spacious interior room, decent acceleration, clear controls, nice looks

noisy interior and brakes, head gasket had to be replaced at 55,000 miles (for $100!)

We are the original owners and have had good luck with ours. After 7 years, the only item that needed to be replaced was the headgasket (amazingly we have not had to service the battery or the brakes!). The dealer did this for $100 out of warranty, so we really can't complain much: in fact the dealer was the one that noticed it first at a routine oil change. At the time we bought it, the Neon was the only"small" car that was meant to be driven comfortably by a 6-footer. Considering how inexpensive the car was, I am completely satisfied with itand plan to continue driving it until it exhibits the normal aga-related problems.

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nissan sentra, honda civic

It was very affordable. I bought it myself while I was still in college. And cute. Nice round headlights (which is why I bought it, please read about how I'm a car idiot below).

The head gasket leaked oil, like 2 seconds after it came off warranty. The dealership still replaced it for FREE! They said they have redesigned it and it shouldn't bother me again though.

It's a good car. I'm currently selling mine, only because I'm an idiot about cars and always need one covered by a warranty. All I can tell you (as a car idiot) is, it never caused me any problems beside the fixed oil leak.

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Before it I had a 1985 Dodge Charger! It got me through high school. So my two cars have been from Chrysler, and they were both excellent.

Great gas mileage;
Tilt Steering/Cruise Control - Nice extras that reduce insurance;
Lots of leg room;
Nice big and roomy trunk;
Nice storage area between seats and beneath dash.
Nice built-in change holder and cup holders.
Factory installed AM/FM Cassette Stereo and speakers very nice --- although I have since replaced them with a Sony CD Player and nicer speakers.
Neon-stitched floor mats - very nice.
Great visibility.
Nice interior - Much nicer than some of the more expensive vehicles that I have been in (i.e. Grand Am, Buick, etc.)

Mouse in my wheel - Due to the exposed rotors on the Neon, the brakes squeel on damp and rainy days. This goes away after driving for a block or two.

Shut the window - If you are spraying the windshield washer fluid or if it is raining, you should not leave your window cracked. Otherwise, water will invariably drip down onto your arm or onto your lap.

Clear Coat - Clear Coat on the roof of the car and down alongside the windshield began to peel. Under the "good faith" warranty, Chrysler fixed this for $100.00.

Leaking Head Gasket - Thank God I discovered the leak! I was getting a 3,000 mile fluid check/replace done when I noticed the leak while it was up on the lift. Since I was at the dealer, I immediately scheduled an appointment for it to be fixed. It turned out to be a leaking head gasket. For cars with under 50,000 miles, Chrysler is replacing it for free. Otherwise, it would have cost me $325.00. I have read, however, where others have paid anywhere from $500 - $700 and even over a $1,000.

Possessed Horn - My horn had to be replaced five times! Actually, they were trying to do a quick fix by replacing the horn when, in actuality, the center piece of the steering wheel needed to be replaced. Thankfully, Chrysler maintains excellent computer records; and since I showed a pattern of problems, they replaced the horn/air bag for free. It would have cost me $500.00.

I would personally recommend the Neon to anyone. Although I see that there are those who have had problems, I think such can be said for all vehicles. I think the Neon provides a lot of car for the money; and even though it has some weaknesses (don't they all), overall, it really is an excellent vehicle.

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Mazda GLC ... The Mazda doesn't begin to compare to the Neon. The Neon surpasses the Mazda in all respects.

First off My wife and I have owned three Neons. They are good cars. I have never had any major problems. The 96 I had was the 5spd with a 2 liter DOHC. It had plenty of power for the car as long as it was not loaded down with poeple or stuff. The 97 is a base model auto. trans 2 liter SOHC. The 95 had a 5 spd and a SOHC I think.All the cars have been very reliable.As well as good milage. We got about 38mpg on a trip to Cali.

ZAP!!!!Almost everytime I get out if the car ZAP. Shocked by some something,the door, the key,something gets you. Yes the Back end is a little high up and does block some of your view. The AUTO Trans is a little gutless and takes awhile to drop gears. The wonderful squeak of Brakes. The brakes have squeaked on all three of my Neon but only when it is wet outside(ie rain) or it is real humid. But after I drag the breaks for a few seconds the noise is gone. But I live in Oregon so it rains 10 months out of the year. SO I have squeaky brakes whan I start my car. Like some other people I had a leak at the head gasket. The dealership told me that Neons have that problem but that they would fix it for free. The Head gasket was designed wrong. Have had no problems after that. SHOULDN'T WE KNOW ABOUT THAT ....RECALL NOYICE WOULD BE NICE. It was really no big deal but if you were out in the middel of nowhere and that gasket went bye bye that could be a bummer.

The Neons are good cars. I would say that anybody that wants a car and really does not care about high performance should look at getting one. I would make sure you get the 5spd. The AUTO is just not that great. As for blind spots they are not bad so long as you turn your head and look. If you use only the mirrors you will have a couple of big blind spots. This would make a good first car. Or somebody that lived in the city. I could get in and out of some REAL tight parking spaces.
If you do want a higher performing car get the 5 spd sport model with the DOHC. They have some get up and go. NO they won't pin you to your seat and go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds but for a 4 cyl it is not bad. Just so long as it is only you and one other person. Anymore than that and it tends to get a little sluggish. Gas is good. Like I said above got 38 mpg to Cali and any other time I hit the road for a trip I get about 30mpg. Oh and on that trip to Cali I had my foot in in so could have done a little better if I tried. The Heating and A/C work very good. I love the front window defrost,it works sweet. The stero is good for a stock stero.
I don't like the fact that if you have your window open when it rains or when cleaning your window with your wipers the water drops right down into your lap. Other that that the car is pretty rock solid. Just normal maint. I love them. good cars for the buck and no major problems.

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many makes and models... good car for the money.

It's new!! I don't why it is but everytime I buy something at a cheaper price than most people things to be much nicer than usual. It's zippy. It's sleak looking. It looks fast. It has a nice radio. It only had 2500 miles when I bought it!! It was the color I was looking for. Metalic Forest Green. It's gonna save me lots of money in gas in the future. It's got 4 doors and fits grown ups fairly well. Power steering! It's new!!

It's a little tough to get in and/or (mostly) out of it unless I pull the seats back all the way. When I turn around to back up, I can only see the inside of people's cars, nothing lower than their dashboards since the rear end is so high. I would have liked the horn to sound a little more chirpier than what it does sound like which is a 1980's Plymouth sound. I can't figure out why my door speakers don't work even though the stereo sounds pretty good without it. I was told that it is supposed be a six speaker system by the dealer but I'll have to check back with them at a later date to have them actually look at it. Here's a very iritating thing about it. Every time I get out of it, I get a severe shock when I touch the door to shut it. I bought some static guard and sprayed the seats and it cures the problem but only until it rubs off completely and then "I T' S B A C K!". The visor seems small and makes me feel like a giant although I'm only 5'10". At first I was disappointed with this car until just about a week or so ago. It seemed underpowered to me. I have the 5 speed 2.0 liter 4 door base model. I have since changed the oil and fixed a slow leak in the front tire due to a nail. It now seems to run much better. Oops, I'm in the weaknesses box. I have the base model which has basically nothing in it so it is sort of lacking the luxuries like AC/AT/Premium sound/and all of those extras that make you feel like you're driving something awesome. I'm not particularly enthralled with the look of the rear end. I haven't really driven it long enough (weekends and some evenings) to give it a true evaluation yet. Perhaps after I put on some more miles I will come back here and tell you what I find else wrong with it if at all.

Yes, I would recommend this car. It has just what anyone would want from most new cars today (I think). Pizzaz, flashiness, new car rear end look (if you that kind of thing), not a bad stereo sound for base model,pretty nice interior finish(mine is charcoal color), ergonomical looking front end with the cab forward advantage for those really tall people. Good handling characteristics. Peppy(I already got a ticket for "zipping" around in it.)With only 3000 miles on it, it's hard for me to make any real recommendations since I've only put 500 miles on it. I like the car, now...but, you never know where there is going to be a flaw, in the engine, chassis, fit and finish, paint, suspension, so on and so forth. Hopefully they fixed the headgasket leak that earlier models were having problems with among other stuff. Just remember how myuch I paid for it. Actually, this car was reconstructed from a rear end collision. The damage wasn't that extensive. The insurance company repaired it and then the dealer couldn't sell it at the new car price and then when off on honeymoon to Paris and asked a friend of his to sell it and so I ended up with it. I was looking for an older Honda Accord with a Bose system. I looked at one for almost the same price as this Neon but it had 100,000 miles. It was a '93 SE with absolutely everything in it including that wonderful Bose sound system but you could tell it was well worn and rattled a bit so for the same price and only 2500 miles, I couldn't say no.

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I had a 1978 Honda Accord which this reminded me of because of the instrumentation controls on the turn signal and wiper levers. It was only 1600 CC and was as peppy as this one even though it was 12 years old at the time I owned it. Otherwise, I've never really owned a new car and can't compare it with anything out there.

It's white.....that's about it.

well.....where to begin. The car has made a constant hum once you reach 65 since the day we bought the car. The dealership says they have been "researching" it for three years now..Hmmmm... In addition to that, we've had so many things on this car replaced i don't think i could list them all....let's just say last time we were in for service (three days ago, going back in tomorrow) they printed out two and a half pages of parts in a size 10 font. In addition to the car being a royal pain in the arse, the dealership has been even worse. Not once have I brought it in for something to be fixed where it was actually fixed the first time. (case in point above)

I would never in a million years recommend this piece... It is the worst car i have ever owned. i've never been scared for a warranty to run out until now but let me say...be afraid...be very afraid.

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have owned many volkswagens in the past never had a single problem....trading in the neon on thursday for a jetta. :)

Pretty roomy for a car it's size if your not very tall. Pretty easy to change spark plugs and oil. A great running car, I have almost 120,000 miles and it's still running strong. Has a pretty good sounding radio and everything is easy toreach and in good view.

Not much power underneath the hood, epecially as the miles get racked up. I've had problems with o2 sensor and other people I know who own one have had similar problems. The air conditioner quit, a problem again some of my friends have had.I have also had a problem the trunk and hood starting to rust in spots. I've had problem with the cruise control. Mine came with seat that foldeed down, yet their is a peice of metalthat preevents the seat from folding backwards that gets in the way when you try to slide anything through. I've also had to replace the starter and the lighting module that unfortunately controls all the lights in the entire vehicle and was quite expensive. The windows are another problem I have with the car. Since they don't roll up into anything they rattle. Not too mention that if you have them rolled down part way have way they not only rattle, but sounds like they are going to bust when you close the door. I have also noticed that my rear passenger was leaking a little. My driver side doesn't seal right in the top corner and you can hear the wind blowing when you drive that gets quite irriating. Finally It's not very good in snow, which can be a problem at times living in Indiana.

I would recommend this car, Its not a bad vechicle for the money. Overall it's been a very dependable car and I have enjoyed driving it a lot. The car has some minor flaws, but is still a pretty solid vehicle. I especially love the MPG that it gets with the way gas prices have been lately. I would reccomend this vehicle to anyone looking for a good, reliable and cheap transportation

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I've owned an Escort and this car blows it away.

looks good

can't see a thing. major blindspots. seeing and backing up a challenge even thought i'm 6 ft.

I rented this car and thought it would be ok, but the visability issue really annoyed me all week.

It had enough room inside, but it was a bit noisy on the highway.

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None

The color - Fern green.
The heater works splendidly.
The factory stereo is also good.

It's been a headache since I got it 14 months ago - It's stranded me twice so far, once because the nozzle/intake on the coolant bottle had snapped and/or melted off, leaving the hose connecting it (the coolant overflow bottle) to the radiator dangling down the side of the engine. The second time it simply refused to start. Now I come to find that a recent oil leak isn't anything as simple as a mis-threaded drain plug, but rather a leaky head gasket. The independent mechanic - my warranty was up a good 15K ago - assured me that I wouldn't spend much more than $1300 to repair the problem.

That's _Turkish_ money, right?

Fuel economy is less-than-phenomenal, also: so far I've managed to get a top of 31 mpg from it. Better than an Abrams M-1, to be sure ....

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this car. Not even to somebody I don't like. My Plymouth, like the Dodge Neon before it, has been too troublesome, erratic, loud, and costly to maintain.
Next time I'm getting a VW.

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1984 Dodge 600 - it died at 86K miles. A mechanic paid me $300 for the car after it happened. Far more than the body of the car was worth, I think.
1990 Chev Cavalier - My first stick shifter. The biggest troubles I had with this car was one serpentine belt failure (while I was vacationing, no less) and the removal of one taillight lens. By greedy felons. With nothing better to do with their time.
1991 Chev S-10 blazer - Gas hog. Got rid of it in a hurry.
1994 Dodge Neon - another 5 speed. And it was just fine too, and spirited as can be, until it got to about 10K miles. Then the power dropped off, and I had to drive in a couple of inches of snow, which made the front end wobbly. A new set of tires complete with Computerized Balancing, alignments - front and rear - and realignments, wheel bearing replacements, and several months' time couldn't completely shake out the front end wobbles. After that, a teenager ran a red light and T-boned me. The car was out of commission for a month, with bodywork and suchlike totaling around $6700, if I remember correctly. Two weeks after I got it back, I was rear-ended at a RR crossing and the insurance company wouldn't pay for the work this time.
198-something Mercury Topaz - a decent car, but the accelerator stuck as I was driving in heavy traffic on an icy road one morning. I can't really forgive that.
199- something Pontiac Sunbird - an absolute pile of dookie. I hated the car with a passion.
1997 Ford Escord Wagon - It's a five speed, and it's been my best car so far. No significant troubles to date.

The car looks great!
It handles really well and looks very sporty.
It is great on gas mileage.
Great factory stereo system. My friend think I installed after market equipment because of the great sound. They are surprised when they see that its just a plain cassette and radio player. Cool!

It doesn't hold its value very well. My car has depreciated beyond belief.
In two years it won't be worth much.
The seats are somewhat uncomfortable if you are tall. I had back aches for a while. The molding for the windows are already fading (this shouldn't happen on a brand new car). The only big problem I've had so far is that replacement parts are not available on a car that is so new.
I paid $300 to replace brake pads!!!!!! Couldn't find them aftermarket aywhere (that really hurts!)

I definitely recommend the car only if you buy it fully equipped.
It looks too nice to not buy it that way. I couldn't afford fully equipped at the time but I wish I had waited a bit to do so. Rolling down windows is a pain. When I first had the car, I had to wipe off a lot of fingerprint
because there were no Neons on the road. Now too many people have them.
That's how cool the car is.

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Mercury Topaz (piece of crap period!