Has the MS3 dethroned SRT4?

[got_titan]

the srt4 is faster on paper..........thats it.......paper

 

[Hughes412]

I'd hypothesize the same thing, but the MS3 looks to be able to do SOOOOO much more than be some knuckle-dragging drag-racer.

Drag racing is t3h sux and requires zero actual driving skill. Even in NASCAR, they turn left on occasion...

Drag racing isn't as easy as you think. And if you look at the numbers of the srt4 and the ms3 the srt4 and slightly better skid pad numbers. So even in auto cross the ms3 would lose. Expecally with the extra weight.

 

[Hughes412]

the srt4 is faster on paper..........thats it.......paper

Those numbers had to of come from somewhere!

 

[got_titan]

motortrend put down a 14.1 @99 mph in the ms3 in thier latest review.....thier so close......

 

[shane02pro5]

How many of these are going to be realistically running around in stock form SRT or MS3 wanting to race each other in the first place. I think it's more (for me anyway driving a 100hp P5 transformed into 240+ P5-T) having a better out of the box vehicle platform to build on. Suspension and a few performance mods and done.

 

[Hughes412]

That's just it. With as much hp as the ms3 has it would stomp the srt. But the weight is killing it. Even with the torq reducer it still isn't that much. There is a thread on here saying the ms3 is only putting down like 215 whp and 245 wtq. So that car lost almost 50whp! then look at the SRT4 is putting down 200+whp and is a lot lighter and cost less.

Now don't get me wrong. The MS3 is a very nice car. But for the 24+k that my dealer is asking for theirs, and with the 264hp and with the new techno stuff on it. The MS3 should beable to whip the s*** out of the srt4! There should be no contest. But like all of Mazdas cars it leaves you wanting more.

 

[got_titan]

i give up......

 

[shane02pro5]

That dyno was not accurate due to TMIC and fan blowing to the front of the car with the hood opened. I still can't see that knocking down 50hp.

Start a fund to get one of these guys to a dyno with proper fan set-up!!

 

[Donas64]

To tell you the truth, I kinda like knuckle dragging drag racers, and it's not like the SRT-4 handles like an SUV or anything. There have been times I wanted to blow up my protege cuz of it's lack of power. Sometimes straight line power can be a lot more fun than carving corners. It just depends what kind of mood you're in I guess.

 

[We Are Ninja]

My earlier post came out a little wrong; I didn't really mean to diss drag-racers, and I'm not saying it's easy, but accelerating in a straight line is hella less challenging then laying down power out of a corner while maintaining your line while rubbing door handles, or even navigating a set of cones...

I just think Dodge's aim was straight-line speed, Mazda's is the whole zoom-zoom twistiness thing.

 

[Hughes412]

I just think Dodge's aim was straight-line speed, Mazda's is the whole zoom-zoom twistiness thing.

TRUE 100%!

 

[Donas64]

That's just it. With as much hp as the ms3 has it would stomp the srt. But the weight is killing it. Even with the torq reducer it still isn't that much. There is a thread on here saying the ms3 is only putting down like 215 whp and 245 wtq. So that car lost almost 50whp! then look at the SRT4 is putting down 200+whp and is a lot lighter and cost less.

Now don't get me wrong. The MS3 is a very nice car. But for the 24+k that my dealer is asking for theirs, and with the 264hp and with the new techno stuff on it. The MS3 should beable to whip the s*** out of the srt4! There should be no contest. But like all of Mazdas cars it leaves you wanting more.

That dyno was inaccurate for sure. The TMIC was not getting good airflow. But like you said, the MS3 should wipe the floor with the SRT4 easily. The only thing the MS3 leaves me wanting in is it's styling.

 

[Donas64]

My earlier post came out a little wrong; I didn't really mean to diss drag-racers, and I'm not saying it's easy, but accelerating in a straight line is hella less challenging then laying down power out of a corner while maintaining your line while rubbing door handles, or even navigating a set of cones...

I just think Dodge's aim was straight-line speed, Mazda's is the whole zoom-zoom twistiness thing.

Thats true, but I think they took a step back in hte handling department with the MS3 over the MSP. I could not be helped I guess as the MS3 is about 10 times better built than the MSP.

 

[We Are Ninja]

Yeah, my MSP is a rattle trap (but I STILL love her to death); It was really unnerving when I first got it. After a while, you don't even notice it. Or ride the freeway alot so the road noise drowns it out...

I read that the Dodge's interior was so bland and cheap that it could suck your soul out of your body.

The MS3's interior, on the other hand, comes highly praised in all reviews that I've read. Plus the interior looks sooooo inviting and well-styled.

 

[Donas64]

Yeah, my MSP is a rattle trap (but I STILL love her to death); It was really unnerving when I first got it. After a while, you don't even notice it. Or ride the freeway alot so the road noise drowns it out...

I read that the Dodge's interior was so bland and cheap that it could suck your soul out of your body.

The MS3's interior, on the other hand, comes highly praised in all reviews that I've read. Plus the interior looks sooooo inviting and well-styled.

The SRT-4 interior was a crime against the automotive masses. In fact, it was bad enough for me not to consider one, but gosh I had an obsession with that car. I thought it looked great, I thought it was fast as heck, and I could even overlook the mediocre handling, but the interior was just...UGH!!!

I'd take the MS3 over the SRT 4 in a heart beat. But if you look at all the magazines that have the MS3 on there cover, the main thing touted is its: 155 MPH TOP SPEED!!!, LOOK HOW FAST IT IS!!!!, FASTEST CAR FOR THE MONEY!!!!

The MS3 apart from it's nice interior and decent handling is being touted as a FAST FAST cheap CAR!

Same way the SRT 4 was touted as a FAST FAST cheap CAR!

I'd be a little disappointed if my and SRT4 could show it's tail lights to my brand spankin new MS3. It's not a dealbreaker but it would irk me a little.

 

[sephiroth]

Yeah, my MSP is a rattle trap (but I STILL love her to death); It was really unnerving when I first got it. After a while, you don't even notice it. Or ride the freeway alot so the road noise drowns it out...

I read that the Dodge's interior was so bland and cheap that it could suck your soul out of your body.

The MS3's interior, on the other hand, comes highly praised in all reviews that I've read. Plus the interior looks sooooo inviting and well-styled.

afaik, the only cosmetic differences between a Neon SE and a SRT-4, are silver trim, the door handels, metal pedals, seats that were model'ed after the ones in the viper and a boost gauge in the instrument cluster. So you're basicaly paying for the interior of a $13000 car. There's a whole bunch of other small things that are different too, like a tachometer, improved interior lighting ect that are avaliable in the other trim models as well, so I didn't mention them.

 

[Hughes412]

The SRT-4 interior was a crime against the automotive masses. In fact, it was bad enough for me not to consider one, but gosh I had an obsession with that car. I thought it looked great, I thought it was fast as heck, and I could even overlook the mediocre handling, but the interior was just...UGH!!!

I'd take the MS3 over the SRT 4 in a heart beat. But if you look at all the magazines that have the MS3 on there cover, the main thing touted is its: 155 MPH TOP SPEED!!!, LOOK HOW FAST IT IS!!!!, FASTEST CAR FOR THE MONEY!!!!

The MS3 apart from it's nice interior and decent handling is being touted as a FAST FAST cheap CAR!

Same way the SRT 4 was touted as a FAST FAST cheap CAR!

I'd be a little disappointed if my and SRT4 could show it's tail lights to my brand spankin new MS3. It's not a dealbreaker but it would irk me a little.

mediocre handling! The 04 SRT4 out does the ms3 in handleing. It pulls more gs and sustains them. The interior was bad, but lets be honest here, you didn't my it nor do you want one for the interior. You want it so you can kick some ass. And saying the dyno was inaccurate is just an excuse. For the money the car SHOULD not have to have any excuses.

 

[Rotary_Powered]

MSP still ownz all on the skid pad! (FWD atleast, and many RWD even)

 

[We Are Ninja]

mediocre handling! The 04 SRT4 out does the ms3 in handleing. It pulls more gs and sustains them...

Again, I've never driven either car, but there was an SRT4 owner on the boards (I don't remember his name...) who said the SRT4 was great and retarded fast (<-oxymoron FTW!)(<-English geek FTW!), but it's handling left alot to be desired. Great numbers don't mean alot if they don't work together.

Are there any SRT4 owners here, or wanna chime in?

 

[nme1337]

Sorry guys but you are being pretty delusional. I like the ms3 alot and think its an awesome car. but facts are facts.

MS3: 216 hp 245tq to the wheels
SRT-4: 215hp(03) 230hp(04-05) 245-250tq to the wheels.

MS3: nearly 3200lbs
SRT-4: nearly 2900 lbs

MS3: 5.8-5.9 0-60
SRT-4: 5.3-5.6 0-60

MS3: 14.1-14.4 1/4
SRT-4: 13.8-14.1 1/4 (still a drivers race)

handling and braking is basically the same (both being average) So unless you are talking about fast interiors. I dont see how the MS3 has any chance of de throning the srt-4