Vibe or Neon SRT-4

[Craigmri]

While still deciding on the perfect Vibe I went with a Friend and checked out the new Neon SRT-4 and took it for a test drive.For those that dont know the SRT-4 is the Ultra High performance Neon. Turbo four generates an astonishing 230 Horsepower and lemme tell ya that thing kicks! For 22 grand(with Sunroof and side airbags) you get a Mustang GT killer.Just to make my car buying decision harder Craig

[joatmon]

You were looking at a base 5speed Vibe. I think the SRT4 is rated 22city 30 hwy, the 5 speed vibe is 29 city/36 hwy. I also don't have enough headroom in a neon, and the neon is not as versatile as the vibe. To me that spoiler on the back of an SRT-4 gives it that "pre-riced" look, but that's probably just me. I like lots of power, but I have enough in the vibe, and I don't really care about the street racing/my car is faster than yours scene(can you tell I have a bias?)

[ragingfish]

You want a decently built car that's gonna last don't you?Then you DON'T want a Neon.Every person I know who's ever owned a Neon hated it. It fell apart within a couple years, was unreliable, and was just pure crap.My advice: go with the Vibe. You know you want to.

[GT_03]

2 of my friends got SRT-4's and they are awesome. I actually consider one myself, but they were hard to get and i did not want to wait. My buddy got the stage 1 turbo kit, and the thing is like a Porsche.

[Vibe Rater]

Quality is, and always has been, an issue with the Neon. Do some research via ie: Consumer Reports or JD Power or any other quality rating and you will see what I mean. Neon is a good value for sure but value can be measured in many ways. You can dress up a Neon as much as you want, it's still a Neon. Long term, Vibe is a far better value. Resale on the Neon won't be as valuable. Having said all that, I'm sure the paint on the Neon will be better than the Vibe. BTW, what did you expect to hear from us? This is a Vibe web board and you ask us if the Neon is better than the Vibe?

[Craigmri]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments. I suspected there would be a bias towards the Vibe but to be honest with you I am also biased towards the Vibe for a number of reasons.1. Practical and versitile sine we have two youg children2. I'm 6'1" and the Vibe fits me better with tons of headroom.3. I am looking forward to the astonishing range between fillups as the base Vibe gets such good gas mileage with the 5-speed.4. The SRT-4 will undoubtedly provoke me into speeding tickets and a never ending quest for additional horsepower.5. The Toyota Engineering will surely hold up better than the Dodge quality.6. Last but not least.....Some dealers are getting above MSRP for SRT-4's.....they can keep it cause I'm getting a good deal on a Toyota/Pontiac Product.Thanks everyone for the reply's....I really enjoy this Forum.Craig

[AKLGT]

glad you decided to stick with us vibers. i've never been impressed with any dodge/chrystler product, especially the neon. too many blown engines and transmissions in thier line up. plus, no matter how much hp you add to it.... it's still just a neon. no resale value what so ever and as soon as you drive it off teh lot, it's worth half of what you just paid for. reliability sucks.... it may be cheap for the hp, but honestly, you DO get what you pay for here. just because something is cheap with more hp, doesn't make it a better value/quality. that's why toyota rarely has 0% financing and rebates galore like the big 3. they don't have to. they sell on quality and reliability, not cheap.... the vibe gives us both reliability from toyota and the rebates/incentives galore! can't go wrong there!

[YoYo]

You can add :7. Insurance on the Neon will considerable more expensive than the vibe (espcially a non GT vibe). I also have 2 young kids. The vibe really works great here. They have plenty of room to grow into in the back seat (as opposed to my previous car, a mustang) and the hackback is really useful. I love being able to just throw their stuff back there and take off (bikes, soccer stuff, junk for school). Also, they love going to sonic to eat, laying down the back seats and having that huge area to flop around on while they eat.

[Vibe Rater]

Also, consider this. If you buy the Neon, we'll never speak to you again.

[GT_03]

To add a small point. It is not a Neon!!! It may look like one, but it is not considered a Neon.

[Craigmri]

YoYoYour right about the Insurance. I was quoted $517/6 months(we have really good coverages) for the Vibe(Base) and $675/6 Months for the SRT-4.BTW, my son lives for Sonic!Craig

[matty77]

i can't believe you compared a neon to a Porche

[dmitri]

why is everyone hating on SRT-4's??1. that mitsubishi turbo is very reliable 2. it is NOT a neon...3. FAST

[joatmon]

quote:why is everyone hating on SRT-4's??Everyone's not hating on SRT-4s. But, this is a Vibe forum, so of course there will be bias.If you thought Pontiac service was bad, you should see how awful the local Dodge dealer here is. Makes Pontiac look like angels. Craig decided, and they bought an '04 Neptune base Vibe with lots of options. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=6705Now that search is working, I can point out two previous threads on SRT-4s:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... ead?id=754

[AKLGT]

rightly so, dmitri, but it's too bad they packaged it in a neon.

[ragingfish]

quote:2. it is NOT a neon...So, it's what then?

[NSimkins]

quote:So, it's what then?It's still a Neon, but I believe he means that they changed so much on the SRT-4 that is shares a very minimal amount of non-SRT-4 model equipment.Check out this link on the SRT-4: http://www.allpar.com/neon/neon-srt-4.html

[drunkenmaxx]

not all neons are poopers. i had a girlfriend w/a 5spd neon that had about 275k miles on it, the thing still downshifted and ran like a raped ape. definitely would smoke my brand new car.

[Dave_ca]

Well the Dodge SRT-4 is defenitly NOT a Neon. It shares the same platform as the Neon yes, but comparing the Neon to the SRT is like comparing the Lancer to a Lancer Evo. The SRT uses a 2.4 litre 4 banger that has not been seen in any Neon. The engine has been beefed up from the factory to stand up to 230 WHP. Its not like they took the 2.0 litre Neon engine added a Mitsu Turbo to it and put 17" tires on the thing. It has been throughly redesigned to handle the power underneath its hood. The suspension and brakes are also reworked and different then any Neon. My Point is dont bash this car on past Neon performance, it is NOT a neon. Vibe is my baby though, I love the car. It has functionality and the right amont of speed. I dont street race, or care about owning a less fast car then my neighbor. When I do have a family I am going to have all the room I ever need. The SRT-4 is going to be a great addition to my drive way in about 5 years though, after im more financly secure

[joatmon]

some more of my two cents- It is still sold/serviced by Chrysler. I have had bad luck with chrysler service, even on a very mainstream chrysler product. I wonder how well chrysler can support this non-chrysler vehicle.-this "Vibe Lounge" thread has evolved, maybe it's more "The Others" now.

[ragingfish]

Ok, I was confused. It all just hit me.For some reason I thought he was talking about the Neon R/T, and was confusing that with the SRT-4. Yes, the SRT-4 is an independent model, despite the fact it shares a lot with the neon. The name is not Neon SRT-4, simply, the SRT-4.

[nate66]

That's just crazy saying the SRT-4 isn't a Neon, it still looks like a riced up Neon, it still has a low grade Neon interior, it still uses the same engine block as the base Neon, and it's still made by Chrysler just like a Neon. The funny thing is, I've never heard a SVT Cobra owner say my car is NOT a Mustang, but I guess Mustang's aren't crap like Neon's.

[Vibe Rater]

SRT-4 is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[Craigmri]

As ya'll know I didnt buy the SRT-4 instead I bought the Vibe for mostly practicality reasoning.I will say that until you drive one dont downgrade it to lowly neon status. The thing totally rocks! Its the real deal and if your in the market for a sport sedan its a difficult deal to beat at 20 grand. I had a 1998 Mustang GT 5-speed that couldnt hold a candle to this SRT-4 thats how bad-assed it is. I'm told with some turbo mods and some messaging 300 horsepower is conceivable.True I wasnt comparing Apples to Apples when I considered the SRT-4 but to some degree I was in respect to looking for a 4 door sporty car that was affordable and could handle family duty. The Vibe simply fills the family roll far better yet still offers a sporting experience.

[ragingfish]

quote:The thing totally rocks! Its the real deal and if your in the market for a sport sedan its a difficult deal to beat at 20 grand.You say that now, but in a year or two, when the thing starts falling apart, you may not feel similarly.Chrysler products have poor quality and reliability.Unless your in the market for a new car every 1-2 years, power or not, the SRT-4 is not a good deal.That's just my feeling.

[Craigmri]

Hey Mike,I appreciate your opinion but from past and current experience:'95 Intrepid 135,000 miles......Great car'98 Caravan 120,000 Miles....Transmission at 90,000 miles but other than that a great vehicle'02 PT Cruiser 47,000 miles.......Going great and expect to have it another couple of yearsAll three Chrysler products were my company cars and honestly can say that they are decent vehicles. Is it on par with Toyota or Honda? Now way but I cant say they're junk.

[ragingfish]

Tranny at 90k? That sounds bad to me.My friend has a 98 Neon with under 125000 and she's had to have the water pump, oil pump, fuel pump, radiator, and front axle all replaced, just in the last year. She currently has a coolant leak that they can't find the source of, so every time she wants to turn the car on, she has to add engine coolant, or it will overheat within 2-3 minutes. She's paying about $10 a week just in engine coolant, because the car can't seem to be fixed. She is a careful driver, and takes care of her car as best she can. Does scheduled maintenance on time and always with the dealer. The car, on the other hand, has not taken care of her. I know several people who have had similar experiences with their Chrysler products.

[joatmon]

The auto trannies in caravans were a real problem. Mine went at 50K, and again at 68K. I liked that 7/70 warranty. However, since they finally learned how to fix it right, that tranny is still good with 255K miles on it. Engine's been ok, got a piston knock at idle, probably needs CV joints, rear suspension bushings. Got my money's worth out of that . 255K miles gets me to the moon.Had a CEL, dealer service said I needed a $500 repair. While thinking it over, I found a loose vacuum hose. Saved myself $500. *****ed to dealer, their response was that they would have probably found the loose hose when doing the $500 repair, but no apology for trying to screw me. It will take a really special car to make be go back to their brands. Since I can't fit in a Neon (regardless of the powertrain), that special car isn't the SRT-4. I still want to check out the Magnum when it comes out

[Dave_ca]

The SRT does not use any component from the base Neon engine. The base Neon engine uses a completly different 2.0 litre engine. The SRT uses a 2.4 litre engine (same one used in the PTcruiser in case your curious) that was designed to be a turbo engine. The interior, while not high quality is about on par with other 20,000 dollar cars (much nicer imo then the regular neon)Unless you drive it, you will not understand. It is about as much a Neon as a Lancer is a EVO.

[nate66]

I'm not trying to be an (removed) or anything; I'm just trying to point out a few facts. The PT Cruiser/SRT-4's 2.4 is pretty much just a stroked version of the base Neon 2.0. Here's information on both engines.2.0http://www.allpar.com/mopar/2.html2.4http://ww ... 4.htmlAlso both cars have the exact same interior, except for a boost gauge, aluminum shift knob, and racing style seats in the SRT.

[Psychobroker]

quote:Engine, brakes, suspension (and surely tranny) are different on the SRT, BUT it's still the Neon frame.... the Neon electonic, Neon ergonomics, Neon design......And our Vibe's are still just Corolla frames...

[ArcsVibe]

Just Corolla frames????Do you see how many are STILL out there? LOL The Neon's resale value is not very good, I will take the Corolla's any day.Neon is a good looking car, but Chrysler products IMO are not up to par, yet...but they are getting better!Rob you are right, every car maker has had hits and misses...one day they will all get it right!! Peace!

[mu_ohio]

The SRT-4 is not appealing to me at all. I've seen the interior and it is more in line with a $13-16k car like a Cavalier or regular Neon. The only exception is the racing seats. I wish I had a nicer car than the Vibe when taking associates out for lunches and so on and the SRT-4 would be a step down. Also, that much power on a low weight FWD car would suck at times. After driving the Comp G around for 5 months now, I could see why RWD or AWD is a better options. The car is a great straight line racer, but realizing all the power in a turn will be hard. I have to live with my car and not race it daily and the SRT-4 would be at the bottom of my list. A Mazdaspeed or even a WRX would be more practical.

[Geo]

I just want to reiterate:You compared a SRT-4 with a Stage 1 Turbo to a Porsche?Have you ever driven a Porsche 911? 996? Later model Porsche?I doubt there is anything else out there that will handle like one. Yes, I know from experience. Nothing like taking a "CAUTION: 45mph" curve @ 90+mph and still having room for more.

[GT_03]

quote:I just want to reiterate:You compared a SRT-4 with a Stage 1 Turbo to a Porsche?Have you ever driven a Porsche 911? 996? Later model Porsche?I doubt there is anything else out there that will handle like one. Yes, I know from experience. Nothing like taking a "CAUTION: 45mph" curve @ 90+mph and still having room for more.Even better question, have you driven or been in a SRT-4 with a Stage 1 upgrade???? If not, then you really have no base for your conversation. I've been in both, and i did not say handle. I was refering to performance. .

[drunkenmaxx]

i hate to be a d*ck (even though that's what i do), but i would believe that handling falls into performance. (ie-performance suspension)-dos centavos

[joatmon]

When I think of a performance car, it is one driven like it was in a car commercial. Commercials for performance cars almost never show cars running down the interstate in Kansas. They show cars flying down winding, twisting roads. Handling and suspension are more important for going fast on a country road in the mountains than engine power is. However, that's not everybody's concept of a performance car. Some might only be interested in beating the guy in the other lane when the light turns green, and to them only power to weight ratios and tire gripping will be important.Is the Neon SRT-4 fast? probably. Is it comparable to a Porsche? get real. Would it beat my vibe in a race? No, because to beat me means I have to be racing too. Would I trade in my Vibe for one? For the answer to that one, go back through the threads and see why I bought a Vibe in the first place.

[drunkenmaxx]

my awd will beat the srt-4 every time! ok, only in looks i am no expert, but from what i have read, porsches usually have 400-500 horses, maybe more. i would imagine they are as light or lighter than a neon. i think any neon would be a porsche's b*tch.

[mu_ohio]

quote:my awd will beat the srt-4 every time! ok, only in looks i am no expert, but from what i have read, porsches usually have 400-500 horses, maybe more. i would imagine they are as light or lighter than a neon. i think any neon would be a porsche's b*tch.A Porsche 911 turbo weighs about 3400 lbs and I'm sure a SRT-4 would tip the scales around 2800-3000 lbs. That being said, the EVO 8 does not outperform the 911 turbo for example, but is very competitive. As we know, the EVO 8 has a higher performance version of the SRT-4 engine, AWD, and a better frame. Hell, the SRT-4 was in the .85g range on the skid while a 911 comes awfully close to 1 +g's. The AWD on a Porsche can't be match for any type of launch and the high torque pulls it around pretty well. The SRT-4 is great for what is, but you can only add so much HP to a FWD car and have it be useable.