1: Dodge Neon SRT-4
The Neon SRT-4 was a surprise to many in the automotive community. The sheer quality and performance of the car was surprisingly good. The price tag was also affordable enough that anyone could afford one of these. The Neon was never known as a performance car, but the SRT-4 switched things up. The styling of the SRT-4 could compete with the best coming out of Japan. While you could spend thousands more on a Mitsubishi Evo, the SRT-4 was an excellent bargain option (via Car & Driver).
The interior of the Neon SRT-4 was dramatically upgraded over the standard model. There were a few colors available that you couldn’t get on the standard Neon. Performance cars from this era were becoming more advanced in just about every way. From a quality perspective, the Neon SRT-4 was an excellent bargain for a performance car. The styling of the SRT-4 wasn’t bad, and the car has maintained a solid following in the performance community.