23rd May 2006, 21:37

Fiero is a much cooler car than the jazzed up neon. I mean how many american manufacturers made a mid engine RWD sports car? And also the the fact that you can buy one and put a v8 in just makes it worthwhile.

24th May 2006, 07:23

I bought a Fiero 2.5 v6 for 60 dollars at a police auction with the 5 speed transmission. It was a DOG. Real piece of crap. I really would not like to get into a wreck with in a car made up of more plastic than steel. The fire wall is made of plastic.

The SRT-4 is one of the baddest 4 bangers ever made. The fastest car under 20,000. And if you know anything about MOPARs 80's turbo reputation, you wouldn't talk about the srt-4. For less than 300 dollars you can produce 16 psi of boost and 165 hp.

24th May 2006, 07:36

I saw the previous comment about the omni GLH and the GLH-S'. They were great little cars. Weighing in at a mere 2200 lbs and a 2.2 turbo I engine producing 174 hp, they were very quick cars. Garrett t03/ Mitsubishi td04 turbos set them off. They are the cars to get if you want power for cheap.

You can trick the MAP sensor to think the turbo is making less boost. Which in turn is fooling the ECU. You can make up to 18 psi, also running 2 and 3 stage boost options for taking off out of the hole and not smoking the tires. Set ups for less than 150 bucks.

I'll race anyone in my Omni. They truly were a "race car". The way you get them, you can't pull your head out of the seat until 3rd gear.

24th May 2006, 15:05

When you buy a car for $60 its going to be a dog/piece of crap, end of story.

31st May 2006, 17:36

Well gang, I am a 2004 Electric Blue SRT-4 owner. I bought the car brand new in 2004 and now have 46K miles on it. I think I have driven it long enough to provide input on reliability. And, since the 2005 is virtually identical, it should be compared pretty similarly. I had the TPS sensor go at 10K miles, cheap to replace, but was covered under warranty. The A/C expansion valve just went, I'm disappointed at this, but I almost expected it with Dodge, they are notorious for bad A/C systems. Other than these two problems the car has performed amazingly well! I throughly love driving it, it's fun, handles like it's on rails and blows the doors off many other more expensive "performance" cars. All in all, I'd give reliability a 4.5/5 for my two cents. My stock tires lasted 40K miles, gas mileage is true at 25 cty and 30 hwy, no strange noises, ticks clicks or knocks. I did just fine eating up a WRX on the interstate last week as well. And for the record, I'm a 30 year old married man with more than adequate income to purchase a much more expensive performance vehicle, including the coveted EVO VIII or WRX Sti (I paid cash for this toy, my 4th vehicle). I chose this car due to it's VALUE, not simply because it was cheaper. Value being defined as performance+reliability+tune-ability+price=Value. I encourage any one interested in an SRT-4 to do some digging on others experiences and test drive a few to make up your mind. It has been a great car and worth every penny. No matter what, SRT-4, WRX or EVO, they are all a lot of fun.

22nd Jul 2006, 17:50

Chrysler Mopar makes some of the best turbos out there. I'm serious, I run the 2.5 Turbo in a J car and it is the epitome of bang for the buck and reliability. Seriously, $130 gets me 55 hp for chipping it, and all those other "dumb" mods get me a buttload of horsepower. I drive this car pretty dang hard, and I've had no problems other than maintenance with it. 102K and I was just going 100 mph up the canyon blowing past overheating Honda's and other "fast" cars. A big radiator, chip, K & N air filter, new gaskets, 240 hp and 280 ft/lbs of torque with the Chrysler bomb proof engine, at the cost to me of $1300, bang for the buck. But, this car is really crude with little or no refinement (maybe the wood grain trim).

I think that's exactly what the SRT-4 is supposed to be. Reliability and bang for the buck. It's still a crude looking Neon, but it sure it fun.

8th Dec 2006, 09:36

All this arguing is silly. The SRT-4 is the best "bang for the buck" if you want to go in a straight line. Only drawbacks: don't try to take it around a corner. It's by no means a sports car. I realize it's whatever floats your boat here, but if you want something fun to drive, go drive a miata around some twisties. See if you can keep from smiling.

12th Dec 2006, 08:32

Where do you get this stuff? Dodge NEVER made an AWD version of this car for consumer purchase. You are thinking of the Neon replacement, the Caliber, which will ultimately be available in AWD.

And as for your Neon reliability, you're just another example of American "craftsmanship". Every now and then they produce an example that works, but 99% of them are awful. Having known a few people who've owned Neons (and quickly got rid of them) I can speak from experience.

23rd Dec 2006, 22:29

They did make an AWD version of the srt-4 but it was not made for consumers. BTW, the caliber is a FWD car with 300whp and does a 1/4 mile similar to an srt-4.

24th Dec 2006, 09:38

This site is about cars available to consumers, so Chrysler did not make an AWD Neon.

After all, if you go down that route you could say any car came in any configuration, since there are many many modifications made for racing, special purchases, and so on.

The Caliber SRT will just be another piece of crap you'll race like mad to get to the dealers for yet another repair.

11th Feb 2007, 21:39

It's interesting to read what everyone has to say about the SRT-4.

I'm a relatively new driver, and I've been looking into getting a used car (my family is very DaimlerChrysler oriented, and I've always shared parents' company cars and/or lease vehicles). I've read mostly good, but sometimes bad reviews about the SRT-4.

I searched online classifieds, etc. and FINALLY found a couple used 2004 SRT-4's for sale ($15,000-$17,000 with low miles... is this too much?) within like 25 miles of where I live, so I'm seriously looking into making a purchase. I know that it gets lousy gas mileage, but work/school/common destinations aren't too far from my house, so low-to-mid 20's isn't a huge issue for now. I've heard stories about west-coast tuner kids getting mashed like hamburger in accidents in SRT-4's, but I don't plan on modifying it (although I've done plenty of car projects with friends and family, so if I decided to, I wouldn't pour too many $'s into it and waste my money) or driving it too hard, and consider myself to be responsible enough. I mostly just want my own car, and if it happens to be a badass sport-compact like the SRT-4, well that's just dandy.

I've seen what STi's can do and quite frankly, I'm not all that impressed. I just can't think of any hair-pin turn scenarios in my daily driving where an AWD Subi would be worth the extra money. Maybe it's just my domestic-brand loyalty, but for the money, it sure seems like the SRT-4 is more my speed (pun intended).

So I guess I'm asking for others' opinions on what I should do in this situation. I don't even know if people check these posts regularly or not, but any input is greatly valued. Thanks.

7th Dec 2007, 00:19

There is a reason why the STi costs 12k more than than the Neon. And it's just not worth it! I have worked at a Dodge dealership and it was a rare day when we had a SRT in the shop, mostly for clutch pedal pads falling off. Just because your WRX is an import doesn't make it more reliable. WRXs are known to be quite unreliable, along with a good chunk of the subie family of cars. Maybe you should do your homework before opening your mouth. Actually you should race to your local Dodge dealership and trade your WRX for a nice used SRT!

21st Sep 2008, 00:52

Really? I know a Dodge mechanic that won't buy dodge. He plans to buy a Subaru!

7th Jul 2014, 17:04

I used to sell Dodge, Chryslers & Jeeps back when the SRT-4s were available new. Although they were based on the Neon, they really were an interesting & fun 'hot rod' available at a very good price. Combine that with a good warranty & there really wasn't any reason not to buy one if you were looking for that type of car (small, fast, fun & entertaining). I always had a soft-spot in my heart for the little SRT-4, and was very disappointed to see the Neon replaced by the Caliber, thereby sealing the SRT-4's fate to a neat little souped up economy car with a superb engine & brakes.

I still believe that the SRT-4s that survive will become somewhat collectible down the road. Remember that the first Ford Mustangs were based on the Ford Falcon platform & the GTOs were souped up intermediates based on the Tempest & LeMans.

I'm not saying that the SRT-4 is in that class, however many very collectible cars were born of inexpensive vehicles.