Read This Before Buying a Neon!


These are some of my gripes and complaints about my Neon and all Neons. These are reasons why I probably won't buy another Neon

I'm sure most of you have heard general complaints about the first generation Neon. But here, I have first compiled a list of reasons to and not to buy a Neon. After that, I summed up why I probably won't buy another Neon.

Reasons TO Buy a Neon(First Generation):

1. Great handling, cornering, all around fun to drive!
2. Low theft rating
3. Low on insurance
4. Good gas mileage
5. Holds up well in accidents!
6. Most room in its class

Now, reasons NOT to buy a Neon:

1. POOR RESALE VALUE!
2. Reliability Issues:
A. Oil pan gasket and rear main oil seal went out after less than 50,000 miles and the engine still leaked oil after it was "fixed"
B. Electrical problems ranging from the hi-beams flicking on when I moved the stick for the turn-indicators to having an aftermarket stereo stay on after I would turn the car off(the problem was NOT with the stereo, either) to having the gauges stop working after about 33,000 miles.
C. After the base SOHC engine get some wear in it, it loses a lot of pep
D. Belts began breaking after 35,000 miles

Summary:

Yes, there are many reasons listed above in favor of buying a Neon, most importantly, they stand up very well in car accidents, and could very well save your life. But, most cars being built today are far above the safety standards of a 1996 Plymouth Neon. So, for many people, the next two most important factors in buying a car are reliability and resale value. If you buy a Neon today, and expect to be able to trade it in a year and a half from now, and still be offered more than what you owe, don't bet on it. I was considering trading in the Neon shortly before the accident, and the highest trade in value I was offered by four different dealerships was $4,400. I still owe over $6,000 on the car! Neon's have the second worst resale value in their class, only the Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire are worse. And finally, my Neon left me stranded only once when the power steering belt broke after 38,000 miles. And a power steering belt can really break any time, but it really shouldn't after 38,000 miles. The enormous loss of power that my Neon encountered with age, combined with it's lack-luster quality and extremely poor resale value are enough reasons for me not to buy another one. I will say though, I have driven many Honda Civics, Mazda Protege's, Nissan 200SX's and Sentras, as well as the Ford ZX2, and none of them comes close to being as fun to drive as my Neon. But there are times when practicality outweighs fun.

Questions? Comments?

NeonMan126@aol.com

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