Sport Compact Car's 2003 Car of the Year!

I don't know how many of you read this magazine, but I find it interesting. Well this month they decided to do a yearly award. Any sport compact can be eligible, but they stated that they have to impress them in quite a few different categories, this year, that car was the 2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4. Here is the article from the web site:


Sport Compact Car Of The Year Award:
2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4
Dodge unveiled the turbocharged SRT-4 at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, the theme of the press conference was urban decay.

By Scott Oldham
Photography: Les Bidrawn, Josh Jacquot

To a hip hop soundtrack, graffiti artists in baggy clothes tagged a brick wall, as the Daimler Chrysler brass told the assembled press that the SRT-4 has everything the kids want. They just stopped short of calling it fresh and fly. We left shaking our heads. We remember thinking Dodge still didn't get it. We even shook off the claim that the turbocharged 2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4 would be the quickest car you could buy in America for less than $20,000, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. No way, we thought.

Then some of the Dodge engineers began driving a red SRT-4 prototype with a huge, front-mount intercooler in SCCA ProRally events. Almost immediately they found success, winning their class, Group 5, several times. Then we began to hear the car's turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder was making some serious power on the company's dynos, and the SRT-4 was going to be the real deal. We got interested. Maybe we were wrong. Maybe Dodge does get it. Months of phone calls later and a yellow SRT-4 prototype was at our office for the car's first road test ever in any magazine anywhere in the world.

Turns out we were right about being wrong. Dead wrong. Dodge does get it, but the SRT-4 does not accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. It does it in 5.8 seconds. That's right, 5.8 seconds. It also puts 223 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque to its front wheels, stops from 60 mph in 119 feet and snakes through a 700-foot slalom at a very fast 69 mph.

That means the SRT-4 runs head to head with the new Nissan 350Z and the Subaru WRX, while leaving the new Mini Cooper S and the Acura RSX Type-S in the dust.

Dodge did it right. From its engine to its chassis, the SRT-4 is ready to rule. And we really like the way it looks. That front mount intercooler, big hood scoop and 17-inch wheels and tires have transformed the once homely Neon into a machine with real attitude.

In our first full road test of the car in the December 2002 issue we said the new SRT-4 redefines the collective concept of fast, raw and American and proves without question that Dodge is playing hardball.

One month later, in the January 2003 issue we put the SRT-4 up against seven other cars in a comparison test to find the best car for under $20,000. The SRT-4 finished a decisive first, outgunning the Mini Cooper S, Nissan Sentra SE-R, Hyundai Tiburon, Honda Civic Si, Volkswagen GTI, Ford SVT Focus and MazdaSpeed Protegé. Bottom line. It blew us away.

Then there's the price. Dodge did what it said, and priced the SRT-4 at less than $20 grand. That means it really is the quickest car you can buy for the money, which makes it, without argument, the greatest performance car buy of the year.

And that is why we have chosen the 2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4 as the 2003 Sport Compact Car of the Year.

By the way, the web site is: http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/

the performance is there....but i think that is an ugly ass car :finger:

I find that article amusing. Especially since Dodge has said that the production car will be de-tuned slightly which means that it won't make the power to produce the numbers that it got in those acceleration tests. Also as pointed out, the car looks like ass. :finger:

I WOULDN'T BUY IT.....NO FUN IN DRIVING A CAR ALREADY DONE FOR U.. HERE COME THE UGLY BUMBLEBEE.....

yeah I read that article and found it pretty interesting. What i don't get though is why would they even TRY to make it look like a Neon? I'm sorry for all of you who like Neons, but if they're making a sportier car then why not give it a sportier look? I donno, it looks to much like a bloated Neon to me.

Originally posted by civicHBsi91
the performance is there....but i think that is an ugly ass car :finger:

I agree.

I also say the same thing about Skylines.













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bah...the neon pushes pretty nice numbers, but where is the fun in driving such an UGLY ass car? i'd take the new mazda 6 over it anyday. those things are sweet, with wut 220 hp? from a car that looks WAY WAY better, and around the same price. sorry, but dodge is tryin to keep up w/ the "import" scene, but once again proves the domestics jus should stick to being domestics, they are fine in their own class. i don't know why s.c.c. picked that...there are better cars...the 6, the rsx, the z, shoot, so many better cars. i guess its jus their opinion, but it is a mess up considering, once again, THAT CAR IS UGLY AS POOP! heh, jus my opinion tho :D

I also say the same thing about Skylines.

what year? i think they are quite stylish myself

Originally posted by BLU CIVIC
I WOULDN'T BUY IT.....NO FUN IN DRIVING A CAR ALREADY DONE FOR U.. HERE COME THE UGLY BUMBLEBEE.....

Already done for you?? What's done to it? If that's the case, just aboue the ONLY cars you can buy are Civics and Integras...Rule out SUPRAs, Rx7s, 300ZXs, SKYLINES, NSXs, CORVETTES, FERRARIs, LAMBOs, just about anything FAST:rolleyes: That makes no sense at all, get real. If that's how you think though, more power to you...I guess...:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I don't like how the Neon looks AT ALL. I think it's UGLY just like the rest of you, lol. BUT it's definately a performer. Direct competition for the Subaru WRX in every single way. And like it or not, A LOT of you will be getting smoked by it once it hits and people start snatching them up. Got work to do fellas if you want to stay ahead of the curve!!:)

Originally posted by Self
BUT it's definately a performer. Direct competition for the Subaru WRX in every single way. And like it or not, A LOT of you will be getting smoked by it once it hits and people start snatching them up. Got work to do fellas if you want to stay ahead of the curve!!:)

See my previous post:p :p

Also, for more proof, go to Dodge's site and look at the FAQ about the SRT-4.

Already done for you?? What's done to it?
i think he means the wheels and intercooler and hood scoop and the spoiler, even with the mazdaspeed protege' is too complete for me i mean it has a system in it already, wheels.....i mean i find it fun to take a stock civic and turn it into something hot.....what the point of going out and buying something and your done....thats no fun to me what the point of being a "tuner"??

Originally posted by inferno


See my previous post:p :p

Also, for more proof, go to Dodge's site and look at the FAQ about the SRT-4.

Not sure what you mean, looking at the specs on dodge's site now, they are as follows...
215hp @ 5400
245tq @ 3200(DAAAAMMMMNNNNN!!!!!!:eek: )
0 - 60 = Sub 6 Seconds

Now what??:confused:

Originally posted by civicHBsi91

i think he means the wheels and intercooler and hood scoop and the spoiler, even with the mazdaspeed protege' is too complete for me i mean it has a system in it already, wheels.....i mean i find it fun to take a stock civic and turn it into something hot.....what the point of going out and buying something and your done....thats no fun to me what the point of being a "tuner"??

WHAT HE SAID......i'd rather take a stock neon and so it up the way that i wnated

rather a lower model neon

Originally posted by Self


Already done for you?? What's done to it? If that's the case, just aboue the ONLY cars you can buy are Civics and Integras...Rule out SUPRAs, Rx7s, 300ZXs, SKYLINES, NSXs, CORVETTES, FERRARIs, LAMBOs, just about anything FAST:rolleyes:

its not about being fast b/c those cars come stock like that whereas that neon is and an highly upgraded model

Originally posted by Self


Not sure what you mean, looking at the specs on dodge's site now, they are as follows...
215hp @ 5400
245tq @ 3200(DAAAAMMMMNNNNN!!!!!!:eek: )
0 - 60 = Sub 6 Seconds

Now what??:confused:

Notice that they aren't claiming a solid time. The tested car was a pre-production prototype making 223 whp and it went to 60 in 5.9 seconds. The tested car was set at 14 or 15psi while the production car will most likely have 10psi. Nothing a boost controller can't fix, but it is just fucked up that they would stretch the truth about the car by allowing a pre-production car to be tested and then tuning the stock one down.

Originally posted by BLU CIVIC


its not about being fast b/c those cars come stock like that whereas that neon is and an highly upgraded model

What are you talking about?? The Neon SRT-4 comes like that...STOCK. 100% stock straight from the manufacturer. There's also a base model Supra, that's a NON-TURBO. Is the Supra TT therefore highly upgraded and not stock?? No, stock simply means how it comes from the manufacturer. The turbo Neon is 100% utterly and totally STOCK.

Originally posted by inferno


Notice that they aren't claiming a solid time. The tested car was a pre-production prototype making 223 whp and it went to 60 in 5.9 seconds. The tested car was set at 14 or 15psi while the production car will most likely have 10psi. Nothing a boost controller can't fix, but it is just fucked up that they would stretch the truth about the car by allowing a pre-production car to be tested and then tuning the stock one down.

Ahh, I see.

Originally posted by Self


What are you talking about?? The Neon SRT-4 comes like that...STOCK. 100% stock straight from the manufacturer. There's also a base model Supra, that's a NON-TURBO. Is the Supra TT therefore highly upgraded and not stock?? No, stock simply means how it comes from the manufacturer. The turbo Neon is 100% utterly and totally STOCK.

if u notice i corrected myself and said a "lower model":flash:

Originally posted by civicHBsi91

what year? i think they are quite stylish myself

To date I have not seen one that had any styling I liked. Its true they are world class performers, but they are not my cup of tea.













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numbers=nice
car=yuck yuck yuck

i agree that it'll keep up w/ the wrx now, but still, the wrx has style to me actually. an that is important too. i mean if geo released a metro pushin those numbers, yea everyone would be like "damn...thats quick" but still, its a geo metro.

i kno if i line up next to the new neon, it'll prolly beat me...sigh tough to say ::sniff:: j/k :D

don't hate.....appreciate.:flipa:

Agreed, car's Fugly but its got some balls. Looks like dodge finaly pulled their shit together....

Originally posted by KrNxRaCer00
bah...the neon pushes pretty nice numbers, but where is the fun in driving such an UGLY ass car? i'd take the new mazda 6 over it anyday. those things are sweet, with wut 220 hp? from a car that looks WAY WAY better, and around the same price. sorry, but dodge is tryin to keep up w/ the "import" scene, but once again proves the domestics jus should stick to being domestics, they are fine in their own class. i don't know why s.c.c. picked that...there are better cars...the 6, the rsx, the z, shoot, so many better cars. i guess its jus their opinion, but it is a mess up considering, once again, THAT CAR IS UGLY AS POOP! heh, jus my opinion tho :D


The 6 is more of a sedan the 350Z is about 10 grand more unless you get the base and the RSX would get buchered performancewise.But as looks go i think i would take the 350Z folowed by a long distance by the RSX over the SRT4. But as we all know beuty is in the eye of the beholder.

I don't see what it is with you people and the looks of the SRT-4, I happen to like them. Granted they aren't as agressive as I would like, but that is something I can fix.

Then again, to each his own.

What I was trying to say is that the looks of the car are subjective while there is no question about performance.

Originally posted by BLU CIVIC
I WOULDN'T BUY IT.....NO FUN IN DRIVING A CAR ALREADY DONE FOR U.. HERE COME THE UGLY BUMBLEBEE.....

I dunno... I'd buy a WRX just to have a warranty on a turbo :)

NOT SURE IF IT WAS SAID...BUT CAN A CAR RECEIVE AN AWARD LIKE CAR OF THE YEAR WHEN IT ISN'T IN PRODUCTION??