2000 Plymouth Neon

Summary:

Inexpensive American car, good gas mileage, parts are easy to come by

Faults:

The rear main oil seal apparently was leaking around 145k (2 mechanics confirmed it), and very badly.. then it stopped for a while.. kept checking and it was fine. Put some Lucas Oil leak treatment and it still hasn't leaked..

The gentleman I bought it from said it had an oil pan leak, but that it was fixed.

Knock in the engine... the car idles rather roughly, especially if you're in reverse.

The dashboard rattles sometimes, especially while idling.

The check engine light started coming on around 150k every now and then. Usually while driving for 2-3 hours.

General Comments:

The price was good ($1900) for what I got, I think. Even if it only lasts me a few more months (2 more months and it'll be a year since I bought it).

I like the seats, the front ones move all the way back, great if you have to pull over and rest during a long drive.

I average anywhere between 30-34mpg, too bad it only has a 10 gallon tank. But that makes fill ups less painful, just somewhat frequent. Decent acceleration if you drive sensibly.

Don't know how much longer it'll last, saving up for a down payment on a new car.. but I think it could make 160k or close. By then I should be able to have a decent amount saved.

Would be nice if it were an inch or two higher off the ground.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 31st August, 2008

2000 Plymouth Neon Base - Highline 2.0

Summary:

Best little car for the money!!

Faults:

We originally had and still to this day have a bad speaker in the car - It makes a weird popping noise when on long trips in the sun.

General Comments:

This has been one of the best cars I've ever owned. We bought this as a family vehicle (found out it's a little small) but that's our own fault; we've added 3 kids to the picture.

I probably shouldn't be bragging about this car because it will probably act up on me tomorrow. But this car has been nothing but great!! To this day I just got 34 MPG!! Hwy and 29 MPG (half city/half hwy). I have not had any major problems. We have done nothing, but normal maintenance to this car since day one. I have put on about 8 tires ($30.00 ea) I had to replace the thermostat, battery, air filter, and finally brakes. I did a brake job at 106,000 and found out that the rear drums were almost like new, so I just replaced the fronts. And of course I change my oil almost every 3,000 miles. Awesome!!

The most amazing thing about this vehicle is that it originally came from ENTERPRISE! - I however was told that it was a lease trade in from a young couple.

The dealer I purchased it from let me down more than once. I did however find one dealer in my local area that just bent over backwards to help me out! They fixed recalls that the original dealer never knew about just one week before. Amazing!! Since then though the dealer has been bought out and I have not had to go back since.

We also joke around that this car is built like a tank. Here's a run down - Hit a deer, (broke front windshield), hit another car (broke air conditioner condenser, headlights, and grille.) But all in all, this car owes me nothing. It has been a great reliable car.

I would recommend this as an affordable family car, although it is quite the challenge to fit 3 car seats in the back seat. It worked great for 2 kids, but that 3rd one is a little harder.

We have found that were outgrowing this car by the day. We just don't have the room we need anymore, so soon this will become our second vehicle. In fact I'm wondering if it will last another 11 years so my 5 year old will have a cheap car to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th March, 2008