What's the fastest AMERICAN four cylinder car?

Question

I've got 8 grand, and need a new car. I wanted a jeep, but realized that as a college kid with gas bein so high it wasn't cost efficient. I'll take a four-banger with some speed, but it's gotta be an AMERICAN made car because I don't feel like payin 85 bucks an hour labor for the foreign dealers to fix their car when somethin goes wrong, my step dad and I can do domestic jobs all day, not foreign. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a foreign, but I gotta stick with a US made car...I had to give up any ideas of the Acura Integra.

The 2.4 chevy cavalier puts out about 150 horses with 23/33 mileage -- not to terribly shabby. The neon's too small, want somethin a lil bigger...and it's gotta have a stick :-D

Any ideas?

Answer 1

I dont know where you live, but around here the shops all charge the same,and work on both the foreign and domestics. If you can find a Honda or Toyota, with even 100,000 miles, they will give you great mileage, at least another 100,000 miles, and lots of ways to hop up that 4 or six cyl. mill. Chevy Cav., Pontiac Sunfire, not bad cars either. You can find an 01-02 Chrysler PT Cruiser with a four banger and a stick for the kind of money your talking as well. Only 24-30 MPG, but lots of room, lots of custom stuff available, and really good power, again about 150 hp in the 4cyl.. (Up to 245 in the Turbo) . My son in law and his family have 3 Saturns, two with well over a 100,000 miles. They are the Toyota/ GM hybrid, and they seem to be good little cars, great fuel economy decent power. They are not as expensive as most of the imports. Good luck.

Answer 2

One of the fastest all-American four cylinder cars out there would be the Shelby-Dodge Omni GLHS. 175 hp, very lightweight, and some pretty serious suspension goodies. The same engine popped up in a variety of Chrysler products later, but the GLHS was the lightest thing they ever put it in. The biggest thing on Chrysler turbo cars is to watch out for blown head gaskets. Don't let one overheat or it will bite you later - I learned that the hard way.

Depending on your definition of an American car, there's also the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. Get a turbo version if you want it to be fast; the NA ones are usually not worth bothering about.

And Ford had some interesting turbo four cylinder cars in the '80s. The Merkur XR4Ti, Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, and SVO Mustang are the most common, but I think there were also turbo versions of the Cougar and Capri. And if you want to be truly devious, you can put that engine in a Pinto.

Answer 3

seek for a Mitsubishi Eclipse or an older (early 2000s) Honda Civic Si. The Nissan Sentra SE-R or 200SX SE-R could be an outstanding wager besides, yet they're kinda not hardship-free to return with the aid of. BTW, there is no want for the "American-made junk" remark. specific, Chevrolet replaced into incorrect to purpose and placed SS badges on a Cobalt. however the Ford concentration SVT replaced right into an excellent little rapid-4 hatchback for the few years they made it. And it got here as all quickly Fords ought to - with a STICK.

Answer 4

Dude, forget the Cavalier! Awful car!

Thought about a Ford Focus? Four door, pretty roomy, quite sporty.

Between anything made by GM and Ford, I'd opt with Ford if I were you.

Answer 5

Chrysler conquest tsi........1989 turbo inter cooled 2.6 rear wheel drive stock over 200hp stock an 10min of jerry rig over 250 hp

Answer 6

how about a dodge avenger 2.0l ? the turbos from a used eclipse can be put right on that. with some modification of course. it is mitsubishi engine, but an american mechanic will work on them.

Answer 7

the toyota that replaced the echo is fast and gets real good gas milage. And all dealer mechanics are high.