I once traded an old Yamaha triple for a 1995 Neon with a stick shift; I'd never driven one before and it was a revelation that it was so fun to drive! The early to mid-90s sure were a great time for Chrysler. It all went downhill starting with the Mercedes merger (for both)!
Back when I was in high school, the tuner scene was hot. Neons was one of those cars that kids was hacking up along with civics. Those where the good old days!
I had a 97 Plymouth version, 2door with a 5 speed. Bought it from a charity auction on EBay for $230. P. O. Had broken the timing belt which resulted in all the intake valves being bent. I went to the local junk yard and bought a head off a junker, new head gasket from the local Dodge dealer, and a new battery. Put it back together and had the car for 12 years. Very fun car, good fuel mileage, and fairly easy to work on. BTW, the battery was the most expensive part I had to buy!
I loved the Neon. Never owned one myself, but I have driven some. It was such a fun honest car. Cheap with no frills, but they way they drove was just special for an economy car. The Neon has received a lot of hate from people over the years, but I think most of those people have never driven one.
Chrysler was really killing it with their new car designs in the 90s. They had really good styling for the most part and as always, mostly reliable powertrains. It all started going down hill when Eaton took over from Iacocca, he didn't have the quality perspective that Iacocca had and as a result a lot of these great designs were not remembered fondly because of all the cost cutting in the cheap plastics in the interior and other areas. All that great 90s Chrysler success went down the drain in '98 when Eaton sold the company off to Daimler, who looked down on Chrysler and throttled their resources, which led to their downfall in the 2000s.
Nail on the head! I wanted to love this car. I looked at them extensively as a small car for my Mom but that lack of a 4 speed auto, even as an option, steered us elsewhere. She actually ended up buying a used 1st gen Saturn and she loved it. Thanks for the video!
My aunt had one. In 140k miles it went through two head gaskets, but the last time it was replaced they put in an upgraded part from a more powerful version of the Neon they offered.
We bought a 95 Plymouth Neon for my wife. It was the biggest hunk of crap! Many things went wrong with it. The automatic Transmission went after 38,000 miles. We had that repaired plus many other things. The final straw was I was driving home from work. The car started blowing blue smoke and died on the side of the parkway. Long story short a mechanic got it to run long enough for me to get it home. 58,000 miles and it was dead. I donated it to cars for kids and never bought another American car!
I picked up a used 1998 Plymouth Neon Expresso Coupe with the 5sp/DOHC combo that was 10 years old and had 92,000 miles from a used car dealer. The head gasket had been replaced and the dark green car had a "nitro yellow" drivers door beneath the re-spray. My nephew is now driving it (with over 216,000 miles) after a put over 10 years driving including being my primary go to for autocrossing and race track events (Summit Point, Dominion Raceway and Virginia International Raceway) with "only" two crack front hubs (a known limitation of the non-ACR front hubs) to show for all the abuse. With Hawk track pads up front, slowing was no problem and the engine (with the manual) loved to bang up against the rev limiter with zero engine issues. More fun overall than my 2006 Pontiac GTO manual and my Neon replacement 2020 WRX base model. The Neon had a great personality while being flogged mercilessly!
I have a lot of love for the neon. My first new car was a 1998 Dodge Neon highline. Yup, 5 speed 4 doors and all. It wasn't a perfect car by any atretch but I made great memories in that car. But I had wanted a Neon since the first time I seen the commercial that declared 'hi'.. cute. It reminded me of the AMC Pacer done right. That makes sense since it was many of the old Amc designers behind it just like the grand caravan. But yeah Toyota was probably a better bet I admit too, but the Neon was just so darn cute! We owned ours until 2009 when I replaced it with a Chrysler Town and Country touring. But by that time we owned Jeeps too. Ironically my wife owned a Saturn when we first met. Saturn when it was practically its own thing was a decent car. GM ruined that no doubt. She had a SL1 then an Ion. Both had been decent cars. We just wanted a Jeep. Nevermind the mistake, lol. Love my Jeeps. They loved my wallet just a bit too much too.
When the neon came out in the UK, I was at the time, looking for to replace my ageing car so I had a test drive. I was extremely impressed but the real problem was it just didn’t really fit the European market nice small compact car but it had a big engine. If it had a smaller engine option it would’ve really done well on the European market. I did like Chrysler, I’ve owned two of them, but on this occasion I went for the Rover 200 which more fit my needs. This has been a good trip down memory lane, thank you for the time you put in to making these interesting videos
When I was 19, a '95 'strawberry' red Neon Highline manual was my first new car. Absolutely loved the car. Airbags worked well too when I got cut-off and face-planted into a granite embankment. Replaced it with the new Avenger coupe.
Dozens of Neons on track at the 1995 SCCA Runoffs was an awesome sight! Soon after I bought a ‘97 SOHC Base Coupe and started autocrossing it. Won a ES regional championship after changing just the tires. Man I loved that car!
I remember as a little kid in 1994-95 seeing these cars for the first time thinking they were so radical! Back then, I was used to seeing most newer cars that had either super rectangular composite headlamp units or older cars that had rectangular or circle sealed beams. I had never seen rounded composite headlamps. I really wanted a Neon when I started driving in 2006. Me and my mom looked at several late model first gens, but they all had too many issues. Now, the first gen Neons are pretty much extinct here in Michigan. The head gasket or the rust took 'em ALL out. It's been MONTHS since I've last seen a first gen Neon.
I wonder if your neon was louder due to the 3 speed non over drive trans verses their 5 speed. You may have been cruising a lot faster too. This is one of the very few Chryslers I have ever wanted, or would consider “choosing” when shopping back then. Was still a solid car 13:35
May be, I suspect (but have never looked to verify) the auto's gearing meant the engine was churning higher at interstate speeds. But honestly it's the wind and road noise I remember. This was nearly 25 years ago now, so it's more an impression than a memory.
When I was in the market for a new car back in 1998, I drove the Neon and loved almost everything about it. The Neon handled well and was very different than anything else available at the time. Why didn’t I buy it? I had accumulated about $1500 in GM Visa credits and I ended up buying a 1998 Saturn SL1, which gave me trouble free driving until 2006.
This was my first car. I had a 97. It was a 5 speed highline coupe. I received it used and the water pump went the following week... lol. Being an interference engine and the water pump being timing belt driven.. I got extremely lucky. I drove the car for atleast two more years before getting my first Subaru.
I miss my 02 ACR 5MT. It got a lot of crap from enthusiasts who compared it to the original 2 door with DOHC. But I bought it as a fun daily, not a racer, and it was excellent in every way. I even moved across the country in it when is was 23. The 2nd gen, while not as funky, was a lot more comfortable. I had to get rid of it when we couldn't comfortably fit our family, and traded in for a Mazda5.
I love the 1st gen Neon. The ACR is the Neon to get, but pretty rare. A MLS head gasket is an easy DIY fix, which Chrysler should have sprung for from the factory. Stick shift models are more fun, but manaul gearbox parts are NLA. If you find a Neon that has been garaged it is worth looking into (plastic interior parts crack from UV). Neon's budget performance probably caused Honda to rethink its Civic , and Corolla became a bread and butter commuter car - lost any sporty pretensions it once had. If only Toyota had built Neon. Clean well maintained Neon's are becoming collector cars - watch the Regular Car Review. My 7th gen Honda Civic is also noisy, lots of tire noise. I've read that the team that developed Neon was mostly former AMC engineers. Neon didn't have a 4 speed auto because of lack of space, the TE41 was just too big to fit. In the 2nd gen Neon Chrysler found a way to fit the TE41. Few ordered the manual gearbox.
I love small stick shifted cars (I'd never consider an automatic as they kill all joy in small cars). I have always liked the neon, I almost bought one back in the proverbial day but I compared it to a Mercury Tracer LTS and the Tracer was much sharper; quicker steering and better handling, so I bought the Mercury and loved it. I later did buy a Neon and enjoyed it very much. I ended up selling it to someone looking for a first car for their teenager. If I ever come across a good ACR version I'd snap it up.
The problem is that you are in the minority of people who still prefer manual transmissions. That number is shrinking every year. There will always be used cars with manual transmissions for people like you to have. Unfortunately, most people in America prefer automatics. That's not changing anytime soon.
What I remember about Neons was this. A friend of mine had an 05 (2nd gen). It had power windows on the front doors and roll down windows on the back doors. wtf? I have never seen a car like that before or since. It gave an impression of cheapness I've never forgotten. That, and the fact that I haven't seen one since about 2010...
Baseline Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus are the same way in the United States and Europe and some baseline Hondas and Toyotas are that way as well it's all about saving money and it's very unlikely that you have anyone in the backseat anyway
I’m a huge fan of your channel, please keep doing what you’re doing. I love your brief history videos of car brands and would maybe ask for a mazda or maybe isuzu episode…? I enjoy learning about how even a first gen neon is neat in its own way.
I had a new 95 neon. Base, 5 sp. Lots of fun and up to 40-42 mpg on the highway, even doing up to 80 mph. No problems and sold it at 100,000 miles to buy a 99 Neon R/T which was even more fun.
The manual was almost mandatory. I think the car was conceived when the US still had a 55 mph limit. Like the Corolla, it's likely rival, the 5sp had fairly tall gearing and could handle higher highway speeds easier. The automatic would have to engine screaming at 70+.
I had a friend that had one years back. Few years newer than this one. I always remember how weird it was that It had power windows in the front and manual crank windows in the back.
I have purchased 33 new Chrysler products and 4 used. All 33 cars where trouble free, because I did the maintenance REGULARLY!!! The 4 used Chryslers different story! All had 70K or less and they were trouble. No regular maintenance other than oil changes!
A couple take aways. The fact that they were still seeling a car under $9k, hell, even one under $10k in 1995, is pretty amazing. Second, probably related, the fact that they had the nerve to release a new car with a new 3 speed auto in 1995, is also amazing. Thats Chrysler, and the domestics of the time, selling on price. I dont think that they got the American consumer would pay for more, for more. How much could a 4 speed have added to the cost of the car? $100? I dont know, but i bet it wasnt much. How much would a better head gasket have added to the cost of the car? $5? You canengineer something that will get off the dealer lot and maybe go 50kmi wothout major problems to get a rock bottom price. But a few years down the road, when these cars are blowing head gaskets and trannys, the affect on reputation is priceless. The Hond-Yotas of the world understood (-stand?) this. It takes years (decades) of solid cars and reliability to earn that reputation.
I bought a new 95 Plymouth Neon 2 door. It was a white high line. 5 speed. Looked like the commercial "Hi" car. the 5 speed helped highway driving. Mine was totally unreliable. Before the 3/36 warranty was up I had a folder of warranty work repair receipts 3 inches thick. Have 5 minutes? I'll tell you everything that went wrong.
Ugh, sorry to hear that. As I said ours was "fine" until about 70k miles. I forgot to mention that by that point the transmission would slip if it was raining. And sometimes the radio wouldn't work. Awesomely fun car, but disposable.
We bought a very early production '95 Neon (neon) with the manual. Car it replaced it had 88 hp, Neon had 132. It was a fun car to drive, more fun when you pushed it. It was a cheap car so it had a budget interior. Kept it 217,000 miles. Would have bought a 2nd one if it had moved upscale to compete with a Civic. In '95 it was the lowest priced 4 door car in the U.S., even cheaper than the Koreans. The manual was much much better experience than the auto. A real slug. Needed a 4th and even a 5th gear. Had auto as rentals, very disappointing.
Viper was peak American muscle. my brother had a 98 neon 5 speed. Dealership put three head gaskets on it in 60,000. He then promptly slammed it and put 13" rims on it. eventually busted the oil pan on a brick in the road.
No arguement here.... but I was fresh out of college (like 2 weeks) and my wife's car had died. We needed something. The imports (Civic and Corolla) were expensive so it was between a Neon and a Sunfire. She really liked the Neon and the Dodge dealer was open on a Sunday. :)
Drove a friends 2-door manual trans Neon on several occasions, and it was a sporty fun to drive car. Agree that the absence of a 4-speed AT at that time was a major failing on Chrysler's part. And for the record... Chrysler did NOT develop a "brand spanking new" 3-speed AT for this car. It used the same basic transaxle as the K-car used more than a decade earlier, but it was renamed.
had a green 2 door - reminded me of my old ghia - but more fun and more 'reliable' - pity they dropped the two door model with the upgrade in styling - I would have traded in for an SRT of that one. Stupid college fun
About the noise: 1. Season plays a big part of the tire noise (tires in winter getting hard or rain tires on your car). 2. The type of your tires plays a big part of it (3 longitudinal groves versus 4 gloves). 3. Head wind or cross wind plays a part of the noise than tail wind and no wind) You can't rebuttal the advertising claim based on solely your car.
While all true, of course we can comment on something like that. MW makes a comment about interior noise, but it would have varied for someone else based on those factors you just outlined. Based on your reasoning, no one could ever talk about 'real world' gas mileage in a car because of a nearly infinite number of factors.
I remember reading at the time the other reason they gave for the 3-sp auto is it allowed a tighter turning circle which they thought drivers would prefer over the lack of overdrive. Not true. I had a Saturn SC2 at the time that I drove a lot on interstates. It was kind of a 'buzzbox' at 75 and can't imagine what it would have sounded and felt like without that 4th gear.
What about the paint that refused to stay on this car? Ours always ran but never ran right. Deadt it when I began to worry about the notorious head gasket failures.
The paint was hit or miss. I've seen some older ones with no exterior issues. On others I've seen it coming off in sheets. Unfortunately you didn't know what you had until you bought it.
@@ubeuonly well when your 6’5” 260 like me it is a compact I bought it as a more economical choice when the GM smart buy contract ran out on my 94 Firebird TransAm and I found a guy to modify the seat in my Dodge Stratus ES
@@georgewilson1184 funny you should mention that but I am 6 ft 5 and exactly 260 lb and we traded in my wife's neon when my second child came on the new Stratos and I never had an issue with fitting into the car oh, my mother had a Stratus as well. Coincidentally the stratus was a very sporty car with good handling and decent Performance and features
@@ubeuonly well I have issues with my knees so this guy remounted the driver seat for me $ 300 and I believe even Shaq would have been reasonably comfortable Dodge dealer said it was impossible this guy did it in 1 hour he said it was simple when I tried it out I was comfortable the seat was fully fumtioning never any issues
My dad had one. Great car, he traded it for a Grand Cherokee. Stellantis should consider doing something similar seeing that Ford and GM has abandoned this segment.
I had one as a rental for a few days and hated it. I sat low, I feel like the suspension bottomed out a few times, and the body made me feel like I was driving a banana. Not sure how to describe that feeling, but I was so low in it and the front and rear felt like they curved up from the driver seat.
I've had my 98 for 12 years now. And it's kinda rubbed off on me. It's the highline that came with the single cam. That engine was turd. I swapped the dual cam into it, and that was probably the best thing you could do for the neon. I've since deleted the power steering and put some quality coilovers on it. And it handles like a dream. Even without power steering, the steering feel is obviously harder when at a stop. But the road feel is nice. It's been a 5 speed since I've owned it. And thus far that's been the weakest link. I'm on transmission #3, working on #4. The 2nd gear synchro went out of the original, the spider gear pin sheered off of the 2nd one throwing it through the side of the diff housing, and I fear that might be about to happen on this 3rd transmission as well. Other than that, it's all I can ask for in a car. Having it this long, there's literally not a single bolt on it I haven't touched yet. So it starts when I turn the key (when the battery isn't dead) and it's just fun enough to get you from A to B. I have plans of keeping it for a good long while and eventually doing a full restoration. Then really throwing some money at it to make it even more fun to drive. My plans are to make it on par or better than anything you could get today. Truly one of the most underappreciated cars ever made
I was able to drive both the first gen and 2nd gen Neons. They were quite the improvement over the Shadow/Sundance, and worlds better than the awful Caliber that succeeded it. I thought having power windows optional on only the front windows was a strange quirk. Fun fact: In Bob Lutz’s book “Icons and Idiots”, he mentioned that during the development of Neon, the seats were actually sourced from a supplier that used the same seat frames in the older Honda Civic to meet cost targets.
Not a fan of the 2nd gen. Just couldn't get past the looks - Chrysler lost their way by then. Tell me about that book? Worth grabbing? Is it more 'leadership' or filled with stories about Chrysler & GM?
@@AllCarswithJon the book is a great read in my opinion. While Lutz discusses leadership skills at a high level, the book is more a story about leaders he encountered or worked for, from high school all the way to his last stint at GM. He tells some funny stories about what made some of them great, and others, let’s say quirky :) My favorite chapters were his experiences working for Phil Caldwell and Red Poling at Ford, and Lee Iacocca at Chrysler. I would recommend it. Side note - would you recommend the Roger Smith book?
@@johnh2514 Thanks for that... I have about 12 books I'm currently 'reading', but I might need to add that one. The Roger Smith book isn't perfect. It's not quite chronological, but not quite grouped around milestones either (like the W-body cars). It is also old enough to not have any historical context looking back on Smiths tenure with hindsight. BUT WOW. If you're a fan of auto books, it was really interesting. Smith was alternately a genius who was 10-20 years ahead of the auto industry, and a complete a-hole who was blind to criticism or any feedback against what he'd already decided. It was, to me, very VERY interesting. Almost (almost!) changed my opinion of him.
As far as I am aware, the 3 speed automatic was a carryover from the K cars and wasn't really new they just gave it a new name (31TH vs A413) to go along with their new naming system (the first # indicated the number of gears, the second number indicated the strength level 1-9, the third indicated whether "t" for transverse or "l" longitudinal or "r" for rear wheel drive mounting, fourth indicated whether "h"hydraulic or "e"electronic). I will state that you were probably better off with the three-speed anyhow being at the torqueflite 3 speeds were pretty bulletproof compared to those were the early years of the ultra Drive which were not perfected by any means. With what you're saying about the interior being cheap, the use of the three-speed, yet the package was competitive for the price, that's where I think they really missed the opportunity to utilize the divisions correctly. I think the neon fit the textbook definition of what a Plymouth should be and they needed instead to make a true Dodge version that would have had more money put into the interior with better materials, more sound deadening, if possible a four speed automatic, and a little bit different styling to fit Dodge for a higher price point to compete more directly against the Corolla, Civic, and Saturn. By having two divisions competing for the same customers it killed off the weaker of the two divisions And people that were not satisfied with the interior quality, the lack of a four-speed, and other improvements prevented them from reaching a more premium clientele. The quality problems with the head gaskets can be added to the list of things that Chrysler fans can think Bob Eaton for as people claim he was the one that made them use the composite head gasket instead of the MLS head gasket from the beginning. Concerning my own experience, I drove a 94 Plymouth Neon for my driver's education car and found it quite fun to drive, though the interior I agree felt very cheap. I think even the Sundance and shadow might have had More cost in the interior than the Neon did. They were a simplistic yet beautiful car. If the reliability had been there And I needed an economy car, that's what I would have gone with. But being that the reliability is a real factor, I think Saturn was a better choice. And honestly, I'd rather have a Saturn than a '90s Corolla And I've been in both.
Wow, great comment and I stand corrected. I distinctly remember when the Neon was introduced reading an article about it, and that Chrysler designed an all new engine AND 3speed transmission for it. Even had quotes where designers/managers justified it because potential buyers valued the price over a 4th gear. I've never fact-checked it in nearly 25 years.... until now. And you are apparently correct. The Neon's auto was a revised torqueflite from the K-cars. Wow. Thanks
@@AllCarswithJon no problem Jon. I think I read that article as well back in the day, then after going through forums and watching videos, found out it was the good old A413. I think they were going for the silly "new and improved" myth to cover up that it was the same transmission. Truthfully, not a bad choice for a value focused car as it was reliable and why spent the money on a new 3 speed in the 90s when their latest transmission design was not nearly as reliable as the torqueflite. As stated before, it would have been nice to have a 4 speed (if it could fit) for the Dodge version (preferably either one based off the torqueflite or a 3rd party unit like Aisin Warner).
I had a chance to drive one (filmed a review on this channel) and I loved the Fiat.... it was the base engine (but "Sport"!) with an auto and still fun.
If I remember correctly, the early Saturn cars could be had with a 4-speed automatic (unlike the Neon which used a 3-speed unit). I would love to have a 1995 Saturn SL2 with the automatic. It would be better than the Neon with the 3-speed automatic.
Typical Chrysler. Overall a very good concept and design with a few very glaring drawbacks. It seems Chryslers do 90% very well, but the last 10% kills the product. For this car it was transmission, sound levels and interior finishes that killed it.
Comfort and it was better than Chevy or Fords offerings at the time and faster and with more personality than a utilitarian tin-can Japanese car. And costed less
E, watched this honest video record, because now in 2023 I wish to buy a '95 Neon in Skopje, Macedonia, The North .) ( ... I bouth a new bike 10y ago, and now I want to buy 30y old car 🏁.... ) Honda NC700S motorcyclist 🍻
I hope it helped then. 30 year old Neon.... you're brave. Read a lot of the comments here. People who had great service, and people who had tons of problems. Fun car, cheap car, but I wouldn't say overly "durable" car.
While the Neon(both Dodge and Plymouth) is an interesting car, it should have had an optional 4-speed automatic(not an archaic 3-speed version). I would rather get the 2002-2005 Dodge Neon which had the optional 4-speed automatic. The engines were okay.
I sat through your whole video knowing full well that at 30 to 35 horsepower more than any of us Rivals it was Untouchable on the street as far as performance. The Chevy Cavalier and the Ford Focus were not even the same league the Toyota and Honda versions had particleboard pressboard vinyl covered door panels the neon was head and tail nicer on the interior side. The engine may have lacked refinement but as a package deal with much more desirable and less expensive if you would have driven those comprable cars in that time. You would have a much different opinion of how good the neon really was..
Well we drove the Sunfire specifically to compare the two when shopping, my car at the time was a VW with 84hp, and a friend and roomate had a base-level Saturn, in addition to the Geos, Toyotas, and Civics I had driven in various capacities. I was well aware of the competition. The Neon engine was rough, the interior noisy, and ride a bit on the harsh side. And we loved it.
If you were in the market for a small car in the 80's/90's then getting the manual transmission was usually the better choice. Autos sapped too much of the economy and power IMO.
And yet most people who bought Neons usually got automatics. The manual was probably better at that time but most people didn't want it. That's still true today.
Except it was a better car then the Toyota Corolla at the time. Power 132 hp optional 150 hp much better than a Corolla. Room much better than a Corolla. Style much better than a Corolla. Price better than a Corolla. Warranty better than a Corolla. That said in the salt belt 90's Corollas rusted away. 90's Japanese cars chewed up timing belts. That said don't think the Corolla beat it in any area. Plus like you said way more fun. Wish they had something like this now a days. Fun affordable small car with a stick.
You're absolutely correct. It had much more horsepower and better performance than the Japanese cars for younger people and they didn't trust away in the north and they didn't sound like a tin can when you flip the door handle
The Neon was cheaply built and it performed poorly in the IIHS crash test. It's poor build quality made it unreliable. Chrysler has poor quality control not like the Japanese who have high quality control
I once traded an old Yamaha triple for a 1995 Neon with a stick shift; I'd never driven one before and it was a revelation that it was so fun to drive! The early to mid-90s sure were a great time for Chrysler. It all went downhill starting with the Mercedes merger (for both)!
Back when I was in high school, the tuner scene was hot. Neons was one of those cars that kids was hacking up along with civics. Those where the good old days!
I had a 97 Plymouth version, 2door with a 5 speed. Bought it from a charity auction on EBay for $230. P. O. Had broken the timing belt which resulted in all the intake valves being bent.
I went to the local junk yard and bought a head off a junker, new head gasket from the local Dodge dealer, and a new battery. Put it back together and had the car for 12 years. Very fun car, good fuel mileage, and fairly easy to work on.
BTW, the battery was the most expensive part I had to buy!
I loved the Neon. Never owned one myself, but I have driven some. It was such a fun honest car. Cheap with no frills, but they way they drove was just special for an economy car. The Neon has received a lot of hate from people over the years, but I think most of those people have never driven one.
Really well said. Cheap, no frills... fun to drive. I will never say it was "great", but man it was fun.
Chrysler was really killing it with their new car designs in the 90s. They had really good styling for the most part and as always, mostly reliable powertrains. It all started going down hill when Eaton took over from Iacocca, he didn't have the quality perspective that Iacocca had and as a result a lot of these great designs were not remembered fondly because of all the cost cutting in the cheap plastics in the interior and other areas. All that great 90s Chrysler success went down the drain in '98 when Eaton sold the company off to Daimler, who looked down on Chrysler and throttled their resources, which led to their downfall in the 2000s.
Nail on the head! I wanted to love this car. I looked at them extensively as a small car for my Mom but that lack of a 4 speed auto, even as an option, steered us elsewhere. She actually ended up buying a used 1st gen Saturn and she loved it. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the comment! I'm always a Saturn fan... but even back then the Neon seemed like a better 'deal'
One of the most unreliable cars ever made the Saturn
My aunt had one. In 140k miles it went through two head gaskets, but the last time it was replaced they put in an upgraded part from a more powerful version of the Neon they offered.
i got my neon im at 250k miles, had the original engine ran fine but i swapped it cause although i think its around 250k the odometer wasnt working
We bought a 95 Plymouth Neon for my wife. It was the biggest hunk of crap! Many things went wrong with it. The automatic Transmission went after 38,000 miles. We had that repaired plus many other things. The final straw was I was driving home from work. The car started blowing blue smoke and died on the side of the parkway. Long story short a mechanic got it to run long enough for me to get it home. 58,000 miles and it was dead. I donated it to cars for kids and never bought another American car!
wow. Ours was a 95 as well, and it was great (until that 70k mile head gasket issue).
Never bought another Chrysler product (yet).
I picked up a used 1998 Plymouth Neon Expresso Coupe with the 5sp/DOHC combo that was 10 years old and had 92,000 miles from a used car dealer. The head gasket had been replaced and the dark green car had a "nitro yellow" drivers door beneath the re-spray. My nephew is now driving it (with over 216,000 miles) after a put over 10 years driving including being my primary go to for autocrossing and race track events (Summit Point, Dominion Raceway and Virginia International Raceway) with "only" two crack front hubs (a known limitation of the non-ACR front hubs) to show for all the abuse. With Hawk track pads up front, slowing was no problem and the engine (with the manual) loved to bang up against the rev limiter with zero engine issues. More fun overall than my 2006 Pontiac GTO manual and my Neon replacement 2020 WRX base model. The Neon had a great personality while being flogged mercilessly!
Definitely Detroit‘s best effort at trying to match or even dare I say best the Honda Civic.
I have a lot of love for the neon. My first new car was a 1998 Dodge Neon highline. Yup, 5 speed 4 doors and all. It wasn't a perfect car by any atretch but I made great memories in that car. But I had wanted a Neon since the first time I seen the commercial that declared 'hi'.. cute. It reminded me of the AMC Pacer done right. That makes sense since it was many of the old Amc designers behind it just like the grand caravan. But yeah Toyota was probably a better bet I admit too, but the Neon was just so darn cute! We owned ours until 2009 when I replaced it with a Chrysler Town and Country touring. But by that time we owned Jeeps too. Ironically my wife owned a Saturn when we first met. Saturn when it was practically its own thing was a decent car. GM ruined that no doubt. She had a SL1 then an Ion. Both had been decent cars. We just wanted a Jeep. Nevermind the mistake, lol. Love my Jeeps. They loved my wallet just a bit too much too.
When the neon came out in the UK, I was at the time, looking for to replace my ageing car so I had a test drive. I was extremely impressed but the real problem was it just didn’t really fit the European market nice small compact car but it had a big engine. If it had a smaller engine option it would’ve really done well on the European market. I did like Chrysler, I’ve owned two of them, but on this occasion I went for the Rover 200 which more fit my needs. This has been a good trip down memory lane, thank you for the time you put in to making these interesting videos
Thanks for being here and the kind comments.
When I was 19, a '95 'strawberry' red Neon Highline manual was my first new car. Absolutely loved the car. Airbags worked well too when I got cut-off and face-planted into a granite embankment. Replaced it with the new Avenger coupe.
whenever I see a running SRT-4 I break my neck. such an icon.
Dozens of Neons on track at the 1995 SCCA Runoffs was an awesome sight! Soon after I bought a ‘97 SOHC Base Coupe and started autocrossing it. Won a ES regional championship after changing just the tires. Man I loved that car!
I remember as a little kid in 1994-95 seeing these cars for the first time thinking they were so radical! Back then, I was used to seeing most newer cars that had either super rectangular composite headlamp units or older cars that had rectangular or circle sealed beams. I had never seen rounded composite headlamps. I really wanted a Neon when I started driving in 2006. Me and my mom looked at several late model first gens, but they all had too many issues. Now, the first gen Neons are pretty much extinct here in Michigan. The head gasket or the rust took 'em ALL out. It's been MONTHS since I've last seen a first gen Neon.
I wonder if your neon was louder due to the 3 speed non over drive trans verses their 5 speed. You may have been cruising a lot faster too.
This is one of the very few Chryslers I have ever wanted, or would consider “choosing” when shopping back then.
Was still a solid car 13:35
May be, I suspect (but have never looked to verify) the auto's gearing meant the engine was churning higher at interstate speeds.
But honestly it's the wind and road noise I remember. This was nearly 25 years ago now, so it's more an impression than a memory.
When I was in the market for a new car back in 1998, I drove the Neon and loved almost everything about it. The Neon handled well and was very different than anything else available at the time. Why didn’t I buy it? I had accumulated about $1500 in GM Visa credits and I ended up buying a 1998 Saturn SL1, which gave me trouble free driving until 2006.
Nice. I LOVE Saturn.... but I didn't realize GM credits could be applied to them. That's awesome (and offsets the Saturn premium).
This was my first car. I had a 97. It was a 5 speed highline coupe. I received it used and the water pump went the following week... lol. Being an interference engine and the water pump being timing belt driven.. I got extremely lucky. I drove the car for atleast two more years before getting my first Subaru.
I miss my 02 ACR 5MT. It got a lot of crap from enthusiasts who compared it to the original 2 door with DOHC. But I bought it as a fun daily, not a racer, and it was excellent in every way. I even moved across the country in it when is was 23. The 2nd gen, while not as funky, was a lot more comfortable. I had to get rid of it when we couldn't comfortably fit our family, and traded in for a Mazda5.
I love the 1st gen Neon. The ACR is the Neon to get, but pretty rare. A MLS head gasket is an easy DIY fix, which Chrysler should have sprung for from the factory. Stick shift models are more fun, but manaul gearbox parts are NLA. If you find a Neon that has been garaged it is worth looking into (plastic interior parts crack from UV). Neon's budget performance probably caused Honda to rethink its Civic , and Corolla became a bread and butter commuter car - lost any sporty pretensions it once had. If only Toyota had built Neon. Clean well maintained Neon's are becoming collector cars - watch the Regular Car Review. My 7th gen Honda Civic is also noisy, lots of tire noise. I've read that the team that developed Neon was mostly former AMC engineers. Neon didn't have a 4 speed auto because of lack of space, the TE41 was just too big to fit. In the 2nd gen Neon Chrysler found a way to fit the TE41. Few ordered the manual gearbox.
I love small stick shifted cars (I'd never consider an automatic as they kill all joy in small cars). I have always liked the neon, I almost bought one back in the proverbial day but I compared it to a Mercury Tracer LTS and the Tracer was much sharper; quicker steering and better handling, so I bought the Mercury and loved it. I later did buy a Neon and enjoyed it very much. I ended up selling it to someone looking for a first car for their teenager. If I ever come across a good ACR version I'd snap it up.
The problem is that you are in the minority of people who still prefer manual transmissions. That number is shrinking every year. There will always be used cars with manual transmissions for people like you to have. Unfortunately, most people in America prefer automatics. That's not changing anytime soon.
What I remember about Neons was this. A friend of mine had an 05 (2nd gen). It had power windows on the front doors and roll down windows on the back doors. wtf? I have never seen a car like that before or since. It gave an impression of cheapness I've never forgotten. That, and the fact that I haven't seen one since about 2010...
Baseline Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus are the same way in the United States and Europe and some baseline Hondas and Toyotas are that way as well it's all about saving money and it's very unlikely that you have anyone in the backseat anyway
I’m a huge fan of your channel, please keep doing what you’re doing. I love your brief history videos of car brands and would maybe ask for a mazda or maybe isuzu episode…? I enjoy learning about how even a first gen neon is neat in its own way.
Thanks for being here! I'll be adding a Mazda or Isuzu episode in the future, but I won't promise how soon (or later) it will be.
As I call the Neon was Chrysler's reaction to the Saturn and was originally called project Liberty.
I had a new 95 neon. Base, 5 sp. Lots of fun and up to 40-42 mpg on the highway, even doing up to 80 mph. No problems and sold it at 100,000 miles to buy a 99 Neon R/T which was even more fun.
The manual was almost mandatory. I think the car was conceived when the US still had a 55 mph limit. Like the Corolla, it's likely rival, the 5sp had fairly tall gearing and could handle higher highway speeds easier. The automatic would have to engine screaming at 70+.
"Glorious until about 70,000 miles" pretty much describes every vehicle Dodge ever produced. Sold my challenger just under 40,000 miles. No regrets.
My first experience with a Chrysler product did not exactly go as I'd hoped. :)
I had a used 2003 neon good car fun to drive it me my wife and three kids loved it
I had a friend that had one years back. Few years newer than this one. I always remember how weird it was that It had power windows in the front and manual crank windows in the back.
I have purchased 33 new Chrysler products and 4 used. All 33 cars where trouble free, because I did the maintenance REGULARLY!!!
The 4 used Chryslers different story!
All had 70K or less and they were trouble.
No regular maintenance other than oil changes!
A couple take aways. The fact that they were still seeling a car under $9k, hell, even one under $10k in 1995, is pretty amazing. Second, probably related, the fact that they had the nerve to release a new car with a new 3 speed auto in 1995, is also amazing. Thats Chrysler, and the domestics of the time, selling on price. I dont think that they got the American consumer would pay for more, for more. How much could a 4 speed have added to the cost of the car? $100? I dont know, but i bet it wasnt much. How much would a better head gasket have added to the cost of the car? $5? You canengineer something that will get off the dealer lot and maybe go 50kmi wothout major problems to get a rock bottom price. But a few years down the road, when these cars are blowing head gaskets and trannys, the affect on reputation is priceless. The Hond-Yotas of the world understood (-stand?) this. It takes years (decades) of solid cars and reliability to earn that reputation.
I bought a new 95 Plymouth Neon 2 door. It was a white high line. 5 speed. Looked like the commercial "Hi" car. the 5 speed helped highway driving. Mine was totally unreliable. Before the 3/36 warranty was up I had a folder of warranty work repair receipts 3 inches thick. Have 5 minutes? I'll tell you everything that went wrong.
Ugh, sorry to hear that. As I said ours was "fine" until about 70k miles.
I forgot to mention that by that point the transmission would slip if it was raining. And sometimes the radio wouldn't work.
Awesomely fun car, but disposable.
I had this exact car in Highline. It was a fast little car!
We bought a very early production '95 Neon (neon) with the manual. Car it replaced it had 88 hp, Neon had 132. It was a fun car to drive, more fun when you pushed it. It was a cheap car so it had a budget interior. Kept it 217,000 miles. Would have bought a 2nd one if it had moved upscale to compete with a Civic. In '95 it was the lowest priced 4 door car in the U.S., even cheaper than the Koreans. The manual was much much better experience than the auto. A real slug. Needed a 4th and even a 5th gear. Had auto as rentals, very disappointing.
A car rental place messed up my reservation and I ended up stuck with one of these for a day. I hated it. It seemed cheap and was terrifying to drive.
Viper was peak American muscle. my brother had a 98 neon 5 speed. Dealership put three head gaskets on it in 60,000. He then promptly slammed it and put 13" rims on it. eventually busted the oil pan on a brick in the road.
Yes, the Toyota Corolla is more boring but more reliable. I still see a few late '90s Corolla on the road, but you don't see any Neons
No arguement here.... but I was fresh out of college (like 2 weeks) and my wife's car had died. We needed something. The imports (Civic and Corolla) were expensive so it was between a Neon and a Sunfire. She really liked the Neon and the Dodge dealer was open on a Sunday. :)
Drove a friends 2-door manual trans Neon on several occasions, and it was a sporty fun to drive car. Agree that the absence of a 4-speed AT at that time was a major failing on Chrysler's part. And for the record... Chrysler did NOT develop a "brand spanking new" 3-speed AT for this car. It used the same basic transaxle as the K-car used more than a decade earlier, but it was renamed.
had a green 2 door - reminded me of my old ghia - but more fun and more 'reliable' - pity they dropped the two door model with the upgrade in styling - I would have traded in for an SRT of that one. Stupid college fun
There is actually a gray four-door first gen neon in the lot here sometimes. 131k last time i looked at it
Overdrive manual transmission results in lower highway RPM than 3 speed auto, probably why it was quieter
About the noise: 1. Season plays a big part of the tire noise (tires in winter getting hard or rain tires on your car). 2. The type of your tires plays a big part of it (3 longitudinal groves versus 4 gloves). 3. Head wind or cross wind plays a part of the noise than tail wind and no wind)
You can't rebuttal the advertising claim based on solely your car.
While all true, of course we can comment on something like that. MW makes a comment about interior noise, but it would have varied for someone else based on those factors you just outlined.
Based on your reasoning, no one could ever talk about 'real world' gas mileage in a car because of a nearly infinite number of factors.
132 hp in a 4 cylinder engine in the 90s is not bad at all considering that is close to the power that V8 engines produced a decade prior.
I remember reading at the time the other reason they gave for the 3-sp auto is it allowed a tighter turning circle which they thought drivers would prefer over the lack of overdrive. Not true. I had a Saturn SC2 at the time that I drove a lot on interstates. It was kind of a 'buzzbox' at 75 and can't imagine what it would have sounded and felt like without that 4th gear.
What about the paint that refused to stay on this car? Ours always ran but never ran right. Deadt it when I began to worry about the notorious head gasket failures.
The paint was hit or miss. I've seen some older ones with no exterior issues. On others I've seen it coming off in sheets.
Unfortunately you didn't know what you had until you bought it.
The Dodge Stratus / CH Cirrus / PLM Breeze were a better choice
Those were midsize cars the neon was a compact
@@ubeuonly well when your 6’5” 260 like me it is a compact I bought it as a more economical choice when the GM smart buy contract ran out on my 94 Firebird TransAm and I found a guy to modify the seat in my Dodge Stratus ES
@@georgewilson1184 funny you should mention that but I am 6 ft 5 and exactly 260 lb and we traded in my wife's neon when my second child came on the new Stratos and I never had an issue with fitting into the car oh, my mother had a Stratus as well. Coincidentally the stratus was a very sporty car with good handling and decent Performance and features
@@ubeuonly well I have issues with my knees so this guy remounted the driver seat for me $ 300 and I believe even Shaq would have been reasonably comfortable Dodge dealer said it was impossible this guy did it in 1 hour he said it was simple when I tried it out I was comfortable the seat was fully fumtioning never any issues
@@georgewilson1184 what's a Wilt Chamberlain that once did that Honda cvcc commercial, or he was seen driving from the back seat
The only thing I remember about this car is from one owner who said that the Neon was for Peons😊
My dad had one. Great car, he traded it for a Grand Cherokee. Stellantis should consider doing something similar seeing that Ford and GM has abandoned this segment.
That's a heck of a jump from Neon to Grand Cherokee!
@@AllCarswithJon well, he did get a job promotion at the time. The neon was a good car.
I had one as a rental for a few days and hated it. I sat low, I feel like the suspension bottomed out a few times, and the body made me feel like I was driving a banana. Not sure how to describe that feeling, but I was so low in it and the front and rear felt like they curved up from the driver seat.
I've had my 98 for 12 years now. And it's kinda rubbed off on me. It's the highline that came with the single cam. That engine was turd. I swapped the dual cam into it, and that was probably the best thing you could do for the neon. I've since deleted the power steering and put some quality coilovers on it. And it handles like a dream. Even without power steering, the steering feel is obviously harder when at a stop. But the road feel is nice. It's been a 5 speed since I've owned it. And thus far that's been the weakest link. I'm on transmission #3, working on #4. The 2nd gear synchro went out of the original, the spider gear pin sheered off of the 2nd one throwing it through the side of the diff housing, and I fear that might be about to happen on this 3rd transmission as well. Other than that, it's all I can ask for in a car. Having it this long, there's literally not a single bolt on it I haven't touched yet. So it starts when I turn the key (when the battery isn't dead) and it's just fun enough to get you from A to B. I have plans of keeping it for a good long while and eventually doing a full restoration. Then really throwing some money at it to make it even more fun to drive. My plans are to make it on par or better than anything you could get today. Truly one of the most underappreciated cars ever made
Glad you love the car!
I was able to drive both the first gen and 2nd gen Neons. They were quite the improvement over the Shadow/Sundance, and worlds better than the awful Caliber that succeeded it. I thought having power windows optional on only the front windows was a strange quirk.
Fun fact: In Bob Lutz’s book “Icons and Idiots”, he mentioned that during the development of Neon, the seats were actually sourced from a supplier that used the same seat frames in the older Honda Civic to meet cost targets.
Not a fan of the 2nd gen. Just couldn't get past the looks - Chrysler lost their way by then.
Tell me about that book? Worth grabbing? Is it more 'leadership' or filled with stories about Chrysler & GM?
@@AllCarswithJon the book is a great read in my opinion. While Lutz discusses leadership skills at a high level, the book is more a story about leaders he encountered or worked for, from high school all the way to his last stint at GM. He tells some funny stories about what made some of them great, and others, let’s say quirky :) My favorite chapters were his experiences working for Phil Caldwell and Red Poling at Ford, and Lee Iacocca at Chrysler.
I would recommend it.
Side note - would you recommend the Roger Smith book?
@@johnh2514 Thanks for that... I have about 12 books I'm currently 'reading', but I might need to add that one.
The Roger Smith book isn't perfect. It's not quite chronological, but not quite grouped around milestones either (like the W-body cars). It is also old enough to not have any historical context looking back on Smiths tenure with hindsight.
BUT WOW. If you're a fan of auto books, it was really interesting. Smith was alternately a genius who was 10-20 years ahead of the auto industry, and a complete a-hole who was blind to criticism or any feedback against what he'd already decided. It was, to me, very VERY interesting. Almost (almost!) changed my opinion of him.
@@AllCarswithJon thank you! I may add that to my reading list!
As far as I am aware, the 3 speed automatic was a carryover from the K cars and wasn't really new they just gave it a new name (31TH vs A413) to go along with their new naming system (the first # indicated the number of gears, the second number indicated the strength level 1-9, the third indicated whether "t" for transverse or "l" longitudinal or "r" for rear wheel drive mounting, fourth indicated whether "h"hydraulic or "e"electronic). I will state that you were probably better off with the three-speed anyhow being at the torqueflite 3 speeds were pretty bulletproof compared to those were the early years of the ultra Drive which were not perfected by any means. With what you're saying about the interior being cheap, the use of the three-speed, yet the package was competitive for the price, that's where I think they really missed the opportunity to utilize the divisions correctly. I think the neon fit the textbook definition of what a Plymouth should be and they needed instead to make a true Dodge version that would have had more money put into the interior with better materials, more sound deadening, if possible a four speed automatic, and a little bit different styling to fit Dodge for a higher price point to compete more directly against the Corolla, Civic, and Saturn. By having two divisions competing for the same customers it killed off the weaker of the two divisions And people that were not satisfied with the interior quality, the lack of a four-speed, and other improvements prevented them from reaching a more premium clientele. The quality problems with the head gaskets can be added to the list of things that Chrysler fans can think Bob Eaton for as people claim he was the one that made them use the composite head gasket instead of the MLS head gasket from the beginning.
Concerning my own experience, I drove a 94 Plymouth Neon for my driver's education car and found it quite fun to drive, though the interior I agree felt very cheap. I think even the Sundance and shadow might have had More cost in the interior than the Neon did. They were a simplistic yet beautiful car. If the reliability had been there And I needed an economy car, that's what I would have gone with. But being that the reliability is a real factor, I think Saturn was a better choice. And honestly, I'd rather have a Saturn than a '90s Corolla And I've been in both.
Wow, great comment and I stand corrected.
I distinctly remember when the Neon was introduced reading an article about it, and that Chrysler designed an all new engine AND 3speed transmission for it. Even had quotes where designers/managers justified it because potential buyers valued the price over a 4th gear.
I've never fact-checked it in nearly 25 years.... until now. And you are apparently correct.
The Neon's auto was a revised torqueflite from the K-cars.
Wow. Thanks
@@AllCarswithJon no problem Jon. I think I read that article as well back in the day, then after going through forums and watching videos, found out it was the good old A413. I think they were going for the silly "new and improved" myth to cover up that it was the same transmission. Truthfully, not a bad choice for a value focused car as it was reliable and why spent the money on a new 3 speed in the 90s when their latest transmission design was not nearly as reliable as the torqueflite. As stated before, it would have been nice to have a 4 speed (if it could fit) for the Dodge version (preferably either one based off the torqueflite or a 3rd party unit like Aisin Warner).
You would love a Fiat 500, or especially an Abarth 500 😎
I had a chance to drive one (filmed a review on this channel) and I loved the Fiat.... it was the base engine (but "Sport"!) with an auto and still fun.
If I remember correctly, the early Saturn cars could be had with a 4-speed automatic (unlike the Neon which used a 3-speed unit). I would love to have a 1995 Saturn SL2 with the automatic. It would be better than the Neon with the 3-speed automatic.
Typical Chrysler. Overall a very good concept and design with a few very glaring drawbacks. It seems Chryslers do 90% very well, but the last 10% kills the product. For this car it was transmission, sound levels and interior finishes that killed it.
Comfort and it was better than Chevy or Fords offerings at the time and faster and with more personality than a utilitarian tin-can Japanese car. And costed less
65decibels? ?? ! They need to have Pat Goss look into their decibel meter for sure.
I knew a girl that had two of them. They were junk but they were fun junk. Easy to bake them out too. **Cough cough pass the blunt** lol.
"Fun Junk". Perfect summary
E, watched this honest video record, because now in 2023 I wish to buy a '95 Neon in Skopje, Macedonia, The North .)
( ... I bouth a new bike 10y ago, and now I want to buy 30y old car 🏁.... )
Honda NC700S motorcyclist 🍻
I hope it helped then. 30 year old Neon.... you're brave.
Read a lot of the comments here. People who had great service, and people who had tons of problems. Fun car, cheap car, but I wouldn't say overly "durable" car.
@@AllCarswithJon Sure, thank for a comment
While the Neon(both Dodge and Plymouth) is an interesting car, it should have had an optional 4-speed automatic(not an archaic 3-speed version). I would rather get the 2002-2005 Dodge Neon which had the optional 4-speed automatic. The engines were okay.
I’d go with the 95 geo Prizm over this. You could get into the 130000 miles or more with no problems
That car was a rebadged Toyota Corolla
Blown head gasket at 70,000 miles? Was that a Yugo?
I wanted a srt4 so bad but the base neon never appealed to me
I sat through your whole video knowing full well that at 30 to 35 horsepower more than any of us Rivals it was Untouchable on the street as far as performance. The Chevy Cavalier and the Ford Focus were not even the same league the Toyota and Honda versions had particleboard pressboard vinyl covered door panels the neon was head and tail nicer on the interior side. The engine may have lacked refinement but as a package deal with much more desirable and less expensive if you would have driven those comprable cars in that time. You would have a much different opinion of how good the neon really was..
Well we drove the Sunfire specifically to compare the two when shopping, my car at the time was a VW with 84hp, and a friend and roomate had a base-level Saturn, in addition to the Geos, Toyotas, and Civics I had driven in various capacities. I was well aware of the competition.
The Neon engine was rough, the interior noisy, and ride a bit on the harsh side. And we loved it.
In the time dad had a 90 escort mom had a 94 cavalier and my sister had a neon 'as a teen I liked the neon best 'it looked better and rode better '
And was more powerful and better looks
If you were in the market for a small car in the 80's/90's then getting the manual transmission was usually the better choice. Autos sapped too much of the economy and power IMO.
And yet most people who bought Neons usually got automatics. The manual was probably better at that time but most people didn't want it. That's still true today.
Problem with small inexpensive cars at that time. People moved out of bigger cars and had unrealistic expectations.
Except it was a better car then the Toyota Corolla at the time. Power 132 hp optional 150 hp much better than a Corolla. Room much better than a Corolla. Style much better than a Corolla. Price better than a Corolla. Warranty better than a Corolla. That said in the salt belt 90's Corollas rusted away. 90's Japanese cars chewed up timing belts. That said don't think the Corolla beat it in any area. Plus like you said way more fun. Wish they had something like this now a days. Fun affordable small car with a stick.
You're absolutely correct. It had much more horsepower and better performance than the Japanese cars for younger people and they didn't trust away in the north and they didn't sound like a tin can when you flip the door handle
And I ended up buying a Mazda Protege...😔
The Neon was cheaply built and it performed poorly in the IIHS crash test. It's poor build quality made it unreliable. Chrysler has poor quality control not like the Japanese who have high quality control
You complained about high revvng and road noise, not real great milage and say you had a three speed auto vs. the 5 speed. Bingo.
Thought the neon was cute but still a k-car lol
Not remotely based on the k-car.
They drove a stick, not an automatic.