Me and the G/F just got a 2004 Ion Quad Coupe 2...silver w/ a roof and the black and blue cloth seats......i test drove it yesterday...i wasnt overly impressed with the eco stock.....it was ok...but i like my ld9 in my cavy....just wanted to share....and no she wont let me mod it in any way...maybe rims in the spring.....
Not unintentionally accelerating since 2009!!!!
sweet. Just mod it when she's not looking...LOL
its funny you made the comment about the eco and the LD9
my g/f has a 02 eco 5spd cav , and ive got a 97 LD9 sedan , and 00 LD9 sedan
and i like my 2.4 alot better , even though the eco pulls better top end , and her car is about .5 to .7 tenths of a sec faster than mine are
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funnier yet is that my 2.0 ecotec is faster than my old 2.4 and also my 2.2 eco...then again its also supercharged
. i got me a ion red line yesterday...this is definitely the car to get its soooo freak quick
thats awesome man, when I test-drove a redline, I loved it. I have an ION sedan though. Just your run-of-the-mill 2.2L ecotec
Drove a ION redline yesterday and I'm not impressed. I'd hoped it would've addressed the low end torque issue my 04 cavalier 2.2 has, but it didn't still nothing 'till 2700 rps. I also thought it would be a civilized version of the SRT-4, but not nearly. About 6 mos ago when I drove the SRT-4, I wasn't impressed with the power compared to the WRX which is again not that impressive, especially for the price. My 2.2 Cavalier isn't that fast, but it's not much slower than any of those when you consider the price. I'm still waiting for the stats on the supercharger kit for the 2.2 that is supposedly coming in November.
You must have some high standards if an SRT-4, redline, and WRX don't impress you power-wise.
The SRT wasn't anemic, but you had to make sure the turbo was spun up to really get it to hit. It was just starting to make sweet power when it hit the redline. I think with another 1000 to 1500 rpms available on the tach it would be great. The WRX was better at the bottom probably due to the flat 4 instead of the I-4 of the SRT and the rest. The WRX felt strong off the line and continued to pull to redline, but God help you when it came time to shift. I had a 4WD Subaru in 1983 that felt EXACTLY the same when shifting, heavy. Because of the weight on the drive train you literally have to weight for the shifter to unload before you can pull it out of gear, which makes the shifts much slower. I have to say, I would own and buy an SRT-4, because for the money its great and totally usable with the 4 doors. I think it looks good too.
I would rather have the redline over the SRT-4. Not becuase I'm biased, but because the SRT-4 isn't good in handling, only in straightline acceleration. Also, Dodge has cheapened out in commodities for the sake of having the fastest sport compact out there. No power rear windows? Only fronts? What's up with that? Dodge will void your warranty if your caught racing at the track as well, just like Mitsu and subaru. Things like that turn me off from buying an SRT-4. GM won't void your warranty if your caught at the track. They have one step above the rest there at least. Also, you'll notice the redline handles very well. Nice and balanced from the factory. So although it's slower than the SRT-4, it is still pretty fast (14.7 1/4 mile tested) and has great handling to boot. GM and saturn didn't skimp out on the accessories for it either, such as the sunroof, power windows, spoiler, etc. It even has a short throw shifter that is very precise. STOCK!!! and 17" FORGED alloys. STOCK!!! For the price, I say ya can't beat it.
I didn't get a chance to push the Redline for handling, but what I felt, felt good. I bought a Saturn SL their first year (1991), and I loved it for the handling. Nobody made lowering springs at the time so I cut the springs and bolted a rear sway bar from an SC on the back. In 1991 the space frame was extremely rigid, I felt that same solidity when driving the Redline. The frame is sooo much stiffer than my '04 Cavalier. As far as the amenities of the Redline, this is how I feel: I thought I'd like the back doors, but they never shut really solidly, they felt like french doors in a house. The center pod instruments were not acceptable. If they were going to use a center pod, they should've made the tach the biggest gauge not the speedo. The seats were great, but I wish they offered them without leather. Shifting was great, but my Cavalier shifts equally well; I think they both have the same Getrag transmission. Personnally, I don't want power windows or a sunroof, I'd prefer to be able to buy a car that was more stripped down except for the mechanicals. As far as the warranty goes, GM rules! That's why I can't wait for the GM supercharger kit for the Cavalier, it doesn't change the warranty.
