Excellent, Reliable Transportation...

I bought our 2001 Dodge Neon ES brand new over five years ago.

This Neon is fairly well equipped. Automatic 3-speed, air conditioning, power locks, windows and mirrors. Also features heated mirrors. Keyless entry. Cruise, radio/cassette with 6-speaker stereo. Intermittent wipers. Fog lights. Tilt steering. 15 inch steel wheels.

Overall, this Neon has been extremely reliable. In all five years it has NEVER been in the shop! I change the oil every 5 months or so as it is not driven hard.

I will try to give my honest opinion on what I like and dislike about this Neon.

What I like:

Reliability is #1. It has never broken down. Never stalled. This car is very reliable.

Original battery lasted about 4 years. I bought a replacement economy battery for $30.

Original tires lasted around 30k+ miles. I don't rotate as I should, so they could have lasted longer.

Brake pads still good at 36k miles. Over 60% left on front disc and 80% on rear pads. Car is light weight so wear and tear is not bad at all.

Power heated mirrors is a great feature not normally found in this price range. When you depress the rear window defrost button you are also heating the outside mirrors via heat elements in each mirror. This helps to eliminate fog and frost.

It is roomier than other compact cars. I think it is roomier than the Ford Escort, the Ford Focus and Chevy Cavalier, to name a few. There seems to be more 'elbow' room and the car does not feel as claustrophobic as do many imports.

The back seats are roomier than most other compacts. I am tall (6 ft) and I can sit comfortably in the back seat without hitting my head on the rear window nor being crushed by the front seats.

The 4 cylinder 2.0 liter engine gives plenty of speed. No problem getting onto a highway or passing. Good on gas. The 12 gallon tank does not suck the life out of you when filling it up. Generates approx 140hp, if that is important to you.

Remote keyless entry is nice. When you unlock the doors via remote, the interior light turns ON, so you can see if anyone is in your car. Remote also unlocks the trunk, which is nice when your hands are full and you can't fumble with the keys.

Along with the remote, comes a factory alarm system. On the dash is a red LED which blinks to let would-be thieves know this car is armed.

Also, the Neon has the 'smart' key. The key is imbedded with a micro-chip. When you insert the key in the ingition, a code is sent to the car's computer from the key and the car is allowed to start. No code, no start.

This car hugs the road well. Gives a feeling of confidence. It has a slightly wider stance. We've driven it on longer trips (2,500 miles round trip) and it performed well and was comfortable.

Cruise works perfectly. Maintains set speed on all roads, even when driving through the mountains. Never buy aftermarket cruise controls. I've bought several and they never work properly. Factory cruise is the ONLY way to go, believe me.

Cruise controls are located on the steering wheel. Much better than on a separate stick off the steering column. Easier to use.

Seats are fabric and they are comfortable. Seats still look like new. They don't itch when wearing shorts. They are very comfortable even on hot and cold days.

Paint is still in excellent condition. This car is left outside quite a bit. Car polishes up beautifully and looks like new. No rust yet!

I prefer the body/front styling of the Dodge to the Plymouth version. Dodge vehicles seem to look a little sharper, as they are intended to be more 'sporty'.

The interior controls and all around feeling is not 'cheap' as compared to many imports I've looked at.

Dash is real nice. Speedometer, tachometer and so on look great in the daylight and 'blackout' at night and look even better. A really nice touch.

Car is quiet inside. Not much road noise.

Windows are fairly large due to the cab forwarding design. Affords a good view of the roadway.

Radio was easy to upgrade. I bought an OEM radio/cass with CD player on ebay and installed myself. Cost slightly over $100. Much cheaper than buying from dealer. I prefer the big button OEM radios to the aftermarket radios with their tiny buttons and cheap feeling controls.

Speakers located on doors, rear deck and in dash. Plays loud enough for me with decent bass output and good overall sound.

Storage pockets on doors and in center console. Change holder.

Handles located over all passenger doors to assist in getting in and out.

Theater lighting illuminates many of the controls around the driver for easy use at night.




What I don't like:

Power windows only operate front windows. Back windows are mechanical crank types. All manufacturers skimp on power options when they can to cut cost on the lower priced vehicles. However, the power lock feature does operate ALL 4 doors.

I didn't like the ride with the original tires. I didn't realize this until I bought a set of KELLY Navigator tires this year. The ride is still firm, but not as 'hard' as before. A little more civilized and quieter.

The 'smart'key costs about $25-30 to replace. However, you can make duplicate keys without the micro-chip for a dollar to two, and use them just to get into the car when you've left your keys inside. That's what I did.

Original brake pads tend to squeal sometimes. This seems to be a common problem with original pads from Chrysler. My experience with other Chrysler vehicles is once the pads are changed the squealing usually stops.

Really, my only real complaint is I made the mistake of getting the 15 inch wheels. 14 inch was standard, 15 inch optional. As it turns out, the size of my tires are an odd size, P18560R15, thanks to the 15 inch rims, and they were more expensive to replace at around $100 each. If I had the 14 inch rims, I might have cut the replacement tire costs by 1/3 to 1/2.

I would not hesitate to tell anyone to invest in a Dodge Neon.

I know that there are many websites which are extremely critical of Chrysler and the other American manufacturers. I've owned several Chryslers and I've been pleased with them overall. I've seen people owning Toyotas who've walked out of a dealer's shop cursing up and down. It happens. I don't believe the quality of any one manufacturer is notably better. I personally think public opinion is a little skewed against American cars. Look at all the Neons, Escorts and Cavaliers on the road. They would not be there if they were junk. They are realiable vehicles.