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Why so much hype about the SRT-4??

18K views 89 replies 45 participants last post by  bgSti 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm not trying to start a flame. But after I test drove the 2004 SRT-4 today. I really doubt their ability!!:confused:

The one I test drove is 2004 Srt4 which is the most powerful one right? Tho the car is still not break-in yet, but there shoudn't be that much difference right??

I punch it in 1st & 2nd gear(power shift) 1st to 2nd the tires chirp, but the car just doens't have those turbo kick in feel. I don't have much space to try to 4th gear & so on.(Test on city street rush hour). But even the 3rd gear feels sluggish. The stock Sti is so much faster & powerful than the srt-4. Though my Sti is mod now, but I can still remember how the stock Sti perform. I can says that the Sti is the horse compare to srt4 is the pig!! Realli, someone plz chime in and tell me did I test drove a SXT 2.0 or something??:confused:

I can't imagine how a stock 2004 Srt-4 pull on a stock sti from a roll?? Sigh..........I'm very disaapoint of this car after so much reading about it said how fast it it and such....

:(

andrew

*Onece again, I'm not starting a flame/war........I'm just telling what I've experienced. :/
 
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#27 ·
YBNormal07 said:
But for some odd reason, I suspect you are posting subjects like this to associate yourself with an STi, which you don't actually own. I can't blame you, but dude...c'mon..it's just a car.

Abrigado
HAHAHA I love it. Are you posing BGSTi?

If I had and extra 20 grand I would totally rock an SRT-4 with a Neon ACR suspension.
That would be great all around performer for little $.
 
#28 ·
YBNormal07 said:
I'm sorry, but SAY WHAT!!!????

OK..lets go that route. How about performance from a roll, from a roll to a stop, from a roll around a corner, from weight transfer, from lane changing, from hell...any other aspect. Basically, if you aren't into dragracing, all of the other performance aspects that come to mind.

I respect your opinion, and if you are buying the SRT4 for it "performance from a roll" aspect, then you are truly suited to the car.

IMO, there is a lot more to a car than that. Not disrespecting the SRT4 in those categores, as it is actually a decent car to drive, even hard in the twisties (assuming you can overlook the feel of the clutch and shifter throws, and you don't mind average brakes for stopping).

Once you compare it to something that actually does perform in the twisties, then its buh-by...regardles of it's "performance from a roll" characteristics. And honestly, I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but can you please reference any motorsport where the "performance from a roll" category is the measurement used to qualify winners/losers? I can't think of a single one...oh wait...maybe the salt flats top speed races...but they are already at their top end upon start and finish. So maybe it's "ability to maintain the roll"....;). Did I just establish a new performance category??:tongue: :tongue:

edit: Forgot one last item. Having driven all 3 vehicles, and having owned 2 of them (not the SRT4), and knowing the weak links of all of them via friends who are owners, and of course, from boards like this, IMO, the STi would outlast the SRT4 in any wearability category, with the exception of the aluminum block vs the iron block of the SRT4. Keep them both stock though, and only time will tell which lasts longer, but I suspect it would be the SRT4. But after 50 or 60 launches, my money is on the STi. Check the boards for SRT4 clutches, transmissions, and axle shafts. Check the board for STi clutches, transmissions and axleshafts. Notice the difference? Yes, you can blame it on the likely age level difference, or launch techniques, or shifting ability, but a difference is a difference, regardless of the reason. If you take that into account, then the WRX would rate better than the SRT4, despite the numerous reports of broken trannies.
PS....check out JD Powers for both, and then tell me the SRT4 will outlast either the WRX or the STi. Nope.
Not to flame back, but you need to spend some more time behind the wheel of the srt before you pass judgement on it's ability. While the wrx and sti handle, stop, go and twist great, the srt is no slouch behind them. Anyone who has any ability to drive can get the srt to do just about whatever they want. All the performance tests from mags show the srt competitive against the wrx in all the catagories, and competitive against the sti within respect to cost (ie, the sti is faster, stops better, higher grip, but not by much, considering it's 10g more). People who perpetuate the notion that the SRT is only a straight line car have never tested that theroy, and base their knowledge of the car on bad drivers and assumptions.

Furthermore - the only complaints of axles, clutchs and tranny issues coming out of the srt camp are from people breaching the 350hp mark, and only after racing them. Not to shabby if you ask me. JD power's website ranks the neon higher than the impreza in all the quality catagorys they list. Again, people who believe the 2003+ neons are junk outta go study instead of using assumptions. I've got 39k hard miles on my car, including road racing, drag racing, and a handful of modifications, and the car hasn't hiccup'd once. Feel free to come and look at how well my car's holding up - it suprises even me.
 
#29 ·
... and I've got 59,000 miles on my WRX, with it being a "Stg II" car for the past 40,000 miles. Easily 50 passes at the dragstrip, 2 events at Road America, 5 autocrosses, and a variety of some fun agressive street driving along with towing my JetSki to and from the lake an hour each way throughout the summers. Stock clutch, stock tranny, stock turbo... Seems to be holding up to my abuse. Just the mods listed below.
 
#31 ·
My SRT

Pretty good thread, and I to was a Non believer back in 2003 when I still was looking for a car. I was at SouthCoast Subaru in NewPort Beach, CA about to buy a Aspen White WRX for 26K and 580 a month until a few friends told me about the SRT. I was like whats that, I don't want a "NEON". After they told me what it was about and the price, I had to look at it. I was very impressed, with the power and looks except the rear roll downs, but oh well. I've always been a FWD guy, so it really isn't a big prob for me, especially being here in Cali were it doesn't snow and rain as much. Stock, this car needs some mods on the suspension, cuz that tall ass will swing, but I fixed that after I hit 500 miles.

I currently have 36,000 miles since April 1st of 03, and I've driven my car as if I'm in a race every day, the track, auto x, canyon runs, street runs, u name it. I broke an axle at the track at 33k and thats about it. My Car handles awesome and very impressed for it being FWD. I've surprised alot of non believers and feels good to do so since the SRT gets so much ****. I Love and Respect my car dearly as you guys do yours. Now I'm in the market of buying a used WRX because I'm racking to many miles on the SRT, so need another to split them. They will look good on my driveway also:D
 
#32 ·
YBNormal07 said:
I'm sorry, but SAY WHAT!!!????

OK..lets go that route. How about performance from a roll, from a roll to a stop, from a roll around a corner, from weight transfer, from lane changing, from hell...any other aspect. Basically, if you aren't into dragracing, all of the other performance aspects that come to mind.
My point was that the biggest advantage the STi or WRX have is starting from a dig. When it comes to braking and turing, the SRT-4 is right there (okay maybe the STi is a bit ahead).

I respect your opinion, and if you are buying the SRT4 for it "performance from a roll" aspect, then you are truly suited to the car.
No, I'm not planning on buying the SRT-4, but I would pick it over the WRX.

IMO, there is a lot more to a car than that. Not disrespecting the SRT4 in those categores, as it is actually a decent car to drive, even hard in the twisties (assuming you can overlook the feel of the clutch and shifter throws, and you don't mind average brakes for stopping).

Once you compare it to something that actually does perform in the twisties, then its buh-by...regardles of it's "performance from a roll" characteristics. And honestly, I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but can you please reference any motorsport where the "performance from a roll" category is the measurement used to qualify winners/losers? I can't think of a single one...oh wait...maybe the salt flats top speed races...but they are already at their top end upon start and finish. So maybe it's "ability to maintain the roll"....;). Did I just establish a new performance category??:tongue: :tongue:

In my opinion, "performance from a roll" is VERY important 'cause that's what you do everytime you mash the gas on the street. I don't know about you, but I'm more likely to be accelerating hard while already moving as opposed to doing jack-rabbit starts all the time.

edit: Forgot one last item. Having driven all 3 vehicles, and having owned 2 of them (not the SRT4), and knowing the weak links of all of them via friends who are owners, and of course, from boards like this, IMO, the STi would outlast the SRT4 in any wearability category, with the exception of the aluminum block vs the iron block of the SRT4. Keep them both stock though, and only time will tell which lasts longer, but I suspect it would be the SRT4. But after 50 or 60 launches, my money is on the STi. Check the boards for SRT4 clutches, transmissions, and axle shafts. Check the board for STi clutches, transmissions and axleshafts. Notice the difference? Yes, you can blame it on the likely age level difference, or launch techniques, or shifting ability, but a difference is a difference, regardless of the reason. If you take that into account, then the WRX would rate better than the SRT4, despite the numerous reports of broken trannies.
PS....check out JD Powers for both, and then tell me the SRT4 will outlast either the WRX or the STi. Nope.
Lastly, unless you got tons of money (congrats if you do!) paying an extra $7k CAD for a WRX over an SRT-4 is something to consider as well.

I suppose I like the SRT-4 'cause it's the underdog, who doesn't like cheering for the underdog?
 
#33 · (Edited)
hmm.. what to say. 20k vs 30k is the major. 10k more for the sti and it should win in every catagory or be very close at the best. dodge didn't want to make the car 30k to run with the sti. they wanted 20k to stomp civics, rsxs, eclipse,tirburons,integras,focuses,protege's etc... and be affordable to the market of buyers that usually purchases the types of cars it was designed to beat. it's just a plus it can keep up right with a car in one catagory(from a roll) that was design to be 30k for the last 10years of production. awesome job on the srt for the cash. if i had 30k to spend i'd have a white with gold sti in the driveway right now. but my eblue srt has almost filled it's spot. and with some carful $$ here and there i can bring it closer to the stock levels of an sti and surpass it in others (from a roll) also when it comes to safety and reliability. there both really close.

saftey as bin greatly improved on the neon chassis in the past years. durability of the srt is out standing. easily add extra 100lbft tq on the stock clutch if you drive it right and have no problems all day long. but the first thing to break is the halfshafts at around 325-250tq and the clutch goes soon after around 400 or so. tranny seem bomb proof at over 500 on some car as well as the motor it's self. of course if you abuse it and drive it hard all time thigs will break quicker. as in any car.


just my .02 later.
 
#34 ·
you know you are right dodge dint desing the noen with plans to compete against evos,sti, it was mainly competing with honda, and the rest.i personally would never get the srt. but i think for the money the srt is def worth it,in my opinion both the wrx and the srt4 are the best bang for the buck.
 
#35 ·
Oh no, what you really have to worry about is that Neon SXT! I had one of those sitting next to me today at a light and he starts to rev on me! I had my window down and told him that I just spent $31.00 filling my tank and he wasn't worth shortening the time between fillups.
 
#36 ·
I may have come across as a bit of an ass or maybe ranting, but I believe my poitns are still valid, when taken in contect and balanced against the post I was replying to. The comparison was of an SRT4 against a WRX and an STi, in the categories of performance from a roll and durability.

My responses were mainly centered around the comparison to the STi, and as an owner, I'm probably biased but I stand by the durability statements and of course, the performance statements. Again, I've praised the SRT4's powertrain again and again on this board and others. The engine is truly an awesome piece of work, and when the price is taken into account, one hell of a bargain. But sorry, folks, no way, no how, does the SRT4 come anywhere near the STi in any performance category other than from a roll. Road course, autocross, whatever. Been there and done that. With an exceptionl driver, they do perform well, but sorry, not in the field of and STi. Totally different performance category. And for those who say I need more seat time in an SRT4, well, back atcha. You need more seat time in an STi. I guarantee you'll come away a believer, unlike my experience with an SRT4. And again, this is not a slam. Hell, I paid a lot more money for mine, and I expect the performance to equal the monetary difference. If it didn't, I'd have an SRT4 in my garage instead.

Again, as for the JD Powers items, the Neon may rank higher, but I don't know, as I compared the Impreza (the only car shown) against the SRT4, not the Neon. And no, the SRT4 did not win in every category, but surprisingly, it did beat out the Impreza (not the WRX or STi mind you) in two categories. Oddly enough though, the Impreza beat out the SRT4 in Performance catgory, and by a 2 to 1 margin. Go figure. Guess thats what we get for bench "quality" racing, and since I'm the one who brought it up, an apology is owed by me.

OK then....rant over...man I'm tired. FATT all day today (BTW..a few SRT4s there. Lapped every one of them...:wiggles:

Cheers,
 
#37 ·
The SRT-4 would be a pretty cool car if it didn't inherit that gay Neon legacy :tongue:

The SRT-4 is the absolute performance bargain out there today, best bang for the buck, bar-none in my opinion. It's definitely not the prettiest thing in the world, and the owners are often stereotyped as punk kids that think they can beat anything on the road....chances are, it's the minority that's ruining it for everyone else, but from my experience, every SRT-4 owner I've met was a high school kid who was given the car, gets the factory upgrades and thinks he's hot ****.

But I guess if they were cool it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to put 'em in their place :D
 
#38 ·
2004JadeSTi said:
The SRT-4 would be a pretty cool car if it didn't inherit that gay Neon legacy :tongue:

The SRT-4 is the absolute performance bargain out there today, best bang for the buck, bar-none in my opinion. It's definitely not the prettiest thing in the world, and the owners are often stereotyped as punk kids that think they can beat anything on the road....chances are, it's the minority that's ruining it for everyone else, but from my experience, every SRT-4 owner I've met was a high school kid who was given the car, gets the factory upgrades and thinks he's hot ****.

But I guess if they were cool it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to put 'em in their place :D


:werd: to that
 
#39 ·
Wow! there sure are a lot of SRT 4 owners here:) . I have to ask my step-dad if I could go flog one for a while as he's a manager at Dodge. I tried to ask him for a SRT10 but he said that only got 2 here in the state and that the thing cost in excess of 60 grand and the one here already sold. Just for your info there are, i think, about 10 or so SRT 4's around here. 5 sold by my step dad. Median age of buyers: 18. Wanna know why they get a bad rap: just remember when we were once young..... we thought we were invincible.
 
#42 ·
MengHang said:
Neon srt-4 at 300whp is not the same as
WRX at 300whp!

the WRX will kill the neon!


Nuf Said.
Not sure exactly what you mean by that but I hope you do know "whp" means horsepower to the wheels. Meaning both cars would have the same output where it matters, to the wheels.

Being that the neon is a tad lighter by 100 lbs or so over the WRX and 200lbs over the Sti I have to say that from a roll, the neon would win. Again though, this is bench racing which gets us no-where.

From a stop on the street though, the SRT-4 would have one hell of a time hooking up. I dont think it would be any contest (The Sti would kick its ass). On the drag strip, however, it would be alot closer considering the SRT-4 could run slicks. Many guys are cutting 1.7-1.8's on slicks in their SRT-4's at the track.
 
#43 ·
MengHang said:
Neon srt-4 at 300whp is not the same as
WRX at 300whp!

the WRX will kill the neon!


Nuf Said.
maybe he means that if both have 300whp then the wrx is most definitely using a larger turbo than the srt, as the neon can grab 300whp on the mitsubishi one. thus giving the subaru the advantage in the top end over the 2.4L. i have a boost leak on stock IC, so im low on power but can walk the srt harder up top with the 1820. other than that, advantage dodge...torque and weight
 
#44 ·
13secwrx said:
The srt is a great car for not only the $$$ they charge but even if it were more expensive. If you care about performance then its a really great deal minus the fwd.

2.4 iron block
16g stock turbo

From a roll it will take an sti. It usually dyno's at around 230whp w/240-250 tq. An sti dynos around 230-240whp. The srt is lighter then the sti. SO there is your reason why it pulls it at higher speeds. I would never buy an srt nor choose it over the sti but you gotta give credit where it is due. IMO I dont care about the cheap interior, I am probably buying that car to put work into and smoke alot of cars. ....Mopar and dodge hit the bulls eye w/that one.
Nope. when my STI was stock. I beat my friends noen with the mopar stage one. My STI stock dynoed at 248 whp. My friends neon dynoed at 216 whp. stock. From a stop its not even close. So basically the AWD is the king
 
#45 ·
i though stis dyno around 250-260??i could be wrong about that........but bone stock srt4's do dyno at about 227 whp...srt4 is not overhyped..idk why but sti owner doesnt seem 2 have all his facts straight..poser who knows maybe...its sorta weird..wrx turbo kick in feels stronger cause 2.0 engine that kicks in..srt4 is already a 2.4 and than turbo kicks in..srt4 has more smoother accelaration..and also stock on stock..srt4 wouldn't do 2 well low end rolls ...but get on hy srt4 will hang and even take it higher you go in speed...no car is overhyped when it breaks 13's for 20k out of dealer..and when mopar stage 2 can destory cars...under 30k go own lambos/ferraris..seen a srt4 wiht exhaust and turbo upgrade that together kit cost 6g's run 11 at a track b4..oh yeah..he ran 11.9 at about 116-120mph and this was at 4000 foot of elevation..but yeah ur right..srt4 is ''overhyped''...sorry but MORON!

and oh yeah..i drive a wrx so i dont have a bias opinion towards srt4 ..if u think srt4 is overhyped than what does that make the wrx??..you'd need cobb stage 2 b4 trying to hang with a srt4 off a roll
 
#46 ·
AwdTurboWrx said:
i though stis dyno around 250-260??i could be wrong about that........but bone stock srt4's do dyno at about 227 whp...srt4 is not overhyped..idk why but sti owner doesnt seem 2 have all his facts straight..poser who knows maybe...its sorta weird..wrx turbo kick in feels stronger cause 2.0 engine that kicks in..srt4 is already a 2.4 and than turbo kicks in..srt4 has more smoother accelaration..and also stock on stock..srt4 wouldn't do 2 well low end rolls ...but get on hy srt4 will hang and even take it higher you go in speed...no car is overhyped when it breaks 13's for 20k out of dealer..and when mopar stage 2 can destory cars...under 30k go own lambos/ferraris..seen a srt4 wiht exhaust and turbo upgrade that together kit cost 6g's run 11 at a track b4..oh yeah..he ran 11.9 at about 116-120mph and this was at 4000 foot of elevation..but yeah ur right..srt4 is ''overhyped''...sorry but MORON!

and oh yeah..i drive a wrx so i dont have a bias opinion towards srt4 ..if u think srt4 is overhyped than what does that make the wrx??..you'd need cobb stage 2 b4 trying to hang with a srt4 off a roll
WOW... you need to take an english class dude.

Seriously... some type of writing class or something.
 
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