pickler

my sister just got her license after graduation and wants a car. she wants something compact and a bit sporty looking. she likes the new matrix, so someone help me! i hate to see her driving a matrix. i think a 2005 neon/srt4 would be good cause not a lot of it on the road and they are a bit sporty and they are compact and easy to drive (and cheap). either that or a CRV because of safety reasons. so anyone here owned one? are they reliable? any problems? should she even get something else?

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

if she likes the matrix why should you care you aint driving it? just a thought.

HondaOnWORKS

My friend has a Neon, and so far she hasn't got any problems. From what I hear that they reliable, but not like JDM reliable. Has she considered a Civic? Civic makes a wonderful first car. I would say, try to find other options first, and lay it out for her, and see what she likes. After all... its her driving it.

pickler

i see, well she says she doesn't like civics cause all her friends have one. also i don't like matrix, i think they are underpowered and are definitely not sporty. she thinks cause its a hatch and looks a bit cool its a fast car. anyway now that i think of it civic seems like a good option.

1islandparadise

My buddy has a burnt orange SRT-4 and it is FAST!! I dont know if you want this to be your sister's first car. It will do 105+ in 3rd gear in a hurry. His car would easily blow my TL-S out the water and killed my slightly built 95 5.0 Stang. I do give my buddy a hard time about how the 2 front windows are power and the 2 rear are manual hand crank windows....lol. Never seen that before.

Sarlacc

The matrix is a good solid car with lots of space and can be fun to drive.

If she just got her license she has no business owning a performance oriented car such as a srt.

What she gets has no bearing on you. Buy a srt if you want one so bad.

pickler

well i have heard some good things about the neon. when i bought a corolla back 1999 a friend told me to get the neon instead and because of reliability concerns i didn't. i regretted it later, the 1.8l Toyota engine is really boring, plus the neon was much cheaper. so i just don't want her to get something slow because shes afraid of flooring it and will proly merge at 30mph into the highway like a lot of other ladies driving underpowered cars.

pickler

and also found a 2004 neon sx 2.0 for sale one owner 80k miles, the man is asking for 3500. The cheapest matrix second hand i have come across with same age and mileage was over 9 grands...

MEM3

iTrader: (1)

do not get her a srt-4 - they are death traps for beginner drivers- and if you dont believe me sign onto their forum and read a RIP member X everyday

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

Yea I can't believe you would even consider this car for your beginner driver sister.

Sarlacc

I'm getting the sense you don really know what you're talking about. Everything you say is "I heard this" and "I was told that"

The matrix is a good, reliable, and solid car with plenty of pick up for highway merging.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

The Matrix is a good car. Lots of space, very roomy even though it may look small from the outside. And if it is her first car, check out projected insurances costs. I'm willing to bet that insurance on the SRT is going to be higher than on the Matrix. Besides, there are upgrades to be had for the matrix if you are that concerned about her having a fast ride, but it is her car after all. Let her decide how fast she wants it to be, but again, first car, doesn't need to be fast.

If I were her though, I would still get the civic, I wouldn't care that all my friends had one. She needs to get what would be best for her based on her needs and what she can afford financially now and in the future.

pickler

Ok thanks for the suggestions. And I never said I heard about the matrix being slow. I owned a Toyota corolla with the same 1.8L and it required lots off effort for merging and highway passing so I know what I'm talking about. That's untill I sent it to junkyard for being an oil burner. man that thig burnt oil. Secondly after getting many good feedback on the matrix from people here and other websites mostly about cargo space and reliability i'm gonna let her make her decision now. The neon is out due to death threats from JDM websites lol

But yea so far choices are
1. 2004-2006 matrix (she likes)
2. 2005-2006 Honda civic (latest gen or previous gen?)
3. 2006 Honda CRV (safety)

thanks

HondaOnWORKS

Yeah, the Matrix is a pretty good choice as well. I would say the best two choices are the Matrix and Civic. For the Honda CRV, I don't know anyone that have owned one before, so I won't give an opinion on it, because I don't know, hahah.

For the Honda Civic, I would go for the 2006 plus models. They look better in my opinion. Its also probably more roomy than the 05 and under generation. Also, logically faster, as in a slight increase in hp/tq, so merging and etc... shouldn't be as much as a problem, I guess.

But whatever she picks I hope she enjoys the car =)

Myxomatosis

I just pseudo inherited an srt4 from a brother in law that moved to cali and damn it's fast, a complete POS but fast. I would not ever ever let any sort of new driver have one.

Mine sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, like somewhere between the delorean from back to the future and the Audi from minority repoty and it's bright yellow, very low key..... I think the turbo and down pipe need work... still fast though.

onebadna1nsx

Matrix!

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

Maybe I'm stereotyping, but every SRT-4 driver I've ever come across has been a douchey on the road. So I say go for the Matrix, unless you want your sister to be a douchey.

Myxomatosis

just from driving it around a bit, I think you become one with the douche as soon as you start it up

... idk kind of felt like a douche, especially since mines yellow.

black label

The SRT-4 is an animal of a car for the money. They are very difficult to find used but not abused and molested as this type of car begs to be driven and is easy to modify for more power, better handling.

I would never recommend this car for an inexperienced driver, it's a very snappy turbo so the car goes from moderate power to extreme power in the blink of an eye. Couple that with it being a front wheel drive car and you have a recipe for what they call "terminal under steer" which typically takes inexperienced drivers straight into walls, parked cars, guard rails or whatever is to the outside of the turn. My former coworkers SRT4 has well over 300 hp at the wheels and shoots flames out the exhaust when he shifts at redline. The only reason the car is in one piece is that he is a very experienced driver with a great amount of skill behind the wheel.

If you aren't willing to listen to reason, at least buy one that did not get built with the optional side airbags. When you checked off the side airbag option you were also deciding to give up your Dodge Viper seats.

TheMirror

I will echo the above; a SRT is NOT a good idea for a new driver. It has little in common with other Neons other than the bodyshell. It has huge power, beastly torque steer, etc. It would be a ripoff target too.

Matrix is a very solid choice. Don't forget about the XRS model, which came with the 170hp VVT-i engine instead of the base 130hp number. Manual transmission only though.

-Mirror

Eoanou

She should get a Mazda 3, practical girls car.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

Ewww..yellow? That's an automatic double douche.

I agree with the Mazda 3 suggestion.

Blazing GT

whats wrong with the matrix?

if she just got her licence does she need to drive a quick car like the SRT-4?

so cal eddie

I HAD an 05 srt4, but the lemon law came into effect. It was on its 3rd warped head, and that was it. It left me stranded too many times, granted once is enough, but this car simply sucks. The dealer had 2 other cars there with the exact same problems, so my case was a slam dunk. When it worked, it was the most fun I have had in a car in a long time, though. Faster than a supercharged 3g tl, wrx, and many other cars in bone stock form. But, it is still a pos neon, regardless what anyone tells you.

Myxomatosis

If I keep it, it's definitely getting painted I really dont know how someone actually chooses that color. Maybe I'll cruise around tomorrow whist giving the finger to everyone.... and I'll wear a wife beater... and rev gratuitously everywhere.



shit I might just go get some spray paint and primer the thing anything would be better

edit I've got video tape this obnoxious thing, you'd all get a laugh

Spike TL

I would not get a Neon, the front engine mounts like to go around 40,000 km's, and i have replaced a shit load of coil packs on them as well.

The Matrix is a better vehicle then a Neon. I have not seen any real problems with them.

Plus if your not the one driving it, then what should it matter what your sister wants to get, it's her's not yours.