Summary: This car is probably one of the best I have driven and owned. It is better than the Firebird that I loved so much. The car will take anything you throw at it and then some. It will also deliver great gas mileage(mine is around EPA quotes). The best thing about it is its "stealth" appearance. People don't quite expect what this thing will do. It is awesome. The quality seems to be good. There are no rattles, although the transmission likes to be shifted out of first rather quickly, and if you are going up a hill, there is a faint vibration. The ride is stiff, but not harsh, and interstate driving is very relaxed and comfortable. The seats stay pretty comfortable over the long haul, which is suprising. It could use a larger fuel tank, though. My average distance on a full tank is around 230 miles. It says "premium fuel required" one the tachometer and "premium fuel recommended" on the inside of the fuel filler door. I put in premium most of the time, but because of high gas prices, sometimes I put in regular, which doesn't make the engine knock, you just don't get as much boost pressure as you would with a higher grade.
Strengths: Seats
Body Style
Color(Orange Blast Pearl Metallic)
Exclusivity
Acceleration
Turbo Whine
Muffler-free exhaust
Wheels and Tires
Very little to no turbo lag.
Racy instrumentation with the old style red zone.(The entire gauge face in the red zone is red.)
Has a useable trunk
Can thrill(or terrify) more than one firend at the same time.
Ten speaker Kicker SRT Livin' Loud Sound System with 6-disc CD changer and Mopar RB1 Navigation Radio.
S U N R O O F ! ! !
Weaknesses: NONE to date(Except small gas tank)
Similar Products Used: 1995 Pontiac Firebird Formula
Would you like to Comment? Join CarReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Year / Model Reviewed: 2005 Dodge SRT-4 (ACR Option)
Summary: Mind-blowing. My first car was a 1964 GTO, and I've restored a number of old muscle cars. This little car would pulverize them all.
I'm 6'2" and 250 pounds, but fit with no problem except for the hard, lower seat bolsters in the ACR seats. I'll have them modified. Absolutely no other issues; an outstanding example of how hard our carmakers are working on their products. The proof? An inexpensive, super high performance passenger car that gets great mileage and can be a daily driver too. Isn't that what the original GTO was supposed to be all about? Great job, Chrysler.
Strengths: Incredible acceleration and handling for a sub-30K vehicle. Good overall quality. Shifter is perfect. Solid and squeak-free. Seriously: good gas mileage (I'm averaging 26MPG.) The thinks I like about the PT Cruiser applies here as well - fit/finish, fun-to-drive, unique. I was fortunate to get among the last available new ACRs in existence, and would do it again.
Weaknesses: ACR seats are good quality, but the hard seat bolsters are very hard on the thighs. Exhaust is loud - but it IS a performance car. Don't buy this car for winter driving.
Similar Products Used: Also own a 2005 PT Cruiser GT.
Would you like to Comment? Join CarReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Year / Model Reviewed: 2005 Dodge SRT-4 Stage 3 TT
Summary: A friend of mine went away on vacation for 2 months and loaned me his SRT-4. He got the Twin Turbo stage 3 upgrade from Mopar. All I can say is wow. The torque steer can be a real issue as this bad boy puts out 365 lb/ft torque and 355 Horsepower according to Mopar. In my time driving it I beat all kinds of higher end cars. The WRX STI, G35, 350Z, Supra TT, Audi TT, Civic SI by a country mile as well as the Cobalt SS and Ion redline. Several BMW's and the mustang GT. In short you will whoop any car below $55,000 Canadian. However, if it's refinement your seeking you may be better off with some of the other cars. I love the simplicity of the interior but I know many of you are probably looking for a more luxurious ride. Personally, I love the STI for that reason, as well as the Altima and even the civic si as they all offer leather interiors and all sorts of refinements. In the SRT-4 you will find a sunroof, viper style seats which I love, power windows, the same stereo as every other dodge (still a kick ass system and they have a kicker sound system available), a boost gauge, bluetooth function and the thing that has always made me favor the neons...A very high roof line and good all-round visibility. It still has a deep trunk which can haul it's fair share but the roof line in the back is a little low if you are above 6'0 tall. The exhaust is rather noisy and you can really hear the turbo when you punch it but again..I love that fact, and there is quite a bit of road noise. Also with the suspension being so highly tuned, if you hit a othole or a hard bump your apt to lose your fillings. But hey..these are the sacrifices you make for the best performance, suck it up. I currently drive a neon and I will definitely be buying this car for my next vehicle. If you wan't high performance at low cost in contrast to the competition, look no further.
Strengths: Accelleration, virtually non-existent turbo lag, good handling, very smooth clutch and shifter, excellent suspension and braking systems, responsive throttle, fuel economy and the fact that you can still use regular pump gas on occasion.
Weaknesses: Tourque steer, tire noise, very loud and aggressive exhaust note, lack of lsd makes driving on snow a bit challenging sometimes. Low head clearance in back seat for people above 6'0 tall.
Similar Products Used: WRX STI, CIVIC SI, Cobalt SS, Saturn Ion redline, RX-8, Altima 3.5. I have test driven all of the above and |I own a 2001 neon LE. Any cars I compared the SRT-4 to have all been driven by me before so I can say that with authority
Would you like to Comment? Join CarReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Summary: i have had my srt4 from 9 miles on to now over 63,000. still love this car it is my go to work car. right now i get between 26- 28 mpg drive combo city hiway driving. car handles very well and yes it still very fast. only mod to it are mopar cat back pipe, k&n air filter, 225 x 45 x 17inch tire with 7 inch wide rims and aftermarket cruise put in by dealer pretty stock for a srt4. car is still noise free as day i got it everything works great. srt4 is everything dodge made it to be to the point i am shopping for a second one with low miles to match this one. love the blaze orange color but living in fl. is hard on front end paint due to love bugs eatting the clear coat. i run simi senth oil by castorl change it every 3000 miles and the filter. so far it has been pretty maintance free. this is a real everyday driver but i do go to car shows and have 3 stright top 10,s at the mopar show in mobile al. 3 years running, and no i dont baby my dodge. srt4 is build to run and i run mine pretty hard most over time. that means red line a few times a day when needed to get in small holes in traffic. have have drivin it to kansas from fl. also sc. for srt track days too, done lone trips with my 2 wolfdogs in the back the wife and trunk full to the up to walmart 7 mile run in middle of the night. i am 51 now i also own a 1972 road runner, 1987 shelby charger, i would say say the srt4 is close or just a tic fastest then the road runner which is a not stock 440, 4 sp, ram 6000 disk, locker rear you get the picture i am shure. ok so for the bucks srt4 is very hard to beat and get 26-28 mpg and still can be a fast zoom zoom, would be very hard to go wrong
Strengths: fast, turns very well with wider tires, pretty comfi for a hot rod great gas mpg (if you drive nice)
Weaknesses: really need stage 2 with toys more for ablity to turn turbo down, even better mpg and bit more fun. 225 x 45 x 17 tire are a must!!!! stock 205's will not hold the hp at the front tires
Similar Products Used: 1986/7 shelby charger i had 2 not bad. i would put the srt4 drive train in one in a heart beat!!!!! they have weak transmissions kill one every 2 years
Would you like to Comment? Join CarReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Summary: A little pocket rocket which is just a blast to drive! It just brings on grins. Drove it on a trip for several hundred miles and got 29.3 miles per gallon, this on a car that rips to 60 in less then 5.6 seconds, turns a high thirteen second quarter mile and tops out at 150 plus. And all of this for a little over 20 grand, unbelieveable. For bang for the buck, there's nothing out there that can touch it. For that matter you have to pay another 10 grand to find anything to even come close to it.
Strengths: Speed, power, fun to drive, plus decent handling and ride. The car feels tight and well put together.
Weaknesses: You get use to them, but the pipes could stand to be a little quieter. I don't care for the standard seats so I ordered the car with side airbags. This option sets the car up with the more comfortable seats out of the R/T neon.
Similar Products Used: 2000 Neon. Drove over 60K mile without a glitch.
Would you like to Comment? Join CarReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Link to this page
5 of 5
4 of 5
