2005 Dodge Neon SXT review from North America

The alignment was messed up, and wore down my front left tire really badly. I got that fixed under warranty.

First, the good. I got the car for about $13,000 out the door, brand new, with nothing more than transfer mileage on it. It was one of the best new vehicles out there for the money. It's reasonably comfortable, cheap to maintain, has a lot of accessories for the price tag, and doesn't look too terribly bad painted in Orange Blast. It was also the best handling car in it's price range.

Now for the bad. The reverse gear is unsynchronized, so sometimes it will pop out when you let the clutch go. If you try to put it back in gear before the engine rev lowers totally to an idle, then you grind the gears.

The transmission and clutch is very sloppy, which is probably to be expected of any econo-box. A friend of mine drives an '88 Nova, and she thinks the transmission in my car is great. I previously drove a Stealth R/T, and the transmission in the Neon can't begin to compare.

The engine is rated at 132HP... but I personally believe it should be rated in pony power. When I'm the only one in the car... it's livable. But when I'm on the highway with 2 or 3 friends, and I tell the car to go, it just doesn't!

All in all, the Neon is a good car. It does exactly what it was designed to do, and it does it pretty well. Problem is, I am an enthusiast, and the Neon is nothing more than basic transportation, and with my aggressive driving style it just doesn't work. It is not a car any enthusiast would be happy with, at least not without a bunch of serious upgrades. Which would then turn it into a big bowl of American Rice.