Which car, SRT-4 or 240SX?

[nlzmo400r]

21 here and down time is fine by me. my saturn was brand new when i got it, and i had plenty of down time cause i was too boost happy. i know my limits, and the limits of my wallet. when i get my 240 and SR20 i know i wont be fuddeling with the boost untill i have the cash to build the bottom end. itll already be faster then all of my friends cars (a 1.8t jetta, sentra SE-r SpecV, SC2, and focus ZX3) so ill be happy with that. it will be my daily driver, and i will have the same goal with it as i did with my saturn, mid 13`s no less.

if all u want is a car faster than your friends, you're in the scene for hte wrong reasons. This is a huge opinionated question, get what u want. Trust me, if u get hte srt-4 you'll have times wishing for RWD and such, but if u get the older 24o, theres going to be those frustrating moments of your car on jacks, and mas confusion on how to get to work in 6 hours. If all u need is to beat your friends, get the srt-4, warranty, and call it a night

[NismoGuy85]

Well I talked it over with some sales people and my payments will probably in the $350 range. With that and insurance the 240 is looking better and better. So I think I'm goning to go with the 240 b/c RWD and the aftermarket support for it, but I don't plan to do too much to it untill I can get a beater car.( a couple of years down the road) How about reliablitiy on the KA's?

[nlzmo400r]

as long as u do regular maintanence and get a KA that got good care from previous owner, and they'll run forever

[catty]

Yea KA's are reliable, if you maintain them. I know a few people with over 125,000 miles and they still run like new.

[BadMojo]

How about reliablitiy on the KA's?

They're pretty tough. The only major thing to watch out for is any kind of odd tapping or "marbles in a spray can" sound from the front of the engine. This would be a timing chain problem. It's a PITA to fix and can trash an engine if you ignore it.

Other than that, just set aside a little extra $$$ to fix the little things that inevitably break on an older car.

[Dattebayo]

Oh yeah, and all you KIDs out there under 25, you are gonna pay aHELL OF ALOT MORE on insurance with an SRT-4 than a 240. And if you have any accidents? Forget it.

Id say thats a very valid point to consider unles "mommy and/or daddy" are paying. If so, i hate you and will knock a hole in your skull if i see you blabing about it.

[BadMojo]

Oh yeah, and all you KIDs out there under 25, you are gonna pay aHELL OF ALOT MORE on insurance with an SRT-4 than a 240. And if you have any accidents? Forget it.

Id say thats a very valid point to consider unles "mommy and/or daddy" are paying. If so, i hate you and will knock a hole in your skull if i see you blabing about it.

Deep breaths man, deep breaths.

I'm glad to see that the original poster considered insurance costs. I work in the insurance industry and I often find that people (adults and younger drivers both) just go out and buy a vehicle without even thinking of getting a quote for the insurance on it.

I've had to give people some very large numbers they definitely weren't prepared to hear. Car was already purchased and the buyer is stuck with insurance premiums they can't afford.

[jdmfreak]

Damn thats gotta suck big time.

[SpeeDDrifT]

well first i gotta give props to nismoguy85 much better than the regulaur "which is better" newbie topic. the srt4 is a niffy front wheel....still a front wheel....still a ugly car.....still a neon. and as many have said before.......the 240; i believe, is a much better driving experience. anyways best of luck and looks like you have you head on straight.....welcome.

[PhaneSoul]

id appreciate it if you guys would stop trash-talking the neon's.... i like em, they look sexy, 240 looks better but they still look good and i like them... its going to be my 2nd or 3rd car... soon as november hits gotta get ive either decided on a blazer or a neon for winter driving (snow gets bad here with all the ice, i dont wanna wreck my 240)ive already driven 2 diff neons and liked em both (took my friends sideways in a deserted big parkinlot..... she didnt believe i could do it with a fwd car.....) but neons are still good.... jus slap a dodge stealth engine in there and boom, ya got one fast mother****!n neon

[Jookmasta]

well my friend is paying near 200 for insurance on his srt4 but he has some accidents on his records. i myself am paying 65 bux for my lovely 240. its a tough question to answer when we dont really know how ur financial situation is? if you have the money, go for the new car and leave the used car scene. i am the original owner of my 93 240 and im sure that you would prefer to have a new car than a used car. but it still reverts back to finances.

second, the srt4 PULLS. i cant front, it really has some power. dont know if they finally got power windows in the back, but the engine is nice. warranty is definitely a plus, but remember that you will want to upgrade and the warranty will probably go bye bye b/f the 70,000 miles is reached. (could also look for a crooked mechanic at a dealership but thats another story)

last but not least compare ur prices for speed. u could find a 240 with a swap for like six or you could get the srt4 and put at least 2g's to get to where some of the SR guys are at. i think u still have some researchin to do on the 240s and the srt4.

find out what voids the warranty from dodge and find out what to look for when buying a used 240. u might also want to figure out whether or not the car is suited to ur area. 240s dont like snow, but we will drift in it!!!!! not safe for others but u get the point. also the 4 door vs 2 door. a 240 is a two seater. there's enuff room for the passenger and ur bag which goes on the back seat. the srt4 can sit 4 peeps. hope the info helps. search the forums for any other questions related to the 240.

props to the red button on the top right

[240tek]

I don't know if any of you missed this post but here it is: From 180crafter" Dont forget... If your on this forum, then you are a tuner. Wrenching our cars is what most of us live for. The warranty and protection of a new car means nothing to us. Just ask yourself this: how many times have you seen a newer car stock with some rims and were proud that your 11 year old car has character and your sweat and your blood running through it? If this has never occured to you, then hey stick with the new car. Me, I cannot shackle my freedom for modifying for that cheesy new car smell. "The simple answer is, re-evaluate your reasons for getting the car. What you come up with make the decision for you. More practical advice from me would be to forget the warranty. There was a lot of talk about warranties. Correct me if I'm wrong, but under most circumstances, if you make any mods to your car, the warranty is voided. Brake Pads and fricken windshield wipers are about all that's allowed. Dodge KNOWS what people want to do with this car, and they have given themselves plenty of ways out of a potentially expensive warranty program. Aside from that all the other points have been, basically, covered. IMO, get the 240, cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure (I'm 23 from a 91 accord 4dr to a 89 240 my insurance went up zero dollars). Save your money for the undoubtedly difficult transition from school to work when you're done with college, then buy a car when you land a job. PEACE. Tek.

[SpeeDDrifT]

good point 240tek....and yeah from my experience warrantys are a false sense of security....they will void that warranty any chance they get. Some kid i work with bought a WRX, and they told him if he put in an amplifier for his stereo his warranty would be voided!!

[C-Kwik]

good point 240tek....and yeah from my experience warrantys are a false sense of security....they will void that warranty any chance they get. Some kid i work with bought a WRX, and they told him if he put in an amplifier for his stereo his warranty would be voided!!

A manufacturer can not void a warranty for installing anything aftermarket. If the aftermarket part or the installation of it results in a failure of a warranted part, then that part may not be covered, but that doesn't exclude the entire car from the warranty. For example, if you install aftermarket wheels on the car and the stereo fails. They can not exclude the stereo unless the wheels caused the failure of the stereo. The Moss-Magnussen Act states this.

[180crafter]

TEk... Im glad to see one of us tuners looking at things the same way. I know that the cost of the car is so and so and that the warranty means little to us. But you do pay a premium for it, and it is one of the main luxuries of owning a new car. I wonder what the caost fo the car would be without warranty, and how much more popular the car woud be.

C-Kwik.... we need to rent you out. I totally believe what you are saying, but the execution of such a thing is very difficult. Dealers are very sneaky and will do anything to get out of an added cost. Event though they dont completly pay for it, the manu sees them as a risk and things get ugly. Some places you will get lucky and they will replace til the day is over, and some wont let you touch the car. Your expertise would greatly be appreciated.

BTW, i could own you, and give you like..... 30%. How does that sound.

[phatpat240]

If you can afford it get the srt4. It's got a 7yr warranty.You can buy perofrmance parts from the dealer,and your car will still have a warranty.Everyone is talking about high insurance,its not as high as you think.It's a 4door sedan in the insurance book.I know a guy who just bought a 03 evo and he pays 130 per month full coverage.And he's only like 22. Yeah everyone thinks its cool to do a swap.But think of all the times when something goes wrong and you cant get your car running for a while,or you have to want for parts from somewhere.

[Mr1der]

srt-4 now, then save up for a 240sx.

-demetrius

yup, I think an SRT-4 would make a nice daily driver, I believe this years model will tap the 13's stock.

[Bubba1]

Well, it really comes down to what you want and need. There are good/bad points to both.

SRT=4 positivesNew=full warranty, new tires/brakes. no previous owners Very fast/agile right out of the box. will blow away a stock 240sxdon't have to a thing to it. already a pocket rocket

negatives:UglyReliability record is poorThough it handles well , still a FWDbuilt cheaply - typical Chrysler - problems start at 60K miles. (I had 4 Chryslers...I know)more expensive to insuredepreciation!car payments

240sx plus:Much cheaper to buy/no car paymentscheaper to insurecheaper to repair - not a complex carRWD - handles like a traditional sports car, yet is not one.if you like to tinker, can build power inexpensivelymore reliablebuilt better. less likely to start rattling.available in a hatchback

downside:it's an older used car, likely with significant mileagewon't know how it's been maintained or treated/mistreatedunderpoweredno cup holderswill require repairs sooner because it is used.

There really is no right answer as to which is better. It depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. SRT-4 is not a POS, but do not expect a trouble free ownership experience.Although 240sx's are traditionally more reliable, they are older cars and , long term wear items are going to start needing replacement (struts, clutch slave cylinders, power window motors, etc).

I think there are other cars to consider besides those two cars.I also think the SRT-4 is a fun car to drive, but probably not a great choice to own long term.

Good luck

[nnkfws333]

Deep breaths man, deep breaths.

I'm glad to see that the original poster considered insurance costs. I work in the insurance industry and I often find that people (adults and younger drivers both) just go out and buy a vehicle without even thinking of getting a quote for the insurance on it.

I've had to give people some very large numbers they definitely weren't prepared to hear. Car was already purchased and the buyer is stuck with insurance premiums they can't afford.

Yeah I did my research...when I was 20 and was going to get a new WRX the guy quoted me like $350 a month I was like :jawdrop:

then when I turned 21 it went all the way down to like $120 but too late already had the SR oh yeah I like what 180crafter said "proud that your 11 year old car has character and your sweat and your blood running through it" man too many nights