Speed freaks everywhere rejoiced when the team that designed the Dodge Viper took that company’s economy car–the Neon–and stuffed it with a massive turbo-charged engine to christen it the SRT-4.
For 2004, the car gets even more horsepower to blow away almost all other street racers.
Why is there a need for a steroid version of the sedate Neon? Chris Walton of Motor Trend says it was purely due to competition.
“The Japanese already offered ‘go-fast’ models, and Dodge wanted to get into the street scene,” Walton says.
Vehicles such as the Subaru WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution were drawing customers with their impressive performance. Those two cars cost around $30,000, while Dodge has kept its price as close to $20,000 as possible.
Walton says it didn’t take Dodge “a lot of effort” or money to produce the SRT-4 because the Neon was already an established model.
Although the SRT-4 screams muscle with its menacing hood-scoop and Harley-like exhaust note, it still has all the Neon practicalities. The impressive gas mileage, large trunk and comfortable seats make driving the high-performance model somewhat civilized. A very smooth shifter modeled after classic muscle cars is a treat, but the moderately heavy clutch might wear on drivers during long commutes.
Nearly 10 years of production have given the SRT-4 the advantage of solid assembly and a rigid structure that the imports often lack. The almost 3,000-pound vehicle stays firmly attached to the ground on wide patches of rubber. With that much horsepower on two front wheels, it’s a surprise there isn’t more tire squealing off the line.
“In my perfect world, it would have all-wheel drive,” Walton says.
Still, the SRT-4 reaches zero to 60 m.p.h. in an impressive 5.3 seconds.
Walton says it comes “darn close” to the STi and Evolution and says that for the money it can’t be beat. And unlike the competition’s turbo powerplants, the engine in the Dodge does not suffer from any turbo lag.
Inside the SRT-4, the leather seats and silver gauges are the only features that suggest the car is worth $20,000. Everything else, from the outdated dashboard to the roll-down rear windows, are blatant economy-car features.
And every potential buyer will have to get over the fact that this is still a Neon.
To actually purchase an SRT-4, one would have to fall in love with the exterior’s additional body moldings, large rear spoiler and aggressive front grill.
But even with all the street dress-up, the Dodge, like its compact competition, doesn’t conjure images of genuine sports cars. Rev the engine a few times, fly off the line and let the turbo kick in, and the visceral thrill of so much power could make anyone forget what the car looks like.
It’s what’s under that hood and the money left in the wallet that counts.
RedEye road test
Pros: Insane power, handling, brakes, price
Cons: Ear-piercing exhaust, outdated interior, overdone exterior
Parking: The turning radius isn’t as sharp as expected, but the compact size helps.
Sound check: Even with a 6-speaker sound system, the stereo is only slightly above average for hard rock and hip-hop. Any tunes that require greater range are not recommended.
Dodge SRT-4
Price: $22,030 as tested
M.P.G.: 22 city/30 highway
Power: 230-h.p. turbo-charged 4-cylinder engine
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
