I just got back from car shoping today. I have been wanting to do a comparison between the rsx types,srt-4, and the cobalt ss/sc. I was only able to drive the srt-4 and the rsx as the cobalt is hard to come buy aroung here. Any way the first car I drove was the rsx: the styling an interior are slick,classi. handling was crisp, shifter was smooth an all around well balnaced car. But the car only starts to make real power at around 6200rpm, the fall off between shifts is minimal, but must maintain that high rpm to feel that sportier ride. It wasn't till i drove the srt-4 that I realized how under powered the rsx was. At first glace the dodge is not really flashy the interior is sporty but low key, the seat are tight but comfortable. But as soon as I started the car the deep exhaust tone let me know it performance was serious. This car pulls hard once the turbo spools. I think I reached 120mph an the car was still pulling strong. The shifter mesh is a little cumbersome and with the bolstered seat I notice I didn't have much room to shift without hiting the seat. It was obvious that this srt-4 would hard to beat with a few mods. Now I am just waiting to see if the cobalt's aspects can overcome the srt-4's torque strong setup. I really like the ss/sc and I will probably beside to buy one , but I would like to drive one before I do. If anyone would like to voice there opinion about the compair, please do I would like some fedback about the ss/sc's performance vs srt-4.

 

I did the exact same thing you did but threw in a wrx. Drove the srt4 rsx-s and wrx and just like you couldnt get my hands on an SS S/C. The wrx was a bad experience clutch was fucked on the car and looking at the price tag I was gone. RSX the interior is very nice, the styling don't care for but I really like the shifter so smooth and in sync with the car but no ***** and once again pricetag. The srt4 I was like holy **** this thing moves. But It's looks like a neon I found it extremely uncomfortable in the seat and in the car generally (touching elbows with the salesman) sorry even though the price was good, couldn't do it. Ordered my SS after i sat in one and got to see one in person at the NAIAS. Performance wise I found the srt4 faster but the SS was very quick, glued to the road, great interior and cheapest out fo the group of 4.

 

The thing I expected when I drove the SS S/C was another ball less 4-banger that would only move when it was in the upper RPMs. Boy was I wrong! It pulls from idle to redline. My mom drove it to the shop one day and had my sister drive seperate. My sister took of kinda quick from the light, so my mom gave it a little gas after shifting into second at about 20mph. She said it made her nausious, and the next thing she knew she was at 40mph.

 

Thanks for the reply, So the cobalt feels alot stronger than the rsx but not as strong as the srt-4. Ya the srt was impressive an looking at some of the dynos and torque curves the thing come in around 240lbs trq. But the cobalt is around 185lbs, you think the car feels pretty strong with your experience between both cars. If I do buy one it will be with the g85 performance pack.

 

the SS has nuts through out. The SRT-4 when I test drove it seemed like a slouch until the turbo spooled enough boost... interior was boring and the seats were uncomfortable.. the SS was the opposite. I would gladly tach a .4 or less quarter mile time for a better built car. The SRT-4 felt like of course like a normal neon when steering.. I drove a neon forever before this and I was not impressed..

 

^^Right on, SS is in between, performance wise. My old man said the same thing about feeling sick after I gave him a ride.

 

You must be crazy to let your mom drive your car!! Ballzz

 

srt-4 feels very crude, but fast.
I think all subarus have tricky clutches cuz the one i test drove was f-ed too.

 

May 2005 Motor Trend pitted the SS/SC against the SRT4. Their conclusion was that for the track the SRT4 is their choice but for the street, they chose the Cobalt SS Supercharged. The SS went around their test track faster than the SRT4 even though the SRT4 pulled better numbers on the skidpad and out accellerated the SS.

Whatever...

 

the ss gets a better skidpad ^^ and it also does the slalom faster

 

I skimmed...and looked at pictures...dang ADHD...what were we talking about?

I think it also braked better, which was the major determining factor of the track performance.

 

Everytime my buddy rides with me he tells me to get on it cause it gives him that tickly feeling in his stomach like hes riding a rollercoaster lol

 

i did the same thing, ive driven a few SRT4's so i know what modded ones feel like, and i know what stock ones feel like.

the srt4 felt alot faster than the cobaltSS as first, but thats becuase my car only had like 20miles when i got it, id say one of the most important things is breaking it in right.

now that im at 6800miles, last weekeend i was dead even with a 05 SRT4 with a short shifter, and me stock...but that srt4 felt fast as hell with 20miles on it, and 6000miles on it, so thats my opinion, from expeirence