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Comments
3% over invoice is a good deal but again unlike our American counterparts, we Canadians don't have access to Canadian invoice pricing, so we would have to believe the dealer when he/she says its 3% over invoice. I'm here in Calgary and Varsity Chrysler has a website up that will sell you a Chrysler Neon for 2% over invoice and you can still get either the rebate or the financing rate. The site is www.chrysler4less.com . They can quote you a price within the hour, and will sell to anyone across Canada.
hopes this helps
Didn't bother checking any volkswagens two much money not enough car.
And kia and daewoo nuff said.
The Elantra -Cons- Incredibly noisy. everybody seems to cut up the Neon in this category but the elantra was way worse. The seatbelt chime is annoying as hell and the top model in canada ve I think has barely anything accept power win and doors and cruise yikes. The materials in it also felt pretty cheap and the cruise control on a lever instead of on the steering wheel was cheap looking and a pain to use.
-Pros- Engine has good power 140 hp and the exterior styling is very sharp. side note (If a tibiron had been cheaper it would be a sweet car.)
Sentra- cons- small interior and trunk. On the xe I tested I could feel every bump. It may handle well but your butt is going to be in pain after a long trip. Stereo wasn't that great either. Exterior styling decent but bland compared to the competition.
pros- well engineered fairly quiet engine, interior was nice and usefull handling uh guess that's it.
Protege- cons- more expensive then a neon, interior even in the top model felt cheap and seemed bare and overall pretty ugly. Not as ruff as the sentra but the bumps could definitely be felt. I believe the cruise control like the elantra was badly placed. (protege owners is it on a lever? I can't remember for sure)
Pros- Decent engine, it has a 4 speed auto, Nice exterior simple yet sleek and eye catching, something that will still look decent after a few years. Handles very well, good visibility, fairly comfy to ride.
Finally what I chose Neon
Cons- trunk a bit too high hard to see out the back of the car. Lower it a bit at least? please? thus blind spots. 3 speed auto sucked when trying to accelerate but the engine was not yet broken which really didn't help either. Only power windows in the front and roll down
windows in the back? a bit of wind noise but that's why we listen to music when we drive right? a little bit of body roll but still handles great.
Pros- stereo with 4 disc player inside the car. by far the best factory stereo out of all these cars great bass, 6 speakers and for me that's important. handles great. still pretty peppy despite the 3 speed. cool colours I want silver or salsa red. Features are plentiful and fairly inexpensive to add compared to competition. alloy 15inch rims look sweeeeet!!! The interior feels the most luxurious and roomy out of the bunch. Best suspension finally an econ car that didn't let me feel every bump. Most of all this car looks sweet. Best looking of the econ's in my opinion.
Well I know this was long but hopefully it helps someone with there decision making.
Peace
myself. I work shift work and it's too much
bother to try and work in a trip to the dealer
so I skipped the free oil change. On the filter
I took off were the words "FACTORY INSTALLED".
So if anyone is putting off that first oil change
for too long and something does go wrong there's
a smoking gun hanging on your engine to give DC
room to weasel out of paying. I have a co-worker
who is at 9000 miles on her Camry and hasn't yet
changed the oil. I keep telling her, but she says
she'll get to it someday.
Like others, I shopped for a six weeks looking at comparable cars at all American manufacturers. Mine's a SOHC, 4dr highline. Nice car.
I have never owned an US made car having lived abroad most of my life and because of the poor reliability/fit and finish reputation of them.My previous cars have been a euro-spec VW GTI and Toyota Celica (left hand drive)along with a Volvo 244 and BMW 5-series sedan.
My comparison cars were the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla,VW Jetta (V6) and the Saturn.All four were woefully short in acceleration and cornering,were very expensive fully loaded,and had the personality of a well-made microwave (read boring).
What attracted me to the NEON was the value for the money and the absolutely intoxicating performance of this car.The interior of the car was well finished and I particularily liked the readability of the instruments and the functionality of the Stereo and ventilation controls.The interior is surprisingly roomy for a small car and the seats are comfortable and supportive,(albeit a bit more seat is needed under the legs IMHO).
The performance of the car is on a par with anything I have owned.Maybe it's because I insisted on getting a 5-spd (which,BTW, was VERY difficult to locate),or just plain luck, but this economy US made car flies, and sticks to the road like glue.
Although the engine noise has been berated by the magazines as obtrusive,I love it's tone and sense of urgency, and feel that it compliments the get-a-ticket acceleration of the car. The gearbox is one of the best I have used,although I would have preferred a lower fifth (I'm crazy ,in that regard).Smooth and deliberate gear shifts.
The creature comforts are really nice (power side mirrors,remote doors and windows, and the A/C is very powerful.I don't care a hoot about no rear power windows,it's me that mainly drives the car.
My only complaints are; I had to increase the tension on the two rear trunk lid springs (by moving them to the second anchor hole) in order for the lid to pop up more forcefully.It worked OK but not to my personal satisfaction. The small fabric covered door panels had wrinkles in the material the apparently was caused by them not being glue/pressed onto the foam. This was easily fixed by simply pressing the material by hand against the foam.
My biggest complaint is sure to be the speeding tickets I will recieve driving this vehicle. Once the engine is broken in I will flog it.It is an exhilarating small car to drive,and very much underestimated as a performance car.To me,it IS a performance car when bought with the 5-spd,ABS, and Alloy options.For some strange reason almost nobody orders/has the 5-spd model,which is the only way to go with this car.The 3-spd automatic kills the power of this car.
I also notice a lack of reliability reports for a car that has been out for at least 9+ months. Most reliability reports seem to be for the older body style cars and don't really help much, as the 2000 is completely different. I would also like get a performance exhaust, but none seem to be available for the 2000.
In conclusion, my first US made car has me immensely satisfied for the $15,000 I paid for it (inlusive of ext.warranty,LoJack anti-theft,taxes,tags).I cannot say that it will be reliable because I have not had it long enough (hence my desire for reliability info,specific to the 2000)to guage it.I will hope for the best.
A competent,well finished (overall),exhilarating,
econo car that is a bargain to buy.
Thanks
In seriousness, the Focus is probably getting attention because a) it's the first truly competitive econobox Ford has built in ages and b) it's the closest thing to a world car in the market today.
That's about it. I haven't driven one, but I have been in one, and the interior is Quite Bad. Typical Ford - lots of plastic, generic labeling, and no feel. The 00 Neon's interior is vastly superior.
I read that R/T test in Automobile and was just blown away by the criticism... will have to see how it all pans out.
Paul
I personally love the size of the shifter knob (and the easy shifting gearbax)and the seat's "grippy" fabric does not stop my butt from moving.
Nit picking to the extreme.These same folks,if the engine was muffled and the seats more slippery,would complain "gone in the xxxx NEON is the wonderful song of the engine and the grippy seats of the 2000. model" I kid you not, this is probably what they would say.
As for the Focus, it seems that just because FORD has a somewhat passable compact,despite years of horrendously bad compacts, it is now the "shining light" for the rest of the world. What rubbish.
My main contention is that for what I paid ($15,000), I got a fully loaded 5-spd car that can run with, and surpass many cars that cost thousands more.The fact that it has a nice interior,fresh styling,and creature comforts also,is the icing on the cake.
I just don't know what to make of the reviews.They seem to dwell on the unimportant, while ignoring the larger issue of overall goodness.
BTW, has anyone with a 2000 NEON for several months care to relate any real world problems/praise?
I've had more problems with this car than any other car I've owned. My Ford Escort had 130K miles on it when I traded it for the Neon. Never had any major problems with it. Just normal maintenance.
My biggest complaint? The engine idles very low (almost to the point of stalling out) at stops. The service department can't seem to find what's causing it. Now they're telling me it's "normal". I don't think so. I've driven three other Neons (all rentals) and not had the same problem. I've had many other problems with this car. If you'd like a list, just ask.
Needless, to say, I will be trading my Neon in soon before the 36K mile warranty expires.
Have'nt had that problem with idling on my manual 2000 neon.Also I would be interested from a selfish standpoint, of any other problems you had and at what mileage they occured.
Thanks
I still like this car after 18k. I think with the extended warranty I paid too much. Even after all the rebates. Especially 9.9% APR. What was I thinking. I will never buy another vehicle so quickly.
My main problem with the car has been with the starter. It seems to get hot and quit sometimes.
It happen when I had 6k and I was on may way to my wedding. What luck. Dearler replaced starter switch but I think I need a whole new starter.
My main complaint with the car is with the maintaince. I no this is a small complaint but acording to the manual at 30k I need new plugs and the coolant flushed. I suppose I got spoiled with chevy trucks with platinum sparkplugs and dexcool coolant. I know this is a small complaint
but it is the new 2000 model.
I also do have the static problem and a very loud
power steering & cheap tires.
All in all, its a good car. I am glad its my wife drives it and likes.
As for me, I'll just keep driving chevy trucks.
Problems so far:
1. Piston ring broke at 3500 miles.
2. Around 6500 miles, service department informed me that the intake valves were carboned up. They also "flashed" the computer to try to resolve the idling problem that started after cylinder head was replaced at 3500 miles.
3. At 9500 miles the power steering went out. The pump had to be replaced.
4. At 11000 the alternator bolt broke. Both the bolt and the alternator had to be replaced.
5. Within a couple hundred miles after that the CD player broke and had to be replaced.
The front motor mounts have been replaced twice in attempt to fix the idling problem.
Tomorrow I'm taking it back to have the console lid replaced. It's all bubbled. The window pillars in the middle of the car(outside) are discolored(turning brown). I'll ask about that tomorrow.
The windshield was also warped. I opted to not replace it as the warp was not in my line of sight and the service department felt I might have more problems (leakage) if they replaced it. However, about two months ago, I took a rock off the windshield and it cracked. It was replaced then.
My gas mileage has never been what I expected it to be. The best was 27 mpg. It averages about 25 in mostly highway driving.
My loaded 2000 ES 5 speed with 7500 miles has been trouble free thus far. I have seen none of the problems you are experiencing.
My opinion on your 2000 is that you should contact Chrysler and tell them that you will be initiating a "lemon" action against them. Look at this sample complaint letter;
http://www.lemonaidcars.com/complaint_letter.htm
I do not think that the situation will get better before it gets worse. The problems you are having seem to point to just about everything on the darn car!
Have you kept documentation on the service problems that you were having? I would also contact your state's Attorney General and consult a lawyer.
You definitely have a lemon and I can only hope that it is an isolated incident. That's no consolation for you I know. but I feel for you.
By all means try to get a full refund or a new car.
Hope it all works out
Just realized that you car has 31K and would be outside the "lemon law" period. My apologies for the oversight. I would however get a legal opinion (if you can afford the cost),as your case
seems to point to an overall problem.
Randy
Both of my cars had/have 5 speeds.
When I traded my 95 the salesman asked me if I had any problems. I said no. He told me, before he went to look at the car, that it must be a 5 speed.
Apparently the Neon automatic is week but for some reason it also creates problems for other non related parts of the car.
I have driven the new Focus. When equipped with the 5 speed it is so similar to the Neon it is scary, but still ugly and equally unpleasant inside.
Anybody about to purchase a 3 speed automatic Neon is probably making a big mistake. I would first recommend the 5 speed and If you have to have an automatic, as much as it hurts me to say this, I would recommend the Focus.
About rough idle. I also have a Ford ZX2 which has the exact same 'rough idle' problem people have been complaining about.
My sources tell me these new high output 4 cylinder engines have aggressive cam profiles which naturally cause rough idle (like the old muscle cars). Unless the car stalls, there is nothing wrong.
Anybody having a Dodge dealer tear apart their Neon with less than 50,000 miles on it to fix a rough idle problem is only asking for trouble. I dont have a lot of confidence in dealerships and beleive for everyproblem they fix, they cause 2 more.
I love my 2000 Neon. My only complaint is that Chrysler traded off performance for 'refinement'. I think when they redesigned the Neon the base model should have the 150 hp engine. Now all the other car manufacturers have caught up and the Neon has lost some of its edge.
It's still the original sporty 4 door sub-compact sedan and the best (with a 5 speed).
- 3-speed auto: silly, outdated. Needs a 4-speed very badly (bring it over from the PT!)
- Seats. I think the 00's seats are a step above my 95's, and my 95's are excellent.
- More content needed, yes, but what price point were they working at? Surely cruise and other items are available, no? Correct me if I'm wrong.
The big big oversight: since when did the previous gen have power REAR windows? IIRC, it *never* did, ever. I know there were add-on kits available, but I never saw a Neon with rear power windows from the factory. If they exist, I'd be impressed. If they don't, this is an incredible, INCREDIBLE oversight on the part of the editors. I don't disagree with the stupidity of not having power rear windows; I disagree with the presentation of 'facts'.
And, a Neon worse than a Cavalier? Not a chance.
Paul
I have also noticed a disturbing trend in automotive reviews and by automotive reviewers to discount factual numbers and substitute feelings instead.
Despite the fact that in the 10 econo-car review of one magazine the numbers are misleading. Look carefully.
In the acceleration numbers, it was equal if not faster than the Protege(look at ALL numbers!) which won the competition. Whats even more telling ,is the complaint about engine noise. Despite the reviews of many magazines that chastise the Neon for engine noise look at the numbers again.
In a flat out acceleration run the Neon was all of one DB (decibel) louder that the winner. What's more incredible is that in the everyday
noise level (forgive me, I don't remember the parameters) it was the SAME as most of the cars, as well as the Protege.
It was characterised as being "big car" luxurious and that out of all the cars in the review the Neon drove like a "big car" This reference was not a criticism, but rather a compliment to its level of ride quality.
And yet these journalists dwelled upon the following as though it was important;
A) they did'nt like the baseball size shifter knob
the fabric on the seats were too "grippy" for the fat butt (their words, not mine) of one of their editors.
Oh, and of course the "loud" engine.
Of course, they rated it as only second to the Protege in terms of "fun to drive",and that it felt great in a mountain drive over twisty roads, and had fresh styling.
What the hell? All that, and it's rated 5th???
I dunno. I have a 2000 NEON ES with 5-spd,alloys,premium sound,ABS and Traction.I've driven the cars rated ahead of the Neon.They do not compare when you compare their price to the value/performance/creature comforts.The key point for me was those three parameters.
Mine is the first US made car I've owned,(and hell,I'm middle aged!) and I'm impressed as hell with the fit and finish,and the absolutely great acceleration and handling.Yeah, maybe reliability and resale will bite me in the [non-permissible content removed],but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
I just don't get it.
I just cannot look at the numbers displayed in the review,plus the positive remarks for handling,speed,fit /finish and come out with a 5th place finish.
Yeah, and I DID go to college, so someone needs to enlighten me.
Regards
...One last thing I forgot to mention.
I did take my "lemon" through arbitration with DC at 11,000 miles. I lost. Even though no one from DC or the dealership bothered to show up for the hearing. According to the arbitrator, all my problems had been fixed. I have since changed dealerships/service departments as I didn't feel I could trust the one I bought the car from anymore. I do agree that tearing the engine apart at this point would probably cause more problems.
Within the next few weeks, I'll start the process of selecting a replacement vehicle. Any suggestions???
If you'd prefer not to think for yourself go pay a ton more for a low power, stripped, tiny civic and then pretend you don't have the same problems.
I'd say you just got a bad early run 2000 neon and would have much better luck with another.
First, they should drive cars with similar equipment. Some cars had automatics and others had 5 speeds. Some were selected with ugraded engine options (like the Cavalier) while others had base engines.
The editors indicated that the Neon could have moved up in the rankings if it had a 4 speed automatic transmision. How far up? Next to last? Where would a 5 speed Neon be?
It would be silly for Dodge to accomodate Edmunds and the rest of the car magazines by putting an automatic transmission in the car if they still won't like it rank the car next to last.
I suspect that they gave the new Neon their lowest ranking to punish DaimlerChrysler for not equipping the car with an automatic transmission with the hopes that the manufacturer take heed and offer a 4 speed automatic in the near future.
I agree that the 3 speed automatic should keep the Neon out of the top ranking. But last? That is rediculous.
If Dodge's 2000 Neon is not substantially better than the Cavalier and Civic (both are about 5 year old designs) than Dodge should just get out of the car business.
What's really annoying is that I personally drove most of the cars competing with NEON before making a final decision, and they lacked character.
I like the JETTA, but the performace/price was too low for too much money.
The propaganda must be working, because where I live (Silver Spring.MD) I hardly see any 2K NEON's. Even rarer is a 5spd with the ABS/alloys, which is what I have.An uncommon, common car?
I had great fun with a 5 series BMW the other day from a standstill to 60MPH.The guy was red in the face at the next stoplight.Guess he could'nt shift or was a knucklehead.
Last great econo car I loved was a 1983 VW Golf GTI. Euro-spec and very fast. I think however that my new 2K Neon ES is equal is acceleration, and handling, and superior (vastly!), in creature comforts.
A lot of older NEON drivers have registered dissatisfaction with the new NEON,and that's their right. I find the new one to a much more refined,one with almost the same level (stock) as the older models.
Unfortuately,I have very little long term data (12,000 miles and up) on the reliabily of this
car.I have seen a few posts on the power steering, and Justpurple's problems, but not a great deal about the 2K problems as a whole.Remember that the 2k has been out since mid-1999, so if it is in fact as terrible as people say,why so few posts?
I regret the problems of the 95-99 models have so stained the reputation of Chrysler (although it's
deserved ..,if true). In the case of the 2K NEON ,I have to say , that it appears that Chrysler has made an attempt to right some of their wrongs.They also have moved the car into the mainstream where a certain level of luxury and refinement is expected. Yeah, I loved my old VW Golf GTI, but the 2K NEON has the performance, and handling to match it. But, as I'm now middle aged, I kinda like little things like power steering,Power windows, an A/C that works,convenience lighting, and a kick-[non-permissible content removed] stereo.
Does it follow the initial "spirit" of the Neon? No, from what I hear from 95-99 owners, but progress demands change.I don't feel that DC abandoned the key things that made the NEON great,they've just honed the rough edges.
Time will tell.
It's just annoying to see all the bad reviews,especially when you own the car and have driven the so-called "better" cars.
Have you tried your dealer? Surely they must have them.
DEALER INVOICE and MSRP for a 2000 Neon?
Edmunds invoice price does not include the national advertising charges and possibly one other dealer charge that I can't recall right now.
I will purchase a 2000 Neon this week, with an
MSRP of $16,000. I want to offer the salesman
$15,000 initially. Am I out of the ballpark here??? Any responses are definitely appreciated.
My friend has a 2000 base Neon with stick shift and I rode in it the other night for about 2 hours combined for our trip. The seats are pretty comfortable, but the dashboard and other interior materials looked cheap (petty, but important to me if I have to look at them all the time). Also, the cup holders aren't functional (important when you drive as much as I do). The transmission also shifts hard (stick shift, so it's my friend's fault, but still..) and the engine is loud as hell. His car is noisier at idle than my car is when cruising at about 30 or so. He also paid about $1000 less for his car than I did mine. I have a CD/cassette and auto. to show for it though.
As I said, I like the Neon but they aren't all that. Other cars with more refinement, similar equipment and at lower prices can he had on the market. Also, the head gasket blowing thing from the past scared me away from the Neon. I hope they are okay in the 2000s, but we shall see.
1st- brakes had to be fixed
2nd- tire had to be replaced
3rd- belt tensioner had to be replaced
4th- CD changer had to be replaced & they lost my CD's that were stuck in the changer!
5th- motor mounts had to be replaced- I had severe vibration
6th- passenger doors were leaking- they replaced the seals and if that doesn’t fix the problem then the doors will have to be replaced!
7th- the idle drops to approx 500 rpm and it starts vibrating- dealer states they can not find anything wrong with it (it is an automatic)
Never will buy another Chrysler product- poor service from the dealer and from headquarters in Michigan.
Lemon law in Ohio is 3 of the same thing repaired or 8 different things- you better believe I am counting. I have only had this car since 9/99!!
I believe some people have trouble with a rough idle, or loud brakes. I have read that the new 2000 Celica CD player will also occassionlly not work, but I simply don't believe that one car can have all the flaws you report after only 6500 miles.
I would write this weather or not you had a Ford, GM, Chrysler, Mazda, Toyota.
I used to service cars and I know for a fact that some people beat the @!#$ out of their cars out of ignorance or trying to see how much abuse it will take before it fails.
Of course I have no way to know if that is your situation. If I was you I would have to assume that for every car like yours there are probably 25 relatively trouble free cars which their owners enjoy.
I never believe as true anything I read until I research it.
I also believe that when it comes to Religion,Politics,and Sex, that each man/woman has his own experiences and opinions that need to be tolerated and respected.
That said, I CAN believe that it's possible to have all those things go wrong with a car.If you got a car manufactured during a period of stress at an assembly line,you can bet that quality control might be terrible.
It's for that reason that I strongly believe in the merits of robotic construction. They're mindless and don't bring emotions into their work.
On the other hand, I find it difficult not to agree with Edswords that for the most part, a large percentage of car owners (whatever make) really don't have much to complain about.
I also read some of the NEON boards, and laugh to myself when I read some of posts. Some of these guys modify the hell out of their cars, and are then amazed when they are not reliable."Changed the intake and PCM of my NEON, and now it's not runnning right"! Duh.., ya think?
Whatever. Sorry to hear of your problems Isauka,document all the repairs (make sure you have each and every repair invoice) and then contact your State's small claims court.
Just hope I am one those with a car built on a day when the workers were happy.., Uhmmn.., lets see.., mine was built on a Monday during September..,YIKES!
Boy, after reading all these troublesome comments about the Neons, I am SOOOO glad I bought something else.
I am skeptical by nature.
Are my Neons perfect? Hell no. Are they good cars? Hell yes.
My latest problem? Four days ago the trunk latch broke. My trunk is now tied down with a rope until I can find time to get it back to the service department. It's really frustrating to have to take the thing back to the dealer every week or so.
PS watch out for getting screwed on the other end with a trade or extended warrenties or $250 wax jobs or...
As for beating on my car, I highly doubt it. Even though the Neon is an entry-level car and not very expensive compared to some, I spent my hard earned money on it. I am NOT going to beat on it and I take extremely good care of it. Even going as far as having oil changes sooner then needed. I have never beat on any of my cars. I had a Pontiac Grand Am prior to this and it had almost 100,000 miles on it. I took care of it and did the maintenance and that is why it lasted as long as it did.
Oh yeah, by the way, that Grand Am. It NEVER had any problems other than normal wear and tear issues from the day I purchased it. Now my nephew is driving it and still no problems. It now has well over 100,000 miles.
it clunks particularly on a turn going up or down hill.
thx calgaryclunker