Another in a series of my reviews that appeared in the online version of African Americans On Wheels, a now defunct automotive magazine that was included as an insert in the Sunday newspapers of major cities.
This piece ran on April 1, 1998, and was my first experience with a stick-shift Neon. I’d driven several since they were popular rental fodder back then, and always enjoyed myself despite the antediluvian 3-speed automatic. I only wish I had a better memory of it because lately I’ve been thinking about finding one of the few R/Ts left out there and adding it to my non-existent collection of cars. I think it’d be fun weekend runabout.
Even though this was only my fourth review, my editor made very few changes, and even those were hardly noticeable. She even left in my Monica Lewinsky jab. The only change I didn’t like was where she wrote that the Dodge Neon had a “cousin in a Plymouth family.” The Lincoln Corsair is a cousin to the Ford Escape. The Plymouth and Dodge Neons were identical twins, and I’m not quite sure why she felt what I wrote was not accurate. I added my original sentence in strkethrough so you don’t think I’m an idiot.
In addition, you have to take the “sports-car fast” comment within the context of the time. And, yes, I know that the hood-to-deck stripes date back to the Shelby Cobra. However, it was the Viper that was aping the Cobra. The Neon R/T was aping the Viper.
The cute, compact Dodge Neon has never lacked appeal. In some respects, it’s vaguely reminiscent of the Volkswagen Beetle, with its round headlamps and curved roof.
Introduced in January 1994, the Neon was originally sold in identical Dodge and Plymouth versions. The Neon was introduced January 1994 with a cousin in the Plymouth family. As the Neon nears the end of its product cycle and sales of compact cars decline, both divisions have created packages to attract buyers. Plymouth, the value/economy division, added a “Style” model that offers luxury features previously unavailable on the Neon, such as power windows, locks, and moonroof.
For those who like a little Tabasco in their lives, Dodge, Chrysler’s performance division, added an R/T package (those letters can also be found on the heart-stopping Viper R/T 10).
Besides the two Viper-like hood-to-deck vertical stripes, the $2,140 R/T package, available on both the coupe and sedan, includes air conditioning, 150-horsepower engine, four-wheel disc brakes, quicker steering ratio, sport seats, sport suspension, rear spoiler, fog lamps, cassette stereo, and larger tires.
Acceleration is sports-car fast: Dodge says 0-60 in 7.6 seconds. The Goodyear Eagle tires stick to the road like reporters on Monica Lewinsky. Around town, I took corners faster and faster and still couldn’t find the Neon’s upper limit. The 5-speed manual transmission is smooth and precise, impressive for a company that was known for some of the worst manual transmissions in the industry.
As in any other sports car, the major sacrifice is with noise and ride. The R/T is quite loud at highway speeds, and the ride is rough. Other problem areas include poor rear visibility due to the up-swept trunk and rear spoiler.
On the plus side: the high trunk is roomy, and the 60/40 fold down rear seat adds even more space. With the seat up, two can fit comfortably in back.
Overall, this Neon is worthy of the R/T moniker, and a lot of fun for the price.
For more information contact 1-800-4-A-DODGE
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 150 horsepower, 2.0 liter I4
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
EPA Mileage: 29 city/38 highway
Tested Price: $15,810
I saw one of these Saturday. It’s amazing that a cheap, ridden hard and put away wet, Chrysler product would still be around 22 years later. Previous cheap domestic cars like Escorts and Cavaliers and Omnirizons had a lifespan of about 5 years of “normal” use as treated by their impecunious owners, 7-10 years if really well cared for and a good individual car.
These cars got a lot of respect when new as considered a huge leap forward from their Shadow/Sundance predecessors. Consider when this car debuted in 1994 the Cavalier was doddering around in original form with engine changes since 1982 and Ford gave up on the Escort, farming development out to Mazda. Small cars were sold grudgingly at a loss by the Big 3 as CAFE compliance vehicles, allowing them to sell cash cows like trucks, minivans, and the full boat luxomobiles. The Neon was designed to be profitable and fun to drive, which were rare for domestic automakers.
The Neon got a lot of initial respect but eventually got, like the PT Cruiser, a soiled reputation. I really don’t think these were as non-durable as their reputation seems to say or that one I saw Saturday would not have lasted 22 years. The Neon also appealed to a younger and more exciting crowd than the Civic and Corolla competition so while there are plenty of Grandmas out there buying Civics and Corollas, Neons lived fast, exciting, short lives.
Ford Escorts and Mercury Tracers are still somewhat common around Multnomah County however, the other cars you mentioned are practically extinct.
I love “for more information contact 1 800 dodge”. Oh how things have changed
Your editor blew it, again. Oh well…
“The Goodyear Eagle tires stick to the road like reporters on Monica Lewinsky.”
I let out an audible chuckle when I read that line. How innocent we were when that was the “big news.”
Identical twins, indeed! Other than the fact that one was badged “Dodge”and the other “Plymouth,” what was the difference between the two? The wheel covers? (I’m not even sure about that!)
At launch, the Plymouth and Dodge badges were the only difference. Even the trim levels were the same: Base, Highline & Sport. In 1996, the upper trims started varying between the two. Wikipedia has a good summary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Neon
Bought my Daughter a new 1998 Neon Sport coupe for her last year in college. 150 horsepower with power bulge good. Rear spoiler, 5 speed manual. She had it 10 years, then I took it for snoer 2 1/2 years. Quick, fun, inexpensive and dependable. Had just under 150,000 miles when I traded her in. For $13,000, best car buy I ever made.
Test drove one in early spring ’98, right off the truck, in purple with A/C delete, stripe delete and all the go fast goodies. Went like a scalded cat, handling was reasonably competent. Brakes were really, really consistent. The HVAC-Radio dash bezel fell off when the salesman and I returned to Courtesy Chrysler, which was one of the dealerships in my city. About a week later, I bought a year old Cavalier RS (2.2l, 5 speed, 15 inch wheels, spoiler, tweedish upholstery with leatherette seatbacks, radio delete) that had been leased by a Canadian Navy sailor who’d been shipped to the West Coast and the car was returned to GMAC with 5000km. Drove that thing for 3 years until it was rear ended and written off.
Never regretted passing on the Neon, which incidentally had the same sticker price as the used Cavalier.
I have a 1997 Plymouth Neon Highline 4 door sedan that I purchased brand new. At 23 years old and with 224, 000 plus miles on the clock is just as much fun to drive as it was when new. It is my daily driver and I do my best to maintain the car in the best condition possible. Finding factory parts is getting harder but the aftermarket is working well.
I LOVE THIS CAR and never regretted buying it.
Hello Kevin. Well I own a 1997 Dodge Neon Highline and I was wondering if I could email you and ask you a few questions bcuz I had nothing but problems with my Neon and one thing the manual says compare the car with a car that works so please respond to this I guess and hopefully you can help me. If everyone else can see this. I’ve had my Neon since April of last year it has 168,680 and I’ve had nothing but problems. In the beginning I couldn’t go over 45mph. And just like everything else once one thing breaks and you fix it GET READY, time to fix something else and etc. Now almost a year later and I’m still fixing stuff and I can’t shake this group of codes p0300-P0304 if none of you are familiar it’s misfires. Anyways, Kevin or any Neon owners please drop a line and point me into a direction and yes I’ve done it all except gasket. Thank you
I put 140k on a new 99 RT electric blue sedan, only giving it up as a $4500 down payment on a new black 05 SRT4 ACR. Same weight with well over 50% more power. The SRT4 fixed the few issues the RT had, like wheel hop and torque steer, and improved performance everywhere else for the heck of it. The RT was still more fun, offering plenty of passing and hill climbing power and traction that cruised through bad weather that left countless pricier vehicles in the ditch. Despite all that, punching the throttle on wet roads would start an easily controlled and very enjoyable power slide. Damn thing was comfy too, particularly when compared to the SRT4’s Viper inspired deeply bolstered seats designed for a someone smaller than I. It even got up to 40MPG. I really miss that car.
I had a 99 Sport Coupe that I too miss very much. The 5 speed gear box eventually succumbed to OEM bushing degradation and sloppy shifts, but I replaced those with urethane bushings and we were back in business. Mine was T-boned in an intersection by an uninsured driver in 2012 and ruled a total loss. Man that car was fun!
I’m actually building a ’98 R/T Sedan (black with the silver racing stripes) into an asphalt circle track car to run at our local 1/5 mile Speedrome, where we’ll be facing a buzzing hive of older VTEC Civics and Integras. For our class the cars are restricted to a fairly stock state as far as modifications go, although I strongly suspect many of my fellow racers have a fairly loose interpretation of this (judging by how fast in a straight line one of the older preludes with a stock 135hp engine actually is). On paper, our 150hp DOHC Neon should be fairly competitive once we have the suspension dialed in, well, and competent driving. We lucked into a Mopar PCM that raises redline up a few hundred to 7400, and I dropped in some junkyard 2.7 V6 cam followers and 2.4 DOHC (PT Cruiser/Sebring/etc) lifters to help us deal with sustained high revs. Only other engine modification is an oil catch can and baffled oil pan. The wheels are some very trick pieces, OE units off a ’91 Chrysler Imperial, they look like regular multi-hole steelies but are actually super lightweight (12lb) alloys. Tires are restricted to very un-sporting 70+ series sidewall street tires, so that leaves most folks running 185/70R14s, most Douglas A/S and other $40 walmart specials.
Once we hit the track maybe I can write up a piece for CC, well along with a whole COAL series maybe if I can finally commit the time.
I would love to read a Neon track piece, sounds like a blast! I suppose track time is going to be a while coming, though. I hope you and yours are staying healthy.