I have had 3 neons in my time and still own a '03 SRT-4. These were great little cars that really were no more unreliable than any of the other small compacts at the time. Chrysler made a huge mistake for killing off the Neon and tried to revisit it latter with the Dart but by the time the Dart finally gained some appeal they killed it off too. Obviously whoever is in charge of introducing and then pulling model lines should be fired. The only cars they have standing strong now are the LX bodies and Rams and the Jeep lines.
I saw that prototype Neon in EPCOT, and eventually owned a ‘98 Highline, and a ‘02 Base, great little car Of course, now that I know the crash test results of the Neons.... Still, I loved the first gen, liked the second gen, even though the second gen had a design flaw where the “k-member” front suspension mount under the engine would rot away due to road salt and having the air conditioning drain hose draining on the K-member...
I own and daily drive a 04' SRT4 and I honestly love the car. Its modded and tuned and its extremely fun to drive. Reliability hasnt been an issue, and its an extremely aggressive sounding car thats sex to my ears. Thanks for making me aware of the poor crash test rating because I definitely had no idea.
You're not alone... I still daily drive my 05 SRT-4 ACR and it's been a solid car, easy to repair and no major problems. Same here with the crash test ratings, too. I've been thinking about getting a 392 powered 6-speed Challenger or Charger (only comes in automatic) but the mechanicals are all so complicated and expensive now.
phubarr I hope the one I’m getting as a first car would be reliable ☹️ it has 100k miles but the salesperson said that he replaced the transmission with a new one.
@@nickslade7635 I have both 04 srt4 stage 3 and 2019 type R. Both are fast in different areas. The type R is a monster around corners but the srt4 I have is quicker off the line. Love both cars to death.
I still have my 03 SRT-4 which i bought new in 2003. Can't really find a good reason to get rid of it. Original motor and turbo with over 215k miles, runs like a champ even with a slight head gasket leak, still boosting at 15-17 psi.
Thanks for doing my video suggestion! I had a 1998 neon R/T and a 2005 SRT-4 and I loved both of those cars. They both had issues here and there but they were fun to drive and neither one of them ever left me stranded some where. It’s a shame dodge quit making them. It was their last good small car. Everything after just hasn’t been as good.
@@MarspeedCars keep it a simple, humble lil giant slayer..David and Goliath style, like it was indeed. loved the Dart, but a Nuevo Neon, skip all the tech and gadgets..options. hb a simple, clean car again? (if u want a srs terror..plop an SRT-4 mill into a gen 1 Neon. oohh yeeaah
Love these videos bro. One of the few series that I watch start to finish. The neon was dodge's entry into the Tuner community and it was fairly respected once the SRT models were released. It's too bad they didn't keep it for the lower-end of their SRT performance lineup.
The Neon became a Tuner car not because you necessarily wanted to, but HAD to replace stuff with better aftermarket systems... Still, it was a really fun car... I had a 1st Gen '95 Sport Coupe..
I owned both a 1998 R/T and a 2004 Stage 2 SRT4. Now my son owns the R/T. Both are in immaculate shape with over 130k on both. It is interesting that you point out paint problems. The 98 R/T as well as the 2004 SRT4 both have original paint and no rust. When looking at the 98 when first putting in modes to the car like 5 point harness, I was amazed at how good the paint was underneath the carpet. It was finished just like the outer body panels. To this day the the car has no rust and neither does the SRT4. I think what needs to be said is that if a car is properly maintained, it will last and that goes for the paint also. Problem with the Neon's was that most people who purchased them outside of the ones who wanted them for the track, (Note SCCA rules for the class were changed due to the Neon's walking away with all the events) did not usually have the resources of a person that would buy a Mercedes for example, and they did not take care of them like most wealthy people take care of their Mercedes. I have seen many cars like you posted in your video have the same problems with paint. Usually it is poor maintenance, although some during the period were due to the EPA making manufacturers change the paint chemistry which was bullshit. By the way I live in Ohio and both cars were driven during the winters. However, now they are stored and driven only on nice days. The Neon's for the money were a lot of performance for the dollar at that time, and still are.
A change that you missed in the 03 to 04 SRT upgrades was the limited slip differential. I believe the 04 also received the larger injectors to get it the extra horses and torques. I had an 05 SRT-4 orange pearl blast. I sold it in 2014 with 150,000 miles on it with the original clutch.
My neon is simple but I love it. Manual locks and windows. Don’t have to worry about window motors giving out or actuators. I do mechanic work myself so any issues is nun to me. I fix em but overall I love my neon
I bought a brand new 2000 Neon in '99. Even with the upgraded package for electric locks and windows, the back doors were still standard manual windows and manual locks. The dealer said it was "weight savings". I was pretty pissed I paid full price for half the options
My sister gave me the 2005 Neon SXT that she purchased new in 2005, in 2017. She got a smokin' deal as they were clearing them out for $9,995. When I got it it had 153K miles. It now has 224K miles. I did do a refresh to the engine at 209K, even though it was running fine..new rings and bearings, cleaning, gaskets, etc. The only other major work was a new clutch. Overall a great car.
I see tons of Civics and Corollas from all years while most others in the class are seen sporadically. The Neon had a wonderful design and was as comfortable or more so than its competitors, but the reliability and longevity just weren't consistent.
My parents had one when I was a kid. Drove it as a teenager a couple of times and really liked how peppy it felt. My son just got a Caliber for his first car but I definitely would have jumped on a Neon had I seen one when we were looking.
I had a 95 Dodge Neon sport coupe nitro yellow green didn't have any of the problems that were stated ,had over 250,000 miles on it. Changed the head gasket ever 100000 miles, 2 batteries 1 muffler, best car I ever owned .
I hate how nearly every fun coupe ends up getting a second set of doors or cancelled altogether. I have never needed to haul kids - I don't need the rear doors and never wanted them (the rear doors or the kids)
iNeverHad Mercy wasn’t FCA. Fiat was thankfully still in Italy at this time and didn’t have a chance yet to make Chrysler worse. At the time it was a Daimler Chrysler.
I almost bought a V6 Shadow in 1994 but ended up buying a 1st gen neon instead. In hindsight, the 1990 model with the "Turbo IV" 2.2L turbo and manual transmission would have been the one to get.
9:04 I remember that paint issue to this day. I was going to Ball State (Muncie) around 97 to 98, and there were quite a few these on campus. It was the first time I saw a new (3 to 4 years old) car's paint peeling off like the inside of a condemned house :)
Excellent video. I remember reading that Chrysler CEO Robert Eaton cheapened out the Neon by insisting Chrysler uses inferior head gaskets that were prone to failure. Of course when Daimler bought Chrysler, they bought it for the cash reserves that Chrysler had successfully built up over the years while simultaneously cheapening out the product. Chrysler's loss was Daimler's gain. This is a very high quality video succinctly combining information that, as far as I can tell, is available nowhere else. Great job!
I had a 95 as my first car and I hated it, I took it off road and everything. I'm amazed it took the abuse for so long, always made it where it had to go. Now I have a 2005 SRT4, I smile everytime I drive it.
4 years ago I bought the 05 neon with 81,000 miles on it...just like any other vehicle, if you take care of the engine you won't have much issues...I love this car
I have a '96 (yes, still) that I bought for $300 (@ 62,000 miles; angry mother selling it to cover son's parking tickets). I have replaced the engine (blew it up twice due to MY bad timing belt setting; 2nd broke the cylinder wall). It's at 135,xxx miles and still going. I have replaced one control arm; the other should be changed out soon. I've rebuilt the brake and exhaust, and have been into the transmission 2 or 3 times to free up the transmission kickdown lever (A670 trans). The clear coat is starting to lift, but hey, the thing's an antique nearly! All in all, not a bad car. I made a point of telling the boneyard on the second motor that I wanted one with over 100,000 miles on it - I wanted a survivor. I have seen these things blow up inside a year - I helped one guy out of the road with a blown trans a year out of the dealer. At this point now, I am of course beginning to run into rust issues around the edges of the frames. Not a bad car, but throwing in a cruise control and tilt wheel on the lower models would have been a really big improvement.
I had a '97 Neon Sport Coupe with the 2.0L DOHC and manual 5 speed. I loved this car, I got it when it was 7 years ago and I drove it for 3 years until the water pump went which killed the valves which killed the engine. I still somewhat regret letting it to go the scrap year instead of throwing a new engine in it.
Had a 98 ACR 4 door. It was a hoot to drive when you dialed in the struts it was a handling monster. The only two drawbacks was the head gasket and the tires for the ACR, if you didn't get the right tires it handled like crap and felt all loose and unstable. As far as paint issues this can be attributed to industry wide changes in paint formulations and EPA standards on VOC emissions.
I never knew how deadly the Neon was. I’m glad I never owned one. The rear spoiler on the SRT4 must have been from Mitsubishi because it’s the same as on my ‘98 Eclipse GST I had. Nice thorough review! Glad to see you back. 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇨🇦
I liked the Neon when it first came out. Thought the front power windows were unique in the 2nd Gen. Wanted one of the 1st Gen’s as my first car with the 5-speed manual. Dad was too afraid of the reliability, and I’d started driving just as the Neon was discontinued.
I had a first gen i bought new right when they came out in 1994 (was a '95 model). It was a base model with the 5 speed manual (much better than the automatic). It was a fun cheap car, paid $12k for it brand new. Died at 8 years of age with 180k miles on it. I bought a SRT-4 brand new in 2003. Still have it and it runs perfect! Much much faster and more fun to drive for sure.
Yes...I have a blk 03 srt4 I bought brand new and I still love it.Its been driven very hard and always had regular service. I'm at 70k only non services issue a/c coolant hose that was fixed under warranty. (Its not a daily driver)
I still daily drive my 2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4 ACR. Bought in 2006 with 5k miles, currently at 125k. Aside from the cheap plastic interior, it's been a solid car for me. I also don't drive like an ass.
Yes, i still have mine. Bought it brand new in 2003 when they first came out. Now has over 215k miles on it. Original motor and turbo still. Trans was replaced at 70k due to a defect (early model trans were known to be troublesome). The replacement was built in 2007 and has been rock solid ever since. Replaced the clutch, pivot fork, slave cylinder and shifter bushings a few years ago and it runs, drives, shifts like a new car. No grinding or anything, just tight and crisp. I have a slight head gasket leak. I've added some sealant and it seems fine, just leaks coolant over time and have to keep an eye on it. Would I take it on a really long trip? At this point, no, but it has done several 1500+ mile trips several years ago (NJ to Tennessee and back). I have a fully loaded Honda Accord for long trips. The SRT is just a fun car to drive around casually and locally, although I'll take it on an occasional 100 mile round trip. In all this time, it only broke down once while driving (fuel pump around 100k). Tie rod ends broke once. Aside from the usual wear items, and the warrantied trans replacement mentioned earlier, I've changed the fuel pump, power steering pump, alternator, radiator + hoses, brake calipers, both axles, control arm bushings, and had to have my key lock cylinder rebuilt (cost $40). But the car is 17 years old with over 215k miles on it and it was paid off in 2008. The car is stock with CAI and Mopar exhaust. Needs some body work to fix rust and a repaint. Had to fix leaks in the trunk and front passenger side which i did myself. My driver's seat was shot and I recently replaced it with the front airbag seats (a.k.a. 'fat man seats') from another SRT, got the front pair in good condition on eBay for $250 shipped! This car is fairly easy to work on.
I love my 2005 SXT special edition, no issues so far except my turn signal lights, they have mind of their own, my hazard lights always work, comfortable to drive and economical
Had a 2001. Great car. Put over 250k on it with no problems. You might want to talk about the how it dominated the SCCA racing series. So much do they had to handicap the neon so all the japjunk could stay competitive. Somethings never change.
Ppl like to neglect their cars..esp economy cars and don't replace parts with OEM..instead buying junk at a slightly lower cost. this results in ppl blaming the car. big example: Mopars with an auto trans need and require *Only ATF+4 trans fluid!* 60's-today. Ahhh, the old Speedvision channel. I'd watch Mopars clean house in the 90's. The Super Touring race series killer Dodge Stratus..sporting a 300 hp N/A 2.0L engine! Running with the best the imports could muster. and in SCCA showroom stock class C..you're correct, man..the Neon was a monster..taking down Nissan 240SX and Miata! granted those cars had a slight edge in the turns, but the Neon's power more than made up for it (Neon needed a bit more suspension travel. they'd corner, like most small cars, on hard turns on three tires)..a daily driver car with decent room and an even more decent price..like half what a 240SX cost. Neon. anyone ever do a demo derby with a Neon, an Accord, a Ford Escort and a Miata? Ha! All small cars are unsafe, though i bet the Neon would best those cars and many others. smashing them into a steel & concrete barrier, no shizz there'll be severe damage! Ya want less dmg in that test, get a car like my '70 Plymouth Fury Gran Coupe! 3,800 lbs of dbl thick (compared to contemporary car) sheet steel, unitized construction masterpiece. ok then. Exception: the tough af PT Cruiser, that is. Neon. a far more useable car than the tiny Miata. I love cars that have a daily driver usefulness and can slay the also ran 'Sports Cars' on a race track! Neon forever
I call fucking bullshit. I owned a 2002 Dodge Neon ES. All I fucking did was sink money into it. And the 2.0 engine was absolutely gutless, not to mention I only had power windows up front and not the back. I intentionally crashed it just to get out of the lien. That's how much I hated it. Look at Dodge today, owned by Fiat. Wonder why. Probably because without Mitsubishi's engines, they're worthless. And yeah... Any Dodge engine worth having was probably Mitsubishi sourced, except for the infamous 2.7 V6 that was guaranteed to fail from sludge buildup And as for being an SCCA champion... It had no fucking competition. Then Honda built the SI and the Neon was a mere shitbox. Even a shit ass Chevy Cavalier with the 2.4 made the same horsepower and way more torque than the Neon 2.0 DOHC. You can't be fucking seriously saying a Neon was a good car... You gotta be fucking kidding, please tell me you're just trolling people.
Semaj Oirotsip so you committed insurance fraud and I’m to take anything you say seriously? Run along, child. You obviously know absolutely nothing about the automotive world let alone Chrysler. Mitzushity wasthe worst decision Chrysler ever made. The 3.0 v6 was a garbage pit and don’t get me started on the 2.6l. And ya, princess they dominated racing back then whether you like or not. Buying a crapped out neon then saying it was a money pit isn’t an argument so please, sandbox is that way 👉🏻
@@Welcometofacsistube Diamond Star Motors, aka DODGE and MITSUBISHI were paired throughout the 90s. Then, Mercedes had to come and save them... And it ended up hurting Mercedes (notice Mercedes quality nose dived during that time? Coincidence? Nope.) You're telling me the 2.7 V6 had no issues? You're a fucking liar. I know exactly what I'm talking about Lee Iacocca was the only good thing to happen to Dodge. Once he left, they fell to shit and you know it. For fucks sake... Renault and Dodge used to be sharing cars. You can't be serious. Dodge hasn't stood on its own legs since what, 1979? They relied on MITSUBISHI, MERCEDES, and Now FIAT. Also, it's not fraud. I crashed it. Told them I crashed it. How is that fucking fraud? And I'm 29, and clearly have more sense then you because I don't own a piece of shit Chrysler product.
My father owns a 95 neon. I am in the process in restoring it. When it was in use before. I had more fun driving it than most other cars i have driven as of late.
cool! bring back a great car! i miss my 95 4dr auto. the thing was amazing in the twisties :) imagine a new production one with a 200 hp NA 4 cyl engine and 8 spd auto AND available 6 spd manual. mmhmm.
I had some good fun in that SRT-4; almost bought a red one new too, but the local dealer wouldn't or couldn't quite get to the Price I was willing to pay on a car that was sitting on the lot for just over a year. Oh well, it did get discontinued after all so good memories will have to do.
I own a srt4 neon and it's what I grew up riding in, and let me just say there is nothing that could touch my dad's car, even now people can't beat our cars.
Chrysler should have never discontinued the Neon. The Caliber was a big mistake for replacing the Neon. The reason why the Neon continued selling well was because of its sportiness and styling for younger and urban buyers. The reintroduction of the Dart would have probably been a better move instead of the Caliber before sedan sales began dropping when the Dart was reintroduced. Those Neon SRT-4s were insanely fast! Excellent track cars too! When the Neon was first introduced, Lime Rock Park in CT had a special event called The Neon Challenge, featuring Neons racing each other.
i had a black 2001 neon rt with a 5 speed stick i bought new in 2000 . it was reliable , handled great and the 150 hp 4 banger was zippy enough for a daily driver .
I loved the handling of my Neon Sport. Could take a normal street corner at 65 mph without losing a bit of control. What it lacked was straight line speed, which is why I traded it in for an awd turbo.
We've had a first gen neon, still have a second gen 2004 and a 2004 SRT4. Love them all. And that SRT4 is faster than our 2012 5.7 litre hemi charger!!
Thanks, great review! Always thought the Neon had the possibility for potential, but if I was seriously shopping for a car in this class, I would’ve chose an 80’s Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, or Subaru DL everyday, all day over ANY generation Neon. Planning and execution was great but corner cutting and poor workmanship, to name a couple, became the Neons downfall and demise!
I had a 2000 Plymouth neon! Was my very first car I love it! Is true I had a broken speedometer,my ac broke and out no where got fix again 🤣🤣🤣🤣 not to mention I had electrical issues as well but then again I did crash it 2 twice and got them fox but it was a hell of a warrior
Got a Neon. A670 completely hydraulic transmission (except for lockup/overdrive). Even with trouble, you can have the engine out in under 2 hours and a new one and hooked up in under 4. I'm at the age now where I'm starting to find electrical faults, notably in the EGR valve. I have to track that down. I expect to find a loose splice or a crusty plug. It still passes emissions even without it though.
I always had a soft spot for neons due to it being the first car I ever drove and it was modded so it was fun to drive until my sister crashed it and thankfully wasnt badly injured. I bought my srt4 with the crash ratings and trans issues in mind and all 5 srt4s I have owned never left me stranded. I always loved how sporty they were and how quick they were. Interior wasnt anything special but you buy the car for the experience of driving it. I hate that they replaced it with the caliber srt4. It wasnt a bad car it just wasnt the driving experience the neon srt4 was. Hopefully dodge realizes there is a market for cars like the srt4 still. I'm impatiently waiting to see the srt4 bought back but until then I'll enjoy the neon srt4s I have.
SkylineFTW97 Nice, the 1st Gen Neon was a nice looking and sporty little package, I especially liked the factory roof-rails on the Highline models! I can almost guarantee your 98 R/T wouldn’t be half as reliable or last anywhere near as long as your 94 Civic EX with comparable operating costs. On any given day, I can find more 1st & 2nd Gen Civics driving around on accident than I could BOTH generations of Neons on purpose!
@@carlm8821 Mostly the Neons got crashed and they made more Civics. I love Hondas, I've owned more of them than anything else. But I have a soft spot for the Neons
LMFAO WHAT?! I'm a GM/Ford guy. I love American cars. But in no way shape or form is Honda worrying about a fucking Dodge LMFAO. You realize they sell globally, and only Americans buy Dodge, right? Why the fuck would Honda be worried about a car that nobody outside the US wanted? You gotta be tripping 😂🤣😂🤣😭
@@rogervalkriye4133 You may not remember this but I do as a ricer in mid 2000s. The performance of an srt4 with mopar packages/upgrades included over the great performance of an srt4 base so heavily exceeded the performance of the 2002 si model, which only came in a hatch, and didnt look nearly as good as the model preceeding it like, like 99-00 civic si in electron blue, among ricers the srt4 commanded a lot more respect than the ugly duckling si. Iirc it was also slower than the previos si but not sure, but it was no comparison anyways. Srt4s back then were considered pretty respectable if you couldnt afford a then brsnd new evo or wrx sti. Im still a ricer, I just dont drive recklessly and insane. And as opposed to obnoxious, rather conservatively since I now have a hazmat endorsed class a cdl and have aged 15 years since then, i have some more funding for my rice cars, currently own a jdm rhd tropical blue 1994 mr2 gt-s. That said...yes I do still have a fart can on my personal vehicle, a 14lb 3" titanium single exit exhaust, its overly loud but also top of the line for an aftermarket exhaust.
Had a ‘98 R/T. Such a fun, fast and cheap car for what it offered! The Neon, Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire were the cooler cars (of this segment) of the 90’s.
I still have my jade green 97 sport, loaded except it doesn’t have a sun roof. I ordered it that way, she’s been garage kept since I bought her. Looks and runs like new, I get offers to buy it just about every time I drive it, but I’m going to give it to my daughter in three years when she starts driving. Wish they still made cars like these!👍
Several friends worked where the Neon was built. They drove them 18-20,000 miles a year and seldom had a problem. I suspect people who don't know much about cars do things to them that cause problems that car wise people don't experience. Several of them had 150,000 miles with no problems> The ones that went in for a head gasket were supposed to receive the new version which had more layers of material and those lasted till some had 180,000 miles. If the dealer didn't use the new one, of course that would start leaking in time. The cast iron block heated and cooled much slower than the aluminum head so the gasket was being scraped apart with each heat and cool cycle.
Just found a 2004 R/T, minimal rust, but runs and drives. I'm restoring it bumper to bumper. Quick little car with 150hp, its nothing compared to modern cars but still holds it's own and gets 30mpg, can't beat that. R/T's are more scarce than SRT's now.
Peeling paint was a specially designed built in feature carried over from the Dodge Shadow, Plymouth Sundance, Chrysler LeBaron days. It's so you can appreciate the cars primer paint coat, which is only sticky on one side, it's somehow.
weird bc mopar paint was excellent in the 80's..they were the about 1st to clear coat regular production vehicles..called it 'Pearl Coat'. shudda left things alone, lol
@@tomj4406 my understanding on the paint, is that the new regulations required the paint formulas to be changed, and what was reliable, was no longer after the change. My 1960's Dart had excellent paint, even when it was abused, a good wax job made it look almost new again.
@@javabeanz8549 yeah, sounds legit. & the vintage cars had that tough enamel paint..maybe it didn't look like wet glass, but it was designed to last. so..'turtle and the rabbit'..turtle always wins that race.
@@connerhendrickson8418 a guy ik is going to illinois tomorrow, he is running 700 hp. head work, bigger turbo & injectors. total rocket! ill try to get his times & remember to post them here.
The Dodge Neon has a special place in my heart. My family started off with a 1998 Neon. Which was totaled in a car wreck. I drove a used 2001 Dodge Neon for many years until it got parked due to a variety of issues. Bought a used 2002 Dodge Neon. Which I drove until it got parked for a variety of issues. Unfortunately transmission issues plagued the Neon nearly all its production life. I really wish they would bring it back. But address all the reliability issues first.
Neon also has an issue with fuel pump overheating leading to failure. Resides INSIDE the Gas tank and uses the gas itself to cool. If you drive below a quarter tank full, you are defeating that cooling aspect.
We bought a used Neon in 2011 as our son's first car. He wanted it because of the spoiler wing in back. If I had known the safety issues I probably would have said "nope". But it soldiered on through the second kid and her first few college years with minimal issues - although we did slap a low end paint job on it before the girl went off to college. Retired it after 6 years of service for a newer Kia Rhondo I was no longer driving. Wasn't a great car (I drove it for a year) but it wasn't bad either. Kinda fun to drive. And it never let us down.
Great video about this car, always been interested in them since I was a kid. Don't hang me for this but they did already bring the neon back into production, just labeled as a dart lol
I've got a 2005 dodge neon SXT with the original transmission and engine. 220,000 miles on it. The Trans shifts hard every other shift but that's been like that for about 100,000 miles so i don't worry about it too much. I put a head gasket on it about 110,00 miles ago and it's been fine since. Minus the body rusting away I still drive more than my 2012 silverado. Interior is still in good condition and the only things I replace are maintenance item like brakes tires, wheel bearing, suspension stuff etc. Great little car. Paid off years ago. Best $12k spent. Bought it with 3k on the odometer. It was a dealer demo. Full mobil 1 oil changes and oem filter every 5k. Great car imo
I almost bought a SRT Caliber a year after SRT-4 discontinued, but I did a trip in it and the uncomfortable drivers seat alone - killed the deal. And it was discontinued too, so another kinda glad I stayed away vehicle.
I have had 3 neons in my time and still own a '03 SRT-4. These were great little cars that really were no more unreliable than any of the other small compacts at the time. Chrysler made a huge mistake for killing off the Neon and tried to revisit it latter with the Dart but by the time the Dart finally gained some appeal they killed it off too. Obviously whoever is in charge of introducing and then pulling model lines should be fired. The only cars they have standing strong now are the LX bodies and Rams and the Jeep lines.
that concept neon was crazy!
l b yea dodge could’ve made the neon like the concept neon but no they made it like any 90s compact car lol 😂
He forgot to add in the coolest part though, the engine was a 2 stroke!
Lol did he say it had a trash compactor?
I saw that prototype Neon in EPCOT, and eventually owned a ‘98 Highline, and a ‘02 Base, great little car
Of course, now that I know the crash test results of the Neons....
Still, I loved the first gen, liked the second gen, even though the second gen had a design flaw where the “k-member” front suspension mount under the engine would rot away due to road salt and having the air conditioning drain hose draining on the K-member...
Bunter Hiden yeah...they put a trash compactor to dispose of the leftover Calibers. Justice for the Magnum!
I own and daily drive a 04' SRT4 and I honestly love the car. Its modded and tuned and its extremely fun to drive. Reliability hasnt been an issue, and its an extremely aggressive sounding car thats sex to my ears. Thanks for making me aware of the poor crash test rating because I definitely had no idea.
You're not alone... I still daily drive my 05 SRT-4 ACR and it's been a solid car, easy to repair and no major problems. Same here with the crash test ratings, too. I've been thinking about getting a 392 powered 6-speed Challenger or Charger (only comes in automatic) but the mechanicals are all so complicated and expensive now.
phubarr I hope the one I’m getting as a first car would be reliable ☹️ it has 100k miles but the salesperson said that he replaced the transmission with a new one.
I'm still driving a neon. Runs like a top and easy to fix. I love it.
Shane Helm well I hope that neon drive forever.Never broke.Your awesome.
Still have my 03 SRT-4. Bought it brand new in 2003. Still embarrassing unsuspecting drivers of newer cars who think it's an old, slow POS.
@@dr.bunterhidenbrobruh5502 The regular Neon IS an old slow POS. I hear the SRT4 is quite the goer though.
@@jdcunnington yeah, they might look similar but from a performance standpoint they are very different cars.
My neon’s radiator broke and I couldn’t fix it so I had to tow it
The 2.4 engine in the SRT4 was DOHC, not SOHC
I can confirm that because my friend from high school have that trim level and it has DOHC I think the SOHC is for less powerful model
I owned 3 SRT-4's over 9 years. They are all DOHC.
@@1985toyotacamry i thought the SOHC was in the earlier models, my 95 was SOHC.
@@atodaso1668 the R/T model?
Correct. All second gen neons were 2.0 SOHCs except SRT4 being DOHC
@ 4:50 you say the last Plymouth neon was made in 2011 😂 we know you meant 2001
I liked the Dodge Neon SRT. Those cars are badass
Facts
one of the fastest 0-60 fwds ever made
@@tylercouture216 second fast fwd car ever after the new type r
@@nickslade7635 I have both 04 srt4 stage 3 and 2019 type R. Both are fast in different areas. The type R is a monster around corners but the srt4 I have is quicker off the line. Love both cars to death.
I still have my 03 SRT-4 which i bought new in 2003. Can't really find a good reason to get rid of it. Original motor and turbo with over 215k miles, runs like a champ even with a slight head gasket leak, still boosting at 15-17 psi.
I really wanna drop an SRT-4 engine into my 97 coupe, it's a shame the SRT-4 was never sold as a coupe
Thanks for doing my video suggestion! I had a 1998 neon R/T and a 2005 SRT-4 and I loved both of those cars. They both had issues here and there but they were fun to drive and neither one of them ever left me stranded some where. It’s a shame dodge quit making them. It was their last good small car. Everything after just hasn’t been as good.
The dodge neon and magnum should get another chance.
I agree if it was a similar design and had decent performance/reliability it would be a home run
@@MarspeedCars I agree. Ive seen some badass dodge chargers transformed into magnums. They look good its just an extended roof.
@@MarspeedCars keep it a simple, humble lil giant slayer..David and Goliath style, like it was indeed. loved the Dart, but a Nuevo Neon, skip all the tech and gadgets..options. hb a simple, clean car again? (if u want a srs terror..plop an SRT-4 mill into a gen 1 Neon. oohh yeeaah
@@Brandon57871 if the Neon was ever brought back to the U.S it wouldn't ever be the same as the old one. It's better off dead at this point.
Would it be legal to buy a 2019 neon from Mexico and travel to the u.s.
I had a 2004 SRT4 Neon on Midnight Club 3, cheap and fun to drive tbh.
My boi hi
You here too!!!!???? 😂
@Jessie S. 😂😂😂😂
me too
That game sucked
Love these videos bro. One of the few series that I watch start to finish. The neon was dodge's entry into the Tuner community and it was fairly respected once the SRT models were released. It's too bad they didn't keep it for the lower-end of their SRT performance lineup.
The Neon became a Tuner car not because you necessarily wanted to, but HAD to replace stuff with better aftermarket systems... Still, it was a really fun car... I had a 1st Gen '95 Sport Coupe..
I owned both a 1998 R/T and a 2004 Stage 2 SRT4. Now my son owns the R/T. Both are in immaculate shape with over 130k on both. It is interesting that you point out paint problems. The 98 R/T as well as the 2004 SRT4 both have original paint and no rust. When looking at the 98 when first putting in modes to the car like 5 point harness, I was amazed at how good the paint was underneath the carpet. It was finished just like the outer body panels. To this day the the car has no rust and neither does the SRT4. I think what needs to be said is that if a car is properly maintained, it will last and that goes for the paint also. Problem with the Neon's was that most people who purchased them outside of the ones who wanted them for the track, (Note SCCA rules for the class were changed due to the Neon's walking away with all the events) did not usually have the resources of a person that would buy a Mercedes for example, and they did not take care of them like most wealthy people take care of their Mercedes. I have seen many cars like you posted in your video have the same problems with paint. Usually it is poor maintenance, although some during the period were due to the EPA making manufacturers change the paint chemistry which was bullshit. By the way I live in Ohio and both cars were driven during the winters. However, now they are stored and driven only on nice days. The Neon's for the money were a lot of performance for the dollar at that time, and still are.
Could we get one on the Stratus/Cirrus/Breeze or nah?
#cloudcarsneedlovetoo
i own a 98 cirrus
callingmealejandro I keep forgetting about the Cloud Cars
@@jonahgoldstein9905 there the most forgotten cars in Chrysler history
howtobebasic 2 Those and the original Dodge Avenger/Chrysler Sebring Coupes
A change that you missed in the 03 to 04 SRT upgrades was the limited slip differential. I believe the 04 also received the larger injectors to get it the extra horses and torques. I had an 05 SRT-4 orange pearl blast. I sold it in 2014 with 150,000 miles on it with the original clutch.
Had a 95 Neon Sport. I did a ton of work to it. It was quick, good handling and fun to drive. Ran 14s in the quarter mile. I do miss that car....
My neon is simple but I love it. Manual locks and windows. Don’t have to worry about window motors giving out or actuators. I do mechanic work myself so any issues is nun to me. I fix em but overall I love my neon
Long live the iconic Dodge Neon
🤘🏿
I bought a brand new 2000 Neon in '99. Even with the upgraded package for electric locks and windows, the back doors were still standard manual windows and manual locks. The dealer said it was "weight savings". I was pretty pissed I paid full price for half the options
Neon: the DEFINITION of cheep and cheerful. I think it actually looked good, especially the first gen.
Yeah it was designed to look happy.
My sister gave me the 2005 Neon SXT that she purchased new in 2005, in 2017. She got a smokin' deal as they were clearing them out for $9,995. When I got it it had 153K miles. It now has 224K miles. I did do a refresh to the engine at 209K, even though it was running fine..new rings and bearings, cleaning, gaskets, etc. The only other major work was a new clutch. Overall a great car.
Neon drivers are like the Hanzo mains of the real world.
Sliphantom?
@@lshxggyl Yep.
Midnight Club Still Cancelled Soz Have you watched the video called Shit Neon drivers say!!?? Lol Channel is TurBRO LOL
Midnight club sucks
thank you for mentioning the ACR model, its actually the first time Chrysler used the 'ACR' name. a super rare car also
loved seeing the ACR Neon on Speedvision in the 90's eating imports and crapping Fords, all day long!
I agree. My father had an 02 ACR and that thing ran like a champ. Totally underrated
@@tomj4406 i would love to see a video of that
@@wolfemancola Same! Speedvision went away, long ago..idk if somewhere someone has the footage.
I think you forgot to mention that this was the first SRT car! By the way, the “s” In Illinois is silent.
I see tons of Civics and Corollas from all years while most others in the class are seen sporadically. The Neon had a wonderful design and was as comfortable or more so than its competitors, but the reliability and longevity just weren't consistent.
My parents had one when I was a kid. Drove it as a teenager a couple of times and really liked how peppy it felt. My son just got a Caliber for his first car but I definitely would have jumped on a Neon had I seen one when we were looking.
I own a 2005 SXT Neon. It's the best car I've ever own, and I've no plans on selling it. I wish Dodge could bring this car back to life
Thank you for that factual and objective review of strengths and weaknesses of the 2 gen of Neon.
I had a 95 Dodge Neon sport coupe nitro yellow green didn't have any of the problems that were stated ,had over 250,000 miles on it. Changed the head gasket ever 100000 miles, 2 batteries 1 muffler, best car I ever owned .
I hate how nearly every fun coupe ends up getting a second set of doors or cancelled altogether. I have never needed to haul kids - I don't need the rear doors and never wanted them (the rear doors or the kids)
I thought the PT Cruiser was the replacement for the Neon (almost suckered into one of those with the 2 door convertible variant )
Had a 2001 Burnt Orange Neon ES. Loaded with the SRT suspension. That GEN of Neon is timeless......FCA dropped the ball discontinuing the Neon 😢😢😢
iNeverHad Mercy wasn’t FCA. Fiat was thankfully still in Italy at this time and didn’t have a chance yet to make Chrysler worse. At the time it was a Daimler Chrysler.
@@kevs2good133 nothing could be as bad as a Ford, that's why there stock price has tanked
@@kevs2good133 you are correct.
Could you do a video on the plymouth sundance/dodge shadow
I'd love that but there isn't much information on them and there aren't many left
I would absolutely love this
My first car was a 94 shadow. I miss it lol
I almost bought a V6 Shadow in 1994 but ended up buying a 1st gen neon instead. In hindsight, the 1990 model with the "Turbo IV" 2.2L turbo and manual transmission would have been the one to get.
@captain hook i only paid 100 for mine off my dad. But the catch was there wasnt an engine or trans in it lol that was my first engine build
I have a spirit R/T! The SRT-4's Grampa
I had a friend who owned a black SRT-4 and modded it to get 300whp. That car pulled real fast.
love them
love them
I was waiting for this video since I subbed! Thanks!
I drove one in England as a company car. It had the cheapest, thinnest seats that left me with a bad back, along with others in the company
i still love my srt4
9:04 I remember that paint issue to this day. I was going to Ball State (Muncie) around 97 to 98, and there were quite a few these on campus. It was the first time I saw a new (3 to 4 years old) car's paint peeling off like the inside of a condemned house :)
My 2001 dodge neon was just totalled Feb 26th and I can say I miss it dearly, it was a quick cute little car, lasted me 9 years
The first gen Neons dominated SCCA in their class! And the little 2.0 and 3speed auto were quick as hell. The 2.0 loved to rev.
I remember when they came out, I was a teenager around 13-14 and I really liked them.
Excellent video. I remember reading that Chrysler CEO Robert Eaton cheapened out the Neon by insisting Chrysler uses inferior head gaskets that were prone to failure. Of course when Daimler bought Chrysler, they bought it for the cash reserves that Chrysler had successfully built up over the years while simultaneously cheapening out the product. Chrysler's loss was Daimler's gain. This is a very high quality video succinctly combining information that, as far as I can tell, is available nowhere else. Great job!
My 1st car was a 1995 Neon coupe. Sure enough, broken speedometer, noisy power steering pump, had an idle problem, rough ride. But it had cold AC 😎
I had a 95 as my first car and I hated it, I took it off road and everything. I'm amazed it took the abuse for so long, always made it where it had to go. Now I have a 2005 SRT4, I smile everytime I drive it.
4 years ago I bought the 05 neon with 81,000 miles on it...just like any other vehicle, if you take care of the engine you won't have much issues...I love this car
0
@@dennisgroth9938 whatever that means
I have a '96 (yes, still) that I bought for $300 (@ 62,000 miles; angry mother selling it to cover son's parking tickets). I have replaced the engine (blew it up twice due to MY bad timing belt setting; 2nd broke the cylinder wall). It's at 135,xxx miles and still going. I have replaced one control arm; the other should be changed out soon. I've rebuilt the brake and exhaust, and have been into the transmission 2 or 3 times to free up the transmission kickdown lever (A670 trans). The clear coat is starting to lift, but hey, the thing's an antique nearly! All in all, not a bad car. I made a point of telling the boneyard on the second motor that I wanted one with over 100,000 miles on it - I wanted a survivor. I have seen these things blow up inside a year - I helped one guy out of the road with a blown trans a year out of the dealer. At this point now, I am of course beginning to run into rust issues around the edges of the frames.
Not a bad car, but throwing in a cruise control and tilt wheel on the lower models would have been a really big improvement.
I had a '97 Neon Sport Coupe with the 2.0L DOHC and manual 5 speed. I loved this car, I got it when it was 7 years ago and I drove it for 3 years until the water pump went which killed the valves which killed the engine. I still somewhat regret letting it to go the scrap year instead of throwing a new engine in it.
Great video bro as always👍👍 but i'm still waiting for a video why Dodge cancelled the Intrepid 1993-2004
loved my '95 Concorde 3.3L :)
Had a 98 ACR 4 door. It was a hoot to drive when you dialed in the struts it was a handling monster. The only two drawbacks was the head gasket and the tires for the ACR, if you didn't get the right tires it handled like crap and felt all loose and unstable. As far as paint issues this can be attributed to industry wide changes in paint formulations and EPA standards on VOC emissions.
I never knew how deadly the Neon was. I’m glad I never owned one. The rear spoiler on the SRT4 must have been from Mitsubishi because it’s the same as on my ‘98 Eclipse GST I had. Nice thorough review! Glad to see you back. 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇨🇦
I had one dodge neon sxt 02
They just LOOK LIKE death traps, honestly. Especially the first generation
I liked the Neon when it first came out. Thought the front power windows were unique in the 2nd Gen. Wanted one of the 1st Gen’s as my first car with the 5-speed manual. Dad was too afraid of the reliability, and I’d started driving just as the Neon was discontinued.
The neon is actually my favorite car. Would love to own a first gen. Such adorable little cars
I had a first gen i bought new right when they came out in 1994 (was a '95 model). It was a base model with the 5 speed manual (much better than the automatic). It was a fun cheap car, paid $12k for it brand new. Died at 8 years of age with 180k miles on it. I bought a SRT-4 brand new in 2003. Still have it and it runs perfect! Much much faster and more fun to drive for sure.
WHOA RIGHT THERE Angra, you set the bar wayyyyyyyyyyyy toooooooooooo high. Sheesh.
I currently own a second gen Neon and it still runs great
Are there any srt-4’s left or has every single one been blown up?
Yes...I have a blk 03 srt4 I bought brand new and I still love it.Its been driven very hard and always had regular service. I'm at 70k only non services issue a/c coolant hose that was fixed under warranty. (Its not a daily driver)
Ooh yeah...mopar blow off and air clean are the only mods it stock...
Always garage kept #socal
I still daily drive my 2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4 ACR. Bought in 2006 with 5k miles, currently at 125k. Aside from the cheap plastic interior, it's been a solid car for me. I also don't drive like an ass.
Yes, i still have mine. Bought it brand new in 2003 when they first came out. Now has over 215k miles on it. Original motor and turbo still. Trans was replaced at 70k due to a defect (early model trans were known to be troublesome). The replacement was built in 2007 and has been rock solid ever since. Replaced the clutch, pivot fork, slave cylinder and shifter bushings a few years ago and it runs, drives, shifts like a new car. No grinding or anything, just tight and crisp.
I have a slight head gasket leak. I've added some sealant and it seems fine, just leaks coolant over time and have to keep an eye on it.
Would I take it on a really long trip? At this point, no, but it has done several 1500+ mile trips several years ago (NJ to Tennessee and back). I have a fully loaded Honda Accord for long trips.
The SRT is just a fun car to drive around casually and locally, although I'll take it on an occasional 100 mile round trip. In all this time, it only broke down once while driving (fuel pump around 100k).
Tie rod ends broke once. Aside from the usual wear items, and the warrantied trans replacement mentioned earlier, I've changed the fuel pump, power steering pump, alternator, radiator + hoses, brake calipers, both axles, control arm bushings, and had to have my key lock cylinder rebuilt (cost $40). But the car is 17 years old with over 215k miles on it and it was paid off in 2008.
The car is stock with CAI and Mopar exhaust. Needs some body work to fix rust and a repaint. Had to fix leaks in the trunk and front passenger side which i did myself. My driver's seat was shot and I recently replaced it with the front airbag seats (a.k.a. 'fat man seats') from another SRT, got the front pair in good condition on eBay for $250 shipped! This car is fairly easy to work on.
I love my 2005 SXT special edition, no issues so far except my turn signal lights, they have mind of their own, my hazard lights always work, comfortable to drive and economical
I recently got a 2005 Neon SXT, 5 speed. What's the "special edition" got and how would I know if I had one?
Had a 2001. Great car. Put over 250k on it with no problems. You might want to talk about the how it dominated the SCCA racing series. So much do they had to handicap the neon so all the japjunk could stay competitive. Somethings never change.
Ppl like to neglect their cars..esp economy cars and don't replace parts with OEM..instead buying junk at a slightly lower cost. this results in ppl blaming the car. big example: Mopars with an auto trans need and require *Only ATF+4 trans fluid!* 60's-today.
Ahhh, the old Speedvision channel. I'd watch Mopars clean house in the 90's. The Super Touring race series killer Dodge Stratus..sporting a 300 hp N/A 2.0L engine! Running with the best the imports could muster. and in SCCA showroom stock class C..you're correct, man..the Neon was a monster..taking down Nissan 240SX and Miata! granted those cars had a slight edge in the turns, but the Neon's power more than made up for it (Neon needed a bit more suspension travel. they'd corner, like most small cars, on hard turns on three tires)..a daily driver car with decent room and an even more decent price..like half what a 240SX cost. Neon. anyone ever do a demo derby with a Neon, an Accord, a Ford Escort and a Miata? Ha! All small cars are unsafe, though i bet the Neon would best those cars and many others. smashing them into a steel & concrete barrier, no shizz there'll be severe damage! Ya want less dmg in that test, get a car like my '70 Plymouth Fury Gran Coupe! 3,800 lbs of dbl thick (compared to contemporary car) sheet steel, unitized construction masterpiece. ok then. Exception: the tough af PT Cruiser, that is. Neon. a far more useable car than the tiny Miata. I love cars that have a daily driver usefulness and can slay the also ran 'Sports Cars' on a race track! Neon forever
GTA 5 pc story mode modded game play 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I call fucking bullshit. I owned a 2002 Dodge Neon ES. All I fucking did was sink money into it. And the 2.0 engine was absolutely gutless, not to mention I only had power windows up front and not the back.
I intentionally crashed it just to get out of the lien. That's how much I hated it. Look at Dodge today, owned by Fiat. Wonder why. Probably because without Mitsubishi's engines, they're worthless.
And yeah... Any Dodge engine worth having was probably Mitsubishi sourced, except for the infamous 2.7 V6 that was guaranteed to fail from sludge buildup
And as for being an SCCA champion... It had no fucking competition. Then Honda built the SI and the Neon was a mere shitbox. Even a shit ass Chevy Cavalier with the 2.4 made the same horsepower and way more torque than the Neon 2.0 DOHC. You can't be fucking seriously saying a Neon was a good car... You gotta be fucking kidding, please tell me you're just trolling people.
Semaj Oirotsip so you committed insurance fraud and I’m to take anything you say seriously? Run along, child. You obviously know absolutely nothing about the automotive world let alone Chrysler. Mitzushity wasthe worst decision Chrysler ever made. The 3.0 v6 was a garbage pit and don’t get me started on the 2.6l. And ya, princess they dominated racing back then whether you like or not. Buying a crapped out neon then saying it was a money pit isn’t an argument so please, sandbox is that way 👉🏻
@@Welcometofacsistube Diamond Star Motors, aka DODGE and MITSUBISHI were paired throughout the 90s. Then, Mercedes had to come and save them... And it ended up hurting Mercedes (notice Mercedes quality nose dived during that time? Coincidence? Nope.)
You're telling me the 2.7 V6 had no issues? You're a fucking liar. I know exactly what I'm talking about
Lee Iacocca was the only good thing to happen to Dodge. Once he left, they fell to shit and you know it.
For fucks sake... Renault and Dodge used to be sharing cars. You can't be serious. Dodge hasn't stood on its own legs since what, 1979? They relied on MITSUBISHI, MERCEDES, and Now FIAT.
Also, it's not fraud. I crashed it. Told them I crashed it. How is that fucking fraud?
And I'm 29, and clearly have more sense then you because I don't own a piece of shit Chrysler product.
i have a 97 neon coupe and i STILL love it! i swapped a 2.4 turbo into it and it's a rocket only weighing 2600lbs...
My first car was a 1995 Neon. Lasted until around 2007. Only major repair was the head gasket and I had it repainted. Good car with power!
My father owns a 95 neon. I am in the process in restoring it. When it was in use before. I had more fun driving it than most other cars i have driven as of late.
cool! bring back a great car! i miss my 95 4dr auto. the thing was amazing in the twisties :) imagine a new production one with a 200 hp NA 4 cyl engine and 8 spd auto AND available 6 spd manual. mmhmm.
@@tomj4406 its actually the 2 door coupe
I had some good fun in that SRT-4; almost bought a red one new too, but the local dealer wouldn't or couldn't quite get to the Price I was willing to pay on a car that was sitting on the lot for just over a year. Oh well, it did get discontinued after all so good memories will have to do.
The r/t also had a performance aluminum intake.
A video on the Plymouth Acclaim/Dodge Spirit? A Dodge Spirit ES w/3.0 V6 was my first new car in '93.
Loved that thing. Drove it everywhere.
I own a srt4 neon and it's what I grew up riding in, and let me just say there is nothing that could touch my dad's car, even now people can't beat our cars.
Chrysler should have never discontinued the Neon. The Caliber was a big mistake for replacing the Neon. The reason why the Neon continued selling well was because of its sportiness and styling for younger and urban buyers. The reintroduction of the Dart would have probably been a better move instead of the Caliber before sedan sales began dropping when the Dart was reintroduced.
Those Neon SRT-4s were insanely fast! Excellent track cars too!
When the Neon was first introduced, Lime Rock Park in CT had a special event called The Neon Challenge, featuring Neons racing each other.
They should have just facelifted the Dart and called it a Neon.
as brandon15r said, the srt4 had a DOHC 16 valve 2.4 liter motor with turbo.
Currently drive one. 05, base as base can get, hand crank windows, auto, I love it. I drove 400 miles and spent 17 bucks in gas.
i had a black 2001 neon rt with a 5 speed stick i bought new in 2000 . it was reliable , handled great and the 150 hp 4 banger was zippy enough for a daily driver .
I loved the handling of my Neon Sport. Could take a normal street corner at 65 mph without losing a bit of control. What it lacked was straight line speed, which is why I traded it in for an awd turbo.
We've had a first gen neon, still have a second gen 2004 and a 2004 SRT4. Love them all. And that SRT4 is faster than our 2012 5.7 litre hemi charger!!
I have 2002 neon automatic and I enjoy driving it. Excellent car and very affordable.
My first daily driver was a 95 four door Neon. I loved that car.
Thanks, great review! Always thought the Neon had the possibility for potential, but if I was seriously shopping for a car in this class, I would’ve chose an 80’s Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, or Subaru DL everyday, all day over ANY generation Neon. Planning and execution was great but corner cutting and poor workmanship, to name a couple, became the Neons downfall and demise!
I had a 2000 Plymouth neon! Was my very first car I love it! Is true I had a broken speedometer,my ac broke and out no where got fix again 🤣🤣🤣🤣 not to mention I had electrical issues as well but then again I did crash it 2 twice and got them fox but it was a hell of a warrior
Will there be a continuation of this specific one considering Mexico has a new Neon made recently
Got a Neon. A670 completely hydraulic transmission (except for lockup/overdrive). Even with trouble, you can have the engine out in under 2 hours and a new one and hooked up in under 4. I'm at the age now where I'm starting to find electrical faults, notably in the EGR valve. I have to track that down. I expect to find a loose splice or a crusty plug. It still passes emissions even without it though.
I always had a soft spot for neons due to it being the first car I ever drove and it was modded so it was fun to drive until my sister crashed it and thankfully wasnt badly injured. I bought my srt4 with the crash ratings and trans issues in mind and all 5 srt4s I have owned never left me stranded. I always loved how sporty they were and how quick they were. Interior wasnt anything special but you buy the car for the experience of driving it. I hate that they replaced it with the caliber srt4. It wasnt a bad car it just wasnt the driving experience the neon srt4 was. Hopefully dodge realizes there is a market for cars like the srt4 still. I'm impatiently waiting to see the srt4 bought back but until then I'll enjoy the neon srt4s I have.
Still have a 05 neon srt 4 👍🏽
I have neon dodge sxt
I own a 94 Honda Civic EX. It's a good car, but not as good as the 1st Gen Neon. I miss my 98 R/T.
i still daily drive my 1998 Neon R/T. It's a fun little car
SkylineFTW97 Nice, the 1st Gen Neon was a nice looking and sporty little package, I especially liked the factory roof-rails on the Highline models! I can almost guarantee your 98 R/T wouldn’t be half as reliable or last anywhere near as long as your 94 Civic EX with comparable operating costs. On any given day, I can find more 1st & 2nd Gen Civics driving around on accident than I could BOTH generations of Neons on purpose!
@@carlm8821 Honda? They are crappy.
@@carlm8821 Mostly the Neons got crashed and they made more Civics. I love Hondas, I've owned more of them than anything else. But I have a soft spot for the Neons
The srt4 made Honda rethink about the si. 😂😂😂😂
LMFAO WHAT?! I'm a GM/Ford guy. I love American cars. But in no way shape or form is Honda worrying about a fucking Dodge LMFAO. You realize they sell globally, and only Americans buy Dodge, right? Why the fuck would Honda be worried about a car that nobody outside the US wanted?
You gotta be tripping 😂🤣😂🤣😭
Semaj Oirotsip Honda had the Si way before dodge thought of an SRT-4. Honda is global while dodge only sells in the states.
@@kevs2good133 yeah, I know dude that's my whole point 😂 you literally just repeated what I said back to me 🤔🤷😂
Y’all act like the srt4 didn’t destroy the Honda at its own game on the first try.
@@rogervalkriye4133 You may not remember this but I do as a ricer in mid 2000s. The performance of an srt4 with mopar packages/upgrades included over the great performance of an srt4 base so heavily exceeded the performance of the 2002 si model, which only came in a hatch, and didnt look nearly as good as the model preceeding it like, like 99-00 civic si in electron blue, among ricers the srt4 commanded a lot more respect than the ugly duckling si. Iirc it was also slower than the previos si but not sure, but it was no comparison anyways. Srt4s back then were considered pretty respectable if you couldnt afford a then brsnd new evo or wrx sti.
Im still a ricer, I just dont drive recklessly and insane. And as opposed to obnoxious, rather conservatively since I now have a hazmat endorsed class a cdl and have aged 15 years since then, i have some more funding for my rice cars, currently own a jdm rhd tropical blue 1994 mr2 gt-s.
That said...yes I do still have a fart can on my personal vehicle, a 14lb 3" titanium single exit exhaust, its overly loud but also top of the line for an aftermarket exhaust.
Had a ‘98 R/T. Such a fun, fast and cheap car for what it offered! The Neon, Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire were the cooler cars (of this segment) of the 90’s.
The “S” in Illinois is silent.
I still have my jade green 97 sport, loaded except it doesn’t have a sun roof. I ordered it that way, she’s been garage kept since I bought her. Looks and runs like new, I get offers to buy it just about every time I drive it, but I’m going to give it to my daughter in three years when she starts driving. Wish they still made cars like these!👍
Several friends worked where the Neon was built. They drove them 18-20,000 miles a year and seldom had a problem. I suspect people who don't know much about cars do things to them that cause problems that car wise people don't experience.
Several of them had 150,000 miles with no problems>
The ones that went in for a head gasket were supposed to receive the new version which had more layers of material and those lasted till some had 180,000 miles. If the dealer didn't use the new one, of course that would start leaking in time. The cast iron block heated and cooled much slower than the aluminum head so the gasket was being scraped apart with each heat and cool cycle.
Just found a 2004 R/T, minimal rust, but runs and drives. I'm restoring it bumper to bumper. Quick little car with 150hp, its nothing compared to modern cars but still holds it's own and gets 30mpg, can't beat that. R/T's are more scarce than SRT's now.
Peeling paint was a specially designed built in feature carried over from the Dodge Shadow, Plymouth Sundance, Chrysler LeBaron days. It's so you can appreciate the cars primer paint coat, which is only sticky on one side, it's somehow.
weird bc mopar paint was excellent in the 80's..they were the about 1st to clear coat regular production vehicles..called it 'Pearl Coat'. shudda left things alone, lol
@@tomj4406 my understanding on the paint, is that the new regulations required the paint formulas to be changed, and what was reliable, was no longer after the change. My 1960's Dart had excellent paint, even when it was abused, a good wax job made it look almost new again.
@@javabeanz8549 yeah, sounds legit. & the vintage cars had that tough enamel paint..maybe it didn't look like wet glass, but it was designed to last. so..'turtle and the rabbit'..turtle always wins that race.
Absolutely love my 05 srt4 with 68k on it in the good old sunburnt orange
no way! a burnt orange car! cool. but yeah, those cars are going up every yr in value. as well they should.
@@tomj4406 bet commendable cars one of the fastest 0-60 fwd cars made
Mr. TAMW for sure. It’s crazy what theses cars can do with simple bolt on mods
@@connerhendrickson8418 a guy ik is going to illinois tomorrow, he is running 700 hp. head work, bigger turbo & injectors. total rocket! ill try to get his times & remember to post them here.
facebook.com/trenton.miller.14/videos/10218217562462008/UzpfSTEwMDAwMDczNDg5MjcyMjozMDYwNjExMjk0OTk0MTQ6MTA6MDoxNTY5OTEzMTk5Oi0xNjEzNDA2MzUxODU1MTA5MDIx/
The Dodge Neon has a special place in my heart. My family started off with a 1998 Neon. Which was totaled in a car wreck. I drove a used 2001 Dodge Neon for many years until it got parked due to a variety of issues. Bought a used 2002 Dodge Neon. Which I drove until it got parked for a variety of issues. Unfortunately transmission issues plagued the Neon nearly all its production life. I really wish they would bring it back. But address all the reliability issues first.
Neon also has an issue with fuel pump overheating leading to failure. Resides INSIDE the Gas tank and uses the gas itself to cool. If you drive below a quarter tank full, you are defeating that cooling aspect.
I knew someone in the 1990s who bought a new Neon. Within a year it was seemed to be spending more time in the shop than in her driveway.
We bought a used Neon in 2011 as our son's first car. He wanted it because of the spoiler wing in back. If I had known the safety issues I probably would have said "nope". But it soldiered on through the second kid and her first few college years with minimal issues - although we did slap a low end paint job on it before the girl went off to college. Retired it after 6 years of service for a newer Kia Rhondo I was no longer driving. Wasn't a great car (I drove it for a year) but it wasn't bad either. Kinda fun to drive. And it never let us down.
I had a 2003 Dodge Neon R/T with a manual transmission, loved that little thing
My very first car was a new 99 neon it was great, then I bought a Srt 4, my favorite car I ever owned
Great video about this car, always been interested in them since I was a kid.
Don't hang me for this but they did already bring the neon back into production, just labeled as a dart lol
the Neon is back, in Mexico
As much as I love driving my 2000 Neon, seeing those crash tests scares the hell out of me
I've got a 2005 dodge neon SXT with the original transmission and engine. 220,000 miles on it. The Trans shifts hard every other shift but that's been like that for about 100,000 miles so i don't worry about it too much. I put a head gasket on it about 110,00 miles ago and it's been fine since. Minus the body rusting away I still drive more than my 2012 silverado. Interior is still in good condition and the only things I replace are maintenance item like brakes tires, wheel bearing, suspension stuff etc. Great little car. Paid off years ago. Best $12k spent. Bought it with 3k on the odometer. It was a dealer demo. Full mobil 1 oil changes and oem filter every 5k. Great car imo
I almost bought a SRT Caliber a year after SRT-4 discontinued, but I did a trip in it and the uncomfortable drivers seat alone - killed the deal. And it was discontinued too, so another kinda glad I stayed away vehicle.
I went to an old abandoned school in Iowa and there was an old Pontiac outside and a 1st gen blue neon inside
You should do a video on the whole Eagle car brand.
I own a 05 neon srt4... really fun cheap car.
Still have my 03.... Since 2003.
Any plans for a video like this on the Dodge Dakota? Could be interesting.
the Dak! daily or drag racer base to hop up..amazing/reliable..just excellent.
Driving a 05. Putting a lot of work into it.