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Who has driven both a 2015 Scat Pack and SRT8?

6K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  keegs 
#1 ·
I'm not in a position to test drive these two unfortunately so am wondering if someone on the forum has? Please speak up :)

The main thing I'm curious about today the feeling of the ride/suspension between the two. Obviously the SRT has Adaptive Damping which is one of the biggest differences, but how does it feel?

I've read that the SP is meant to have quite hard suspension like the Track Pack but possibly harder, which is fantastic for the track. On the other hand with the SRT I would assume "street" mode would appear to be quite soft, quite comfortable, and when you want Sport or Track mode you turn it on.

Is this an accurate understanding? Would the SP be the equivalent of the SRT in "Sport" mode permanently?

My current car (selling soon) is pretty sporty and the stiff suspension is noticeable especially on roads that are not extremely smooth. This is fantastic at times, I love it, especially I feel drive up some mountain passes and I'm in "sport mode" (not the car) but sometimes it's not desired and it would be nice to go to "comfort" mode. For example with the wife and the in-laws in the car, haha.

So my question? How does the SP feel like compared to the SRT8? Like "sport" mode or something else?

I have driven a 2012 SRT8, I wonder how that would compare..

Cheers
 
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#2 ·
Hi keegs,

I can chime in on this one. I've test driven both the 2015 6M Scat Pack, and a 8A SRT 392. The similarities between the SP and the SRT begin and end with the 6.4L Hemi, in my opinion. The Scat Pack drives... well... I wouldn't say VERY high strung, but it's definitely stiffer than you want it to be if it's gonna feel that way ALL the time, whereas with the SRT, the active suspension in Street mode gives a feel that's a less than Scat Pack, and just a bit more tight than an R/T without the Super Track Pak suspension. It's actually very comfortable. The Sport mode stiffens up the handling to the level of the Scat Pack, and the Track mode takes out all the body roll except on the sharpest of cornering maneuvers. But oh my GOD is it stiff. But that's a good thing.

I think the general feel of the SRT is nicer as well. I'm not sure if the Scat Pack has the adjustable steering force like the SRT did, but the Track setting on the 392 essentially gives you just a bare minimum of steering assistance, which feels great when cornering, or if you'd just want a stiffer feel for the wheel.

Plus, the handling is excellent with the 275 tires all the way around, and the brakes stop so hard you'll send your friends through the windshield if they aren't paying attention. The SRT is a better car. The $6-9K price difference hurts, but you get what you pay for IMHO. That's why I've got one on order, coming in 2 weeks!
 
#3 ·
So if I read this correctly, you're saying the SRT in Track mode is harder than the Scat Pack?
 
#4 ·
I drove a Scat Pack once before buying my SRT but there was a 2 week gap between when I drove the Scat Pack and the SRT so I'm not in the best position to compare. From what I remember, the Scat Pack felt a bit like the SRT on Sport mode, maybe a little between Sport and Track on the SRT. In daily driving, it's hard to tell the differences but the Scat Pack did feel a little less "refined" in the ride. Hard to describe but just a little more "go kart like" in its stiffness and a little less nimble when you hit a tight turn hard. Some of that could have been the tires too (245 Goodyears versus 275 Pirellis). Other than the ride and brakes, I think you'd have to drive them both yourself to see what you feel. People look for different things.

I'm not sure you'd see a whole lot of difference in daily driving to be honest, but to me the SRT extras are worth it. To you they might not be. I definitely think as far as the typical driver/driving standpoint, it's not something that jumps out at you. You'd almost have to drive them back to back and look for the differences to notice them.

Mike
 
#6 ·
Thanks guys for the replies, much appreciated. The SRT is an option for me but to be honest I'm mainly keen on the scat pack because of the styling differences and options, as I want to wait for a shaker to become available.

I could always buy a shaker kit for the SRT8, but not sure about that.

From the posts it's hard to grasp if it's noticeably stiffer on the streets than the SRT or not, whether it would be noticeable or not just cruising around. The streets here are mostly amazing in quality, never a pot hole to be found. Just the occasional bump or lumpy part of the road, but rare.

This would be a car I would keep for a long time and I'm 31 now so maybe the better model with the comfort street mode is better, and a shaker kit possibly applied later.

Might need to plan a trip to the US!

Cheers
 
#7 ·
From where you are located the SRT would be the choice hands down... it will give you the choice of what type of driving your after on that particular day. With the SRT you have all of the comforts of a high end auto and the performance capabilities at the touch of a button. The hood on the SRT is functional but I don't think the Shaker will be available for awhile but when it is you could always add that at a later date.
 
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#8 ·
I thought the Scat Pack had multiple modes as well, am I wrong? If it does have multiple, are they really that different?
 
#9 ·
The Scat Pack has NORM & SPORT modes for the engine, traction, & trans (if automatic). And COMFORT, NORM, & SPORT modes for the steering. The suspension cannot be electronically changed.
 
#11 ·
On the SRT, the suspension also has street, sport, and track and can be adjusted separately from all the other settings. And when you change the suspension modes, you can really feel it! It's not like you have to wonder if it's doing anything different: it's obvious. It really is like having 3 different cars.

Mike
 
#13 ·
Hmm really good to know. Definitely sounds the better option when it's a car to keep long time. Shame about the shaker though, was looking forward to that. Will have to look at shaker kit costs now ;-)
 
#14 · (Edited)
I don't have a 15'...but

The adaptive suspension is a game changer. When I upgraded from my STP equipped RT, adaptive suspension was not on my "radar screen." I had already test driven non STP RT's and did not like the "Whale Like" sloppy ride. I felt like I back was in my 67-Z28. The STP was pretty good. When I first tried Sport Mode on my SRT....I immediately noticed a HUGE difference. The adaptive ride glues the car to the road. The SRT now has bigger brakes (worth the $$ alone). But, the adaptive transforms the car. Get it if you can.
 
#18 ·
I read somewhere on the Chrysler media site (can't find it on a quick search right now) that the adaptive suspension takes into account the steering angle, lateral-g sensor information, throttle and brake, and a few other things to feed into the adaptive suspension. So I think it really is adaptive and not just adjustable.

Mike
 
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