I work at different car dealers on a daily basis. I have 6 dodge dealers in my area. I've spoken to many service managers and every single one of them told me they would never buy a neon. Not for themselves or anyone in thier families or recomend them to friends. Thats gotta tell you something....

The srt4 is, and is not a neon. It is built on the same platform but has many upgraded parts. Dodge has done an amazing job on this car, for what the car is. The srt4 is a mini muscle car without a big engine. It was designed to go really quick and it does that, and at a very bargain price. Now, even though this car does a great job for what it is, it is still a product of the chrysler family. A chrysler company that is not known for quality in it's product (especially it's low end products), or durability over it's life. I see 2 and 3 year old neons going for less then $5K all over the place. All these kids drive srt4's because that what lots of kids can afford.

Sometimes...you get what you pay for...

 

Rx8's don't have power rear windows either

 

Maybe having no power rear windows is the next big step in "t3h prefr0mans!!1!" sort of like CF wings and putting stock steelies on your drive wheels. Our car's on the bleeding edge of ricertech! :p

 

What do you expect... for that kind of performance for 20k you've got to cut corners somewhere. If I owned one I'd rather they did than then cut corners on the engine, which they did the exact opposite on that car. The engine is probably one of the strongest 4 cyliders on the market, in fact the parts they used on it were overkill and the stock block can handle 3x the power it's making now.

 

I test drove both of these cars and I went with the RX8 based on price and comfort of the cockpit. But the Impreza STi is one fast SOB. I'm not sure about the SRT4 but the couldn't compare

 

cut the corner by getting rid of the useless basket handle spoiler then... or instead of 17" wheels, how about some lighter weight 15's? Maybe even a single tip exhaust cuz the dual is NOT an performance enhancement... or how about dumping the fog lights? Do they make the car faster?!?! At this rate why have power windows at all or even the back doors or seats??? Oh & see how long the SRT-4's engine can hold it oil at 9000rpm.

They had a cheap foundation, put in a huge motor & called it a night.

 

I've rolled down my rear windows while driving once, and it was to taunt an SRT-4 owner. My rear windows could stop working and it would take me a year or two to notice it... Lastly, the SRT-4 is hardly just a neon with a big motor thrown in, but if saying that makes you feel better then more power to you.

 

mod edit- no streetaracing posts or stories, please.

-Elara

 

People need to get over the issue with this car is faster than that car.

1 - You can make cars faster
2 - Cars continually get faster , so the car you bought today will be slower than the ones two years from now
3 - Speed does not make a sports car & sports car does not necessarily mean speed

By a car that looks great, handles great and is quick enaough to make it fun for everyday driving. And especially one that you like. In my opinion the RX8 is one of the best overall vehicles out there in the price range. You get speed, great handling, sport & luxury etc. As time goes on the RX8 will maintian it's wow appeal, where as these other 1/4 mile cars will drift into the dust as the newer cars get faster and faster. In addition, how do those cars handle driving in excess of 130-140 MPH? RX8 is a sports car, I don't classify those vehilces a sports cars.

 

You sure it was an SRT4 and not an SXT? SRT4's are fast mothas.

 

Yeah, I seriously doubt our car could go toe to toe at a stoplight/drag strip with an SRT unless the driver of the SRT was absolutely terrible. Those things are quite fast, just not my thing. They're FWD, which is something I personally despise...add all that power and I couldn't imagine myself enjoying it any more. In fact, I'd probably enjoy it a whole lot less. Sure, most people don't mind FWD, in fact a lot probably wouldn't even notice the difference, but that's why I made sure to get an RWD car - so I'd enjoy the drive as a whole, not just one part of it.

 

Pretty funny how they're prettymuch ignoring the RX-8 trolls over there :p

 

Exactly. Ya gotta give 'em credit for actually producing such an outrageous car. It's not hacked-together parts-bin car designed to fill a niche. Enthusiasts designed it, not the marketing department. For what it is, it's rather well-designed. They did a fantastic job within the constraints they had. My hat's off to 'em.

No, it's not my kind of car... at least not for the last few decades, lol. But I can appreciate what owners like about it. It's cheap. It's fast. It's easily modified. If you're into that sorta thing, it's a great platform to work with.

It's meant to "humiliate" cars twice it's price... and if that makes a kid feel good about his ride, well, good for him. Let him have his enthusiasm. In twenty years he'll be cruising along in his RX-15 thinking the same thing about the kids in their SRT-12s, lol...

As for RX-8 abuse, lol, come on... every car forum I visit bashes the RX-8 at some point. But reading the general tone (kill stories, all hail the god of HP, etc.) of those other forums just makes me appreciate this one - and my car - all the more

 

Good post HeelnToe.

 

If I catch anyone here trolling over there, you're going to get a warning. We do not condone such behavior.

 

I dunno, I don't have a problem with the neon other than it being an ugly car and being made by a manufacturer that doesn't make very reliable products. Shinka is sooo much more of a car than a neon.

To me anyway the SRT is a hot unrefined 18 year old, Shinka is a late 30's something that just got better looking, more educated, and more refined as she aged. No comparison, the SRT just doesn't have any class. :p

I also don't think the handling of the RX8 is anything spectacular either. I would say my SPEC-V handles as well or better. The RX8 has to much body roll for me and the steering is too heavy. The SPEC-V has almost no body roll at all and it has very quick light steering. Shinka reminds me a lot more of my eclipse GT. Don't get me wrong I still love Shinka but it's the whole package that really does it for me. Now if it would just quit stinkin' snowing so I can get to drive it, the sum total of times I've driven it is 1 and that was the test drive.

 

Let them have their fun while they can. The neon and all its variations will be gone next year...

 

Why on earth would you say such a thing?

 

Its still an ugly car... performance, looks, 2 different things, and you pay different values for both.

You dont see Ferrari complaining that their 600K Enzos got beat by the 20K Ariel Atom with a motorcycle engine right?

And I bet those smug Enzo owners couldnt care less when they see a lil kid with an atom revving beside him in the stop light...
At the end of the day he is still the one coming home with the supermodel.

 

They wish they could beat Mustang GT
hahah yah OKAY
SMOKED US??
those idiots

 

Ummm, per Car and Driver.

2005 Mustang GT 1/4 Mile 13.8@103mph
2004 SRT-4 1/4 mile 13.8@103mph

They're also talking about the much slower older Mustangs, so maybe it's not them that are the idiots...

RX-8 = Smoked (especially on the highway)

Himitsu, I see what you're getting at but your analogy is silly. You drive a mazda, not a Ferrari not even a Lexus or an Acura, a Mazda. We're talking about a 10k price difference vs. a 580k price difference.

 

I am sure you have been asked this but please educate me on why you are here when you don't even own an 8 or seem to aspire to get one.

 

Right on. Do you guys even realize what you sound like? I read that thread on srt forum, then I read this one, and this one is much worse. What is going on here? You don't have to like the SRT, but for god's sakes respect its power and intention. We have way too many ***** envy RX8 owners here, who feel the need to defend it. If you really didn't care, you wouldn't be mocking the SRT-4, and this thread would not have bashing. I'm finding that this site is the worst of them all as far as bashing. It's sad to see because we own such a nice car, and we know and expect to get beaten by an SRT in a straight line. The comments about LETS TAKE IT ON THE CURVES and IT'S STILL A POS NEON is a pure defense mechanism like it or not. Get over these faster cars, and enjoy yours. We shouldn't even be upset at this because as much as we may not like it, that thread for the most part spoke the truth. I see very little of that on here. Go ahead flame away, but that is the bottom line.

 

I agree, and I own an 8. Why is it so hard to accept that the 8 got smoked by a faster car. And that's what it is, a faster car. SO WHAT. I been reading both post from the begining and I still don't understand why everyone is so upset. So he beat an 8. And so what if IkeWRX doesn't own an 8, he is just stating the facts that the SRT is faster. ITS FASTEST! If this is the reason you bought an 8, then you bought the wrong car. You didn't buy the fastest car you bought a sexy car a real head turner. Yeah, they may have bashed the 8 but you guys came back here and did the same thing as they did. You are all bashing the NEON. But I guess that OK for us to do because we spend X amount of money for our cars. Get over yourselvers. ITS FASTER!

BTW: I own a 2005 Sunlight Siver RX-8...