2003 DODGE Neon SRT-4 2.4L Turbo 5MT FWD (230 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The sport-compact car in the U.S. was mainly dominated by the import cars from Japan and Germany. But Dodge gave them a proper answer with the Neon SRT4.

In the years 2000, there was a trend for fast and cheap vehicles. The mph/dollar factor was important and the Dodge Neon SRT4 was a good answer. They were cheap to buy and easy to modify.

The three-box sedan shape of the car could have been mistaken with a family sedan. While the normal Neon was exactly that kind of car, the SRT4 was different. Its front fascia told that. A big bumper with a Dodge Viper-like four slots and two round fog-lights were different than the rest of its siblings. An air-intake on the hood also warned the bystanders that that was not the ordinary grocery-car. A big, oversized wing on the trunk had only a styling factor and it was among the first to be replaced by the owners.

Inside, the Dodge wish to offer the car at the lowest possible price was obvious. The cheap materials could have been seen all over the place. There was even a factory-installed boost gauge that looked like it was stuck after the car left the factory. But Dodge did that to offer a sports compact car at under USD 20.000, which was way cheaper and less powerful than the Subaru Impreza WRX or the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The car featured only front power windows.

Under the hood, the Dodge Neon SRT4 featured a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine mated to a standard 5-speed transmission. In the first production year, it was offered with a 215 hp and an open differential. Starting with 2004, the engine was pumped-up to 230 hp and the transmission received a limited-slip differential.