The Bottom Line: The Neon SXT is a better car than the Cavalier and the outgoing Kia Spectra, but its capable driving dynamics are overshadowed by its low-rent interior and unrefined powertrain.
I test-drove a Dodge Neon SXT 5-speed sedan at a local dealership. My test drive lasted about twenty minutes and covered city streets, winding secondary roads, and the freeway.
Performance
The Neon's performance came as a pleasant surprise to me. Sure, it's no sports car, but it's one of the most eager-feeling cars in the economy-sedan class. Thrust felt adequate around town, and when I revved it past 4000rpms or so, it pulled smartly away from traffic. Acceleration remained more than adequate on freeway on-ramps, where the Neon pulled itself up to speed with pleasing enthusiasm.
This was especially impressive considering the Neon's tall gearing--upshifts often dropped the engine into a hole, revving much lower than I had expected. Perhaps because of this, the Neon didn't feel as quick as the class-leading Mazda 3s and Toyota Corolla--but it wasn't far behind. Best of all, the Neon's engine didn't feel labored in its efforts. It was quite smooth when revved, and noise levels were pleasantly low.
However, the noises I did hear weren't satisfying ones. The Neon's engine was a particularly coarse-sounding device, and while it was smooth enough at speed, it sent buzzy vibrations through the cabin at idle. Its engine note was quiet but grumbly, overlaid by a high-pitched whine that gave it a somewhat agricultural quality--much like the engines I've experienced in Kias. Still, the Dodge remains a cut above those rivals because of its energetic feel and lower volume levels.
Transmission/Clutch
I found the Neon's manual transmission unimpressive. Its action felt hollow and mushy compared to the best in class, and the large-diameter shift knob made a somewhat awkward hand-hold. Shifting through the gears, the lever found the gears with a scratchy, insulated plop instead of a precise "thunk." The pattern felt narrow from side to side, making third gear tricky to find at first, but its throws were still quite long from front to back. There wasn't much fun to be had rowing through the gears, although I never missed a shift.
The Neon's clutch was mostly feel-free, and it seemed a bit springy on the return, but it was easy enough to use. Its throw was pleasantly short, and its take-up smooth and gentle. The only other issue I had with the Neon's transmission was its gearing. As I mentioned before, the Neon is geared unusually tall, which probably helps gas mileage, but had me bogging the engine unintentionally--and frequently--in gentle, around-town driving. The Neon's transmission wasn't the worst in class, and it still made driving the car more fun than it would be with an automatic--but Dodge has some work to do in this department to bring it up to the standards of the class leaders.
Steering/Handling
In this department, the Neon acquitted itself better than I expected. On the road, the Neon felt accurate and confident, and was actually among the better-handling cars in its class.
The steering, in particular, was really quite good. Its effort was very light at parking-lot speeds, but as I pulled out onto city streets, it weighted up quickly and developed a firm, natural-feeling heft. It was also surprisingly precise on winding roads--more so than most cars in this class--with a ratio that was quick enough to feel sporty. A useful amount of road feel coursed through the wheelrim, and on-center precision was very good. Turn-in was also satisfyingly accurate, and I seldom had to adjust my line mid-corner. I could usually just feed in some steering angle and hold the wheel there, and the Neon would sail right through the turn.
Of course, this is still an economy sedan we're talking about, so the Neon didn't feel like a sports car when I drove it hard on back roads. There was a fair amount of body lean, with an accompanying feeling of inertia that encouraged me to back off reasonably early. Grip levels were certainly adequate, but the Neon felt like it would let go much sooner than a Mazda3 would, and its steering response became a bit nebulous in quick maneuvers. But the Neon's responses were more than enough to make it a satisfying commuter.
Its freeway manners were also commendable, with very good straight-line tracking--helped by the precise steering and stiff-feeling body structure. Overall, the Neon's handling was perhaps its best feature--placing it right up with the Civic, Focus, and Corolla in this area.
Ride
The Neon's ride was nothing special for the class, but I found it adequately comfortable, with a good sense of control. The suspension felt fairly firm, keeping body motions nicely snubbed even in freeway travel. Bumps and potholes registered a bit more clearly than the class leaders, but the difference was minimal enough that I really didn't notice the ride quality one way or the other most of the time.
What I did notice, however, was the unexpected solidity of the Neon's body structure. The Neon felt as tight and solid as the Civic and Corolla, with no rattles or reverberations over impacts--which came as quite a surprise to me. Considering the loose-noodle feel of Chevrolet's Cavalier, the Neon's structural integrity is laudable. As mentioned before, the Neon's underhood noises aren't particularly pleasant, but they're at least well-muted. Road and wind noise are also hushed, giving the Neon a fairly quiet ride.
Interior
The Neon's interior was better than I expected. Dodge seems to have made some improvements in quality and materials for the 2004 model year, and they've paid off in making the Neon feel more like a real car.
The dashboard is no longer covered in hard, grainy plastic, but is trimmed with a rubberized, soft-touch material that feels much better to touch. This same material now covers the door panels, as well. Also, the awful silver-plastic dash bezel that did such a poor impression of aluminum is gone. In its place is faux-carbon-fiber trim that feels thick, nicely laminated, and substantial. All this brings the Neon's materials quality around the level of that of the Nissan Sentra--which is to say, it's on par for the class.
This is an admirable achievement on Dodge's part, but unfortunately, there's still some work to be done. The general ambiance is much nicer than it used to be, but it's apparent that Dodge didn't sweat the details, as there were still plenty of cheap touches in the Neon's interior. For example, the rotary climate-control knobs moved with stiff, mushy motions instead of precise clicks. The radio buttons felt loose in their housings, wiggling under my fingertips when I pushed them. The turn-signal stalk was gritty and ridiculously stiff--do they not want you to use your blinkers?--and for some reason, the lettering on the gauges is still in that 1980's-econocar font that domestic manufacturers seem so fond of. Why? It can't cost that much to re-do the numbers on your gauges. Whatever the reason, these lingering clues of cheapness were enough to drop the perceived quality down a couple notches below most of the Neon's competitors.
However, by most other measures the Neon's interior is quite decent. The front seats were a bit too foamy to feel truly supportive, but they were still quite comfortable, and there was plenty of room to stretch my legs. The driving position was mostly good, with A-pillars that curved a bit close to my head, but an excellent wheel-to-pedal relationship. The rear seat was reasonably comfortable and quite roomy--even with the front seats moved back to a comfortable position, my knees didn't touch the seatbacks. So while the Neon's interior isn't exactly upscale, it's at least solid and accommodating.
Practicality
The Neon was about average for the economy-car class in terms of practicality. Its interior had good space front and rear, and although the seats weren't particularly supportive, they were plenty comfortable around town. The Neon's trunk was quite spacious for the class, and a standard split-folding rear helped expand the cargo area for bigger loads. The only minuses for the Neon are that its seats don't offer any special adjustments besides the usual fore-and-aft and seatback-angle, and that it doesn't offer a hatchback body style. Other than that, it's right on par for the class.
Reliability
The Neon's reliability has always been significantly worse than other cars in its class, but in the last year, Consumer Reports has found that it has improved to Average. Given its poor repair record over the years, I was impressed with this recent progress.
Overall
The latest version of the Neon strikes me as a car with a bit of an identity crisis. When the original Neon made its debut in 1994, its biggest strengths were its cute, bug-eyed styling and an exuberant ad campaign where the car shouted "Hi!" to a bemused public. It was always a rough, noisy, cheaply-made car, but no one really cared because its looks were so endearing.
Today's Neon is very different, with a more serious look and attitude. Presumably, Dodge decided it was time for a more grown-up image for their smallest car, but in my opinion, they dropped the ball. They took out much of the personality, but they didn't add in enough of the quality and refinement that the Neon has always been short of. The result is a lobotomized Neon, devoid of spirit, but still plagued with the same bargain-basement feel as its predecessor. With little character to make up for its relative crudeness, the Neon has lost much of its appeal.
If you're considering a Neon because you want to buy an American car (a sentiment I've never understood, considering how globalized auto companies are today), maybe try looking at a Saturn Ion as well, or waiting for the new Chevy Cobalt. It's also worth noting that most Honda Civics are built in Ohio. If you still decide to go with the Neon, the good news is that it's better than a Chevy Cavalier or Kia Spectra, and that prices are very reasonable. The bad news is that you'll be driving a rather unremarkable car that needs some serious refining before it can break out of the bottom half of its class.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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