GTP Cool Wall: Dodge Neon SRT-4

  • Thread starter TheBook
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Dodge Neon SRT-4

  • Total voters
    115
  • Poll closed .
^ I know they do, but the matter that they "spit on your face" mantra does not do well for me. And bullying other cars adds to that badge.
 
Duke
But that's what I'm asking - Why is it automatically hard to believe a Neon could be cool, just because it's a Neon? In my 15 years of being involved with the little monsters, nobody has ever managed to explain that. They just act like it's obviously the law that Neons suck.
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Neon's are uncool for the same reason's New Beetle's are, a majority of the drivers are girls who are in high school or college and giggle at everything and begin every sentence with "like you know".
 
Justin
Neon's are uncool for the same reason's New Beetle's are, a majority of the drivers are girls who are in high school or college and giggle at everything and begin every sentence with "like you know".
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Girls who only have enough money to buy Neons usually by Cavaliers (typically convertibles, at that) instead.

The Vanishing Boy
^ I know they do, but the matter that they "spit on your face" mantra does not do well for me. And bullying other cars adds to that badge.
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Keep in mind that I'm not disagreeing with you, as I said basically the same thing in my first post, but how is that different from the morons who do go out and buy F-Bodys and 5.0 'Stangs, cut the exhaust off right after the front axle and leave every stoplight by dropping the clutch at 5500 RPM? I think it is sad that the same type of morons who do that ended up with these cars, but they are the same type of morons. I don't see how they are worse.
 
I'm not saying it's crap in stock form, but the of the two SRT-4s I see on a regular basis, one has huge wheels, and is slammed to the ground, and the other has a side-exit exhaust made from el-cheapo Advance Auto Parts exhaust pipe, and a front-mount intercooler which necessitated hacking the front fascia to bits. and also has ugly wheels and is slammed.

If I could find an entirely stock one, one owned by someone who knew what it was, I'd consider it, had I the money. But the locals 'round here don't look cool.

I understand a few people have owned Neons, and they're probably not bad cars, but the SRT-4 - not the normal Neon, first-gen or Second - is difficult to justify calling "cool." Why? So many of them are owned by guys who are trying to compensate for something. Similar to some of the Imprezas and Evos I see around here.
 
Yeah I don't really like stereotyping, irks me a bit. I vote for the car....for what it is. Not by the people that drive them. Which is the way it SHOULD be done. IMO.
 
Glad we don't get it.

Ugly, it's a Chrysler, it's a Neon. I don't particularly care how fast it is and even then, can somebody say torque-steer? Or actually for that matter, Focus RS?

Seriously Uncool.
 
McLaren
They very well could beat a STi, Evo, BMW, VW, or DSM if built right. As others have mentioned, these cars have a lot of potential.
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There was a guy in Evo magazine with a 90's Audi coupe running 1800 bhp that would out accelerate a veyron, whats your point ?

For the reasons already mentioned by Famine from a uk point of view Neons are seriously uncool
 
R1600Turbo
Yeah I don't really like stereotyping, irks me a bit. I vote for the car....for what it is. Not by the people that drive them. Which is the way it SHOULD be done. IMO.
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Unfortunately, it's the cool wall, not the good performance wall. Maybe take it a bit less seriously?
 
Enigma
There was a guy in Evo magazine with a 90's Audi coupe running 1800 bhp that would out accelerate a veyron, whats your point ?
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That they can beat the cars Vanishing Boy listed as cars they think they can beat.

Straight & forward point if you read the posts.
 
Everyone, 1 point that most people are missing...

The vote is for the SRT-4 model exclusively. Not the craptastic base model or the meh SXT or any other trim.

Duke
Except there is an extra-special depth of public hatred for Neons in a certain branch of the enthusiast community (those who would rather street race or talk about racing rather than actually go racing in a sanctioned event).

The Civic, Sentra, and Focus are all plain econoboxes too, but the backwards-hat crowd loves Civics and doesn't get all snotty about Sentras or Foci. It's just the Neon that get the instant disdain.
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I disagree with your hatred of the Focus (I kid I kid). I've owned 2 "lower" slower models compared to my SVT and they were quite good at putting a smile on my face. Even in stock form they handle extremely well. The Civic understeers but not nearly as bad as the Corolla. The Cavalier was just bleh, sort of in the same category as the Corolla for me. The Sentra was good, but not as good as the Focus. My opinion is after driving every car mentioned here is the Neon is not better than the Focus or Sentra. Or the Impreza either for that matter. The Neon isn't a BAD car it just isn't a GOOD car when compared to some of its competition. But this is a moot point because this topic isn't about anything else other than the SRT-4. Fact: the SRT-4 wasn't even badged as a NEON. It simply said DODGE SRT-4 on the boot lid.

Now pitting the SVT Focus vs the SRT-4 is a fair comparison--but in a straight line the SRT-4 will eat pretty much almost anything's lunch under $25,000 in the US at that time.

Had the SRT-4 been released in Europe I think it would of done well actually regardless of the stigma of the regular Neon.
 
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Not better than the Sentra? Man, the Sentra was/is so bad that it causes cancer. Not Cavalier bad, but not that much better.
 
Toronado
Not better than the Sentra? Man, the Sentra was/is so bad that it causes cancer. Not Cavalier bad, but not that much better.
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thanks, man. thanks a bunch for telling me I just bought a crapbox.
 
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JCE
Had the SRT-4 been released in Europe I think it would of done well actually regardless of the stigma of the regular Neon.
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Sorry, but I think it would have done poorly. A poor dealer network combined with bad build quality, uninspiring looks and much better competition would have killed it immediately. The Focus ST, Astra VXR, Impreza STI, Lancer Evo, MG ZS, Golf GTI, etc. far outclass the Neon/SRT-4 I'm afraid. Seriously Uncool, because to most people in the UK & Europe, it's just a "badly built American car with a tacky bodykit". As cool as it is in the states, it's seriously uncool over here. I hope that wasn't offensive to anyone, I'm just stating the facts.
 
X-Power
I hope that wasn't offensive to anyone, I'm just stating the facts.
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It wasn't offensive, but I don't see any facts.

X-Power
The Focus ST,
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Didn't come out until the SRT-4 was dead. We got the previous model (ST170) that was sold alongside the SRT-4, and the SRT-4 walked all over it.

X-Power
Astra VXR,
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Didn't come out until the SRT-4 was dead.

X-Power
Impreza STI, Lancer Evo,
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We had these two. They were a performance and price class above the SRT-4. You might as well be comparing a BMW 330Ci to an M3.

X-Power
MG ZS,
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From what I've read about these cars and know about Rover in their final years, these were basically the exact thing you said about the SRT-4. "A poor dealer network combined with bad build quality, uninspiring looks and much better competition." Only the Rover would have been much slower.

X-Power
Golf GTI,
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Came out months before the SRT-4 died. We got the previous model (GTi Mk IV) that was sold alongside the SRT-4, and the SRT-4 walked all over it.



Now, I'm not saying that the SRT-4 definitely would have been a hit in Europe, but to declare that it definitely wouldn't requires a bit more evidence than a bunch of cars that weren't on sale at the same time and a few that were but weren't in the same performance category.
 
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I love all the people who pound on the Neon for "bad build quality", likely without the first bit of first-hand experience. Teh internet rocks.
 
I think it's cool. It's a fast little bugger. As an enthusiast, I honestly can care less about the build quality of the interior. It just seems like a cool car to me. Base neons, never drove one, can't comment, was turned away by the headgasket problems, but this is different. It's the Cobra to the Mustang. The SVT to the Focus, the SE-R to the sentra, the VTEC to the Civic. Everyone can hate the base models, but they love the top tier ones.

So why do they hate the SRT-4?
 
I voted meh, I like the Cobalt SS Turbo more. Both sounded like pretty good FWD performers though.
 
Having driven one many times I agree that it's good value. This one being bone stock since it was bought back in '05 but still relatively fast for the street. 👍
 
Maybe I should wash my hands instead; I typed it, I didn't say it. But, either way, I'd still have the Caliber over the Neon.
 
The Caliber isn't exactly horrible... but for Chrysler to make a bigger, less nimble car, with worse plastics, the drag coefficient of a mailbox, and an incredible lack of headroom considering the height and size... what a waste of engineering potential.
 

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