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Dodge Neon SRT-4

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What is this discussion about? Dodge Neon SRT-4, Exterior, Sedan

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#222 of 517 by sphinx99 Jan 07, 2003 (4:03 pm)
The Neon has bad baggage because any car under $30k is going to be judged on quality, first and foremost, period. The Miata was a success because it was reasonably well built. If it had been as unreliable as its predecessors, nobody would have bought it. The Integra was a success because it was reasonably well built. Even the Mustang was a success because it didn't exhibit too many glaring flaws. The Neon, unfortunately, was long saddled with glaring problems--trim falling off, body panels grossly misaligned, and so forth. You can get away with that in a $60k car where the badge or the "Feel" is more important than what carries it, but you can't do that at the Neon's price point. Because of that, the Neon has always had its cross to bear. Really, the king of this hill over the years is not the Neon but the Sentra SE-R. Cheap, fast, fun, and well-built. If Dodge has caught up with the 2003-series Neons, then good for them. That is a car worth buying. However, you won't catch me making excuses for Neons of the past. Dodge should have known better and tried harder, and should not expect people to "settle" for a fun car of questionable build quality.   Because of Dodge's "fumble" the American WRX or Si is the Mustang GT... which isn't a terrible thing, really. It's hard just to type this, but Dodge could learn a thing or two from Ford in this area.
#223 of 517 by wale_bate1 Jan 07, 2003 (4:20 pm)
Wow!   Rose-colored glasses on one end and a mud-filled boot at the other!   No doubt about it, Neon had teething pains that took a solid three years to overcome. '95-'97 MYs encountered a number of difficulties, the head gasket among them. But from the '98 MY on, improvements have been well-noted, and the issues sphinx alludes to just aren't realities any more.   And the early and continued success of the Miata based principally on reliability is a ridiculous notion. Miata owners would likely have suffered re-glued trim or a head gasket replacement willingly, perhaps even glowingly.
#224 of 517 by speeds2much Jan 07, 2003 (5:13 pm)
No doubt, the Neon was botched, and I think the mistake was unforgivable in 2000, when Chrysler improved the car in so many ways but didn't go the extra step and offer the 150 hp engine until too late. The early interior trim, etc. problems were legendary, but it's interesting that Chrysler decided to keep the Neon name (after all, it had cult status among budget-minded enthusiasts) at a time when Chrysler was constantly changing the name of its cars in hopes that the public would forget the previous model.   The American-automobile-manufacturer-blows-it-again aspect really bugs me, too. It's amazing how stupid management-by-counting-beans can be, because there's no connection between finance and marketing in these decisions. In other words, market an excellent R/T from the start, market it in enthusiast publications and through racing publicity, and then offer it in limited quantities....and then watch people line up and pay MSRP for the thing, not demanding 0% financing and rebates. Then watch as the brand image of Dodge (and at the time, Plymouth) becomes truly distinctive and exciting, with a made-in-USA twist that would even work in Europe, where it would be a niche import product.
#225 of 517 Well, the '98+ models still weren't great by jaserb Jan 08, 2003 (1:47 pm)
I bought an Intense Blue '99 Sport 5-spd sedan new in May of '99. I loved the handling, the economy and the gutsy DOHC motor. It even looked pretty cool in that nuclear blue color. I hated the cheesy rubber shift boot and rubbermaid interior, the sunroof that broke weekly and the cacophony of rattles and squeeks in the interior. I decided to get rid of it at about 34k miles - just before the warranty expired. My brother bought it from me, but I would only sell it to him if he agreed to spring for an extended warranty. That warranty has been used for a number of things, including a bad head gasket which isn't supposed to be a problem on the DOHC motor or the '98+ models. That warranty has easily paid for itself already. So, I've been debating buying a new little runabout for myself. Would I buy another Neon? Sadly, no. A Sentra, Impreza or Protege are on my list, though. Would I buy a bigger Dodge / Chrysler product for my family, ala Grand Caravan/Durango/Pacifica? Sorry, no.   -Jason
#226 of 517 If you want by ndahi12 Jan 08, 2003 (9:42 pm)
cheap, fast and reliable, then you have to pick either the Toyota Corolla FX-16 1987-1988 or the Nissan Sentra SE-R 1991-1994. These are the two cars that come to mind and I have owned them both.   My FX-16 had 250K miles on it when I sold it and it is still running last I heard. It revs to 7500 rpm and I simply changed the oil and filter ever 4-5K miles. Aside from regular maintenance that thing was trouble free. I would put that car in a similar satsu to the BMW 2002 and Datsun 510.   I still own my SE-R with 140K miles and it still revs freely to 7500 rpm. This car rocks. It is so fun to drive and cheap to maintain. I am keeping this car until I turn it into a second race car.   The Neon simply does not measure up in reliabilty to these two cars. It might be fast and cheap, but one thing it is not is reliable. I really do not consider a car realiable if it does not give you 100K trouble free miles. And all of us should not accept anything less from any car maker.
#227 of 517 I owned 2 FX's by gee35coupe Jan 08, 2003 (9:49 pm)
That is the best car in the world. I loved that car.
#228 of 517 My 98 by hersbird Jan 08, 2003 (9:52 pm)
I had a 98 Sport pretty much loaded out with sunroof and all power, with the DOHC and a 5 speed. I was basically flawless, it did trow a code once, but ran fine, Took it to a dealer after a week with the code and got a free set of plugs and wires. Other then that perfect. the best thing about this car was that I bought it brand new for under $11,000. I traded it in on a minivan for my wife after 3 years and still got $8500 on the trade from a dealer, with invoice pricing on the van. That was the wholesale trade value for the neon at the time. $2500 depreciation for 3 years dealing only with a dealer is pretty awesome, as was the performance and fun of that neon. It also achieved 45 MPG on one long highway trip (it was EPA rated at 41 mpg). So near flawless mechanical, $2500 depreciation, 45 MPG, 15.8 1/4 mile times, and SCCA winning suspension for $11,000 new fully loaded? Compared to what else was out there in 98 that neon was way above it's competition. The SE-R was probably the closest competitor but cost $17,000 for no other advantages then the honor of owning a Sentra.   Personally I think the 2003 Cobra is also a great bang for the buck car, I'm glad it is delivering as promised. There isn't much else for under $34,000 new that delivers that much, just as there isn't anything else under $20,000 that delivers as much bang as the Neon does.   Here's another question. I have seen those lists of HP per dollar but I think those lists are flawed. they don't look at all vehicles and they don't take into account rebates and such. So here's the question; what current vehicle has the most HP per 1000 dollars based on MSRP after standard current rebates? What one has the most Torque per $1000? The 2002 z-28 (if there are any left) has $2000 off it's $23430 base MSRP and 310 HP w/ 340 ft-lbs. So it gets a 14.47 for HP/$$ and 15.87 for torque/$$. I can think of something better at 18.16 on HP and 19.74 on torque, anybody know what it is? or can anybody think of something better?
#229 of 517 by speeds2much Jan 08, 2003 (10:20 pm)
The Sentra SE-R was a great car. I test drove one and thought it handled and felt almost like a BMW, but ended up buying a CRX Si.   The Neon is still in production, but the SE-R is not. Nissan never could focus and has blown a number of opportunities. If it weren't for Renault, Nissan would probably be bankrupt right now. Chrysler became a fine manufacturer in the 90s...styling and profitability were world class. As for reliability, the pre-2000 Neon was one of Chysler's few reliable cars, ex-trim problems. The post-2000 Neons are safe and reliable. Not as reliable as most Japanese cars, but also more fun to drive and better-looking than most Japanese sedans.
#230 of 517 by judas Jan 09, 2003 (3:50 pm)
Well, using that formula my used Mustang works out to about 93 HP/1K$ but I don't think thats really fair.
#231 of 517 by hersbird Jan 09, 2003 (8:02 pm)
Yeh used cars wouldn't really be fair, I've bought used cars for $100 that ran and drove. With a 68 318 that made 230 HP that would make the ratio 2300!

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