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The Dodge Neon SRT-4 reminded me of my first (and so far, only) near death experience. It happened more than twenty years ago and involved another compact, turbocharged, front-drive Dodge that the company had tried to turn into a barn burner: the Omni.

I was living in Washington, DC, at the time and found myself one afternoon driving cross-town on Harvard Street. There is one intersection at which Harvard doglegs. This can be tricky if you're not paying attention. Fortunately, I was. Suddenly a taxi crashed the light and looked as if it would do the same to me. My only chance was to get out of the way in a hurry, so I slammed the accelerator to the floor — and received an instant and unforgettable education in the meaning of the term "torque steer." As the turbocharger kicked in, the blast of power through the front driving wheels (which, of course, were also the wheels that steered the car) nearly ripped the steering wheel out of my hands. As it was, I bumped up onto the curb and missed a huge elm by millimeters before I could bring the car to a halt. Since that day, I've had a healthy fear of turbocharged, front-wheel drive Dodges.

The simple truth is that no amount of clever engineering can eliminate torq ue steer in a front-drive car with more than a certain amount of horsepower. The threshold keeps rising as the engineers find new ways to do the impossible, but 200 horsepower seems to be the limit today. The Neon SRT-4 has now has 230 horsepower, up 15 from last year. You have been warned.

Chrysler made other upgrades for 2004, including a much needed limited-slip differential, along with "three-season" BF Goodrich performance tires and racing-style aluminum pedal accents. The spoiler is ridiculous, in my view. It not only looks stupid, it adversely affects rearward vision. But fashion is fashion, I suppose, and the guys who buy these cars like spoilers. So there.

I've read a number of reviews that criticize the cheap interior of the Neon SRT-4. It didn't strike me that way, although the sound system is pretty mediocre. With other popularly priced compacts featuring really outstanding sound systems these days, this is something Chrysler needs to look into.

The most serious single complaint I have with the car is the design of the front seats. They're right up there with the worst seats I've ever encountered in a vehicle of any description. The only serious rival that I can recall, in fact, was a 1997 Cadillac Eldorado. That was the year GM came out with a new lumbar support seat — their new "premium" seat; ha! — and it was just unbearable. We had three staffers at Ride&Drive at the time, and no one could get comfortable in that car. It sat in our parking lot undriven and unwanted for an entire week before GM sent somebody to fetch it.

The problem with the Neon SRT-4's seats is leg support on the bottom cushion that is just out of sight. A short trip to the post office and I was in real pain. Worse, there are NO adjustments to the driver's seat other than the most basic fore and aft. I finally solved the problem by sitting on a book. Now, we've all heard stories of short people doing this so they can see over the steering wheel. I happen to be over six feet. The book I chose, btw, was the "The Building Officials & Code Administrators (BOCA) National Building Code," 1993 edition. To anyone considering an SRT-4, I seriously recommend obtaining a copy. Or I'll make mine available for a price.

With the BOCA book in place, my attitude toward the SRT-4 changed dramatically. It really is a blast to drive. One reviewer at Edmund's put it very well, and since I'm too lazy tonight to think up a better way to say it, I'll quote him:

"A cheapo interior and an average stereo might be enough to deter some buyers, but if those factors even enter your mind, you're not the kind of driver that Dodge's PVO (Performance Vehicle Operations) engineers had in mind anyway. This is an econosport sedan that takes the goal of maximum performance for minimum dollars very seriously, and the numbers prove it. The Mazdaspeed Proteges, Focus SVTs and Spec Vs of the world better take notice — the SRT-4 is the new king of speed on the cheap and currently, they don't stand a chance of wresting the crown away from Dodge."

The SRT-4 is powered by a turbocharged, 2.4-liter inline four that delivers 230 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission is a five-speed manual. Acceleration — as was the case with that souped-up Omni eons ago — is unreal. According to Chrysler officials, the SRT-4 will soar from zero to 60 mph in under 6 seconds. Top speed is supposed to be over 140 mph.

The SRT-4 only comes as a four-door sedan. Standard features include air conditioning, a CD stereo, power windows (front only), power mirrors, 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 17-inch performance tires, an auxiliary boost gauge, metallic interior accents, foglights and sport seats. Major options include a power sunroof and side airbags.

Our test car was priced right at $21,000, which is pretty cheap for all the performance on tap. If you hanker for a car of this description, you might as well go for it. But don't say I didn't warn you about the torque steer. R&D