Remember the Chrysler Neon? Week-long road test in Australia!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- It's easy to forget the Chrysler (or Dodge, Plymouth) Neon ever existed, but I managed to find one in Australia! A kind HubNutter loaned me the Neon for a week, so I covered a lot of miles in it hurling around Melbourne. This American compact has a 2-litre, four-cylinder engine and a three-speed Torqueflite transmission. But does it actually deserve classic car status or is it just a bit of an old duffer?
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Wanted to add to this review so it has a storyline as well. This car as plain as it is, was purchased to replace my tired Camry Vienta built here in Melbourne. The Vienta with 465,000km was the 65th car off the line, week 1 in of production. I like cars that have a uniqueness. This Neon was rusting, dented and all panels were peeling paint. It was the first delivered Neon in Australia signified by a brass plate near the battery. The gentleman that was head of the Delivery for Chrysler Australia confirmed this and he was blown away when he was given the opportunity to replace the timing belt. He said this particular car had all the warranty work completed early which saved the body and electrical to this day. I drove this car 1300km on the first week I purchased it getting 12mpg. It belched smoke and bunny hopped every mile. I painstakingly had every panel repainted and had the engine electrical system rebuilt by an enthusiastic mechanic who found parts in the UK and USA to get it running. It's now just an average run about, but people stop to take photos because there are almost none left. I would part with this one, but only to a dedicated genuine person. The lady I bought it from used to do new car RACV road tests but she had to leave Australia. It's plain, I love it's practical solid nature and I have only had Mopar trained mechanics help me fix it.
There were 2 generations to the Neon. I knew the 1st and 2nd generation were sold in a few countries in Europe, but I had no idea these ever got any further from the U.S.
Even now, the 2nd generation cars are extremely rare on roads here, as well as the car that replaced them...the PT Cruiser.
I came close, several times, to buying one of these, but only a 1st generation 2 door coupe really appealed.
Actually, I was of the opinion that these were fairly rugged cars, being quite popular in some classes of racing. And the biggest problem with them was their cheap and foolish 1st and 2nd owners.
@@howardkerr8174 hey man, I just picked up a 1st gen July 96 build with 95,000km I think it's the cleanest in the country.
@@rforracemode5846
I actually saw a " twin " to the car being reviewed just this week (a white 4 door sedan, no less). They are getting to be quite rare anymore, at least here in Florida.
I always liked the design of both generation of the Neon and thought it was a bit of a shame that Chrysler didn't do a 3rd generation but between the drubbing car enthusiasts gave the 2nd generation and the need by Chrysler to field something more along the lines of Honda's CR-V I guess they were smart to pull the plug when they did.
BTW, Chrysler Corporation has a " habit " of producing cars and trucks that folks find appealing, but unfortunately they really become appealing once they stop producing this or that model.
Sorry to be offtopic but does any of you know a trick to get back into an instagram account?
I was dumb forgot the login password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Calvin Tobias I really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and im trying it out now.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Chrysler "Neon" oh great, this should brighten up every ones day. Thanks Ian.
Just wait for the Nissan Sunny.
Only if he is playing conkers with it
I think the extra bit on the sun blind is for when you are using it on the side window.
It is, my mate's 2015 Kia Sportage has the same thing which is handy when the sun pokes past the end of the visor and blinds you.
One car review channel is quite particular about that bit in cars...
And it's also for holding your car park ticket when you're parked in a pay-and-display car park, something that they made a very big deal of in the brochures etc....
@@gosportjamie My little 2001 Nissan Sentra had one. The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze does not. Needs one for the center windshield area as well as the side. Very disappointed. Might try to rig up something with paper clips and cardboard.
@@boggy7665 A lot of modern vehicles have the centre section of the windscreen where the mirror attaches blacked out to avoid this issue. That was what I used to do on vehicles where the visors were not sufficiently large to avoid sun strike through the middle of the screen...
The neon is an odd one, sold in huge numbers, reliable, competitively priced, but too adequate for the job so they did their duty and came to the end of their lives and no one noticed. If they had just one glaring flaw and the neon would have been a cult classic. it was to good to stay in peoples minds. Up the neon!
Top work mr hubnut!
It wasn't reliable, at least not in the US. Most of em died within 5 years. You still see Civics and Corollas of that vintage but I haven't seen any of these in years.
@@Andyface79 The only common issue I've heard is head gasket failure. When that is replaced with an MLS gasket the Neon can do quite well. I have a Toyota from that era - I'm rebuilding the motor. I then got a Civic, drove it for a month - wouldn't start. I left it at a shop for two months and they couldn't get it running. a vehicle from the '90s that was exceptionally maintained might be still good now, but the years and multiple owners have led to neglect of the majority.
The Chrysler Neon was a total flop in Australia.
fun neon fact! one of the ignition keys was actually neon green when you got it new. I remember spotting the yellow/green key cap on people's rings back in the day. posh ES trim tho!
They were called glow keys because they glow in the dark too!
6:03 “CLANG!”
So it’s not just me that says that at the sound of a cheap door closing! 🤣
One more production step (well two or four, for two or four doors), spraying asphalt sound deadener on the door skin, would've cost too much!
These are especially fun with a 5-speed manual. The rear shock absorbers going is a common repair with these.
I might buy one if I found one for sale with the manual transmission
Good review. Friend of mine had a black Neon many years ago and absolutely loved it. He has since progressed to BMWs and Porsches but still recalls the Neon with fondness.
Nevermind the Neon, look at that Woolworths bag, brings back memories.
The bag is probably better built. And worth more.😉
"I've never been anywhere near any Chrysler really"
You make it sound like you were keeping your distance on purpose lol, and I wouldn't blame you.
Ah Chrysler a example of what a few bad decisions can do to a company and a few decent ones can prolong the misery and what economies of scale do to the auto market. Chrysler built a reputation for engineering in the US and is able to take credit for many automotive firsts both in the US and across the world. Coming out of World War II Chrysler was the US's 2nd largest automaker. When Henry Ford II ascended to the throne at Ford Motor Company he wanted to restore Ford's leadership in the Automotive world, in reality they moved from #3 to #2 of course Chrysler paid the price for that. With the 1950's market emphasis on styling and Chrysler's on engineering Ford leaped ahead and Chrysler made some changes. The 1957 Chrysler products put Chrysler in the styling race but tarnished their reputation for quality. About this time Chrysler developed a new platform that was unitized body with torsion bar front suspension. This became the basis for the Chrysler "B" bodies and the muscle cars that they made. US emission and economy standards hit and being the 3rd largest manufacturer had to develop the emission control systems and retool for better economy and apportion those costs across fewer units. Chrysler made some awful cars in the 70's but when Lee Iacocca came to Chrysler he helped bring the Omni-Horizon cars to production and took the money they made to develop the K cars and minivans. They were cheap utilitarian cars, they saved Chrysler but at a cost of moving them down market. They made good use of technology that fell into their hands when they acquired AMC and the Jeep name plate got them into some attractive market Niches but alas their survival is now dependent as part of a larger, non-US company. The really alarming thing is their current corporate spouse is a company that has never done well in the US.
Our family has had Chrysler products most of our lives and have enjoyed them. The AP5 we had was a tank. The VK with its 265 went like a rocket, then we went for a Sigma and Magna. The last two were the Sebring, not well built on the outside but reliable, comfortable and all the bells & whistles. Due to change in lifestyle I now have a Jeep which after 14 years is also very reliable but I have found parts are getting harder to find.
Many of Chrysler cars in Europa has to many parts from Fiat in them!
@@gunnarkvinlaug7226 Depends upon the year, Chrysler was a US automaker who in an attempt to get a presence bought several minor/failing European manufacturers including Rootes group in England and Simca in France. Chrysler partnered with Mitsubishi in the 70's and had many jint products. Chrysler became part of Mercedes Benz in the 90's until 2006-07 then back on it's own, into bankruptcy and emerging from bankruptcy to merge with Fiat.
@@fk4515 Yes, I know. But the Jeep Cheroke from 1996 I have was avaleble with a 1.7 litre TD engine from Fiat that was not very well for some reasons, Fiat engine is realy considered to be good, maybe the engine was just to small for such a big car. Mine has the american 2.5 TD.
I actually quite like these, the facelift version that came about 5 or 6 years after this was a smart looking car.
They got lambasted by both the motoring press and public alike which I think was particularly unfair. Whilst they're not amazing cars, they're really not that bad.
The automobile press compares cheap cars like the Neon with BMW, then says that the BMW is unreliable. The interior isn't leather for $10,000 new?
They sold a reasonable amount of them in Denmark too which most of them was 2.0 automatic. I actually lended my boss' s neon one day my own car was under repair. It seemed and felt really crappy made! 😮😷
You do have to wonder what possessed them to advertise SOHC on the engine cover! It'd be like putting "Pushrod" on the rocker cover of a mini.
That was more than the base Cavalier carried; I think it has a pushrod engine.
@ to me though it's like advertising that it's 8 valve.
That sun visor extension provides shade for the gap above the mirror. It works if you pull it out after you have put the main sun visor all the way against the windscreen.
These can help also when you rotate it out to shade sun coming from the side.
Nice. In 1996 I took my parents to look at one. You seemed to get a lot for your money. Dealer was very sniffy, reluctant to let us even sit in the car and no test drive. So no sale. Interior put us off anyway, especially the rear. They bought a Peugeot 406, wisely. Still have the brochure the dealer reluctantly gave us though.
No sit inside, no test drive - that's dodgy right there.
I really like these despite the crappy quality and weird styling. I know a lot of people in the States who have 200-300k miles on them. Gotta love a frameless door 😍Great review Ian!
The seals of the windows tend to leak on the Neon. I'd buy a Neon if I found one with a manual transmission.
I have spent many years, trying to forget my painfull drive in such a motor, between Norfolk and New York.... and now its all coming back !!! 😖😩😉
They used to be quite a common sight a few years ago. Now all gone! Bit of a shame really, nice looking car.
I remember a prominent British car magazine testing the Neon when it was new to the UK in the mid nineties for a head-to-head against what was probably it's closest European rival, the mk5 Escort. This version of the Escort was the second-facelift era mk5 (slim oval grille, nicer dashboard), and although it was a significant improvement over the '90 and '92 models, it still lagged behind the contemporary Astra, Golf, even Rover 200 of the era...however, it completely floored the Neon in the twin test, bested it in pretty much every area. Which said much more about the Neon than it did about the Escort.
I had two Neons, albeit the later version with the four speed auto both were very reliable right up until one got written off by a jealous Mercedes sprinter van, The remaining one my wife put well over 100,000 miles on it and the only bits I had to change were the anti roll bar bushes and suspension rubbers, very cheap bits very easy job to do.
I remember that due to exchange rates, import tariffs, or whatever reason, these were fairly expensive in Australia when new. Looking at the Redbook site: A new Neon in 1996 started at about $25,000. You could buy a base spec Toyota Camry (made in Australia) at the time for around $26,000.
One way or another you would find the other $1000, wouldn't you! The Neon was still significantly better than the PT Cruiser though.
I remember these being targeted towards the try hard Yuppie crowd when new, attracted those who wanted carpark cred (code for didn't want to buy a Corolla or Laser), but couldn't afford a Euro. VW was just starting to get their act together in Australia again at this time.
The central locking is American style, you press the unlock button once to open the driver's door or twice in succession to open all of them.
Ah. Maybe the plipper was missing. It only had a key.
Motoring Culture Magazine
is correct they came with the std Chrysler fob as used on the Voyager, one press drivers door, two presses for all doors, safety against the bad boys...
I’ve had the displeasure of driving a Neon 20 year’s ago friends of mine bought one looked nice it had a 3speed auto screamed on the highway and the car kept blowing out engine mounts for some reason and the paint kept flaking off back the it was only a 4 year old car after a couple of years traded it on a VT Holden Commodore which they had for 13 years,
The neon is a rare car in Australia they bought out the next model too but didn’t last long.
MPK Cleaning Services - Car Detailing & Window Cleaning haven't seen one for years, they were known as rubbish from the start, no competition with Japanese stuff.
At least the updated model finally had a 4 sp auto
Oldsmobile69 it was quite popular in USA initially but like many Chrysler cars, once everyone who wanted one got one, sales dried up. But they had a bit of a life as budget racer......quality? Not so much....
there was a class action law suit agianst chryser for their shit paint in this time period. Cars exposed to coastal winds/rains would have their paint just stripped off.
Cameron D.F Chisholm yes, several manufacturers had paint adhesion problems back then.
The other issue these had in the UK was eye watering part costs.
We have a PT Cruiser here in Southport that you are welcome to try out.
David Daley don’t be mean
Awesome! I can't wait for a PT review. One of my dream cars in early Limited trim.
My Dad had one as a courtesy car once , he loved it .
Always liked the neon, think the bumps at the side of steering wheel are blanks for radio controls on higher spec models.
Hi Hubnut... regarding the extending flap out of the sunvisor. Those sunvisors unclip near the wingmirrors, and the sunvisor can be rotated toward the side windows to block out glare from the sides. That extendable flappy bit is to give extra 'block out' from sun glare that peeps through your peripheral vision
I bought one (at auction) as a stop gap car in 2004. It was a 1996 2.0 auto in glossy black with cherry red leather seats, hmmm looked very fancy! But I detested the thing, it was hopelessly slow and heavy on fuel. Fortunately a kindly bus driver bashed into it and wrote it off for me. Insurance paid out 2x what I had given for it...which was nice :)
The 1990s 'organic' Ford Taurus is also a surprisingly good handling car too. I've driven Neons too, and thought they weren't bad handlers. The engine is rather agricultural though!
Nick, my great grandfather (an insurance assessor for GIO) had one of those Taurus sedans when they were new. After about 6 months, it caught on fire. He calmly told my great grandmother to get her belongings out of it and "let the bastard burn!". I don't really dislike them, they're pretty hard to come across now.
@@munnsie100 Yeah, I recall the build quality wasn't all that great on them too, plus the gearbox and electrics were unreliable. I used to trade the odd one in during my car selling days.
Keeping me happy during isolation thanks.
I had a black neon RT few years ago I thought it was good car. Put some lowering springs on and it handled great but not that fast. I think it was a bit underrated just like the MG Maestro I used to have.
The steering wheel pods are for cars with steering wheel controls.
More specifically, they were the locations for cruise control buttons
Those early Neons are still around in the Northwest US today. They were family sturdy mechanically and in thos area nothing rusts which is why the fairly high survival rate
Probably the only Neon in Australia that doesn't have faded yellow headlights! I remember loving the styling when these things came out? I don't know why either. It might have been the badging.
Im from Slovakia and i still use Neon(1st gen 1998) as a daily driver. For low price u get great handling, punchy manual gearbox, excellent reliability. Even after 255 tousands of kilometers, car works perfectly. The biggest problem is rust, but for 22 years old car, what can u expect.
Hi Ian, so glad you have all this material. I'm sure you are cheering up many people's lockdowns like myself. Cheers
Remember when this came out, auto express I am sure took this on a road trip around American named towns in the UK. I seen one of the facelifted ones yesterday while out on my daily walk.
Hired one in US quite liked it. what i found when i got home was the the base model was the same price in GBP as the top spec was in USD despite GBP being strong at the time. didnt but one
Lots of these in the US in the '90s, but they never hit the mark elsewhere. I did like the forward design of the time, shame Chrysler couldn't add more quality.
They did a sportier version in the US i think it was called the SRT or something. Bigger engine (250bhp) different bodykit, wheels, spoiler,slightly better interior. Still wouIdn't want one. think Doug Demuro did a video on one
The neon platform was also used on the PT Cruiser and....beleive it or not,the jeep compass. (AKA the heap cumpiss)
Mercmad the neon platform is all Mitsubishi.
The "bulbs" on the steering wheel are for cruise control switches. If the car was ordered without it, they were blanked out. As for the power locks, the way they operate is the standard for American cars in the days before keyless entry and remote locks. One must open the driver's door and then hit the power lock switch.
I remember the sporty SRT4 as well. Talking of Chryslers you don't see many PT Cruisers , 300c's that often now.
Did a roadtrip with a couple of mates from Chicago to Toronto years ago .. The car was pretty basic but did the job ... I even managed to get a speeding ticket in it
I love the quaint stretchy coil springs holding up the trunk lid.
I had one of these back in 2013. I got it for free, as the previous owner was just glad to have it out off their yard. The build quality is horrible, both internally and externally. It probably didn't help that the car had been sitting under a tree with a window partially open and a tail light missing for six or seven years.
Although the car really was fun and easy to drive, it just had too many problems. I owned the car for about a year, and during that time it leaked a lot of oil (about 1 liter for every 400 km). Both front struts were shot, and one of the rear ones literally burst, gushing oil all about the wheel well. Also a strut mount failed, the heater didn't work, the driver side window would only roll up (had to be helped by hand to get down) and the driver side door lock fail every time it got cold. A rubber plug on the fuel tank also suddenly failed, leaking an entire tank of gas onto my driveway.
Common problems with these were oil leaks from the rear main seal, and headgasket failure. If the car was reliable and in good condition I would definitly consider replacing the rear main seal and keeping it, but the problems kept building up. I sold it in the end of 2013 for scrap.
Although these are easy to work on (the suspension and underpinnings are super primitive), all the nuts and bolts are in imperial units instead of millimeters. So you would need an extra set of tools if you're not used to work on american cars.
Chrysler Neon, HubNut approved. You are more likely to win the lottery in the Netherlands than to see a leftover Neon.
I just remembered that I saw frameless windows for the first time as a child on a neon! A neighbor had one and I remember being very surprised when I saw the open door with the rolled down window and nothing over it!
I always quite liked the first-gen Neon! They had decent performance for what the were, especially with a manual and they had a bit of character with the more unique styling. As for the handling, they were somewhat popular with people doing Autocross/Autotests back in the day...especially the sporty ACR and R/T trims. :)
The bumps on the sides of the steering wheel would be where the Cruise Control buttons would be located on models so equipped!
Can almost smell the warm plastic! A pretty tidy car tbh. Always nice to see cars that get pretty much ignored being driven and reviewed. Enjoyed that! 😊👍
I sold a 1987 Ford Fairlane to purchase a Chrysler Neon new in 2000 in a Cranberry colour. It was the model after the one you tested when they had full frame doors. Her smile brightened my day as soon as I went into the garage to go for a drive. I fitted low profile wider tyres on larger rims which turned her into an oversize go kart. She was the family car for 10 years and then served my daughter for a further 6 years. She was always serviced by a trusted mechanic and had over 250,000 kilometres when she was sold to a Neon wrecker who promptly repainted her and gave her to his daughter. We still see her occasionally driving about. During her tenure with us, she required no repairs of any kind, only maintenance. Typical American car, jus keeps going. The last models sold here had a four speed automatic but acceleration was only marginally better. Check out the SRT4 model in the US. The Neon SRT-4 rips to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, to 100 in 13.8, covers a quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 102 mph, and keeps on going all the way to 153 mph. We replaced her with a Honda Accord Euro which is a brilliant car but it does not have the same character. Still miss Neon.
You like the “cute face” because of the Matiz I reckon.
Too much clumsy pointless front overhang IMO... absolutely my pet hate on so many modern cars ( especially the current Minis ).
I think they are neat little cars. An old girlfriend of mine had one and I liked it.
The sunvisor extension is for when the sun is on the drivers door. You pivot the sunvisor to block the sun, and there's a little bit more to block.
Kind of car where you're go to return it and the owner would be like, "I don't own a Dodge Neon".
😄
I remember the Neon being twice as expensive in Germany, than in the USA. Same with the entry spec Mustangs and Camaro of 1990. Bought in the USA, they were cheaper than an entry level spec Golf II, in Germany. Those were great exchange rates back then. It was also the time a local Honda dealer got one of the first Acura NSX, there. He still has it. Loved those times.... Thanks for reminding, Ian !
As a Crown owner, I CANNOT WAIT to see the Crown video.
Lovely Jubbly Mr HubNut, they don't seem to rust down under like they did in the UK.
One problem They had in the UK, frosty mornings try opening the doors and the windows would shatter, I still like them
My best mate and his wife had one some years ago. I don't remember how old it was at the time. What I do remember is that, firstly, in similar fashion to another friend's dad's Datsun 240k decades before, it kept parting company with paint finish when it was washed. This resulted in large areas of bonnet and roof with almost no paint at all (shades of said Datsun with its special nomadic metallic finish). Secondly, if memory serves correctly, it ended it's life in a pool of oil and coolant following some kind of catastrophic engine event. Failed timing belt springs to mind.
the American ones had awful bother with blowing head gaskets. more so than rover k series. but Chrysler refused to admit there was a problem. and wriggled out of claims soured the experience for a lot of owners. apart from the acres of plastic it handled ok. when i came back to the uk. noticed them sold here at a massively inflated price, with a different engine 1800 rather than the troublesome 2 litre i bought a second hand rover 100 instead that lasted 11 years. till a "lady owner"in a bmw wrote it off. as she couldn't see it in front of her .
I owned a neon in the same spec for 4 years and found it to be a superb car. It looked good unlike today's boxy lookalikes! pulled like a train was good on fuel and the 3 speed auto was never an issue. I didn't ever feel it was a cheap car. Should have kept it longer and not traded it in for a Freelander (another story!)
The weakness withe the early SOHC models was the head gasket, that's what did for mine. It was a good comfy cruiser, handling was good. It didn't like hills, as you discovered, really needed a 4 speed box. Mine had electric windows, one jammed, fortunately shut. I almost forgot, the brake pipes rot.
Hatfa say, I didn't think I'd like this when I started this vid, but once again Ian, you've converted me lol
As a low-cost runabout or as a first car, one of these actually seems like a good bet (if you can find one that's in good nick here in the UK, that is). The Fisher Price-quality plastics would personally grate a little, but for the money they're going for now, one can't complain. All in all, a unremarkable, if competent, wee motor. Fine vid once more. :)
Would be interesting to have one in the UK now, remove the badges and most people would be guessing what it is when driving it around. Very watchable vid Ian, thanks
Nice extended review of this model, which as others have noted, was common as dirt here in the States! I recall an article in a late-1980s Road & Track magazine which featured the Neon Concept car; it sported a direct-injected 3 cylinder 2-stroke engine, and a very avante-garde interior...Several years ago, while driving to the Cleveland airport, we were passed by not one, but seven Neons, which had all been "sportified" (read "riced"). I raised my eyebrows and said "Seriously?!", but I understand that it's quite a decent platform for custom mods. There's a yellow example down the street from us, which I can frequently hear farting and crackling by...
In the US we had Plymouth and Dodge Neons,they were identical other than the badges.Sold like crazy,the rear suspensions wer bad when new.They did have a rather tasty sort model with a turbo.Dion has a nice Neon,probably explains his purchase.
We owned the facelifted version from new here in Melbourne, it had a few more options included than the example tested here. I know it has it's shortcomings, but to be honest, it served my wife very well for around 5 years. We then shipped it via train to tropical North Queensland and my wife's brother used it for another few years up there, without issue, accept for a small annoying oil leak which was ultimately sorted out after a few attempts by the local dealer.
One of the strangest barn finds ever: 150 of these were found in Singapore back in 2011, no radio either so proper Hubnut spec!
My nephews first car was a neon. I never did like the looks but it was a good car to him.
They created a new racing class in SCCA just for these, as they were beating the pants off lots of serious cars. I did parking lot events in a friend's, and it was pretty scary, and very fun to drive.
Used to have the facelift W reg 2lt auto Neon,it was a car I shouldn't have sold... absolutely amazing
Just picked up a July 96 build SE neon with 95,000km. Original windscreen, headlight protectors and bonnet protectors. I love my neon and its a real shame people didn't value these cars more because even though their basic they were reliable and they did it economical.
Did you come near Australian-built Chryslers anyway? I know you didn't see a Chrysler Centura (which was originally a Rootes design by Roy Axe's design team), but did you see a Valiant over there, or any of the rebadged Mitsubishis?
I sadly didn't. I did try later Magnas.
Always wondered what they were like when they came into the UK ------ Great Catch Ian !!!
I like the quirky styling too. An old friend of mine had one identical to this (UK) although by the time he got his we drifted apart.
A replacement to the Plymouth Sundance iirc, which in turn was a successor to the Plymouth Horizon, many of us will recognise with Talbot badging.
you nailed it when you said strip it down and it looks ike a subaru, or at least an attempt of it , i have never owned one but the srt version looked fun
I had two Neons with 5-speed manuals that they were both very good vehicles with plenty of guts, decent handling and lots of nice features. Mine were reliable and good to drive.
I will correct one thing: contrary to popular belief, the PT-Cruiser was not based on the Neon, it is was based on the Chrysler Cirrus platform which was a lightly larger vehicle with a 2.4 litre four.
When you unlock with the key turn it twice, should unlock all doors. The bobbles on the steering wheel are where the cruise control would go.
Great review Ian.. If they spent a few more quid on the quality and a better auto box it would be a cracking collectors car and daily driver I reckon. 130bhp + ? I'd have one. Rare car now here in the UK..
I remember a Neon like this being parked near my primary school when I was younger, around 2007-2009 or so. They were very hard to come across even then, so it piqued my interest way back then. They were never a common sight here in Australia, so tripping over one isn't a common experience. The turquoise/green badges are so 90s! Looking forward to seeing the Crown!
Great vid Mr Seabrook, I had a 51 plate neon r/t in red about 10 years ago, itgot less red every time I washed it, mine had thick plastic wood accents and the dash top reflected in the windscreen all the time , which was nice 🤣
These cars were alright, had a Plymouth neon as a rental car back in 1995 in Florida and 2004 a Dodge neon. No problems, did the job, nice to drive.
Fun fact: when you optioned power windows in these you only got power front windows, the rears were still manual. That seems somewhat common in cars sold in Europe but in the States it was a major WTF.
I had completely forgotten that the Neon ever existed - can't remember the last time I saw one. 4 cylinder exhausts are interesting; some are dull, some just plain uncouth. I always thought the best was the early Volvo 144, especially the estate. Very early production Metros sounded remarkably similar.
The Neon was originally meant to have the Australian designed Orbital 2 stroke direct injection engine. The cab forward, low bonnet line design was meant to emphasis the compact engine. However the engine was expensive to produce and stricter emissions legislation meant that Chrysler switch to a conventional 4 stroke motor.
I used to see these around in Ireland (Voyager too) but they all vanished long ago. I remember a misfortunate dealer in Limerick was selling Chrysler, Fiat and Saab at various stages
As everyone is struggling for content in the current climate (yours is still remarkable thank you) I thought you may consider a feature on the humble windscreen wiper, if only to mention Gladstone Adams from my home town of Whitley Bay! Maybe run down a ‘top ten’ with some montages of your test drives etc ?😀👍🏻 Anyway, keep up the great work and stay safe!
It's been many, many years since I last saw a nice example of a Neon. Here they were sold variously as the Dodge Neon, Plymouth Neon, or Dodge SX 2.0 and for a many years, they were everywhere, being cheap and entirely adequate. Btw, when she wanted a new car, my middle-aged accountant bought a PT Cruiser, which describes that car in a nutshell.
What a lovely car brilliant video Ian
Hi Ian,had was of these on hire when i was on holiday in Florida years ago , i think it was a Dodge neon, the car was brand new and had 14 miles on the clock when i got it from airport it drove lovely,the air con had 2 settings cold and super cold, i actually wanted one back in the uk. Farewell and stay safe.
Actually, the cold to warm lever should have controlled the temperature quite nicely by introducing varying amounts of air that went through the heater core. If you just meant it put out the BTU's, that was is typical on American cars. Even Mercedes back then might not have enough capacity in the AC to keep up with American heat and sun while some crap Ford or Chevy would be super cold in summer desert conditions and not over heat either like a Toyota might.
One of the Neon’s greatest attributes when new was that its styling was such a mighty leap ahead of its predecessors, the “K-Cars.” The K-Car design seemed to be to fold metal into a box and stick chrome on it. The Neon, in contrast, was curvaceous and rich in personality. For that matter, most of the Chrysler (along with Dodge and Plymouth) styling of the time took this new approach, and while not outstanding cars, at least they were rather nice to look at.
I owned both the model you are testing and the later model. My '97 model, was white also, it looked much better than the specimen driven here that has a re-paint (suggested by the colored bumpers, usually gray), un-flattering pin-striping and non original colored badges that in my opinion spoils it's overall appearance. The air conditioning provided is excellent if serviced, in fact it was one of the best ac systems I have experienced. The downsides were the headlights, they went opaque and required re-surface polishing and the body was galvanized dipped, this caused paint to flake, particularly on the roof. The later model I owned , 2000 from memory, I did not drive too much, for although it looked great the previous owner had lowered the suspension, spoiling the ride and accentuating any ripple in the road surface and particularly a pot hole.
The 2 door Neon was quite entertaining and was even raced, the 4 door, typical Chrysler grocerygetter of the era. The 3 speed torqueflte was a fine transmission, when attached to a fairly high revving v8 for drag racing, but for a 4 cylinder, not so much...i
Prefer the Nomad. 4-speed automatic, hatch, wonderful speedo that you could draw little ducks on the red ribbon if stuck for something to do on a rainy day. Simple engineering. My little ducks swam up and own the speedo for four years! In short, fun. That said, the Neon is prettier by today's standards.
I live near the Chrysler headquarters and several assembly plants in the US. Theres nothing to "remember" about them because that means people forgot them, and thats hard to do as they are still seen daily.
The mk1 neon R/T was a completely different animal. 16V, 160hp, 5 speed. Many ended up as Club racers
Had one at extra cost on a Florida fly-drive holiday some years ago. The car included for free was a Hyundai Accent 3 door.
Hired one in Florida in 1996, metallic green, called it metal Micky