I like my basket-handle spoiler.

 

of course!!!! Good decision for sure!

 

The SRT4 is a good car, just like the STI is a good car, its all about personal opinion and how much money you are willing to sink into it. The #1 reason i like this forum is that it focuses on engineering and technical knowhow. One thing we can all agree on is that we all like small cars that produce alot of wHp. Bottom line is anyone who is a true car enthusiast should appreciate any vehicle that delievers on the track and on the street.

 

sweet article. i have been wondering since the turbo cruiser came out if the engine was a turbo 4g64 or a dodge powerplant.

 

Wrong, wrong and wrong. My SRT-4 took everything I threw at it...stage 1, exhaust, stage 2, AGP WGA, MBC, etc...and didn't have a single problem for the 25,000 miles I owned it. Any car that traps 100mph+ for less than $20k is "cool" as far as I'm concerned. You drive a Mitsubishi...and it's not even an Evo. Get off your high horse dude. The SRT-4 is much better performer and a much better value than a Lancer Ralliart.

Also the SRT-4 doesn't come with a muffler...just a single resonator. That's why it's so loud. As far as A/F ratio...you couldn't have been more off. The car runs pig rich from the factory. That's why simply cranking up the boost another 3-5psi will yield 40whp+ with safe A/F ratios.

I love how the "it's just a Neon" fools spout off opinion like it's fact previous to even researching the car. At least bring some knowledge to the discussion before giving an opinion.

 

OK GUYS...before this gets big lets just stop our swordfighting because it aint gonna do anybody good....

SRT4 is good value for the price

 

 

Well, I can think of one other car under 21K that it won't smoke. It would walk away, but not terrribly hard. The Cobalt SS!

 

The Cobalt SS doesn't have an LSD included in the base price, and I'm pretty sure it costs more than 21k.

 

I drove an Ion Redline (same thing as the Cobalt SS) and it really doesn't compare to the SRT-4 in terms of power. The horsepower is similair on paper but, depending on the dyno, the SRT-4 puts down another 25-40whp. It also only needs 6k RPM's to do it. The horsepower isn't the thing you notice right away though...it's the torque. The SRT-4 puts down another 75-100ftq than the Cobalt SS. That's significant. The Ion Redline/Cobalt SS are quick, but they're supercharged 4 bangers, not turbocharged 4 bangers. The difference you feel when you get on the gas is huge. The SRT-4 has low end grunt like a small block V8. The Ion Redline/Cobalt SS feels more like a Honda Vtec 4 banger on steroids. They're quick, but you never forget it's a supercharged 4 cylinder.

The SRT-4 is in an altogether different class of power than the Cobalt SS/Ion Redline IMHO.

 

The Cobalt is a different car than the Redline. It is geared differently (For some odd reason, the Redline's gearing is very wide and many reviews state that they had a hard time shifting into the sweet spot without hitting the rev limiter, great for a car named the Redline.) and magazine tests have placed the Cobalt SS a half second quiker in the 1/4, despite the larger wheels/tires. The best run for a Redline so far is a 14.7, which is poo for what it is in my book. But the best run out of a Cobalt SS thus far is a 14.2. Stock SRT-4's (without the staged upgrades) run about 13.9-14 flat. If you consider 3 tenths to be smoking a car, that's your opinion. And the Cobalt is better in the twisties.

 

People, the list can go on and on about why didn't Dodge do this or why didn't Dodge do that for the SRT-4. The fact is, they could have but the numero uno priority was to keep it affordable. Plain and simple.

RWD however was NOT possible. The PL platfrom was not designed to be RWD. And even if they somehow did manage to engineer a RWD system on the car, it wouldn't cost under $20k that's for sure.

 

I updated the info on the first page with the ACR and Commemorative Edition. Also changed a few of the pics.

 

evo , great write-up . wonderful . job on educating well done

 

If they would just offer an AWD version they would really have something. Having 300HP in a front wheel drive car is just not fun in my opinion...