http://www.baileycar.com/turkeys04.html

 

LOL...the domestics got slain pretty bad as usual.

 

Hmmm, 17% resale? Gonna have to rethink that whole Dodge SRT-4 thing...damn why so loooooow?

James

 

Poor build quality....and the rental-car image. While the SRT-4 does have some heavier-duty clutch, transmission, and suspension components, and of course is popular with the tuner crowd, the rest of the Neon line in general is looked upon by most of the public as a cheap, oil-leaking, rattle-and-squeak-box for base transportation and nothing else. Consumer Reports has consistantly given the Neon well-below-average reliability ratings ever since its 1994 introduction. This rather negative public image of the car has resulted in some low resale values.

The funny thing about the Neon's mechanicals, however, is that the PT Cruiser, which is basically just a Neon with a different body on it, has consistantly been better-than-average in buld quality and reliability.
I can't fully explain that one...possibly it may be to its being built in different plants.

I personally would have added the Pontiac Aztek to the turkey list.....its looks turn more people off than just about any other recent automotive product I can think of.

 

Weird, about the PT Cruiser and the Neon.

 

A thought;

The Neons all have the POS 2.0L I-4, while the PT Cruisers both turbo and N/A as well as the SRT-4 have the Iron 2.4L. There have been some SRT-4s on stock internals making over 500hp to the ground, quite impressive. Maybe the powerplant makes a significant enough difference to change the reliability ratings? So there might yet be hope for the SRT-4...

James

 

no matter what the srt4 is still a neon, something that I would never respect no matter how fast it is.

 

i know a guy with teh srt-4. he said he bought the car coz' it's so cheap and so fast. i rolled my eyes and got inside the car. i asked how long he has had the car for -- 3 months

why? coz' it's rattling like hell... very sad

 

I see your up

 

Well I was seriously considering one just so I could buy a car for myself by myself. I test drove it and it was a blast, but if it seriously is gonna be a crap box I'm gonna have to reflect a little bit. But damn that 17% resale...that's harsh!

James

 

That 17% resale applies to Neons in general. It may or may not apply to SRT-4's, which are niche cars, sold to a very limited market. They are popular with the tuner crowd and some of the people who drive WRX's, Sti's, Evos, Civic Si's, VW GTI's,and SVT Focuses. Hard to tell what one of them might be willing to pay for a good used SRT-4 a few years down the road. This is also complicated by the fact that SRT-4's generally sell brand-new for more than list because of their limited availability...so you're putting out even more up front, which could also affect the depreciation curve.
I agree, though, that if you want a well-built pocket-rocket, the SRT-4 is probably not for you.

If you are interested in a small coupe along these lines that IS well-built and has enough power to get out of its own way, check out the Acura RSX Type S and the Scion tC with the dealer-installed TRD supercharger. Of the two I would recommend the Scion first. All Scions sell for list plus tax plus accessories.....just like a Saturn, so the dealers cannot mark them up. That makes it very easy to buy one. It also is very well-equipped for a lower list price than the Acura....but you sometimes can bargain on an RSX . You cannot bargain on a Scion......they are list, period.

 

SRT-4= very fast, very cheap (in every sense of the word), very lame image-wise

Just because a car is fast doesn't mean you have to give it props. It's not safe, lack features for the price, has poor quality, and looks like the car that came out in 1994, except this time it's been doping on some serious steroids. Not a model athlete by any means. Toss in a few G's more and get a WRX.

 

Another car that I would have included on the automotive turkey list is the Saturn Ion....even the Red Line version. Sit inside of one and you'll see what I mean.

 

why someone would get the SRT-4 over a used MkII MR2 is beyond me.
At least it drives better than overpriced VW's.

 

No joke - what a piece of junk.

And while we're on the topic of Saturn and auto turkeys - let me just dump the entire line-up in the mix.

The Vue is a joke. Even if you can stomach the bland exterior, once you've planted your **** firmly in the uncomfortable driver's seat ... the horror begins. I've never seen anything so terrible in my life. The only thing that comes close is the Pontiac Bonneville.

The L cars I've always liked. Well, at least until I got the chance to drive a new one around. When my father was looking for a car - Saturn happened to be offering a 4k discount on V-6 equipped models. Since I loved the exterior styling on the redesign, I decided it would be worth checking out. After 5 minutes behind the wheel, I was desperate to get back into my Sentra. There were so many rattles throughout the car that driving it was nearly intolerable. When I rolled the window down hoping to drown them out for the remainder of the test-drive - it just created another odd noise. Keep in mind - this was a brand-new top-of-the-line L300 - selling for just over $20,000 after the incentive.

And I don't care how much leather Saturn dumps into that L car. The L (for luxury) car is like a milk-dud ... there is no luxury in that car just as there's no milk in a milk-dud.

M.