import_tuner19

Hi new to the forum. I have an unmoded 2002 Protege LX. Some preppy moron from my school thought his CRAPalier could beat me. Wrong!!!, he even had a 5spd and I have an auto, we both have 2.0L I4s. He whines still that I cheated somehow.

mgs_freak

I've got a 2000 ES and my co-workers 2003 cav isn't even close to keepin up. I've got a K&N cai and that's it as far as performance. We've both got automatics and I even have a smaller engine (1.8L). The cavalier just sounds like crap when you rev it too. The Pro sounds sooooooo sweet all the way through the revs.

There's no cheating going on, just better purchasing skills.

import_tuner19

i wasnt cheating but the whiney,preppy,jerk thought i was just because he thinks american cars are always best. I guess i proved him wrong.

ghettopro

you mean there are actually ppl on this site with autos?

juddz

....remember that 2004 Cavaliers with the 2.2L Ecotec are not that slow. 140hp. And, any Z24 is fairly quick as well with 150hp on tap. While it may be true that the Cavalier is not in the same league as our Proteges in terms of quality or handling, not all of them would be so easy to drag race and beat in a stock Protege. Just make sure your adversary has the 2.2L pushrod engine and 3-speed auto.

RipperSnapper

Well, Yes.....then we scare them away.

Roddimus Prime

after seeing DaveB's auto-p5 on the race course I'm not going to discount them anymore.

Phantom Cruiser

Chevy farked up when they stopped putting the little V6s in the Z24s....best cheap car I ever owned...was peppy and handled great on the mountain twisties in Arizona

hughes412

You know, out of all of the MANY cars Ive owned (wrecked most of them, but made me a better driver today) I have never owned a 4 or 6 cyl chevy. Thats because the 8 years that I ran the auto shop we had to fix them. It wasn't untill the 2000s that chey had a decent 4 or 6. Its been a while so I for get what they called it, but chevy had one engine that had the oil filter inside the oil pan! That was the BIGGEST POS that I have ever seen! I thought that was the end of chevy.
But as always they are making a come back!
And fellas thats what makes a good auto maker!
I cant wait untill one of you catch up with a Cobalt! Say what you want, but stock for stock you'll think twice!

Roddimus Prime

Nah, I've driven the SRT4 and I know what a fast (cheap) car can feel like.

$/hp ratio the SRT4 pwns all.

hughes412

Yes they do! And I hate them for that! Man I wished I had the money to WOMP my Pro!!!

Roddimus Prime

Dodge is getting ready to release their factory Stage 3 SRT4 kit....300whp 325lb/ft.....bow down.

RipperSnapper

Its the $/ugly ratio that keeps me away. No doubt the srt4 is fast, but I just dont dig the body style.

Roddimus Prime

yeah I agree it's a bit fugly but if you ditch the spoiler and drop it 2" all the way around they look pretty good.

juddz

....SRT-4 is quick. But the cheapo interior trim is brutal. How cheap is this? The rear windows raise and lower with a crank, but the fronts are power. Why not just make 'em all power? Cuts into Chrysler's profit margins too much. Same reason that there is only one keyhole to get into the car, on the driver's side only. Check it out, you'll see.

Ever driven one? Ever driven one HARD? I have. If you don't know what torque steer is before driving one of these monkeys, you sure will afterwards. Sure, it's at least four grand cheaper than a WRX. But, it needs AWD to be livable. I can only imagine what a handful the thing is with 300hp on tap. The one I drove made 230hp.

But, who says the next car has to be fast and cheap? How about just F-A-S-T? A slightly used BMW 3-series sounds good. So does a WRX, which sells in the high teens in this area with just a couple of oil changes on its odometer. Both are much more substantial cars than the Neon SRT-4. Both have much more sophisticated handling. Both are slower in a straight line... but if going fast in a straight line is all that matters, go buy a Mustang!