I have yet to get into the drivers seat of the SRT-4, but I plan on doing it probably this weekend if the weather is right. So I can't comment on the difference between the two. But I know that I love my car and its wicked fast. I get people in the car and take "spins" down some unpopulated roads I know and hit speeds they never saw a speedometer say before!!! This car is so much more than a blast to drive. I really think it was made for me...I don't think I'd like anyother car as much as I love my SVT. ANd now that there are FI solutions coming out as well as some more tuning accessories becoming available...the tru potential of that Zetec is goingot be realized really soon.

A car that I can relate to is the VW GTI 1.8t. I went for a test drive not too long ago..because I want3ed to drive a car with a turbo too see what I might be like once I get one for my car!!! I drove it and it felt fast...then I went back to my car and flew threw first and second...just like I did in the 1.8t, and I noticed that the 1.8t didn't feel much much faster, and is only faster down under the 3K cause the turbo is beginning to sppol, plus it does have more torque...but bottom line...the SVT, and an SVT with basic mods (Intake, Exhaust...) will definitly be able to keep up eith the abnormally aspirated crowd...theres no murdering going on...and thats cool to know. Now all I need is $7000 to do everything I want to do...anyone up for knocking off a bank w/ me???

CCC

 

Well after riding in a SRT-4 while in St. Louis this last weekend, I have to say is

. My cousin bought one about 3 weeks ago and says he wishes he had not. He has had it in the shop 4 times for recall issues and said after riding/driving my car he wishes he had looked into it first. I will say that the SRT-4 is a fast car, but the ride is rough, the interior screams Don't get in, I am cheap, and overall it feels like a sup'd up family car. I think if I had got a SRT-4, I would strip the interior and put something more suitable to the car in. I am not going to pass complete judgement on the SRT-4 until it has been out for a few years. That way the recalls should stop and more parts should be out for it. Until then I give it

 

I just came back from filling up at the local gas station and there was a recent model Porch Carrera sitting straight in front of me. Right before going in to pay the owner of the Porch came out and walked over and commented on my car. After discussing the performance aspects of the SVT he was totally shocked. The breaking and handling were almost the same, and when I told him what an available supercharger would do he looked a little more stunned. The price is where it really hurt and I think we had a real difference in opinion. I was thinking how great the SVT is for less than 3 to 4 times what he paid, but it seems like he was happy to pay for the name and felt he has something extraordinary. Don’t get me wrong, I like Porch but an SVTF with a few thousand more in mods is still going to be a huge difference in price, and I like the idea of that look on peoples faces when a measly Focus can run with some really prestigious sports cars.

Quality, technology, stile and performance for a mere pittance. Thank the boys at SVT!

 

I like the SRTs, goto an SRT forum and ask about problems with their cars...oh the seatbelt is messed up, the seats dont fit fat people...WTF!! thoes arent probles. Go to and SVTF fourm and ask for problems with their car, no dont bother i will give you a list, T/C clutch gone bad just after warranty expired, horrid idle needs ECU needs reflashed, oil leak under valve cover. If I would have had half a brain when I was buying a car I would have gone with the SRT. And If i were you I would re think that statement of an SVT is a way better car then an SRT.(that is not a personal attack i dont want a war) Now that that is out of the way, I do accually like my SVT it is a blast to drive I dont smile when I fire it up because it takes about 6 seconds of cranking to start up, and then it idles like crap, but i do pretend to be an F1 driver because of the excellent handling. I think that both SVTs and SRTs are great cars, just depends if you want to mod ur car to make it fast(SVT), or buy ur car fast(SRT). Personally I am going to buy an SRT within the month, but i am giving my mom my SVT so I will still be able to drive it and wont have to part with my 1st car.

JOE

P.S. this letter was mostly negative towards the SVT because of the 1st post mostly being negative towards the SRT.

 

So which would be cheaper and keep more of the factory warranty: making a SRT-4 outhandle the SVT or making the SVT out accelerate the SRT-4?
In my mind the SVT is a great all around vehicle, the SRT-4 is more of a mini muscle car. What dissapoints me is Ford offering a $3400 apperance package instead of offering some sort of FI option. Obviously their research shows there is a market for a $24,000 Focus otherwise they wouldn't be offering it, right? So take a great car and make it even better by offering FI factory installed for those who want it.

 

Honestly it might seem like something small but one of the biggest things that impresses me about the SVT is interior build quality. Everyone who has been in my car has commented on it.

Now Slickshoes posted pictures of my roomates "dream" garage. The cars in the garage include a Viper GTS and a brand new BMW M3. Now if a guy with those kind of cars is still impressed with the interior on an SVT that says something.

One of the biggest problems with Domestic cars in general today is how they feel "cheap" inside in comparison to a European car. The SRT-4 fits into this same category.

Remember we are still dealing with the first model year of the SVT so problems are expected. Me personally. I took it in for a reflash because I felt like it not because I had a problem. The only warranty issue I have had is replacing the audiophile system because it kept displaying CDERROR.

For a car to drive on a daily basis I would always pick the SVT. I took it to Texas and back from Socal and had 0 problems and it was quite comfortable

 

<font color="black">I've yet to bring myself to go to a dodge dealership and drive a srt-4. why? well, to be honest it's a neon w/ a tight front fascia and a turbo. until this car came about how often did u hear people comment on a neon, other than being negative about em'? how many times did focus get car of the year from motor trend, even before the svtf? then of course one could bring up the fact that sport compact car magazine gave the srt-4 that car of the year award. why? i have no f'n clue. i've been reading that mag for a long time and when the svtf and the rsx dropped they did a comparison. they liked both equally. good call. i guess what i'm trying to say before i go off track completely here and just start rambling is, dodge neon sux! they could put a twin turbo setup on there and i'd still talk mad $hit about em! until they completely redifine those cars they will continue to be what they have always been, crap. and yes ford does suck as well. i know i own a svtf. i'm a jackass for buying it and not waiting on the mazdaspeed protege or for not saving the money for the evo or sti.

</font>

 

If you actually reaad thier article (SCC) all the talk about is the power. I mean look at the dyno charts...its off the scale relative to the other cars!!! Yeah it scored high on teh skidpad...but you didn't see them praising its handling. They picked it for Car of the Year because it has 220+ fwhp and is 20K...which is a good deal...but I would think that a car of the year would be the best performer all around...and would definitely be a toss up between our SVTs and that new MazdaSpeed Protege!!! Just my $.02!!!

CCC

 

<font color="black">I've yet to bring myself to go to a dodge dealership and drive a srt-4. why? well, to be honest it's a neon w/ a tight front fascia and a turbo. until this car came about how often did u hear people comment on a neon, other than being negative about em'? how many times did focus get car of the year from motor trend, even before the svtf? then of course one could bring up the fact that sport compact car magazine gave the srt-4 that car of the year award. why? i have no f'n clue. i've been reading that mag for a long time and when the svtf and the rsx dropped they did a comparison. they liked both equally. good call. i guess what i'm trying to say before i go off track completely here and just start rambling is, dodge neon sux! they could put a twin turbo setup on there and i'd still talk mad $hit about em! until they completely redifine those cars they will continue to be what they have always been, crap. and yes ford does suck as well. i know i own a svtf. i'm a jackass for buying it and not waiting on the mazdaspeed protege or for not saving the money for the evo or sti.

</font>

I'd be sad if I had a Mazdaspeed and only 170 HP with FI. It's a good car, but... still underpowered for the equipment on it.

 

Two people in ths sport compact world; the one looking for powerful sport compacts, and ones looking for the one that handles and performs the way a sporty small car was believed to have handled and acted before the "import craze" struck.

The srt-4 represents the former, the SVT the latter. The SRT 4 has so much potential it's crazy. Sure it's cheap and such but some people pride performance over such things as interior quality.

Others meanwhile look for good quality and a nice overall package.

You as a consumer pick and choose which category you're in. Just remember that in the world we live in, the nice guy always finish last.

 

i like having a nicer interior and handling and stuff like that. I can always add more power easier than all the other stuff.

 

The thing is straight power wise you could get a lot more for 20k couldnt you? How many HP in a stock Mustang GT? they are around that much..

Or a 2 yr old car used + mods..

When it comes down to it 220+hp for 20k isnt a very good deal if that was all you were after.

Like someone else said. Expense wise adding nice interior, handling, components like that is much more time consuming and expensive than adding go fast parts to a motor.

*IF* someone were silly enough to do it I wonder how much it would cost for them to give the SRT-4 as truly nice an interior as the SVTF (And I dont count just putting leather on the seats as making it nice)

 

I think everyone is forgetting or never knew that the SRT comes with seats made for racing, SVT comes with seats made to get compliments and for casual driving. Kinda seems like you can tell what the car was made for by whats under the hood and under ur @ss. Everyone is making it seem like the SRT interior sucks horribly when it doesnt, its just not as nice as the SVT interior. As far as 220 hp not being a good deal for 20K tell that to the thousands of ppl in that are buying SRTs. And i will agree that we are dealing with a 1st year car in the SVT and problems should be expected, but not of this magnitude. SRT is in its 1st year only problems i have heard is a seat belt issue and fat ppl b!tching that they dont fit in the seats. One more thing yea the focus won car of the year befor the SVT, and the neon never won crap, but that why you improve on things, to make them win car of the year, if that means slapping a turbo on a neon then so be it, and if that means giving a focus the handling of an F1 car well good for ford then. Last thing i promiss, I think ford spends their money making the SVTF handle amazing and giving it moderate speed and doing so with cheap parts, there is way to much luxury in an SVTF for it to only cost 18K and still be properly made. Now with dodge they took a cheap car already added some styling, some seats and a turbo, they added all that to a 13K car and ended up with something around 20K, and it is not cheaply built. Look up a long term review of a normal focus...SUX, the recals and the warranty work and having ur car in and out of the shop all the time. Look up a long term review of a normal neon, way fewer recals then the focus, not as many malfunctions after the warranty expired, as is the case with ford.

JOE

P.S. Dont comapre a Mustang GT with a SRT-4, SVTF, or any other sprot compact.

 

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

A fully outfitted Focus or fully outfitted Neon? I’ll take a Focus because of what it stands for. The look and the naturally built in characteristics out weigh a piece of **** with a turbo

 

Two people in ths sport compact world; the one looking for powerful sport compacts, and ones looking for the one that handles and performs the way a sporty small car was believed to have handled and acted before the "import craze" struck.

The srt-4 represents the former, the SVT the latter. The SRT 4 has so much potential it's crazy. Sure it's cheap and such but some people pride performance over such things as interior quality.

Others meanwhile look for good quality and a nice overall package.

You as a consumer pick and choose which category you're in. Just remember that in the world we live in, the nice guy always finish last.

AMEN!!!

CCC

 

not an SVT owner but just wanted to chime in. I'd take my SE's 130 over the SRT-4's 220 hp.

Forward acceleration is probably one of the smallest components of having fun in a car. Having fun in a car is about slicing your margin of error ever thinner...Taking a turn faster, holding 4-wheel drift jsut a bit longer, etc. If you don't have consummate control over your car, you soon run out of manuvering room.

I'll take the predictable, forgiving, neutral handling of the focus. I'll take its well-weighted, communicative steering. And i'll ESPECIALLY take the fact that when a girl gets in my car, the only reason she knows its a cheapy is cuz the focus is advertised as an economy car.

I love the fact that when I twitch the tail out, this car lets you transition so smoothly from rolling to skidding and back again that if the stereo is on, no one else will ever know. It makes you feel so good no one even KNOWS just how hard you're pushing. AND I HAVEN"T EVEN SWAPPED IN TO SVT SHOCKS/SPRINGS YET.

Yes, the neon is faster. Yes, you can give it better skidpad numbers. But will you ever have a machine that's so cohesive at the edge of control that nudges you in the back and says "come on, a little bit faster, you're makign me yawn here."

Mediocre drivers like me simply couldn't be as good if we drove unsorted cars like Neons. Simple as that, so it can keep its 100 hp advantage and I'll sit here drooling over my chance to own a higher-powered, more sport-tuned focus someday.

 

I think everyone is forgetting or never knew that the SRT comes with seats made for racing, SVT comes with seats made to get compliments and for casual driving. Kinda seems like you can tell what the car was made for by whats under the hood and under ur @ss. Everyone is making it seem like the SRT interior sucks horribly when it doesnt, its just not as nice as the SVT interior. As far as 220 hp not being a good deal for 20K tell that to the thousands of ppl in that are buying SRTs. And i will agree that we are dealing with a 1st year car in the SVT and problems should be expected, but not of this magnitude. SRT is in its 1st year only problems i have heard is a seat belt issue and fat ppl b!tching that they dont fit in the seats. One more thing yea the focus won car of the year befor the SVT, and the neon never won crap, but that why you improve on things, to make them win car of the year, if that means slapping a turbo on a neon then so be it, and if that means giving a focus the handling of an F1 car well good for ford then. Last thing i promiss, I think ford spends their money making the SVTF handle amazing and giving it moderate speed and doing so with cheap parts, there is way to much luxury in an SVTF for it to only cost 18K and still be properly made. Now with dodge they took a cheap car already added some styling, some seats and a turbo, they added all that to a 13K car and ended up with something around 20K, and it is not cheaply built. Look up a long term review of a normal focus...SUX, the recals and the warranty work and having ur car in and out of the shop all the time. Look up a long term review of a normal neon, way fewer recals then the focus, not as many malfunctions after the warranty expired, as is the case with ford.

JOE

P.S. Dont comapre a Mustang GT with a SRT-4, SVTF, or any other sprot compact.

.... what?

 

not an SVT owner but just wanted to chime in. I'd take my SE's 130 over the SRT-4's 220 hp.

Forward acceleration is probably one of the smallest components of having fun in a car. Having fun in a car is about slicing your margin of error ever thinner...Taking a turn faster, holding 4-wheel drift jsut a bit longer, etc. If you don't have consummate control over your car, you soon run out of manuvering room.

I'll take the predictable, forgiving, neutral handling of the focus. I'll take its well-weighted, communicative steering. And i'll ESPECIALLY take the fact that when a girl gets in my car, the only reason she knows its a cheapy is cuz the focus is advertised as an economy car.

I love the fact that when I twitch the tail out, this car lets you transition so smoothly from rolling to skidding and back again that if the stereo is on, no one else will ever know. It makes you feel so good no one even KNOWS just how hard you're pushing. AND I HAVEN"T EVEN SWAPPED IN TO SVT SHOCKS/SPRINGS YET.

Yes, the neon is faster. Yes, you can give it better skidpad numbers. But will you ever have a machine that's so cohesive at the edge of control that nudges you in the back and says "come on, a little bit faster, you're makign me yawn here."

Mediocre drivers like me simply couldn't be as good if we drove unsorted cars like Neons. Simple as that, so it can keep its 100 hp advantage and I'll sit here drooling over my chance to own a higher-powered, more sport-tuned focus someday.

AMEN...again!!!

CCC

 

just don't look down on the competiton, just respect it. the svtf is good and so is the srt4. just choose one car (or if you have the money you can buy both if you want

) and drive on.

 

I’ll take a Focus because of what it stands for.

*sarcasm*IMHO it stands for problems, recalls, and well...it's a Ford.

*sarcasm*

The SVTF stands for Ford's first attempt to arouse the sport compact market and it sure did impress a lot of people.

The SRT4 stands for Dodge's attempt to really take the sport compact market by storm and it sure did the job. Great performance, great looks, good interior, and best of all, awesome potential.

Don't become a SVT/Ford fanboy and start hating the SRT4 just because it's a Dodge.

Both cars are great cars but no way in hell are they God's gift to mankind.

 

great looks, good interior

A matter of opinion.

Don't become a SVT/Ford fanboy and start hating the SRT4 just because it's a Dodge.

I am an SVTF fanboy but not necessarily a Ford fan, and I love the Viper but would never own a Neon.

and best of all, awesome potential.

And the SVTF doesn’t?

A car is some what a reflection of who you are.

You can take a f***ing turbo, tune it up, and slap it on a Yugo http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Worst-Cars/results5.html and out run what ever you please.

This is the same reason why I don’t like cars with coffee cans on their tail pipes or the park bench that some put on their trunk. It’s a matter of stile and taste and that’s not for me. I’ve actually seen a few rice mobiles on the road that look not to bad when done right.

Make this Neon as fast as you want and put in a gold interior but unless the stile changes I’ll take “what this Focus stands for” Balance, fineness, Attitude and Performance. I’ll leave the Muscle to the Cobra.

 

I love the SVTF, I went autocrossing in one just this last weekend.

But I also love the SRT4. I rode in one this weekend at the autocross as well. I can back up Car and Drivers claims that the SRT4 out handles the SVTF, it really does. The kicker is that it's stupid fast too, something that is just a rush.

Some people have issues with the interior, I agree the SVTF is nicer, but at the same time the SRT4 is "cooler" in that it is raced derived.

The build quality of the SRT4 seemed great, but not being an owner I couldn't tell you for sure.

My thoughts on the SRT4 vs SVT is simply that Ford got their butt handed to them by dodge this round. Dodge had the huge advantage of having the SVTF come out 2 years earlier. The reason they are compared is because the price difference is not that much. (Please no one chime in how you can get an SVTF for 13.5) If ford would be willing to drop the price on the SVTF perhaps to around 17-18k then I would still consider buying the car, but right now it's a no brainer.

My main complaint about this thread is peoples misconception about the SRT4 handeling. The SRT4 can handle folks, don't believe for a moment they can't. For evidence of Neon handeling over the years one just has to look an Neon ACR's.

 

I love the SVTF, I went autocrossing in one just this last weekend.

But I also love the SRT4. I rode in one this weekend at the autocross as well. I can back up Car and Drivers claims that the SRT4 out handles the SVTF, it really does. The kicker is that it's stupid fast too, something that is just a rush.

I don't see how Car and Driver can claim that the SRT-4 'out handles' the SVT when the SVT received a higher 300-foot skidpad rating (.87) than the SRT-4 (.85) in their own magazine. Call it just a hunch, but usually those ratings indicate which car can hang on a turn better.
Again, I agree the SRT-4 handling is good, but it's silly to say that it's good because the ACR was good- That's like saying 'Well, the Cobra R has awesome handling, so the new GT is going to be awesome too'. Now I'm going to have to look in the last C&D to see if they posted the track times for the road course they ran.
This is getting ludicrous. All these threads do is allow people to voice OPINIONS, and some of which is based on false information on BOTH sides.

 

Apparently most of you aren't feelin me on this one. The Dodge Neon is a cheap car. Now all the sudden everyone's drooling over a ridiculous looking one. The Yugo analogy was a good one ?! Granted the Ford Focus received a bad reputation for reliability issues early in its life. But I still hold the Focus to be far more prestigious than the Neon on my, "Compact Car Food Chain" list. And no matter how fast you make your Dodge Neon I'll still just laugh at you. When someone asks what kind of car I have, I tell them I have a Ford Focus. I don't explain in detail how the SVT Focus is a high performance car because they don't really care. I don't consider my SVTF to be in it's own elite category of sport cars. It's a Ford Focus. The Neon SRT-4 is a Dodge Neon, nothing more. That's why I keep coming back to the $$$ issue. I really don't think a Focus should exceed a $20,000 price tag. Don't get me wrong I love my SVTF will a passion. But if I had enough money to get a fully decked out (European package) SVTF and purchase a $5000.00 turbo kit. That comes out to a lot of $$$. For that price I'll just go to a Mazda dealer and order an RX8 (all black). I don't really care how fast you can make the Focus go with $8000 of aftermarket parts. The RX8 is a freaking tight ride. The Focus is a nice car too but not on the level as a RX8. And the Neon is a cheaper car than the Focus. I consider the Dodge Neon to be only slightly better than a Ford Fiesta or Chevy Metro.

 

Again, I agree the SRT-4 handling is good, but it's silly to say that it's good because the ACR was good- That's like saying 'Well, the Cobra R has awesome handling, so the new GT is going to be awesome too'. Now I'm going to have to look in the last C&D to see if they posted the track times for the road course they ran.

Did you read what I wrote??? I did NOT say that.

What I did say was that the SRT4 could handle and for evidence that a Neon COULD handle well just look at the ACR. People in this thread, as well as others, have the conception that Neon's can't handle, this is NOT true.

peace.