Speed, Speed, Speed, great handling.

Everything. I bought the car off of a lease (during which it was meticulously cared for) and followed every recomended service, including changing the oil at 2000 miles religiously, and still put $6000 back into it after paying $9000. excluding non-life threatening problems (AC, turn signals, random electrical failures) this car caught FIRE not once, not twice, but FOUR times, the brakes failed repetedly, head gasket blew, it had a random phantom starter problem that was almost impossible to dignose, replaced both o2 sensors, etcetcetc, the list goes on and on and on. Did I mention it caught fire four times? I think Neons are either made wretchedly or flawlessly- i have never heard of a mediocre one. Mine was a death trap. I wouldn't take that sort of risk just to save a few bucks over a cavalier or similar compact.

Not only was my car a veritable peice of poop for general mechanical reasons (see above), all efforts to contact and get a response from dodge were basically ignored. My (very reliable) mechanic will no longer service major problems on Neons due to their seeming need to self destruct- he simply advises customers to get rid of the vehicles while they can. The dealer actually APOLOGIZED for selling me such a wretched car. But they sure are fast..........

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It may be faster than the other entry level compacts, but it'll cost you more and I would NOT advise taking your life into your hands in such a manner...... potential death by brake failure etc not withstanding, take into consideration the neons size vs any SUV. Sunfires, cavaliers, altimas etc all have larger crumple zones.

Great handling, good reliability, 40 mpg, great brakes. I don't know what people are talking about when they say the brakes are junk. Our neon has over 80,000 miles and still has original brakes. Oh yea, original clutch too. Not too many cars can win both the stock and modified divisions in autocross. Can you say performance?

camshaft seal (fix developed), wind noise above 75mph (should we really be driving much faster?)

We have owned this car since new and did not put a penny into it until around 60,000 miles where the camshaft seal fell out. A new brace was developed my mother mopar and the problem fixed. Cost: $3. Headgasket was questionable around 80,000 (aluminum head) Cost $50. These cars are amazing as long as you keep them maintained. These cars are teen driven and I'm afraid that is why the Neon has such a bad reputation.

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dodge omni, ford escort

The sterio is about it.

dont know which is louder the squealing from the wind or the brakes. Is in the shop now for a hole in the bell housing from a pin that broke in the spider gears where the shafts connect. At times i think you can run quicker then the car can move. over all dont buy one.

They say there is only one recall on my car and it was fixed but then you check the sites on the internet and there is 36 recalls. If anyone has had the same tranny problem as me let me know

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walking
at least you know you will make it there.

Nice Look, Peppy little car that handles well, fairly good gas mileage, starts fairly well in colder temperatures, parts are relatively inexpensive

This is the court jester of automobiles; it aims to entertain with strange noises and unpredictable behavior. Within a week of buying this car the torque converter went. The front and back brakes have been replaced and still squeal relentlessly.. The head gasket and exhaust gasket have been replaced. A weird popping noise keeps coming from the suspension. When you start the car it sounds as though it is preparing for lift-off. I don't know if the elevated rear end throws off the car's balance but it is an absolute death trap in the snow( The rear end swings out unexpectedly, even at low speeds) When it rains, actual puddles of water accumulate on the back floor and the trunk leaks. The service engine light appears content to remain on for the duration. The bell that rings when the door is opened rings sometimes but most of the time it dooesn't bother.

I actually like the way this car handles and it has enough power, but the drawbacks certainly outweigh the benefits to owning one. I will be getting rid of it as soon as I can and am just thankful I bought an extended warranty with it. I must say I have received excellent service from the dealership ( Jim Sampson Motors ) and would not hesitate to deal with them again, but I will not buy a Neon.

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I have never driven a dodge before but if this is what I can expect, it will be my last.

Good little car so far. More room than it looks. I put 60k on it in one year and other than oil changes the only time it was in the shop was for the air conditioner (Covered under warranty)

Can't look cool in a 4-dr. I'm terrified about reading all the head gaskets horror stories. I have the wind noise from the windows and she is starting to leak oil.

So far so good. No mayjor problems. Always started well in the cold and suprised me once and a while with the passing power kick.
I don't want to think about repairing the head gaskets but if I get out of this deal and the car still works and I have'nt had to sell any of my children, then I'll be happy. I won't buy another neon, it's like beating a pitbull...some day it will rip your arm of money off (Wallet) and eat it right in front of you...
Nice doggie...

I think it would make a good second car, or car for young people.

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97 Saturn SC1 - It was new, I bought the neon in 00

Good price (listed in Canadian dollars). Cute. Round headlights (the reason I bought it, cause I'm a car idiot).

Leaked a lot of oil, because the head gasket blew in August/2000, like 2 seconds after it came off waranty (55000 kms). However, they fixed it for FREE, even though no warranty.

I'd recommend it. I am selling mine now, as I am a car idiot and will always need to have something with a warranty. I'm not going to buy another Neon, as I would like something new and refreshing. I may not know anything about cars, but I know that besides the head gasket, which was fixed for free, there was not a single problem with this car.

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I had a 1985 Dodge Charger before it, which was good and lasted through high school. I am satisfied with Dodge vehicles.

My R/T is loaded and has been a blast to drive. I have heard about the side windows scratching and sunroofs needing repair paint peeling but mine has not. You can scare yourself with how well this thing takes a curve. If the curve sign says 40 then double it. Very good road feedback.

OK here is the rub. The head gasket is a real problem that Chrysler will not admit to. I dare anyone to spend 2 hours at the service counter and not hear a head gasket story. Where is the recall, where is the class action lawsuit, where is Ralph Nader?

I cannot recommend this car to any one that doesn't like to drive a go-cart on rails and is willing to put the maintance dollars into it. Your fun to drive car will be at the expense of your wallet. Cheap to get into, no resale to speak of, and high dollar repairs. 5 star dealers are a dime a dozen, it makes no difference. For crying out loud is't just a Neon. POS

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Cavalier, Escort anyone remember the Pinto?

Not much really, the car does look cute when a little girl is driving it.

This is easily one of the cheapest cars I have ever driven. The styling is overly cute which makes it embarassing to drive with your friends. The car has no personality on either the inside or the outside which makes the Neon a very boring car to drive. It is likely that you will experience technical problems with the Neon before it even hits 20 thousand miles.

I simply despise this wannabe race car. Chrysler has been known to produce cars which are cheaply made and don't last very long and the Neon is no exception. This dog simply needs to be avoided as if it had rabies. Don't say I did not warn you. The interior is about as confortable as a stone bench, the car is noisy and the interior looks like it is about 99 percent plastic. Well, if there were to be any positive saying about the Neon it would be that the car is fun, the same way looking at an ugly person is fun.

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even underpowered Korean pieces of junk like the Hyundai Elantra are superior and more reliable than the Neon

Runs great in the snow, unless the snow builds up under front of the car. Good on gas.

Well for starters the head gasket is crap!! Also all of a sudden now my check engine light wont go away, and my enginge boggs down to the point it almost stalls. Wish i knew what that was all about. If anyone knows please tell me i cant find any sensors on this thing at all either!!

Wouldnt recommend this unles 1) you are a mechanic
2) have alot of time on your hands.
3) like fixing lost causes!!

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Cant compair this to anything really, dont really know if it is worth it!

The car accelerates well. I've also found it to protect well in accidents. I had a 97 before, and was rear-ended, and my sister later totaled it, and we came out of those accidents with nothing. Despite poor collision records, I was pleased with how it held up. Got a 98 to replace it.

Windows leak, and you can hear air whistling through them when driving even at low speeds, gets annoying after awhile. Have had electrical problems too. The 98 has 14,000 miles on it, and the head gaskets have yet to go, and we haven't had the problems with the break system mentioned by other people.

I'd recommend it b/c it's fairly inexpensive to buy, and maintain.

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Have driven a Ford Escort (93 model I think) and the Neon is much better. Handles better, and drives better.