileage in your price range. Oh yea these cars run for a long time too.
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Wow. My dad's V6 Mustang got 23 mpg on his last tank. Now I want a Trans Am more
 

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