some SOB totalled my Spec V...

Some old man with his head up his ass plowed in to my 2002 Spec V w/less than 20,000 miles. Except for some minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises I'm OK (thanks primarily to the side airbags), but the car is totalled. It's 110% his fault, so it will be time to start looking for a new car again as soon as the crooks at his insurance get things finalized.

I'm posting here because I'm hoping some folks here might be able to give me some 1st hand experience because I've now narrowed my search down to 2 different cars...the SRT-4 and the WRX.

The Spec V was fast when I bought it (mainly because my prior ride was a '91 Buick w/200k miles on it ;)), but it came up a little short in the horsepower dep't over time. For those interested, it was a great little car, with an amazing Rockford Fosgate sound system, impressive handling, and comfortable seats. However I never really fell in love w/the shifter or the overall gearing. Like "Car and Driver" said, you never really forget that it's just a small car w/a big engine.

Whatever car I buy, I WON'T be modifying it. I will be leaving it as stock because I intend to lease. Please keep that in mind if you have recommendations.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanna make the right decision this time around. Thanks in advance.

EDIT...I added a picture of my car.

i'm sure the srt-4 is a fast ride but i'd rather have the WRX....seems more of a fun drive...especially in the winter and dirt roads...but i'd get it for the 4wd

OOPS...I forgot to mention that I live in the Bay Area, so fortunately overall driveability in exteme weather conditions will not be a factor in my decision. I also own an SUV so I won't be asking this car to get me and my snowboard up to the mountains.

Some old man with his head up his ass plowed in to my 2002 Spec V w/less than 20,000 miles. Except for some minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises I'm OK (thanks primarily to the side airbags), but the car is totalled. It's 110% his fault, so it will be time to start looking for a new car again as soon as the crooks at his insurance get things finalized.

I'm posting here because I'm hoping some folks here might be able to give me some 1st hand experience because I've now narrowed my search down to 2 different cars...the SRT-4 and the WRX....

I'm gonna leave the mechanical and speed aspects to others and focus on safety. I know, everyone says, "You don't buy a car to crash it," but as I know, and you just found out, even the best drivers get run into by the worst from time to time. Happened to me twice already.
You also already found out the benefit of side airbags. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released a report today, finding that head-protection airbags cut driver death by 45% in side collisions. Make SURE you buy another car with this feature.

Now, of the cars you mentioned, the Neon got Marginal in the IIHS's test. To put that in perspective, in the Small Cars class, only two cars did worse: A Hyundai, and a Kia. Here are the results: http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/99007.htm

The WRX on the other hand..correct me if I'm wrong, but this is based on the Impreza. The Impreza (http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0126.htm) is in the same class of vehicles and is rated a "Best Pick" for frontal-crash safety. None of the cars in this class have been tested for side-impacts yet. Any case, EVERY car that Subaru makes is a "Best Pick" - what does that tell you?

Which car would you rather be in when the next old man drives out in front of you:

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/photos/0126_2_15t.jpg

or

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/photos/99007_1_55t.jpg

Sorry to hear that, man. Glad you're okay.

As for recommendations, between the two you have presented as your choices, I would go with an SRT-4. Stock-for-stock, the SRT-4 is faster in a straight-line, and it's cornering prowess is not too bad for a front-driver either. It will be even better with the '04 ones available now, since Daimler-Chrysler finally woke-up and added a Quaife LSD into it's stock equipment list. This'll more than likely drop it's stock quarter-times from 14-flats average to high 13's average.

Lastly, the SRT will have dealer-installed Stage packages that step all the way to 300HP for a Stage-III...but warranty only lasts till Stage-II, maybe.

Sorry to hear your car didn't come out of the crash as well as you did. At this point, I think the leasing of the SRT-4 is less expensive then the WRX for the 3 year term. Go here to check out the going rates http://www.leasecompare.com/index.php?Source=G&Term=Ad6# you might find different numbers for your area then I did for mine.

Thanks for the link Boingo. I hope your 2 accidents haven't left you with any serious injuries. I'll have to consider how the 2 cars stack up against one another in terms of safety. No matter how good of a driver you are you can never prepare yourself for the unexpected. I like to think that I identify developing problem situations, give older drivers lots of room, and generally practice common sense on the road, but in this case, when somebody cuts in front of you're helpless - just hope your car has been built well enough to save your ass.

Coincidentally, my insurance guy actually mentioned the same report when I described my accident to him. Very informative stuff. I would have to be crazy, knowing what I know now and going through what I went through, not to make sure any car I buy in the future has side impact airbags. They are mandatory. They might have saved my life. I know that all of the police and fireman at the scene of the accident nodded approvingly when they saw the side airbag deployed. I think it's safe to say that in 5 years from now automakers will be making them as standard as ABS and front impact airbags are nowadays.

Carrrnuttt...do you remember the website or magazine where you read the info about the dealer installed Stage I, II, and III packages. I'd definately like to read more into it.

YogsVR4...thanks for the link. Both the 36, 39, and 48 month leases look very doable. I think, judging by how fun both of these cars are, I would be better of getting the 15k/yr lease over the standard 12k/yr lease. 60 cents a mile can add up...;)

Thanks for the link Boingo. I hope your 2 accidents haven't left you with any serious injuries. I'll have to consider how the 2 cars stack up against one another in terms of safety. No matter how good of a driver you are you can never prepare yourself for the unexpected. I like to think that I identify developing problem situations, give older drivers lots of room, and generally practice common sense on the road, but in this case, when somebody cuts in front of you're helpless - just hope your car has been built well enough to save your ass.

Coincidentally, my insurance guy actually mentioned the same report when I described my accident to him. Very informative stuff. I would have to be crazy, knowing what I know now and going through what I went through, not to make sure any car I buy in the future has side impact airbags. They are mandatory. They might have saved my life. I know that all of the police and fireman at the scene of the accident nodded approvingly when they saw the side airbag deployed. I think it's safe to say that in 5 years from now automakers will be making them as standard as ABS and front impact airbags are nowadays.
..)

I hope you do not have any recurring pain or problems. My first accident, I was stopped at a stop sign (as people do) and saw a car approaching in the rearview. I turned my head to get a better look (NEVER NEVER DO THIS!!!!) and promptly got rear-ended. I realize now I should have planted my head on the headrest and looked squarely ahead. I only got hit at 15-20 mph, but because of the position of my neck at impact I have some soreness/stiffness and my neck pops constantly. The accident was 3 years ago and the car only sustained $500 damage.

The second time sounds a lot like yours. I was going 2 under the limit (43), down a slight hill, when an 85yr old man in a big Chrysler made an illegal left turn, stopping abruptly in my lane. I was only about 40 feet away when he did so, and I couldn't change lanes due to traffic. I hit the horn, and the brakes, and then, as I skidded closer, went 'Oh my God, I'm not going to make it this time...' and then hit. I live in a retirement/college town so there are LOTS of close calls. That one totaled the car for $2300, I was still going about 20-25 at impact, but there was soreness etc. for a few weeks that the muscle relaxer and Lortab took care of. No recurring problems from that, it was a year and a half ago.

It sounds like your accident was more serious than mine, and I sincerely hope you saw a doctor and they gave you some good drugs for the next few weeks. And, as I said, I hope there are no lasting effects.

If you are curious to see videos of the crash tests the IIHS conducts, go to www.progressive.com and search for videos. The videos are very interesting. You'll never get in an F-150 again.

www.crashtest.com has ratings for some cars that didn't sell enough for the IIHS to bother testing. They have deathrate and injury ratings also. Not surprisingly, sporty cars usually have really bad deathrates but that is frequently due to the irresponsibility of the drivers. Your more responsible take on driving is commendable.

One last thing I'll mention: I used to have TONS of close calls caused by people cutting in front of me, trying to change lanes into me, etc., but I have lessened that number recently by driving with my headlights on 24/7. My husband has tried this too and we both have found other drivers to be much more aware of us. Worst case scenario, there's no improvement and you just have to buy new bulbs more often, which is what, $10? So I think this is a good one to try.

Best of luck.
Emily

The best safety measures are all preventative.
Personally, I think that basing a car's "safety" solely on it's crash worthiness does not provide a clear image of what exactly a safe car is.
If they were to figure in such other important factors, such as braking distance, how loud the horn is, and manueverability, size of blind spots etc. - we'd get a much better picture of what a safe vehicle is (hint: SUVs aint safe)

So check the road test data as well - and don't be afraid to test the horn either!
Also, I'd discourage buying a car (especially a compact) painted a dark color, especially black or dark blue. Bright colors are more noticable, not only by the police - but also by soccer moms chatting on their cell phones while trying to merge their Excursions into your lane (and into the side of your car!). If they still don't see you - lay on your horn, and give them the finger.

firsthand, i know for a fact that the WRX is one fucking safe car.... I had a WRX... July 4 I had ONE beer, and didn't want to risk driving and running into a DUI checkpoint (i'm 19), so i let my friend drive.. we had only about a 4 mile trip... it was me and 3 others in the car.. some big ass animal ran out in front of us on the interstate... my friend cut the wheel WAY to hard for 70mph, and then OVERcorrected..we went into a big fuckin slide, he turned the wheel, and we slide the other way... almost like what would happen if you blew the tire.... anyway, we went sliding down the median into the fucking trees.. slammed head first into them (all had our seatbelts on, or at least one of us wouldn't have made it) after the hood hit them, the back end swung around and the passenger side smacked into them.. we were all stunned.. it happened so quick.... we all climbed out(me and one other had to climb out the other side cause the doors were blocked by the trees IN them... the car was totalled, but there wasn't any broken glass or anything... when the 2 tow truck guy arrived(cause the first couldn't get the car from down in the woods, steep incline/wet grass) i saw the passenger side... didn't even seem dinted(but it was pitch black out).. the WRX has steel reinforces doors, side-impact airbags, dual front airbags, ABS, etc....

i don't know much about the neon, except i don't like them...

i was so pissed at my friend, but he felt terrible so i didn't beat his ass or anything... he couldn't really have done anything.... if i were driving it would have been a different story, but oh well...

It sounds like your accident was more serious than mine, and I sincerely hope you saw a doctor and they gave you some good drugs for the next few weeks. And, as I said, I hope there are no lasting effects.

Thanks Emily. It was actually very similair to your 2nd wreck except that I was going about 52mph in a 45mph zone - which unfortunately is an annoyingly conservative speed in the Bay Area for most tailgaters you see in the rearview mirror. He pulled out in front of me at about 50 feet. I hit the brake and pulled the car as far right as I could in hopes of avoiding the head on collision and perhaps missing him when he slammed on the brakes. Good or bad...it was instinctual for some reason. He never hit the brakes. In fact, he had his head down and never even looked up. He musta been looking at driving directions or something. He had an '84 Ford full size pickup. It hit me on the driver side door and spun me around twice. Except for the bruise on my left arm and shoulder from the side airbag I'm 100%. Apparently that's not unusual for moving side impact collisions because the momentum of the collision is typically transferred to the spin out. Fortunately for me my spinning car stayed on the pavement. The force of the collision totalled my car. It didn't even rupture his radiator. In fact he drove away shortly after we exchanged insurance info without even so much as asking if I was OK. The police, fireman, and a few witnesses even mentioned that, based on the other guy's demeanor and body language, it all had the appearance that things were my fault. Must be nice to live life relatively guilt free. Maybe his higher insurance premiums will leave a bigger impression than the accident scene. I dunno.

i was so pissed at my friend, but he felt terrible so i didn't beat his ass or anything... he couldn't really have done anything.... if i were driving it would have been a different story, but oh well...

Thanks for the info Frozenblue. Glad to hear that you and your buddies didn't become an after school special. I don't know if I'd let that guy even ride my skateboard after that. ;) This might be more of question for my insurance agent...but all things being equal, do have any idea if insurance is more for an AWD turbo or a FWD turbo?

Thanks for the info Frozenblue. Glad to hear that you and your buddies didn't become an after school special. I don't know if I'd let that guy even ride my skateboard after that. ;) This might be more of question for my insurance agent...but all things being equal, do have any idea if insurance is more for an AWD turbo or a FWD turbo?

i don't know for sure, but i think AWD is a safety feature to insurance companies.. so i'm going to guess AWD turbo..

i've heard srt-4's are faster stock... if you care about that at all... street racing forum, so you probably do....

i don't know for sure, but i think AWD is a safety feature to insurance companies.. so i'm going to guess AWD turbo..

i've heard srt-4's are faster stock... if you care about that at all... street racing forum, so you probably do....

Thanks Frozenblue. Ya, speed is definately a factor...but so are price and safety. As far as 0-60mph and quarter mile times are concerned: I hear so much damn arguing between WRX folks and SRT-4 folks that I have to think they are almost identical...give or take a tenth of a second or a couple mph.

... He had an '84 Ford full size pickup. It hit me on the passenger side door and spun me around twice. Except for the bruise on my left arm and shoulder from the side airbag I'm 100%. Apparently that's not unusual for moving side impact collisions because the momentum of the collision is typically transferred to the spin out. Fortunately for me my spinning car stayed on the pavement. The force of the collision totalled my car. It didn't even rupture his radiator. In fact he drove away shortly after we exchanged insurance info without even so much as asking if I was OK....

I am not terribly surprised that his truck wasn't very damaged. When you think about it, the most durable part of his vehicle (front bumper) hit your car in the most vulnerable part (mid-way up the drivers door). Had you been hit by a lower vehicle some of the impact would have been transfered to the frame at the bottom of the car but as it happened, it was practically a study in crash incompatibility. High vehicle hits low vehicle, high vehicle always wins.

And what you said about the spin-out, that's true. I watched a show on TLC or the Discovery Channel about car accidents, and they mentioned how Nascar and Indy cars are designed specifically to spin in an accident, because that throws off the momentum much more safely than any other method.

HI

Sorry to hear about your crash...it's a downer, but the main thing is that your ok...a car ca be replaced and thats what you intend to do!

As for your choice of car...personally I thik the Srt-4 is quick, but there is no way EVER that it will compare to a WRX. When it comes to handling, saftey, accelartion, tracktion the WRX is by far an overall better car. I've owned a WRX for the last 2 years without any problems...Dodge is a crappy made car..there is a big reason why the WRX cost more than the Srt-4....and that is the quality of maufacturing. With a few good mods and driving skill a WRX can walk all over an Srt-4 and back agian...both on ond off the track!




ScoobyDoo

...there is a big reason why the WRX cost more than the Srt-4....and that is the quality of maufacturing...

Based on the Neon's history I can't argue with that - although I believe some of the WRX's higher cost can be attributed to import tarriffs, taxes, etc. - like Volvo and BMW for example. I could be wrong though.

Well, the plot thickens. Last Wednesday everyone and his brother involved w/my insurance claim had written the car off as totalled considering the bent frame, damaged rocker, damaged center pillar, and destroyed driver side doors. Over the weekend something suddenly changed though...and I'm not sure if it's a bad or good thing. Low blue-book on my car is $12,300. High blue-book is $14,500. Now the body shop says they can repair the car. They estimated the cost of repairs at $9,900 after tax and labor - which is conveniently just under being flagged as a total. The body shop snuck the estimate under the cap by quoting used doors and rims, but since those parts still have a lifetime gaurantee it's perfectly legitimate w/my insurance carrier. I should be happy, but Nissan (from which I'm leasing the car) is informally warning me that I may be liable for anything "accident-repairs-related" when I return the car to them in April of '06 at the conclusion of my lease.

Should I pay money out of pocket for a tow truck to take the car to a Nissan dealership w/a collision repair center to get another estimate? Does it even matter once the low-balling insurance appraisers get involved? Do I need an attorney? Does anybody here have any experience w/this type of thing?

I apologize to the moderators if this thread is now off the subject of "street racing", but I really welcome any advice I can get at this point.

Based on the Neon's history I can't argue with that - although I believe some of the WRX's higher cost can be attributed to import tarriffs, taxes, etc. - like Volvo and BMW for example. I could be wrong though.

Well, the plot thickens. Last Wednesday everyone and his brother involved w/my insurance claim had written the car off as totalled considering the bent frame, damaged rocker, damaged center pillar, and destroyed driver side doors. Over the weekend something suddenly changed though...and I'm not sure if it's a bad or good thing. Low blue-book on my car is $12,300. High blue-book is $14,500. Now the body shop says they can repair the car. They estimated the cost of repairs at $9,900 after tax and labor - which is conveniently just under being flagged as a total. The body shop snuck the estimate under the cap by quoting used doors and rims, but since those parts still have a lifetime gaurantee it's perfectly legitimate w/my insurance carrier. I should be happy, but Nissan (from which I'm leasing the car) is informally warning me that I may be liable for anything "accident-repairs-related" when I return the car to them in April of '06 at the conclusion of my lease.

Should I pay money out of pocket for a tow truck to take the car to a Nissan dealership w/a collision repair center to get another estimate? Does it even matter once the low-balling insurance appraisers get involved? Do I need an attorney? Does anybody here have any experience w/this type of thing?

I apologize to the moderators if this thread is now off the subject of "street racing", but I really welcome any advice I can get at this point.

I would say you ought to get some more estimates, and don't let them include used parts in the deal. My coworker got hit (at very low speed) in the passenger side of her '01 Sentra GXE. One body shop quoted $1500 for repairs, another quoted $2450. She went with the pricier one and later heard some bad things about the cheap one, so she is satisfied with her decision. Estimates can vary widely, so you can't have too many.

If this were your car to keep I would think you'd still want it totaled, just because it would make me nervous driving something that had sustained that kind of damage. Plus, the fact that it's now branded "salvage" seriously hurts sales value. However, that warning about "accident-repairs-related" also makes me nervous. That sounds like you could potentially be liable for thousands of dollars at the end of the lease. Have you asked Nissan their opinion as to what should be done?

Dont settle for anything less than "NEW PARTS" on your car! I can almost guarantee that if you push them hard enough and tell them that you dont want to have the car fixed ( I mean who wants to have a car that has a replaced rocker and bent frame???) and that you want a new one or the cash...they will give. I had a similar problem with a Dodge mini van where the frame was bent and the engine heads cracked during an accident, and they wanted to fix the van at a local body shop.....HELL NO!!! I told them I wanted the cash, or a new van, so they gave me the cash.

As my old man sais...."cash money makes blind people see agian"!!!



Scooby Doo

where in the bay area you at? Im up in napa .... anyways i say get the wrx.

I'm in Castro Valley. The car is being leased from a Nissan dealership in Milbrae though. This morning I'm paying to have it towed to another Nissan dealership that has a body shop. My thinking being that if their estimate (using NEW rims, doors, etc) is high enough to be flagged as a total, that's good news for me. I'll take the money and start car shopping again. On the other hand, if this new estimate is under the cap I have the right (per the "Auto Body Repair Consumer Bill of Rights") to have the repair work done at the auto body shop of my choosing. If I select to have the work done at the Nissan dealership I protect myself in the event Nissan Motor Acceptance (from which I'm leasing the car) comes after me for anything after I return the car to them when the lease is up in 2006. Sounds like I got it figured out, huh? I don't. I may be contacting an attorney if this second estimate is a total and my insurance company STILL elects to repair the car. Bottom line...I don't feel safe driving around an automobile that has sustained $10k in collision repair costs - especially not frame-work!

If anybody out there has any type of experience in this area I'm open to suggestions.

For anyone interested...

The second body shop's (a Nissan body shop this time) estimate was more than $5k higher than the first place! They noticed a wrinkle in the ceiling of the car and a weird lip on the edge of the roof. They took it upon themselves to call my insurance company and request a tear-down of the carpeting, headliner, and seats to ensure there wasn't any additional damage underneath. Sure enough, there was plenty...floor pan, linkage, transmission, sun roof, etc. The estimate shot up to $15k+ after tax and labour. The insurance appraiser went out and confirmed it. That first body shop gets the one fingered salute whenever I drive by now. My insurance company sent me a check for the market value of the car minus my deductable. After the dust settles, I pay off my lease, and I finally get my deductable back I will have only come out of this nightmare from hell with about $1k in my pocket. Very dissapointing to say the least. All I can tell you is DO NOT LEASE unless it's for business purposes. Private leases are a disaster if your car is totalled. When you buy/finance a car the money you put down goes towards the loan and therefore the value of the car. When you lease the money you put down (cap reduction fee) on the car does not go toward the value of the car. It's basically just money you throw away. I did the math. After I add up my down payment, 16 months of lease payments, and the lease buy out amount, Nissan will have made approximately $24k on this car. That's about $5k more than MSRP.

So anyhow, I ordered a Silver 2004 SRT-4 from Dodge. I made sure to get side airbags! ;) I went through a fleet manager rather than haggle w/a salesman this time around. It saved me about $1.5k. I should have it by mid-November.

-Brian

..
So anyhow, I ordered a Silver 2004 SRT-4 from Dodge. I made sure to get side airbags! ;) I went through a fleet manager rather than haggle w/a salesman this time around. It saved me about $1.5k. I should have it by mid-November.

-Brian

Congrats and enjoy. It's true that leasing is not always the best way to go, but it works well if you're the type that HAS to have a brand-new car every 3 years. Good luck with the SRT-4.

(BTW the IIHS just released a study showing that in real world side-impact crashes, side airbags reduce the fatality rate by 40%. So good on you for buying another car with them. :) )

So I picked up my SRT-4 last week. What a car! I'm still in the break-in period but have given into tempation a couple times and punched it the higher gears. Third gear is sorta scary. 60mph-80mph is quick and effortless. I drive down to L.A. this weekend so things should be pretty much broken in by the time I get down there. I've already popped in a K&N air filter and the Mopar BOV is on the way. That should be enough for a while. This car is so much faster than my Spec V it's ridiculous. Nissan rates the Spec V at 175hp. Dodge rates the SRT-4 at 230hp. The Spec V dynos at about 140whp-150whp with about the 150 ft/lb of torque. Most 2004 SRT-4's have been dynoed at 230whp-240whp and 260 lb/ft+ in the torque dep't. I'm a believer. It's the fastest thing I've ever owned. I just gotta watch out for those old crappy drivers now. ;)

Told ya! ;)

Congrats...

Post some stories up when you're ready...but be careful. :biggrin:

Man Sorry to hear about you car. I recommend that you get a 2004 Wrx Sti. With over 300 HP and adjustable AWD you should never have to mod it.

Man Sorry to hear about you car. I recommend that you get a 2004 Wrx Sti. With over 300 HP and adjustable AWD you should never have to mod it.
Did you read the whole thread?

personally im not a big fan of the srt4's cause i doubt they will last long but regardless congrats on your purchase and i hope you have fun in it ... post some pics!

Test drive a 2003 base model 2.2 ecotec cavalier w/ 5sp. Buy it and slap a turbo on there from www.cavalierconnection.com . You will decimate any stock srt4 for 1/4 less in price.

*edit*
----------------------------------------------------
oh shit nvrmind.

nice buy.....i'm not an american car person...but having a new car is always fun

You made a very sound decision buying the 2004 SRT-4. Those models come with more boost (230 HP), and a LSD from Quaife. Basically you should be able to smoke stock WRX's by a few car lengths, if you launch right that is. Reagrdless, if you buy any after,market goodies, do it through the dealer.

Told ya! ;)

Congrats...

Post some stories up when you're ready...but be careful. :biggrin:

Thanks. The car was a blast to drive down Highway 5 this weekend! For those people not familair w/California, Highway 5 runs north/south through the entire state. It runs through the Central Valley and then through the Grapevine (a twisty mountainous 3-4 lane road). On the way down I took it pretty easy...until I arrived in LA. Then on the first night some guy in a Mazda MP3 Protege wanted to race me from a stoplight in Fullerton. By the time I shifted to 2nd gear he was already more than 2 car lengths behind. I stopped racing right away and we pulled up next to each other and started bullshitting. He said he really liked my car's power and I commented on the handling of his. I tried to get some guy in an EVO to race me on an open stretch of 5 on the way back. The car still had the dealer plates on so he musta just bought the car recently too. He wouldn't race though. In fact he wouldn't even turn his head and look at me. Oh well. Anyways this was probably the funnest trip down south I've ever taken. The time passed by really quickly and I even got 24mpg.

Thanks. The car was a blast to drive down Highway 5 this weekend! For those people not familair w/California, Highway 5 runs north/south through the entire state. It runs through the Central Valley and then through the Grapevine (a twisty mountainous 3-4 lane road). On the way down I took it pretty easy...until I arrived in LA. Then on the first night some guy in a Mazda MP3 Protege wanted to race me from a stoplight in Fullerton. By the time I shifted to 2nd gear he was already more than 2 car lengths behind. I stopped racing right away and we pulled up next to each other and started bullshitting. He said he really liked my car's power and I commented on the handling of his. I tried to get some guy in an EVO to race me on an open stretch of 5 on the way back. The car still had the dealer plates on so he musta just bought the car recently too. He wouldn't race though. In fact he wouldn't even turn his head and look at me. Oh well. Anyways this was probably the funnest trip down south I've ever taken. The time passed by really quickly and I even got 24mpg.
YW...

So, besides the power rush, give us an eval of the car. Quality-wise, what do you think?

It's a little early in the game to judge the overall quality of the car, but from what I've experienced I'm very impressed...

Absolutely no in-cabin wind noise is very nice. All that torque comes in handy too when your in 5th gear and you see a quick chance to pass. The gas gauge is a little innacurate but apparentky that's been bugging the hell out of Neon owners for about 5 years now. It starts chiming a low fuel warning LED at you when you still have 2.5 gallons left.

As far as the handling...I was reasonably impressed. The Spec V I owned prior to the SRT-4 handled really well with almost no noticeable body roll. The SRT-4 suspension is better because it's independent all around, but the ass-end of the car rides pretty high. That big butt creates minor body roll tendencies when pushed hard, but the car is still very responsive. I have a feeling it feels worse than it is. In any event $300 in suspension work could probably improve the handling significantly if it were a priority for me. The tires are a little skinny too...17x6...but rumor has it that Mopar will be releasing some 17x8 SRT-4 rally rims in the near future. All in all, what a frickin' rush! It's like a little toy.

Cool someone else within the L.A area. Let me know, Steiner, when you feel like racing a 2000 Z28 :)

RULE #1 - TEST DRIVE BOTH CARS BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION

I cannot stress this enough. You can read dozens of mags and websites and it wont be the same as actually getting in the car and driving it. There are ALWAYS little things that you will notice like clutch engagement point, steering feedback, highway noise, color and quality of gauges and buttons, windshield wiper delay, seat bolster shape, even something like a little patch of glare on the bottom of the windshield. These are the things that will determine, over time, how much you like your car.

That said, either car would be a great choice. IMO, since you probably wont get enough $$ to buy a NEW car, you might as well look at used S2000s. Id say a S2000 with 50k would be more reliable than a subaru or a dodge with 20k.

Oh, and it sucks what happened to your car. Im sorry.

RULE #1 - TEST DRIVE BOTH CARS BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION....

Oh, and it sucks what happened to your car. Im sorry.

Read up 3 posts or so. He already bought the SRT.

That really is fantastic advise, though.

I attached a picture in case anybody wants to see my new car. The great thing about silver cars is how clean they always look. This picture was taken after I had just driven about 500 miles from the Bay Area to San Diego in scattered rain showers.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/88966auto_forums1-med.jpg

I attached a picture in case anybody wants to see my new car. The great thing about silver cars is how clean they always look....

Oh, boy do I know that. My last car was a black Sentra, and while it was beautiful when clean, it was never clean. I learned that black is NOT an ideal color if you don't enjoy washing every day, and black is NOT an ideal color if you live somewhere that summer temps top 115º.

I learned to always car shop the day of or the day after a rain storm when the dealer has not had time to wash everything. I learned to do the "step test" when car shopping. Start out standing right up next to a dirty car, then count how many steps you have to take backwards before it's clean. With my G20, it's about 10 steps - the Sentra, 100.

Steiner why don't we meet up at a track, and race the SRT-4 versus my LS1. I think it would be fun, and you can always count on me to screw up the launch w/ my pathetic 2.3 sec. 60' times :)

Steiner why don't we meet up at a track, and race the SRT-4 versus my LS1. I think it would be fun, and you can always count on me to screw up the launch w/ my pathetic 2.3 sec. 60' times :)

Yess! Where do both of you guys live?? What track are you guys plannign on going to? Maybe RN and I can scoot around with you guys as well.

That would be fun. I've never raced the legal way. ;) Where is there a 1/4 mile track in the Bay Area. I remember when I was younger they had one in Half Moon Bay, but I think that place closed down years ago.

I know of only 3 tracks. One is Carlsbad (Sea level). Carlsbad is around the San Diego area. The other 2 are California Speedway and Los Angeles County Raceway. LACR is at 2700 ft. elevation (Shouldn't have too much affect on the turboed neon because of the wastegate). Speedway is at 1600 ft. elevation. Both of them suck for traction. I figure I can race you once N/A, and the other time on the juice :evillol: Fatninja what type of car do you have?

I would much rather have a SRT-4 then a WRX if I was going to have to keep it stock. SRT is faster, sounds Kickass, and is nice looking.