20th Jul 2006, 19:53

I doubt most Impalas are driven as hard as a Viper. Performance comes at a cost. But if you can afford a Viper than buying parts and endless upgrading could be compared to an average individual going out to shop for a pencil... the price of a new Viper hood alone is $19,000!

28th Jul 2006, 08:10

The reviewers comments are believable. Most of the problems he mentioned can be tied into eachother, it sounds like the wrong domino fell, and down came the others. There's always that one bad apple in every bushel.

I think some viper fan-boys just can't accept that the car of their dreams has the potential for problems. Do you even understand how much physical movement, sparks, and signals are flowing through the veins of a car, even when it's just idling? - It's amazing!

Also, wheel stock numbers APFZOB97881F14 and APFZOB97882F14 are 1999-2002 OEM Viper CHROME PLATED alloy wheels, so it is possible his chrome plating is peeling off. Though most are stock with polished aluminum.

I am not a Viper owner, nor am I trying to put down the Viper, I'm simply stating facts and my opinions in an attempt to stick up for the original reviewer.

Though it is odd when he complains about a bad ride of a viper... This isn't a Cadillac made to drive you and your stuck up office partners to your corporate Friday lumcheons, it's made to shoot down the straightways and glue it's self to corners. It's a little double standard to complain about gas mileage in a V10 sports car then talk about owning a Hummer, though I'll bet money he/she drives a plastic H2, and if so, it gets about the same gas mileage as a Suburban.

29th Jul 2006, 06:17

We checked the mpg for idle curiosity and found that the Viper actually got better mileage than a Range Rover both around town and on the interstates... buying a SUV is actually practical if you own a Viper. Especially when you need space, in bad weather, places you wouldn't park or take a Viper or if you want a relaxed ride. Driving a Viper 100% of the time is too hard on the blood pressure! Gas is never a factor irregardless... unless you are out of it and need to fill up. The Viper can be driven daily at times and is very reliable.

15th Aug 2006, 23:27

Wow, a lot of misinformation in this thread.

I own a 1997 b/w Viper for 2 years. I have had zero problems with the car except for replacing the radiator. The radiator leaked a little after I ran the car hard in a Viper drive in 2rd gear. As I found out from other drivers, I should have been in 3rd. It was no big deal, and I put in a better radiator.

The cars are bullet proof. The interior is average at best. You pay for the massive engine, Tremec T-56 tranny, and unique style. These cars are redicously fast. Most owners that learn how to drive them will do sub 12 second quarter miles. That is with mods that would cost less than 500 dollars. For all those that believe the Evo's and other turbo cars can keep up you have to factor in the differences in cars. Many, many cars can be made to be as faster, and faster, but they are still like kids who win the Special Olympics.

Anyways, overall Vipers do not have many problems at all. Look up the Viper Club of America and one can get a much better feel for the car overall.

16th Aug 2006, 20:13

Change the flow tubes add a Catback exhaust and you can run in rush hour traffic in 2nd gear. In 4th gear on the interstate and going light on the pedal you can also get some surprising mileage on a long trip. The transmission, clutches are not as bulletproof as the engine.

26th Sep 2006, 18:25

$19,000 for just a new Viper hood? HA!, now that's extremely comical. for ANYONE who owns a dodge viper, whether they saved up enough for it or they won it in a contest, they better have a good continual income, at least me somewhat rich to keep the car considering those very high maintenance costs. $19,000 for a hood, ha, i'd rather get a restored mid-80s 8-cylinder sports car for HALF that, thank you very much.

You better be at least semi-rich to own and keep a viper and definitely rich if you own a new Ferrari or Lamborghini. these cars are meant to only be owned by people who've really got money, otherwise, they are great for the sake of being rental cars. I could own a restored '85 IROC-Z and just rent the Viper for a few days and then when I return it, I go right back to my restored 8-cylinder Camaro with it's get up and go that's no less than half as powerful as the Dodge Viper, unless of course, it's souped up.

14th Feb 2008, 15:04

I know a car that has a 2.0 Honda engine that can beat the Viper V10 easily in a straight and cornering. The Ariel Atom with its 2.0 litre 4 cylinder Supercharged Honda Civic Type R K20 I-VTEC engine producing 300 horsepower. And let us not forget the weight, 456 KG. 0-100km/h in 2.7 seconds!!! As a matter of fact, it is so fast, that on Top Gear it beat the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and the Porsche Carrera GT, which both are more powerful then the Dodge Viper.

15th Feb 2008, 06:35

Yeah, well I heard about a guy that tied a bicycle to a rocket and shot it into space. Are bicycles faster than Hondas?

15th Feb 2008, 14:52

And I know of 1000 hp Vipers on the street whats the point? If you have a Viper you are not shopping for the Honda with the far... pipe or IROC's come on.

17th Apr 2008, 19:02

Even with the crummy service and all the things going wrong I'd rather have this car than something out of italy. Its just as rare on the street, and doesn't cost nearly as much to buy or fix. Where I live its only nice for a good 3 months out of the year anyway, so that's not much to put up with. For the rest of the year the RSX does fine.

19th Apr 2008, 04:15

And in Florida you can drive a Viper all 12 months with the top off at least 90% of the time. The brief rain is the only issue. The actual mechanical running costs are not bad and they are very reliable and durable compared to imports. They can be run hard on a track and then driven home. On real long commutes on the interstates it's a great car to drive... but locally with the top up it's a chore getting in less so getting out. In certain areas here there are so many Ferraris, Lamborghinis etc. its just another everyday car that just blends in downtown.