Nothing at all.
Build quality is solid. There are no interior squeaks or rattles. Nothing has fallen apart or cracked. Floor mats stay in place, and there are ample storage spaces around the cabin.
Handling is great. Body roll is fairly minimal around sharper corners. The tires don't whine and make good contact with the road.
Engine is more utilized with the 5-speed. The automatic has been revised and lets the engine rev to redline when you floor it, but the 5-speed offers more favorable gear ratios.
Climate control systems are great; quick heat and cold AC. Front and rear defrosting is good.
I own the 2005 Dodge Neon SXT (which I love). I just traded in my 2004 Ford Focus SE (which I thought I loved). I love the quick manual transmission in the Neon as compared to the zippy automatic in the Focus. As of right now the gas mileage sucks on the neon, but I have only had it a week, from first fill-up to third fill-up about 24 mpg. The Focus at least started out with 27 mpg. Lets hope it gets better. The stereo is great in the Neon however a step down from the Focus' Blaupunkt stereo. The Neon has more BOOM BOOM. I get lots of looks from everyone, my neon is the Electric Blue which is very nice, as compared to Sangria Red on the Focus. I love the Spoiler which the Focus did not have.
Yes, the car is great! I also have a new Neon '05 (5 speed manual). The dash and all is somewhat outdated. but all in all this is a tight car. The 5 speed is the better of the transmissions; the automatic feels sluggish while the manual is zippy (rarely ever red-lines). Do you own this vehicle or did you just test drive it?
About your fuel consumption, it gets excellant mileage unless you drive it too hard. I have a 00 neon and I too wondered why it wasn't getting that awesome mileage its reviews brag about.
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