Day 2
After digesting some comments from Neon owners I will admit that the interior build quality of the SRT-4 is pretty
solid for an economy car and if the current non-SRT’s are this well put together they probably offer decent value. What
the SRT-4 badge delivers though is 230 horses to the front wheels and in two days of city driving I’ve been completely
unable to open the car up and not for a lack of trying.
I’ve had a few straight-aways for a block or two and the car felt good. However, there seems to be so much more
lurking there, untapped. The low-end power is not as accessible as I would like and compared to the Subaru WRX, the
turbo takes way too long to kick in. I do think the ride is a bit softer than the WRX and other manufacturer tuned
vehicles I’ve driven with the exception of the VW R32. Of course the SRT-4 is about $6,000 less than either the WRX STI
or the R32 and I hear it’s going for invoice these days too (around $18-$19K).
I’m also not in love with the stereo. It’s better than most domestic econo-boxes but not by much. The oddity of
power windows in front and manual windows in the back is perplexing but with the sunroof open there’s no need for more
wind. This SRT-4 is just an oddity in almost every respect and is one of the few cars that has taken me so long to get
a grasp of.