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What is this discussion about? Dodge Neon, Plymouth Neon, Sedan

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#1077 of 1716 by acuraowner Apr 12, 2003 (10:30 pm)
malibu_jack:   I have a first generation Neon, a 1999 to be exact. With Dodge I have noticed that later builds do not mean better quality (as is the case with other manufacturers). My 1999 Highline Coupe, DOHC, 5spd with only 65k miles has had and still has a number of problems.   Most of them are small things, such as water in the tailight, extremely loud rattling from clutch cable, diagonal scratches across the windows, passenger door lock does not work from outside, squealing belts only 5k miles after new belts installed and squealing from my exhaust donut. But some are expensive and have/will affect the driveability of the car, My rockers are cracked and knock frequently, the car stalls out when its cold, the car has failed to start on me twice, it misfires real bad at idle and the a/c compressor bangs when it engages.   Most of these are "normal Neon problems", even the cracked rockers which will cost me $1300 to fix. I am sorry but when a manufacturer still has "normal" problems 5 years after a car was introduced it shows the manufacturer in general has some serious quality control problems.   I have had some of these problems looked at by the Chryco dealership (the misfire at idle, the cold stalling and the a/c compressor) but they claimed everything was in proper working order and a tuneup or repair was not necessary.   I was happy with the car for the first couple of months, then when all these problems started showing up I just ended up hating the car. I cannot wait till I can dump this hunk of junk.
#1078 of 1716 hunk of junk by malibu_jack Apr 14, 2003 (5:28 am)
Re: Acuraowner:   Sorry to hear of all the unfortunate mishaps with your car. I was out looking at the SX 2.0 on the weekend and didn't even get one foot into the showroom when I was pounced by the most pushy salesman. I was there for at least 30 minutes and never set foot INTO the car!!!   I was getting real pissed since I wanted to get it out on the road, but it was obvious that was not going to happen.   Anyway....After looking at several vehicles that weekend, I came to the conclusion that almost all makes have their problems...whether they are mechanical or cosmetic....   Thanks for the insight though.
#1079 of 1716 Sat Nav by speeds2much by iowabigguy Apr 14, 2003 (12:47 pm)
Garmin has some coverage in Canada however it is in detail mostly in large cities. If you look on their web site it may provide info on the coverage you seek. My wife doesn't have any sisters, sorry however I have 2 daughters 20 and 23 who both drive 5 speeds. Actually none of our vehicles have anything but 5 speeds by choice. I am considering an automatic next time only since I mangled my left leg in a motorcycle accident and I'm not having much luck healing properly due to the trauma (been over 6 months, I can walk but have a bad limp and a titanium rod holding it all together). I don't enjoy the clutch action as much since there is still some pain when I depress the clutch but it does appear to be lessening with time.   Anyway, based on your needs I can see where the in-dash unit would be preferable. It would also be covered by warranty and insurance if dealer installed I imagine. I wasn't aware of the tie in with the Sirrus radio system. I'll have to look into it a little further.   I personally think the new style Neon is much more refined over the previous generation and has fixed many of the "problem" areas like wind noise from a frameless window. Again based on MY experience the 02 R/T has been flawless. I purchased a set PT Cruiser rims from Ebay and bought a set of Sempiert H rated directional snow tires for winter use. With these tires the R/T seems to be able to go anywhere, even in 8" of fresh snow. The car will be 1 year old next month and has had NO quality issues, only going to the dealer for oil changes every 3 months. My wife and I also drive aggressively, but not abusively. The R/T also does not have a speed cap like most "economy" cars and the SXT. I've had it up to 127 on the speedo and it felt really composed, it probably would have gone a little faster but I ran out of runway. Rick
#1080 of 1716 Neon R/T by speeds2much Apr 17, 2003 (4:46 am)
Iowabigguy...that's great to hear about your R/T's snow capabilities...I'd definitely want to use this car for ski trips and general winter driving.   Yesterday I had the chance to drive an R/T and SXT back-to-back, and there was a big difference in my opinion...all in favor of the R/T. Besides the tighter steering and slightly better acceleration you had talked about, the R/T was also much quieter (sound insulation under the hood and under the floor), had a more composed sound (lower exhaust note and engine did not strain). For my tastes, the ride was better in the R/T, because its extra firmness was combined with a supple quality, wheras the SXT was downright "jiggly." Also, the 5-speed of the R/T felt more crisp and smooth.   What's even more interesting, imo, was that I drove a Jag X-Type 5 speed (it's my father's car) to the test drive, and came away thinking the R/T was a BETTER drive, except in the area of interior design, because obviously the Jag is in a whole different price class. The X-Type with sport suspension hits bumps like a truck (very harsh), the 5-speed is a bit vague, the interior noise level is comparable, and the X-Type has an advantage in the smoothness of the V-6 vs. the 2.0 Magnum only at much higher RPMs. I also preferred the R/T's brakes, which are after all great. I just wish the R/T would have a more stylish interior, which would not be too tough, given the fact that the Chrysler Neon in Canada and Europe has a more 300M style interior at the same price point. Better yet, I wish they'd bring a Chrysler Neon 2.0 to States. They seem to be marketing the Dodge only to under-25s, which is a shame.
#1081 of 1716 Neon R/T by speeds2much by iowabigguy Apr 18, 2003 (6:41 am)
Funny you mention the Canadian and European versions of the Neon. I looked at all of those sites before I ordered my 02 R/T. That is what decided me on ordering the leather interior. Prior to getting mine I had never seen a Neon with the optional leather interior. It really improves the appearance of the interior, making it appear less "economy car" like. I got the impression that all the European versions came standard with the leather interior. I also liked the tail lights of the first generation Chrysler Neon. I personally feel that the 2nd gen Neon gets bad press that it really doesn't deserve. It is a blast to drive with insurance that doesn't cost more than car payments. I'd love to have a SRT-4 however with the current no rebates and the higher insurance cost I'll wait till my younger daughter is out of college and no longer on my insurance policy.
#1082 of 1716 brakes by stjohn Apr 24, 2003 (5:21 am)
I'm about to do a brake job on my daughter's '97 R/T. New pads all around but, have a question about the rotors. Any reason to buy new ones for this car (no noticable problem currently) or just have them turned/machined? The car currently has 47K miles.   Thanks for any input.
#1083 of 1716 R/T by iowabigguy by speeds2much Apr 24, 2003 (9:57 pm)
That's interesting input...I was wondering whether the leather work was done properly and enhanced the car's interior. Too bad there are only 4 colors offered for the R/T. I happen to think Dodge has some of the best paint work and choices of colors in its class. Any thoughts on which color (black, yellow, red, silver) looks best on this car with the black leather interior? I have only seen silver/black cloth so far and I thought it was a bit boring of a combination...these cars are pretty scarce around here so I'm shooting in the dark.
#1084 of 1716 brakes by 71charger Apr 28, 2003 (6:35 am)
Unless your rotors are deeply grooved you can just slap new pads in and go. Just be more cautious for the first hundred miles or so until the new pads conform to the rotors. I've never bothered to turn a rotor. If they get grooved I just put new ones on.
#1085 of 1716 R/T by by iowabigguy Apr 28, 2003 (11:16 am)
I was pleased with the leather. It is obviously not the quality found on European luxury cars but it looks and smells good. The doors have leather inserts too which are pleated. The seats have held up well and are softening up with use. We ordered the Stone White which was replaced by the silver in 2003. I prefer the white as it provides a nice contrast with the black trim and is much cooler with our hot Mid West summers. Silver is getting boring to me as there are so many silver vehicles on the road. Black looks good but the heat load in the summer is awful and I don't care to invest the time required to have it look its best. The yellow screams "Give Me A Ticket" although it would look good with the black leather. Red would be OK except that is Dodge's favorite color and it has been overdone to me. If I had to choose 2003 colors it would be a tough choice, I'd probably end up with the silver. I'd like an R/T in the Light Almond or Atlantic Blue and pass on the spoiler. I'm running 205-50-16s on PT Cruiser 5 spoke aluminum rims which I prefer to the 2002 R/T rims. I was looking for a slightly different look but I see that Dodge put a very similar rim on the 03 R/T, oh well. Rebates are looking pretty good too right now. I don't know where you live but if you are considering ordering an R/T you might want to join the "Farm Bureau". A year membership is around $40 and it entitles you to a $500 rebate once you have been a member for 30 days. It used to be just for pickup trucks but now covers the cars too.
#1086 of 1716 R/T by speeds2much Apr 29, 2003 (1:08 pm)
iowabigguy...Amazing, I have found someone in an R/T who is on my wavelength...you obviously like European cars, but see the value in the R/T. I completely agree with you on the 2003 colors. I think the yellow would look best, and think silver is too boring, and wish they would offer the car without the spoiler (I'm 37 and would feel silly, so I'd have it taken off, probably by replacing the trunk lid). The only issue I have with the yellow is that it is a bit too loud and I think the best way to "wear" a car like the R/T is as an understated sleeper...after all, it's a very elegantly styled little car. But I think I'd have to go for yellow, anyway, unless Dodge offers the Atlantic Pearl, Light Almond or Graphite Metallic for 2004.

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