ZX2Fast

Before you read this you have to know I'm not asking this to start a flame war or to say you made a bad decision. I really want to know since my next car may be between the SS supercharged and the SRT-4 when they get older. I was thinking of picking one up for a daily driver and turn the ZX2 into a race only car. Anyhow, I want to know why you picked the supercharged SS over the SRT-4. I know they are in the same new price range and I also know the SRT-4 is quite a bit faster and I'm thinking it cost less to insure. So, please give me detailed reasons why you picked the SS be it brand loyalty, appearance, etc.


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HackAbuse

The cobalt's interior is superior.

The cobalt isnt much slower, and the Ecotec is a great platform.

The cobalt just plain looksway better.

The srt4 is, and always will be a Neon.

stic5

If the srt-4 is faster (and that is questionable) then it's very close. The 2.0 ecotec is simply a better engine than the srt's 2.4, and our aftermarket is quickly catching up. Also, the cobalt is slightly better on a road course. My main reason for picking the cobalt, however, is the fact that GM is 100% american, while dodge is now just a sad little division of german mercedes.

06' SS2SS

I guess a bit has to be brand loyalty. My inlaws work for GM, most of them in the Lake Orion plant building G6's. My wife worked at Eaton for a bit. I do like the looks of the SS over the SRT-4. I've beaten an SRT-4 stock for stock in my SS, so I don't think the SRT's are all they are cracked up to be. Also, I see SRT-4's, EVO's, and STi's all over the place with only a handfull of Cobalt SS's around. My last point is that my sister drives a Neon, I can't bring myself to owning a similar car.

ZX2Fast

GM is not 100% American. Just take a look at where your parts are made. Toyota has more American made parts then our domestic makers now.

As for the speed, I've seen both run at the track, the SRT-4 has been consistently .3-.5 seconds faster then the SS.

I know the Ecotec is a great engine. But the 2.4 has been around longer. They were using it in cars bound for Mexico for a time. I've talked to more SRT-4 guys and they mod them often and the engines take it. So I'm more concerned as to how long they will hold up. The Dodges being made by Germans is a great move. They do it best. So that is not a strike against Dodge at all.

06' SS2SS

If you are getting it for a daily driver, are you going to mod it? I agree that GM is not 100% American, the SS has Sweedish parts and Lotus had its hand in developing it. The suspension was developed at Nuremburgring. Now that the Neon SRT-4 is discontinued, the aftermarket will get stagnant and less "new" toys will be available. The Cobalt SS/SC is going into it's 3rd year and they are developing a twin charging set up for it. The Cobalt is also doing fairly well in the NHRA drags, Grand Am Cup racing and the Time Attack. I guess you will just have to go test drive both and make up your mind.

trobin44

[QUOTE=06' SS2SS] The suspension was developed at Nuremburgring. QUOTE]

Wha, where I was just wondering if anyone caught this besides me.
(Nurburgring) Sorry man, That was a good one.

05REDROCKET

Srt 4's die after 50,000km.
It's an old platform so your car looks old the day you got it.
The interior is garbage so is the suspension.
Yes turbo makes more power and you can upgrade but they break when you look at them the wrong way.

06' SS2SS

Are you trying to make me look dumb? Google Nuremburgring, you will find there is no difference really. I've actually driven there 3 years ago!

2006BlackSS/SC

btw toyota is made by gm if i remember correct cause i know there was the toyota cavalier same exact car as chevy but it was rhd and some other stuff.

css9450

I never considered the SRT-4 or any other Neon, not for a second. They are cheaply made cars and were outdated when the first ones hit the roads in 1995. I think it was Car and Driver that said their long-term test Neon was shedding parts faster than the Mir spacecraft.

If the SRT-4 is faster, well, I don't care. I'm not in HS and don't care if some other snot-nose kid has a faster car.

p7x

It cam down to the SS and the SRT4. Why I didn't buy the SRT4

Price $28,900 CAN
ugly - **** box with an agreesive front end and spoiler.
interior - very small and unconfortable, when test driving I would hit the passenger every time i shifted.
setup - 4 doors with power in the front and manual in the back WTF!
neon - I could live with myself knowing i bought a neon (my friends would make sure of that)

The SS was cheaper better looking way better interior and to my surprise was able to take out a few srt4's when i was stock. SRT4's have great potenial but all around the SS is better IMO.

BLKSS

1. I can smoke one with like 100$ worth of mods. So its not (quite a bit faster) Just need someone that can launch good.

2. They dont make that Neon anymore.

3. Dude, its a neon.

chevotec

Well Toyota and Gm are not the same company. The toyota cavalier was made by GM, and sold to Toyota to sell as the Toyota Cavalier in Japan only. It was an agreement to sell this car only. Sometimes they might partner up for some project ( Pontiac Vibe is from the Matrix), but they are not the same.

Vmango

Both are good cars in their own right. When I considered it the NEON factord weighed heavily (my friends would kill me for driving one). I got the SS because it's really like a refined SRT and much better looking....

cobi

1. They dont make the SRT-4 anymore which means no warranty
no warranty=bad in my book, since I am in college and cant afford to fix major problems
Correct me if I am wrong guys but I think we have 5 year powertrain if I remember correctly.

2. For a daily driver, the Cobalt wins in almost every category in my book
better interior, better exterior IMO, better suspension

3. Its a completely new car, not a revamped Neon, which have the tendency to croak around 60,000mi +

All opinion, but my 2 cents regardless

SilverBalt

Lol you got it hack, u beat me to the "srt4 is and always will be a Neon".. and i followed one last night to my girl friends house and he go on it when i got up behind him, and it sounded like total A$$ and it was stock.. and when he let off it was all poppy and raspy and sounded like a fart.... i didnt like it at all, and it smelled SO RICH

Quicksilver83

Well wasn't Toyota having talks with GM to make an official partnership then nissan supposedly wanted to join up with GM? I don't know for sure. I read something like that on msn news. Anyways. I use to like the srt-4 like a few years ago when it wasn't very common to see one. I did like the power, but the fact that it had such a lack of added options was a turn off. I personally have never driven one nor have I seen it up close. But from pictures I viewed on the net the interior wasn't all to eye catching. It really seemed like dodge made the car to be fast, and well that's about it. So to be honest I never really considered getting the SRT-4 when I went out to buy a new car. It wasn't even on my top 5 list, but the cobalt was 3rd

SSBlondie

EXACTLY.

YoAdrian

Looks.

player_1

for me it cam to ride and comfort.

1. SS is a Coupe not a 4 dr sedan, so it looks better and that stupid B pillar isn't at your face when you check your blind spot.

2. interior was much nicer and more comfortable to drive.

3. after test driving the neon, i realized the handling felt like ****. cobalt was much more refined and still maintained high performance level.

StinkBOMB

+1

I bought the Cobalt for the ride, better interior, tunability and the bells and whistles. As so many people have stated, the Neon is discontinued, and it's a Neon. As dyno charts prove, SRT-4's make tons of power, but I don't want that much, I just want 300, eventually.

D4u2s0t

the "neon" may be a bit faster stock... but who cares... it's a neon... i always felt that a neon is a girls car... hope that doesn't offend anyone, but that's how i feel.... but as far as the choice between the 2, i would go with the cobalt... now of course you're coming here, so you're gonna get a biased opinion... we obviously picked the cobalt... if you go to the srt-4 sites, they're gonna tell you how much better the neon is than the cobalt... i think you should just test both, and figure it out for yourself....

JonyyB

x100000000000000000000

IMADreamer

Go drive them both and you will see the difference yourself. If all you are worried about is speed and impressing your buddies by beating there little rice burners go get a SRT-4. It's slightly faster then the Cobalt, but with that said I did roast one last week with my SS/SC so it really all comes down to the driver.

For me I bought the car for a couple reason. I got a good deal, and it has a great overall package. It really doesn't do one thing great but it does everything well. My interior is nice, it's comfy, it's quick, it handles well, and it looks good. Good enough for me!

A word to the wise on the turbo neon, it shares and engine with the PT turbo and a relative of mine has a PT turbo that is on it's third head gasket and is getting lemon lawed. I used to have a 2.4 Dodge non turbo engine and it had head gasket issues twice. I also know of a guy with a SRT-4 having the same problem. I really think this is a problem dodge is having on a wide spread level with the 2.4 engine. So just be careful if you go that route.

Good luck car shopping!