The Neon SRT4 Is The Car Everyone Loves To Hate

"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia) 02/19/2018 at 18:21 • Filed to: Srt, Srt4

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Long ago, the four cylinder engine was a gold standard of frugal transportation. In an era of large displacement V8 engines that were as approximately as efficient as your local driver’s license office, the four cylinder engine chiseled itself into American homes. As the gas crisis hit, these small engines started to make tons of sense, even if they lacked any form of performance.

As with anything, things got better, far better. Cars like the Dodge Omni GLHS, Honda Civic Type R, Mitsubishi Evolution and Lancia Delta Intergrale began to challenge the status quo. As time went on, we started to see basic economy cars turn into fire breathing monsters; mere shells of their former selves.

One perfect shining example of this is the infamous Dodge Neon SRT4. Long before the turbocharged Civic Type R and Ford Focus ST, the SRT4 was the king of front wheel drive four cylinder power. Producing an underrated 230 horsepower from a 2.4 liter four pot, the Neon was able to hit 60 in 5.6 seconds and cover the 1320 in just 14 seconds flat. That’s faster than a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454. A Dodge Neon, with a four cylinder. Yes you read that correctly.

Yet, the SRT4 is a touchy subject, largely because people truly love to hate this car. Admittedly, I was always slightly hard on these, even if I did secretly like them. I remember when they went on sale, and they were all the rage. A Dodge Neon that could run with V8 cars, and still maintained the practicality of a basic Neon. The whole package seemed so oddly perfect. The truth is, in many ways it was.

Yet, most people talk down heavily on them, as if the SRT4 was a committed felon. Sadly, most of these cars have been abused, modified poorly and become about as desirable as genital herpes. Finding a good example is like trying to find a reason that people eat Tide Pods; it’s basically pointless.

Yet, over the weekend, I took a guy road trip to Indianapolis to help my good friend Austin pick up his 2005 SRT4, it hadn’t been driven or started in roughly a year. I firmly believe we all felt as if getting it driving would be involving, but it wasn’t. More on that later.

Upon opening the garage door, the sunlight set on a very mint condition orange Neon, very close in color to my Mirage actually.

A large upgraded front mount intercooler and side exit exhaust quickly gave me one impression, and that impression was that all of the stories I’d heard about this car were indeed very true. I’d heard this was a very rowdy and very visceral ride. Soon I’d find out just how true that really was. After drooling all over the paintwork of the SRT, we hopped into my car and went to get a new battery, some coolant and other basics to do some quick tuning up before the first start. Roughly an hour later, the car was running after being cranked for about .0001 milliseconds. It literally fired as soon as the key turned, and it was running like a brand new car.

Always thought these looked so mean from the front

This gauge cluster quickly reminds you that this isn’t your aunt’s Neon

Just driving around town, the SRT4 with the aftermarket exhaust makes one of the best noises you’ll ever dream of hearing. Deep, cracking, snarling and pissed off is the best way to describe the sounds it makes. In the world of four cylinders, the 2.4 liter in the SRT4 is truly the vocalist of our generation. It really is that good. Something else good? Torque, lots and lots of torque. Cruising 30 miles per hour in fourth gear if you barely nudge the skinny pedal the Dodge quickly perks up and effortlessly blows through town. The power delivery of this particular car was extremely unique for me, and I really wish I could describe it properly. Just imagine having quick V8(ish) torque with a turbocharger that still makes power until roughly 6500 rpms. That’s the best way to paint this picture.

I did a few spirited pulls in second and third gear, and I’ll just say that the SRT4 can make a half mile seem like a few yards. Second and third gear end very quickly and you immediately realize you’ve just broken virtually every legal speed limit in the United States. To sum up acceleration of this particular car, let’s just say it’s extremely good and this was on snow tires and low boost.

Handling was also good, again on snow tires. Roundabouts were easily tackled and S curves felt predictable, the SRT4 has a very playful side and is far from a dedicated straight line burner. Steering offers excellent feedback with no dead spots or vagueness, and response is very fast. Overall, this car felt like a true sports car. Just to reiterate, this particular car isn’t stock and does have suspension modifications.

Not everything is perfect though. You see, these cars are hated on because most people are quick to point out that it’s “just a Neon” at the end of the day. It’s just Dodge’s cheapest car churched up with a powerful engine. It’s just a shit box that can go well in a straight line. It’s always going to be a Neon.

Here’s my take on this, because I have a lot to say. Yes, it’s still a Neon. The interior is still lackluster, save for the supportive sports seats. The dash, door panels, and steering wheel all come from a basic Neon just like your high school teacher drove. The interior looks cheap, feels cheap, and is cheap. The center heating vent droops like a English Bulldog’s face and doesn’t aim anywhere near where you want it to go. There’s squeaks and rattles. The rear seats don’t fold down, and that hurts practicality. The large rear spoiler make rearward visibility slightly interesting. Finally, at the end of the day, it’s just a Neon, and you can’t escape that.

Oh, and the gauge cluster? Well if there was ever any doubt that you’re not in a standard Neon, the SRT4 script may help eliminate that. If you’re still not sure, the 160 mile per hour speedometer will definitely remind you that you’re in something neat. Something else that isn’t shared with a basic Neon is the pedals, I say this because the pedal box is very tightly and correctly spaced for heel toe driving. I found myself properly heel toeing within about two minutes of driving this car. Well done Dodge!

However, to say the SRT4 is just a Neon is like saying the almighty E46 M3 is just a 323ci. The M3 rocks a basic model dash, basic model door panels, and makes up for it with a bespoke engine and suspension upgrades. The SRT4 has a bespoke engine, and many other bespoke components as well.

The next time someone says the SRT4 is “just a Neon” kindly remind them that some of the best cars a normal person can afford just so happen to be based on basic crappy cars. That’s virtually every M3 in existence.

So we know the SRT4 is hated because it’s a Neon. It’s not a perfect car, and it has many shortcomings. However, it is a purpose built car, and in my opinion, it handles that purpose very well. It handles well, it accelerates very well, and returns decent fuel economy. There’s just one thing it does very well, and it’s the most important aspect of car buying for me. This would be feel, and the SRT4 feels special. The way it drives, the way it sounds, just the overall emotion is truly profound. It feels special because it IS special. There wasn’t one second that I was driving this car without smiling. Driving this car felt like meeting your childhood hero and then getting their autograph. It’s something you just need to drive to understand.

This car sucks at many things, but whether or not you hate it, you cannot deny its performance. This car is a 2005 and it will still turn the quarter mile faster than any front wheel drive car you can buy new aside from the gaudy Civic Type R. It feels far better than the Focus ST that disappointed me months back. The SRT4 raised the bar over a decade ago, and truth be told… the bar is still basically right where Dodge left it. For that reason, I’m going to say the SRT4 is one of the best front wheel drive performance cars of all time, and one of the best four cylinder cars you can buy. I believe in the future that one of these in the condition that Austin’s is in will become collectible, and some day we will talk about when you could get a clean SRT4 for just $5000-$6000.

Final Thoughts

The SRT4 is a hilariously entertaining car to drive, and it provides some good practicality. I’m six foot tall and easily fit in the back seat without compromising on leg room. The trunk is reasonably large and would easily accommodate a few people on a road trip. Overall, the SRT does everything good that a Neon always did; reliable and reasonable transportation. However, it does everything good that a basic Neon didn’t; excellent performance, amazing driving character, and a superb exhaust note that makes just about anyone envious.

If you hate these cars, that’s absolutely fine, as most people do. I challenge you to find a decent example and take it on some twisty roads and open it up a few times. Upon doing this, you may just find the same conclusion that I have. That conclusion is simple for me...

The SRT4 has many shortcomings. Many. For me, those shortcomings become minuscule in comparison to the upsides that the car offers. In fact, I think I may pick one up here in the future for myself. On that interesting twist, on to giving this car a overall score.

The Score

Styling

Styling is always subjective, but I find this car to be handsome. The orange paint, the aggressive front bumper with the intercooler poking through and the tall rear spoiler just works here. 6/10

Acceleration

This car of course has some choice modifications and that helps out here I’m sure. I don’t know the 0-60 time but I do know it’s a very quick car. 7/10

Handling

Handling is very composed and tight, the upgraded sway bars and lowering springs all come into play. I found the steering to be very amazing and direct as well. 7/10

X Factor

So you’re wondering, what is this category? This category measures the car’s ability to excel at one thing better than any other car. What does it do better than other cars in this class? The SRT4 offers a powerful turbocharged engine with a manual transmission only. This is clearly an enthusiast minded vehicle and when it debuted, there’s wasn’t truly any serious rivals. This makes this car very unique and very cool. 8/10

Importance

The SRT4 was one of the first SRT vehicles for Chrysler, and was a performance twist on the successful Neon. Dodge offered an ACR variant of this same car, making it even more important if you know the ACR heritage. This was a huge ballsy step, and a very cool one when it came out. Some day, these will get to collector status. 7/10

Comfort

The sport seats may be tight for bigger passengers, even if they are one of my favorite features. The ride is harsh and not quite forgiving. This is a rough area, but this is a performance car. 2/10

Features And Equipment

This isn’t a good area for this car. The front windows are power, the rear are crank. The only feature this car has is a turbocharger. Beyond that, this thing is more Spartan than Leonidas. 1/10

Practicality

This is a four door with reasonable space. The rear seats are comfortable enough and I was just fine riding back there. The trunk is fairly spacious and there’s room for bags on a trip. The fuel economy is in the 20s and that’s respectable for any performance car. 6/10

Quality

As with any turbocharged performance car, reliability is a mixed bag. This car made an easy 270 mile trip home with no issues and has been reliable. However, these are known for transmission issues with increased power. 5/10

Value

Let’s talk value. These can be had needing work for under $2,000 while good examples can be had for around $5000-$6000. At the 5-6k range I struggle to find other cars that deliver so much, and offer so much excitement. These cars aren’t for everyone, but there’s a strong chance if you’re reading this, you’re a car enthusiast. This is an easy 10/10

Analyzing The Score

59/100, making this car a pretty strong score. As you can tell, it lacks in the features and equipment areas, and comfort is lacking a bit. However, in all of the enthusiast minded categories, the SRT4 shines. This makes perfect sense because this car is far from a BMW 3 series. The SRT4 is a performance focused car and it does this very well. If you’re willing to compromise on features and comfort, you get a hilarious amount of fun in return.

wafflesnfalafel > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 19:03

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they sound super cool too

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > wafflesnfalafel 02/19/2018 at 19:06

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Indeed they do!

3 Jeeps and a Mazda wants a Fiata > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 19:21

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I STILL want one of these in that fantastic blue color. If only I could find a clean well cared for example that was completely stock (still love the wheels) of buy it in a heartbeat. Best sounding factory 4 cylinder next to the 500 Abarth in my book.

McMike > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 19:27

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“IT’S NOT A NEON!”

-every STR-4 owner

Austin Robinett > McMike 02/19/2018 at 19:29

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You’re not wrong.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Austin Robinett 02/19/2018 at 19:37

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It’s the owner himself!

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > McMike 02/19/2018 at 19:38

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Doesn’t make the car any less good.

chaozbandit > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 19:40

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It makes for a great rally car

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > chaozbandit 02/19/2018 at 19:47

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Ohhhh I love a 1G Neon coupe!

McMike > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 19:55

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Didn’t say it did.

It’s just something Dodge forced the SRT-4 owners to say since they didn’t put “neon” on the deck lid.

Danger > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 20:00

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I never really had a problem back when they came out with the cars themselves, but in my experience the owners tended to be loudmouthed and very young. It’s as if they had the automotive equivalent of short man’s syndrome. They just had to loudly list off a bunch of meaningless specs and numbers, and make sure everyone knew it “wasn’t a neon.”

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > McMike 02/19/2018 at 20:08

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It’s no different than some of the other awesome performance cars. The Golf R is just a Golf. The Focus RS is just a Focus.

For me, that’s kind of part of the fun :) if you get what I’m saying.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Danger 02/19/2018 at 20:09

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THIS. This is a huge part of the issue and you just nailed it. Well said.

Austin Robinett > McMike 02/19/2018 at 20:14

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I’ve never really had an issue with it being called a neon. It says neon on the title so that’s kind of concrete. That’s more of the fun for me because if you ever lost, it’s just a neon and they said so themselves. But when you win, they got humbled by a neon. All in all, they’re glorious pieces of shit and I love them.

Khalbali > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 20:15

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Not entirely related but I noticed a month or two ago that every single caliber srt4 I’ve ever seen has either been in an auto parts store parking lot or been covered in the entire “tacky aisle” from said auto parts store.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Khalbali 02/19/2018 at 20:19

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Unfortunately this precise issue has plagued these cars since day one.

McMike > Austin Robinett 02/19/2018 at 20:30

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I like the SRT-4. I was just making fun of the owners that think it’s no longer a Neon because Dodge didn’t put it on the trunk in in the marketing.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Danger 02/19/2018 at 20:39

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All the small turbo 4 cars have this same problem. The Veloster Turbo is where most of these guys (and their successors) turned after the dry spell between the SRT4 and the modern turbo 4 renaissance. Many turned to the Focus ST as well (although the average buyers were higher-paid and better-educated, the people that weren’t average were these guys). Toybarus also attract this type pretty heavily.

OmerCarrothers333 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 21:11

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A friend of mine used to have an SRT4 with the Stage 3 Mopar gear, it was a friggin beast

CB > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 21:27

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There’s a Caliber SRT-4 for sale near me. Odds are good it’s not as good as the Neon, but I thought it was odd seeing both that and this article today.

HPoz - I like Honda Fits and I cannot lie > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 21:43

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Great write-up but I would say the WRX was a pretty “serious competitor” when the SRT4 came out. Apart from that I can’t think of any, though.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 21:54

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I really want to find a not destroyed one just as an everyday car. But chances of that are slim to none as you mentioned.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > OmerCarrothers333 02/19/2018 at 22:03

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Yeah those are absolutely insane lol

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > HPoz - I like Honda Fits and I cannot lie 02/19/2018 at 22:04

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Aside from the fact that the SRT4 would absolutely demolish it from a roll :)

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 02/19/2018 at 22:04

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You and me both. They’ve become rare to find without tons of issues. Sad.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > CB 02/19/2018 at 22:05

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I’ve never got to drive the Caliber version. Seems like a neat daily though.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 22:46

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I never minded the Neon SRT4, but I would never and will never get one. I always found it humorous the people who had them and treated them like a million dollar exotic car. I get taking care of your car, but seemed like a lot that I saw, the owner had waaaayyy too much pride in it and his/herself. It’s still an early 00's Dodge. Neon.

Khalbali > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/19/2018 at 23:41

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Always liked the first gen neon though, a coupe was almost my first car but I ended up with a crx si instead and lost zero sleep over it lol.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CB 02/20/2018 at 00:45

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It’s heavier, but it has more power... 285HP. And the engine is part of the newer GEMA (Chrysler-Hyundai-Mitsubishi) family:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Engine_Alliance  

And yes... that’s the same basic engine family that is/was used in the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 02/20/2018 at 00:50

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Doesn’t matter if it’s a Dodge Neon or a Trabant. I take pride in any form of automobile I own. I don’t see eye to eye with you on this one.

Blab10 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/20/2018 at 01:14

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FYI, that’s the stock front mount intercooler.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Blab10 02/20/2018 at 01:21

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They’re not current pictures. I’m an idiot and didn’t snap current pictures because I used Snapchat. The owner of the car is in the comments. It currently has an AGP front mount.

Austin Robinett > Blab10 02/20/2018 at 02:23

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The pictures he used with the exception of the gauge cluster were when I bought the car in 2013 and it was completely stock. It does have an AGP direct fit front mount now.

Austin Robinett > McMike 02/20/2018 at 02:29

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95 percent of the owners are exactly what you described. Since 2013, I’ve met exactly 2 people that weren’t the typical neon owner. Combine the teenage hormones with the oversized egos and you can understand why the guys are the way they are. Which also explains why nearly all of them are clapped out pieces of garbage now.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Austin Robinett 02/20/2018 at 02:32

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Thanks for clearing that up brother!

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/20/2018 at 10:39

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There’s having pride, then there’s having too much pride is what I was meaning to say. It always seemed that the owners I saw had too much pride - which to be honest, could’ve been more their own general attitudes, not just towards their car.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/20/2018 at 12:03

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Never understood the hate for these cars. My friend in college had one, and it was an absolute riot to drive. Sounded amazing, pulled like nothing I had ever been in at the time, drove great. Torque steer was hysterical, that car put a smile on my face every time I was in it.

Scary__goongala! > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/20/2018 at 13:03

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Have always liked these cars. The idiot owners were the problem. I know not every owner is like that, but when I knew of several people around my area that drove them....they were all idiots

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 02/20/2018 at 14:11

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I can see that, and see where you’re coming from. Much of the stigma behind these cars seems to point back to some of the owners.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 02/20/2018 at 14:12

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That was my exact feeling driving this particular SRT4. The sound was eargasmic. The whole experience was truly memorable.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Scary__goongala! 02/20/2018 at 14:13

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That makes sense. Some crowds just attract those owners. Unfortunately these cars got a bad rap because of it. The car itself is truly brilliant though. I’ll say that.

Funina05 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/20/2018 at 20:46

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I can honestly say that I love my car it looks exactly like the picture in the story. I bought it off the showroom floor in 2005 after test driving it for the weekend. It is still fun to drive and the only thing I have had to replace is the clutch. It needs syncronizers in 1st,2nd and reverse, and it needs a new cold air intake. But hey after 140,000 miles what wouldn’t need some work.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Funina05 02/20/2018 at 22:23

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Feel free to drop a picture in the comments:)

Oo TRAUMA > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/21/2018 at 02:52

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I love mine. I’ve had it about two years now and it’s cost me what I paid for it in repairs already (second trans, second bottom end, chased some sensor issues for a bit, clutch replacement (I know, routine maintenance but I went with all higher performance parts in the bell housing)). Every time something breaks I think it’s the last straw, I’m going to sell the damn thing, but then I fix it and get behind the wheel again I know I’d never have it in me to sell it. It’s so much fun to drive. You get so much for the price you pay (initially at least). I’ve got one of the cleaner ones I’ve seen in person, and can tell you that despite it being ‘just a neon’ it breaks necks constantly.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/21/2018 at 08:08

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After almost 10 years, I still kinda want one to have some fun with.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 02/21/2018 at 11:41

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Do it! You won’t regret it.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Oo TRAUMA 02/21/2018 at 11:45

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Now that’s some perspective, because I’m a DSM owner and can relate there to repairs and perceived quality and such. I was just telling the owner of this SRT4 if I could fine a stone white ACR, an orange one like his, OR a blue one I’d definitely like to own one.

Your car is absolutely stunning. I don’t care about just a Neon personally, I love it. The SRT4 has taught me something; sometimes taking something basic and ordinary as a starting base can make something quite extraordinary.

Austin Robinett > Oo TRAUMA 02/21/2018 at 15:55

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I have a stupid amount of money in the one included in the article. Water is not your friend. The engines aren’t cheap. Last February, I had my set of DSS level 3 axles start to get slop in them and I replaced them. That was the final straw for me at that moment. Said I was going to trade it in on a scat pack. The scat pack came but the turbo shitbox stayed.

LoGiK101 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 04/22/2018 at 21:28

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The exhaust note , torque and styling of SRT vehicles in general are the 3 main things I love about this car , as an added bonus, it’s a blast to drive...people also have the misconception jt.simply cannot handle, this statement couldn’t be any more false..It’s a fantastic straight line machine, and can also hit the twisties, auto cross , rally and other events . Certainly a unique car and nothing put there quote like it, today I would argue there’s still nothing under 20K you could buy stock that could beat it ....

LoGiK101 > wafflesnfalafel 04/22/2018 at 21:30

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Yes indeed, probably the most unique exhaist note along with the older wrx STi

05 "just a neon" ACR > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 08/03/2018 at 06:38

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My first car was a 95 neon, the car was super cheap, everything vibrated and rattled, I was a kid when I bought it, did a few mods and the little thing held its own against pretty much whatever I went up against in the early 2000s.i wanted to go turbo, but caught alot of crap from people asking why I would do that to a neon. Then dodge gave us the srt4, I had wanted one badly but got busy with life and didn’t get one in the beginning. I had always wanted an 04 blue one with a sunroof, almost bought one but the owner backed out because he needed cash due to fudging the numbers when he bought it so I hand to pass.

Then 5 years ago I started looking again, saw an ad locally with no pictures and little info. 1 owner adult owned 05 srt4 ACR 83k miles (almost all highway due to him driving it for work a couple times a week almost 2 hours away ) , immediately picked up the phone and drove out that night to see it. I literally held my breath as I turned the corner hoping it was minimally modified, had proper ACR parts and a sunroof. I was so excited to see it was a stone white with sunroof car and fat boy seats (1 of 3 with those 2 options in that color) none stock with really bald front tires lol.

Met the owner the next day who already had a list of people interested in it. He was in his late 40s and loved this car, once a month he pulled all the weatherstripping off when he detailed the car, he kept it spotless. He had some higher than asking price offers, but after hanging out for around 2 hours and me going on and on about neon and srt4s, he understood how much I appreciated this car, he stood up, shook my hand and said she was mine, that the other interested people didn’t know anything about the car and he knew I would take care of it.

So 5 years later, she still makes me smile every time I see her in my driveway, just like my 95,its never left me stranded, but it’s also my weekend toy, still almost stock (mopar intake, needs wings downpipe, mopar style strut bar and upgraded rotors) and just hit 100k miles. Only thing that doesn’t work is the sunroof... Like 98% of all neons this old lol. That and the Florida sun is finally taking its toll on my paint... 

As you can see, I am probably one of those owners who takes too much pride in his neon, but I love this car, it's the car I wanted back when I was just a kid, but I am in my mid 30s now and am almost responsible enough to own this toy lol. My son absolutely loves it, he's 3 and the giggles and laughter heard over the exhaust crackles from that little Recaro racing seat in the back make me smile every time. 

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > 05 "just a neon" ACR 08/03/2018 at 07:30

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Love the story, stone white is my favorite color for the ACR. Nothing wrong at all with taking pride in your car, the SRT4 will always be special in my eyes. It was a serious game changer for the FWD world. Thanks for sharing :)

JShark > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 09/24/2018 at 11:54

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Just handed over my ’03 showroom stock SRT 4 to my grandson. 92,000 trouble free miles. Contrary to the article, no rattles and my rear seats do fold down making for huge trunk capacity. Over the years I’ve had lots of interesting cars, Pors ches, BMW, LBC's, a 440 Charger, but the SRT 4 is the one that holds my heart.

RyGuy > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 04/28/2019 at 04:16

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Since everyone’s sharing their srt-4 stories I would like to share mine. Ill try and make it quick(yea right) . It all started back in ‘04 for me when I was already on my 3rd car new car at the young age of just 21 years old. I say that not to brag at all but to explain. See I was fresh out of my Ironworker Local 4o Manhattan apprenticeship making good money which at that age i couldn’t spend fast enough. I am a sucker for turbo car\hatches and jumped from car to car throughout my twenties. My very first car was a ‘95 Jetta my parents bought me back in HS for getting good grades. After a year or so around 19 I bought my first car and “hot hatch” which was a 2001 VW Gti. I was hooked from day one on turbo cars and really was a “Vdub” fan boy for a while (even grabbing 2 more GTis along my journey so far). Ater 2years I bought my 2nd car which was a ‘03 Acura TL Type-S. That leads us to a year later where I trade in the type-s for the srt-4. The srt4 I knew I had to have one the moment my eyes laid upon it. It just was so different and that front grill looked so mean to me. It had the power to take on v8s and it really upset alot of cars. Here’s where the story gets good and comes full circle though (imo at least). So after a year or so I traded the srt4 for a NISMO Frontier truck. I know I know I should have never done that trust me, I regretted it ever since. But tell that to a 21yr old kid who’s making good money and enjoying the change of cars year to year lifestyle, yknow what I’m sayi ng. You couldnt stop me and the same went for the motorcycles it was a cbr or dual sport every other year. Sure they were amazing times but I pissed so much money away. Anyways this isn’t the point. My point is now I’m turning 36 the end of next month and since have had a few more cars. Cars like 2 more GTis (mk5,mk6), Mazdaspeed 3, wrx, and my latest was a ‘14 fiesta St. Now out of all the cars I have owned by far the most fun to drive was the fiesta and srt4. With the srt4 taking the lead in character and overall feel . Honestly the feel and behavior of the car is just on a level of it’s own I cant even explain it really . I missed my ‘04 srt4 that I purchased brand new back in ‘04 so much that I vowed to myself I would try to find another one eventually . It truly is a special car(to me at least) and after driving and practically owning most of the hot hatches nothing compares to it’s personality. Its kinda hard for me to explain. The best way to describe it is I don’t wanna listen to music when I drive it(and the system in mine is up graded) . I truthfully just find myself wanting to listen to the exhaust and turbo sounds bc it’s that freaking good. I missed the car so much I sold my ‘14 Fiesta St and purchased an ‘05 SRT-4 to use as my daily. If you never drove a Srt-4 then you migjt ca ll me crazy(or you still might if you have) but i explain my logic below. Look Both are great cars but for some reason imho I have more fun in the srt4. Just the feel of it,the sounds it makes, it’s....just... different. It’s Mopar really I guess, and what really sucks is most people dont have a clue what went into making this car and how it all started. The tranny is actually from a Mercedes deisel, the guy who put the group together and was respondsible for the srt4 John Hernandez was the “ directory of PVO”. If you don’t know who PVO or who he was for dodge you got some dodge car history homework to do. He also worked on shleby vehicles like the Omni GLHS. Not only him but nermous other seriously talented people had put their time in to create this one a kind srt4. Look for a link down below to literally EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about the Dodge Srt4 and how it came to be. It’s actually an Awesome read, a bit long, perfect for the shitter lol. Back to the Srt4, t h e stick shifter I love how it’s very mechanical and raw its got that old school vibe going on, especially with the cue ball shifter feel. Theres isn’t all this new electrical tech crap going on either it’s basic and it just works. Bottom line I wanted to sell my Fiesta before It started to lose to much of it’s value(it had 100k miles and paint was in bad shape on some spots) I took part of the money from selling it and found an ‘05 Srt4 pretty much stock with just front sway bar,Mopar blow off valve, aem fuel|air ratio gauge, and last owner installed a very hard hitting bass system with upgraded speakers and CD player. Car only has 65k miles on her. She runs great, just purrs. So in the end I wound up with the car I always wanted to get a hold of again and with even less miles than my previous car. On top of that i have a good amount of coin leftover for the “new” weekend car I decide to by. Some might think I’m nuts for giving up the Fiesta for the almost 15yr old Srt-4. Not the case at all... I’m in quite a good place right now just gotta drive one to see for yourself. Honestly in the past month I have owned my new srt4, I’ve gotten more compliments compared to the whole lifetime I owned the Fiesta St(5 years). From people at gas stations admiring the exhaust sound to a couple rolling down their windows as I drove by giving me a thumbs up saying they “haven’t seen one in forever and glad to see a clean one”. For those interested in the article about how the SRT-4 came to fruition here ya go(really is a great read for any SRT enthusiast): Everything you wanted to know or didn’t want to know about the SRT-4 *VERY LONG* https://www.srtforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98857

RyGuy > LoGiK101 06/19/2019 at 20:11

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Where did you get those headlights. I’m trying to find a black pair replacement but the lense for the turn signals are chrome and not full black like yours. Also your regular  low beams look different aw well did you upgrade to hid or something?

Coitis > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/12/2020 at 07:47

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I just bought mine last week 136k miles stock “except a hks  blow off” thing is great not grinds no pop out just amazing so far. But I’ll give it a little longer before I boast to much about my new toy xD

CSX321 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 02/13/2020 at 19:09

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I know this is a couple of years old, but it just showed up in my Google feed. I’ve been daily driving mine for more than 16 years now. I bought it new with 2 miles on it, and last month I hit 222,222 miles. It is, as you said, just a blast to drive and still put s a smile on my face. I'm about to turn 54, so I'm a bit older than your average SRT-4 owner.