SRT4...how good are they really?

[92vig]

I see a ton of people driving them. I can get one for $8995...its an 03 and has 55k miles. I am thinking of trading my Lancer in for it...only because one, the Lancer is too slow and two, I dont feel like paying on this shit forever. But dont know how reliable an SRT4 Neon would be. I am not one to love domestic cars. Dont care for Mopar, but it seems the SRT4 has a real strong following crowd, and the power they make combined with the light weight of the car probably makes it fly. Moreso than my heavy hunk of metal with a PZEV motor.

[MikeW]

Ive always wandered myself, but i cant get passed the fact that it's a Chrysler product. I love Ram trucks and they've made some nice cars over the years and in the past, but i dont know. I just dont like Chryslers. Maybe im biased because i've had nothing but bad luck with them or something.

That and i've heard that alot of the guys that drive them are douchebags.

[deevergote]

They're not terribly unreliable, but it's not easy to find one that wasn't beaten on. People often don't know how to properly care for turbo cars, and NOBODY buys an SRT-4 without the intention of hammering on it a bit.

A 2003 was probably purchased in mid to late 2002. That means it's an 8 year old turbo car, based on the lowest of the low end model from one of the most notoriously unreliable American car companies.

I had a 2002 Grand Prix GTP back in 2007. At that time, it was only a 5-6 year old car. Used, with 48k on it. Appeared to be well maintained. Similar situation... used forced induction... It lasted me a year before it blew up on me... and I maintained it properly!


My advice, don't buy an STR-4 for anything but a toy. They're fantastic cars to play with, but they're not going to make reliable daily drivers anymore. Not unless you have the money and/or knowhow to fix them when they break.

h22sparkle will tell you they're great... and he's done a lot with his. But he's the kind of guy that will go outside and pull a motor out without hesitation. If you're at all lazy like me and don't like fixing your cars every weekend... stay away!


The Lancer is new-ish. I understand not wanting to keep paying for it... but it's probably cheaper to keep paying for that than to take on the potential problems of an 8 year old STR-4. If you want speed, boost the Lancer. Or spray it.

[kantkillkeenan]

My buddy has had 2 of them.
One got crashed in Florida but he loved it and the next he bought from some kid that owns a shop[ and the motor blew about 3 months after he bought it. hes getting a motor now but he still loves them, and he used to be a honda man.
I like them..they sound mean as hell and they are pretty quick..but like Deev said...make sure you get it checked out because that shit was def 100% beat on.

[DJ metadelic]

I find them all stock, untouched/unraep'd up here where I'm from for under 10k all the time. Recently I drove a black one. It was nice.

[The-Gr8-Ox]

i could never get past the fact that its a neon period! they are a pain in the ass to work on.

[92vig]

I hear you....thing is, I need a DD and I KNOW people beat the fuck out of the SRT4s....and yes they are all douches around here. Probably going to stick with the Lancer. Once the warranty and extended warranty is up....time to spray. Only thing is, it has a pos PLASTIC intake manifold. What the FUCK is up with that?

[1990Ex]

like any other car the drivers is what fucked up the image of the srt4, but i love em. my boy has one sitting at 420whp pretty sick

[92vig]

420's a lot...thats respectable, and my DSM was pushing upwards of 450awhp. The only thing is....I wouldnt want 400+ on a FWD car. It will take a hell of a lot of work to keep the wheels from hopping or spinning to no end. On an AWD like my Talon, yea no problem for me. On FWD...275ish wheel max for me.

[gloryaccordy]

They're not bad, I rode in one. Good DDs if u can find one cheap

[MikeW]

I thought SRT-4s were AWD...

[DJ metadelic]

I thought SRT-4s were AWD...

No, I believe they're only FF. Aren't they?

[92vig]

Nope they are all FWD!

[Ander]

Yeah they're FF.

And if you were gunna go that route of getting rid of the lancer...why not just get like an evo 8...instead of a neon lol.

[HenRoc]

I thought SRT-4s were AWD...

Caliber SRT-4 is.

Im just waiting from Sparkles to chime in... anytime now..