take it from someone that has owned both and driven both extensively ... my SRT-4 was a S2 car with full 3 inch muffled exhaust and a loud blow off valve. the stereotyping will happen, i got a ticket on it at the age of 24 and there is just no fighting it as soon as they see what kind of car you drive ... the crossfire is much slower handles bounds and leaps above the srt-4, has much better quality overall, and demands either respect or total disgust from onlookers and people you associate with ...

those that will respect you are people that realize you work for it ... those that are disgusted with you are those that label it a richy rich kid car ... either way it is much better than driving a SRT-4 and having law enforcement look down at you as some punk when you are driving home at the speed of traffic after a long day of classes and work.

so let me break it down like this:

SRT-4, things i liked: power, four seats, wonderfully comfy front seats.

SR-4 things i did not like: feels cheap, tons of people doing stupid stuff around you in traffic that will land you in hot water along with them, crappy gas mileage, power is useless in first and second gear and in turns, worst side impact crash rating possible, loud no matter what exhaust you buy... you get the idea.

crossfire, base, things i liked: comfy suspension, still corners great, you can use all the power it has on corner exit and it feels great (a$$ slides in a controlled manner when you do this, even with the ESM), nicer quality paint, interior quality is worth it alone in comparison, car feels solid, engine is wonderful with the 6 speed, feels great knowing you are driving such a nice car, with the structure around you it feels very safe - and crash tests point out it is.

crossfire, base, things i did not like: seats (replaced with srt-6 units), needs a bit more power (SI chip + amg air boxes, done), lack of aftermarket (keeps me from spending money, thankful for it almost) ...

so... in general the crossfire just fits my life much better ... the srt-4 would be great if my interest was straight line drag racing but i grew out of that long ago ... and it sounds like you are not much for that at this age even, so in the interest of preserving what sounds like a very productive young member of community, please get the crossfire ... it will increase your chances of survival and project a much better image of who you are.