Who else likes it more when Doug does cheaper older cars

Everyone: cost cutting SRT4 people: weight reduction bro

19:57 We almost got an F bomb from the man himself. We'll get 'em next time.

D O U G N E O N

Need for Speed Underground has entered the chat. “To the window, to the wall...”

Doug: "This is where you went when you wanted cheap speed" DEA: "We got him"

I miss my "Viper in a diaper"

I bought a silver 2004 SRT-4 and it was one of the most fun and happy cars I’ve ever had. Even with Doug ragging on it like this, the car brings a smile to my face. Crazy fast (for the money) and that ‘cheap’ interior was straight forward and easy to live with. The bolstered seats were actually comfortable and the kicker stereo wasn’t bad. My neighbor at the time described it as a party on wheels, and that’s exactly what it was.

Doug, out of all the things you’ve ever done on KZfaq, finding an un modified SRT4 Neon in the year 2020 may be your greatest achievement.

To the owner: great job on keeping the car in outstanding condition

I remember in 2004 I was a 9 year old and my parents bought a new 2004 dodge ram and while they were buying it I sat in a brand new 2004 neon srt4 which was solar yellow. It was so cool.

The hood scoop was actually functional. Was supposed to help with cooling the turbo. Torque steer could be reduced with suspension upgrades. The cops couldn't understand that it was naturally that loud which was annoying when getting pulled over a few times because of it. Had a blue O4' that was a very fun car and never let me down. They were so underrated by many.

First time ever, Doug is dressed appropriately for the car.

Imagine standing across the parking lot and seeing this guy laughing at his own jokes

Coming from a srt4 owner (on my 5th one) your face when you got into the power is exactly why people love them. Its not luxurious, its not rwd or awd, it's plain, its hated, and all that is why we love it. Cheap speed, and its a really great car to learn on. It can have pretty good power and it dont weigh a whole lot 29ish00 pounds.

I dont mind cost-cutting and cheap materials in cars like these. Its what makes them affordable, but they are still fun when you drive them. Nowadays we hardly have any cars like these left.

My dad used to have a neon, and Doug missed an important feature. “The rear seats don’t even get a cup holder” that’s incorrect, if you flip the center console up it folds backwards and flat to give you a single cup holder and little tray thing. I’ve eaten McDonald’s from that little tray many times lmao

Doug is the type of guy to be 6'3" 6'4" depending on his mood.

These things were so underrated. I watched a few of them dyno back in the day. They would put down 230 to the wheels, and 265-270 torque. It's very much a throwback to the old muscle car days, when Ford rated the 428cj at 335 horse while NHRA rated them at 390 for the race classes because they knew better lol

The crank windows in the back never bothered me when I drove a Neon- I could reach both cranks from the driver's seat

I don't even want a trunk liner. I'm not looking to impress anybody I throw in my trunk.

One quirk you missed is the reason the exhaust is so loud. It has no muffler! From the factory! It just relies on the resonator and turbo chop to dampen the sound a bit. More power, less weight.

My first NEW car was a 2003 SRT4 with the mopar stage 1. I was 22 and so damn happy the day it rolled out of the showroom. Thanks for the memories Doug. 😁

I was never the "ricer" type, but I always liked the SRT-4 Neon. The fact that Dodge threw that engine in their cheapo economy car was ballsy and fantastic. Chrysler was, and still is, the crazy 'fuck it', car company. The guys that bought the Neon were hilarious, though. Every one of them thinking they just purchased a Murcielago. lol

The guy down the street also sells "cheap speed"

Car enthusiasts: Car interiors like this are so cheap. So much plastic. They should use better materials. Also car enthusiasts: Why are new cars so expensive? What happened to cheap cars?

I’ve had an Eclipse GST, a Focus ST, currently a Dodge Hellcat and honestly none of them have given me as much joy as when i had my SRT4. It was my dream car at the time and i still think about it. Totaled it after 6 months of ownership.

17:08: You almost had a Challenger Hellcat 6-speed moment, there. :-P

Dougs School when he was younger : So this week is show and tell week. Doug : Thiiiisssssss is a .........

"...to the trunk of neon srt4 ... yes, thats right, NEON srt4" - twist that knife Doug, twist it hard

Hold up, Doug. In your summary, "it wasn't as fast as an Evo or STi". It was faster (trap speed, not ET). The SRT-4 consistently trapped as fast or faster than those cars in most car mags during its day, and when you looked at 0-130 mph numbers from magazines like C&D, you'd see the SRT-4 had more top end. As much or more power at the wheels (the 230/250 numbers were horribly underrated), and weighed 300+ lbs less than both of them. That being said, it had no chance against the Evo or STi once the road starting curving at all. I love all 3 of those cars (I have a WRX), but the Neon deserves respect on its name.

I really like what Quentin Tarantino’s been up to recently with these car reviews

The SRT-4 was the only production car of the mid-2000’s that did not come with a muffler

Congratulations on finding a used Neon that has no dents, body damage, primer or different color hood.

I was a salesman at Chrysler/Dodge in 2005 and this car was so FUN to drive!

I still have my 2005 Dodge Neon Srt-4. Love it, drive it daily and it runs great. No road races or autocross, just daily stuff. True econo-box gem.

Ah yes the memories with the green Neon from NFS Underground

Finally, a car that suits his outfit

Loved my SRT-4 ( yes, it was still a NEON... But when your whipping Mustang GTs in the 1/4) I DIDN'T CARE

Kudos for putting bbs wheel and and limited slip differential for that price range.

Doug making coffee in the morning for his wife: "THIS is a cup of coffee. And it's one of the best cups of coffee ever made. Many wives make do with normal cups of coffee, but this cup isn't your normal cup of coffee and you'll soon find out why" Wife: "Do you ever take a day off?"

The exhaust noise is so loud because it came without a muffler from the factory. I used to set off car alarms in parking garages with my SRT4 just putzing by in 1st gear. It wasn't the best car I've ever driven by a long shot, it wasn't even the best car I've owned, but it was SO much fun to drive! The exhaust pops while engine braking coming off the freeway is the thing I miss most of all. Come back to me, SRT4. I was wrong to sell you!

You can't knock the quality too much if at 130,000 miles it's still running that strong and looking that good.

doug neon

“No matter how many times he signs his worksheet with his middle name, the teacher still calls him NEON”- mr regular

Yesss! Happy to see this pop up in my sub box. I just picked up one of these (non-ACR) off a buddy back in Oct with about 40k original miles and I've been working to restore it from the crap it's been through with the previous owner before my friend got it. Pretty spot on review. A few notes/comments: 1) It does have a rear cupholder. It's just in the lid of the center console so the driver sacrifices an armrest for it. 2) ACR = American Club Racing. And the wheels on it were actually a size smaller (16 vs 17) though wider (7 vs 6). 3) 160 mph on the dash and it could actually get into the 150s stock, so not an overly optimistic speedometer. 4) Always heavily modified because they were cheap and the stock block could make and hold 400+ hp with bolt-ons and a tune. 5) Neons in general were surprisingly reliable (manual transmission) when properly taken care of. When treated like an appliance, they often deteriorated rapidly. My 97 is still running strong to this day. 6) The first several SRT-4s I saw in the wild were actually driven by grey-haired individuals who liked speed on a budget. 7) The smile on Douggie D's face during the drive is what really sold these cars. 8) Thanks for the review! :) Happy motoring, everyone! And stay safe out there.

This is a future classic.

I had 5 high school classmates who had this car. 4 crashed, 1 fatal (driver & passenger). The 5th car the engine blew up.

"cheap speed" should've been printed on the first page of this car's owner's manual

“Reason why I pulled you over is because you were speeding cheaply”

215 hp was advertised hp, on the dyno they were putting out 265hp. Insurance reasons. I had the 2003, upgraded to the 2004 transmission for the limited slip. Even without it, it didn’t really have torque steer. That’s because it has equal length half shafts. Unequal length half shafts is the main reason why front drives have torque steer. The limited slip just made it even better. The only thing Neon in the car was the body. Everything else came from different cars, like the Stratus.

I just got to a sketchy neighborhood when I want cheap speed 😂😂😂

Nothing like Doug roasting early 2000's Chrysler

My car! Never thought I'd see an actual ACR on here. I'm the single owner of my flame red SRT, bought new in 2005 now with 66k and am very proud to hear the positivity.

I remember being a Junior in High School when this car came out & really liked this Whip. There was a Schoolmate of mine that had this car & it was really cool-looking at the time. This is Nostalgic to me & I miss being young now.

im waiting for doug to review a 2010 cobalt ss turbo. Better yet come review mine!

When Dodge deletes things or leaves trim off to save weight or maintain a price point Doug calls it “cheap cost cutting”. When Ferrari does it and charges $30000 more, they call it a “Superfast” and every one ogles in awe....

Neons were virtually everywhere back then. Haven't seen one in years out and about.

I just got this car for my 15th birthday haven’t drove it yet but it’s nice

You have pretty much described this car well. I have a 2005 SRT with 12,500 original miles, and original owner. Mint. Non molested. I love it. Even with all its faults. It just puts a smile on my face when I drive it. It is very pampered except when it misbehaves! Best investment for fun other than my VW GTI.

Out of all the 911s, the Chirons, the F1s, the Sennas... everything that's been on this channel, this might be the most exciting car for me that's been featured. My first car was a first gen Neon and these were the hot thing when I was in high school. I've wanted one for years.

CNC motors: he's finally gone after a long time Meanwhile Doug: TTHHHISSSSSSSS

Love the “Cheap Speed” references. I can still remember reading about this car in that MotorTrend issue back then!!

To be fair it used to be fairly common to have power front windows but crank rear windows. Our old Nissan Almera, built this side of 2000s used to have it so.

Doug talking about the rear manual windows: "The most cynical cost-cutting decision..." Guy who forgot to double check his design draft: "yes... cost cutting. That's what it was"

Surprised not to see a mention of the exhaust note and backfires. That was one of the best things about this car.

Ha ha, Doug Neon.

Doug: *calls an 8" subwoofer huge* Me With An 18" Sundown: "Pathetic."

Doug’s Mom: So, Doug who is with you? Doug: Thhhiiiss is my 1989 girl friend. And she is one of the greatest girl friends out there. I’m gonna show you all of her quirks and features and then give it a Doug score. Girl friend: What do you think of me, Doug? Doug: You are pretty. And for more of my thoughts on you, go on autotrader.com/oversteer where I have also compiled a list of the prettiest girls.

Me: "Nice neon" neon owner: "It's not a neon. it's an SRT4" LOL!

I had a 2004 version of this car. I absolutely loved it. The interior was as you describe, but it was also the same as pretty much every American car of that time period, especially the Daimler-Chryslers. The cost cutting (shockingly) really *REALLY* kicked in after the Daimler acquisition. (Who would have guessed). Daimler did more damage to Chrysler that can really be articulated. But back to the car. I loved driving this car. I didn't have much notable torque steer (and I've driven a lot of performance cars, both FWD and RWD). I traded it for a RAM SRT-10. To this day, this will be the one car that I completely regret ever letting go.

I had a 2004 new from the factory. This car has probably the best sounding 4 cylinder exhaust ever made.

I want bugeye wrx Mom: we have bugeye wrx at home Bugeye wrx at home:

CNC MOTORS: We've finally lost him DOUG: Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis

Now I want one! I remember when these came out I had just graduated from high school.

Ok first off I’m only half way through the video as I’m saying this, but I’m going to finish it. So far, this is the absolute best and most accurate retrospect on the neon srt4 (I’m a former 1g coupe owner, it’s a neon. People can get over it.) that I have ever come across. From the difference in engine and trans specs from the 03-04up models to the differences between the base and acr spec, the to classic neon crank rear windows. Man. I’m impressed. I miss my 1g and am now actively looking for one 15 years after my last one threw a rod and I was too young and stupid to deal with it. So this is great content for a refresher, as someone who was absolutely in love with these cars at the time. People can say whatever they want about the neons, they’re an absolute weapon. I’d love if you could do one of these on a 1997 neon acr coupe. Specifically. As that’s the single best 1g they made in terms of bringing the civics to the killing fields. An SCCA D legend. It deserves some love for its 25th birthday.

This car actually DOES have a cupholder for the rear seats. It's on the roof of the center console lid, so you just flip it open 180 degrees and BOOM instant cupholder for your passengers

I still have my 2005 NSRT4, still stock, OB so it's that much rarer, bought it with 6 miles, and it now has 263k miles. Still runs and drives great, and even still running the stock trans.

I had an LE NEON for 4 years daily drive to work ,it was 13 years old when I bought it, it was a good car for getting around and cheap, I have to say it was comfortable for its size, since I do my own repairs it was very easy to work on I liked that since radiator blew, brakes wore out and wheel bearings went bad as will tend to happen with an old car.

I had the first srt to hit the dealer in 2003 in my local area... I loved the car it was cheap and loud but I was in my 20’s and I loved it... go figure cause I now have the equivalent in my Hyundai cheap power does what it was built for to make you smile on the cheap ... 👍 great video Doug

The smile he had driving it is why people love these cars

Those wheels are the most valuable parts on that Neon.

I had an SRT-4 ACR back in like 2010, sure it was cheap and rattly and everything, but it was absolutely faster than my Fiesta ST was stock, about the same as it is now that I have all the Cobb stage 3 stuff on it with the safe canned tune. It handled really well, too, I think it was capable of pretty much anything my ST is. Reliable, too, I drove mine to 170,000 miles before I traded it and some cash for a Chevy Colorado. I had very few significant problems out of the car (a water pump, CV axles, hub assemblies, a window motor, that kind of stuff). For what it is, I think they were about as good as it was possible for them to have been. My friend, whose family were into rebuilding and selling salvage Mopars and old Mopar muscle cars, built a first-generation Neon coupe with nothing but front seats inside and all the powertrain, suspension, dash, etc. from a wrecked later SRT-4. He put a bigger turbo, intercooler, etc. on it and it was putting out like 300 to the wheels. In that ridiculously light package (the car was gutted and had fiberglass fenders, hood, and some other parts, I think it weighed about 2200 pounds), that thing was an absolute MONSTER. These aren’t great quality cars, but if you expect from them what Chrysler intended them to offer, they’re pretty damn impressive even today.

My first car was a Plymouth Neon, and I just knew you were going to mention the front electric windows and back roll-up ones. It bewilders me to this day.

Probably one of the rarest to have a stock SRT-4.

"I"m gonna floor it now. WOOOOW" Pretty sure this has given him some sort of Hellcat flashback. I wouldn't be confident if filming another Dodge performance car next time xD

Doug Neon

13:27 that’s the marking where you say RIP to the head gasket Doug

For some reason, it’s that much more interesting to watch this when you know that this car is what was originally considered as Brian O’Connor’s main hero car in 2 Fast 2 Furious movie, instead of the Skyline R34

In high school i remember giving a chick a ride in my srt4, and her roasting me with my friends about my manual windows in the back. In another occasion with a different chick i tried to race a car and impress her. so i down shifted into second floored it went to slam into 3rd gear and all of a sudden i had 5 new neutrals to choose from. Fun car tho, miss it.

*THIS is the DOUG NEON SR... oh wait wrong video*

The factory hp numbers were way underrated. I bought one new back in '03 and had it dynoed right after I drove it off the lot. It Dynoed at 245 hp to the wheels with 4 miles on the clock!!

Doug: “But the most cynical cost-cutting measure was power windows... only in the front! In 2004! Me, in the back of my 2015 Auris Wagon staring at my crank: ahaha... yeah... *whistles awkwardly*

I love this guy. He's very in depth about every vehicle.

I can’t remember the last time I saw one of these. These were everywhere at one point.

The engine: A tough little fella. The frame: Made of tissue paper.

I always went to a different kind of dealer to get my “cheap speed”

I just bought one 2 months ago stock everything but the new coil overs beautiful car started to do small mods like coil pack wires cold air intake I love these cars all neons rear seat cup holder in in top of center console when u open it or the tissue holder that’s in there

Late comment to this, but this is my cousin's car who moved out to Cali! Crazy seeing it on this video, I watched it when it first came out but wasn't that active on YT at the time. Love the channel man, always doing great work!

I wonder how the owner feels when he gets to see Doug describing his car interior as the cheapest, crappiest stuff they could find..