Despite many of us saying that the car has excellent handling, I personally think we have to concede that point. The SRT-6 springs are too harsh, and the shocks aren't well-matched, so we end up with a harsh ride that doesn't necessarily translate into better handling. Whenever I take a hard turn, the car feels skittish and hesitant, and the open diff in the back along with the invasive traction control means it's tough to manhandle and rotate the car the way you want it to. A lot of people define handling as how comfortable and willing the car is when you push it hard (i.e., how easy it is to drive a car hard), and on that definition, I believe the xFire is adequate, at best. That said, I'm a believer in the muscle-car old-school definition of handling, which is ultimate grip. IMO, if your car doesn't require the Stig's brass cajones to truly maximize its potential, and if it isn't trying to kill you at least once every other day, then it's a pretty wimpy car (sadly, Toyota's recent inclusion in that group has me rethinking that definition).

Also, one thing that's heavily overlooked is the MASSIVE low-end torque that you get once you open up the intake manifold on the SRT-6. You don't see that reflected on any simple peak hp/torque spec numbers that get called out in armchair racing. V8-embarassing torque is why I love my SRT-6.