You have saved this page | See all saved pages
Dodge/Plymouth Neon
1772 messages, Last post on Apr 21, 2012 at 10:33 AM
You are in the Dodge/Plymouth Neon Forum.What is this discussion about? Dodge Neon, Plymouth Neon, Sedan
#942 of 1772 by caesarslegion Any repeat buyers? by iowabigguy
May 24, 2002 (12:35 pm)
We have 3 Neons, A 99 Plymouth Espresso, a 99 Dodge R/T and a 2002 Dodge R/T. The 99s are 2 door models. All 3 have 5 speeds and the 150 HP motors. The plymouth had a oil leak that was the head gasket - replaced under warranty. The 99 R/T has had both power window motors replaced for being very noisy. Both 99s have had sunroof motors replaced. Everything was corrected 1st time under warranty. The 2002 is a totally different car. It is quieter and much more roomy inside. We ordered the 2002 so we could get leather and NO sunroof. There is no wind noise on the 2002 however the engine is still noisy over 4000 rpm. The 99s are more fun to drive but the 2002 is still as fast, just "different". The 2002 was also a really good bargain with the rebates and dealer discounts. It came with the 7 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and we got the Chrysler wrap around warranty which gives us basically the same warranty as the 3/36 out to 7 years/100,000 miles for $1040. (Maximum Care $100 deductable). I enjoy driving all 3 but my personal favorite is the 2002. Rick
#943 of 1772 iowabigguy by caesarslegion
May 24, 2002 (9:15 pm)
Do you know if this new 7/100 powertrain warranty costs extra or is the wrap around extra? Does this cover pretty much every thing? Like engine/gaskets/trans? I have to be able to get at least 100,000 miles out of my cars ,my poor trcaer is giving up the ghost at 144,000 miles.#944 of 1772 new 7/100 powertrain warranty by iowabigguy
May 25, 2002 (11:49 pm)
The powertrain warranty is no charge. The wraparound warranty was what cost $1040. If you look at the chrysler web site at extended warranties the retail price of the 7 year 100,000 warranty with $100 deductable is $2900.00. The powertrain warranty just covers the motor and transaxle. Doesn't cover high buck electronic components.#946 of 1772 Neon Good??? by midnightracer
May 30, 2002 (10:16 am)
I owned 3 Hondas, 2 Nissan, and currently own 1 BMW M5, Porsche boxster (wife's) and a 2002 Neon SE (mainly used for Long D). I do not know how you guys compare Dodge Neon to those quality imports, but to me, Dodge is the worst American made brand. I do agree that the new Neons do look nice and that was the only reason I bought it, but its quality is just too far from Honda Civic and its performance is no where near Nissan Sentra SE-R. Sorry to say that people, who thinks Neon is a fun to drive car, is probably never own a decent car before. I totally agree with Edmund's small sedans comparision http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/61394/article.html. This car has a rough engine with excessive vibration and loud engine noise. The sound of engine ignition is terribly loud and embarrassing. The car really worth nothing, it is nothing but a junk. I really think Edmund's is being too nice to Dodge to give Neon higher scores than it deserves. There is no reliability on this car at all. My Neon has only 11k miles on it and it is problematic: problem with the manual transy, some electrical problems, and power steering problem. Neon is cheap when compared to other import cars, but its engine, transy, almost everything is cheap too.. Strongly not recommended. Furthermore, my friend who is an auto mechanic for 10+ years suggested me to sell my Neon asap since I still can get a good resale value within the first year, he said that Dodge cars have a lot of problems and not worth buying at all.Neon good??? I DO NOT THINK SO.
#947 of 1772 Go Figure by hersbird
Jun 01, 2002 (6:28 pm)
I had a 98 sport 150 HP 5-speed that cost all of $11,500 brand new, custom ordered with everything like power sunroof, aluminum, wheels, and windows, locks, etc. It got over 40 MPG on the highway (personal, and EPA rated), and I'm qutie sure it would beat a nissan of equal year in both handling, and acceleration. I had it 3 years and 37,000 miles and didn't have any problems. Then I traded it in on a minivan for $8500. Not bad resale either. I've owned Honda and Nissans as well, and when comparing the years the neon was a much, much better car. Look back to when the neon first came out in 95. Compare that to a 95 sentra and the nissan is very lacking. Now the neon does need some more improvements IMO as it's gotten heavier without increasing power, and it's suspension has gotten to "civic" like. All that ends with the neon SRT, which will surely beat the boxster in the 1/4 mile and probably handling as well, plus you can have 2 for the price of one boxster! Tough to compare a new M5 to a Neon, personally I'd rather retire at age 49 and still pay for my daughters college then drive a pretty quick for stock sedan, but if your giving them away I'll take 2!#948 of 1772 Neons...so sad by raider4life
Jun 02, 2002 (12:58 pm)
Who is going to want to pay $20,000 for a Neon? Yeah, Dodge is claiming a 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds, but who's to say it'll turn out being 5.9? The new Mercury Marauder was claimed to have a 0-60 time in the mid 6s. Then when Speedvision tested it, it was getting times like 7.5 seconds. So, it's not like 5.9 is anything set in stone. And how loud is THIS neon going to be? WIth the bigger engine and a turbo AND the exhaust...it seems like it'd be unbearable.But there is probably an upside here. After Dodge realizes they're not going to sell a Neon for $20,000....they'll probably be massive rebates and incentives...so you'll be able to pick one up for maybe $16,000 after a few months. But still, it is still a neon.
#949 of 1772 Neons, Neons, Neons by iowabigguy
Jun 02, 2002 (6:02 pm)
Goodness gracious, comparing a lowly Neon with BMW M5s and Porsche Boxsters. Of course the Neon wont look as good. It is a compact ECONOMY car! Our family currently has 3 Neons. A 99 2 dr Plymouth Expresso 150 HP DOHC 5 speed with 34,000 miles (problems - sunroof motor replaced and headgasket replaced for an oil leak - warranty). A 99 Neon R/T with 26,000 miles (problems- sunroof motor replaced and both power window motors replaced - warranty). A 2002 Neon R/T Leather and side airbags (NO SUNROOF) with 1,000 miles. The cars handle well and get decent fuel mileage. The 2002 was special ordered and had a list price of just over $18,000. With discounts and rebates it cost about $14,500 and we purchased an additional warranty that gives maximum coverage with a $100 deductable covering the car out to 7 years or 100,000 miles (this cost $1040). How many Neon R/Ts can you buy for the purchase price of an M5 or a boxster? I agree the motors are noisy over 4,000 rpm, and there are Japanese vehicles that are more refined (and expensive) however the Neon fit our needs. We need reliable and economical transportation. The Neons fill the requirements. They start every time, go good in the snow, and give MPG in the high 20s to low 30s. They are cheap to insure. They are cheap to service (whats an oil change cost for a Beemer or Porsche, or better yet a tune up?). They are also fun to drive if your EGO doesn't require assistance from your vehicle. Don't care for Neons, don't buy them but keep things in perspective. They are economy cars first and foremost, reasonably well made for the price range they compete in. You can buy a well equiped 2002 SXT 5 speed for $10,588 based on ads in todays newspaper. Certainly not BMW or Porsce prices, so don't expect BMW or Porsche refinement. Rick#950 of 1772 SRT by hersbird
Jun 02, 2002 (7:50 pm)
The SRT neon will have a MSRP of under $20,000. It will actually sell for closer to $18,500, and I bet many will end up in owners hands for about $18,000. They may apply the regular neon rebates to the car if sales don't take off which would mean they may go as low as $16,500. Now the SRT neon is just as powerful as a WRX but the neon is lighter. Even though it will have a traction deficit compared to the WRX it will be more then made up for by the end of the 1/4 mile. The AWD only helps briefly on the launch, and then it's all just extra rotating weight, which any drag racers knows is 10 times more damaging then static weight (like a fender). So if the WRX can run a 14.2 sec 1/4 mile (what Car&Driver, and Grass root Motor sports both got in tests) then it will be possible the new neon will break into the high 13's. Not to many cars running 13's stock, even fewer sedans, and none for around $19,000. Add to this a full suspension tweaking with serious rubber and it looks like a bargain.#951 of 1772 Neon Comparision by midnightracer
Jun 03, 2002 (10:29 am)
Sorry, I probably did not make myself clear that I was not comparing Neon to M5 and Boxster. I was comparing Neon to Honda Civic EX and Nissan Sentra. The new Neon with turbo probably louder than Boeing 747 =), neightbors will probably wonder how you park a 747 in your garage.I just don't like the feel and the noise of Neon, and it gives you a feeling that the car was built around 4:45pm, assuming workers gets off at 5pm. You know most of us(American) start to stare at the clock at 4:45pm and our hearts already outside enjoying the sunshine. I live in Silicon Valley and we have really nice sunshine here =). Honda and Nissan cars are smooth, quiet, and comfortable, people, who owned Honda or Nissan before, should notice these easily. Yeah, Neon SE is about 1k lower than Honda Civic LX, but Civic has much higher resale value and more pleasant to drive with. I regret i bought the Neon without test drive it first, but I am thinking to trade it in for an 2003 Accord for long D. I love travel by driving.
Sorry I may offended some Neon lovers in my previous post. In my opinion, a decent car is a car with refined engine/transy and Neon does not have that.
To POST a message, please
Sign In.
Advertisement
Most Popular in Forums
Search Forums
Enter Keyword(s):
Learn More, Do More
Edmunds Community
Advertisement