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| 1998 Dodge Neon Review, Daniel, From Des Moines, IA
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Dodge Neon ACR Coupe
| | Model of the car: | Dodge Neon ACR Coupe | | | General comments: | Bought the '98 Model ACR at the end of the production year. Factory had stopped shipping for the year, so the dealer (after much pushing on my behalf) finally located one on a lot in Kentucky.I paid extra in shipping fees, and the car was DRIVEN up, not towed - which meant someone else put the first 500 miles, highway, on the car. If you read up on how to break your car in, the first 750 mi. you should be avoiding 3000 rpm. With the low gearing on the ACR tranny, 3000 rpm hits at 50, so it's likely the initial break in (likely spent above 70mph) is what caused a blown headgasket - just repaired it two days ago for $750 cheap - at 65,000 mi. Though the mechanic also mentioned that '95 to '99 Neons have a headgasket problem that is fixed when replaced with the '00 revised headgasket.The other thing the mechanic mentioned is that after my car had but a half-quart of oil left when I turned her in for repair, that the pistons were NOT scored blue as expected, and that valves and the head area had very little carbon build up. I've been getting oil changes every 3,000 miles, and I run 92 octane whenever possible (check your owner's manual - the DOHC engines, no longer produced, recommend 92 octane). The mechanic (not a dealership mechanic) says that well maintained Neons will go 200,000 mi. before a rebuild, and my car is well on the way. Considering I drive like a bat out of hell and the engine has been taking it without trouble, this is good news. Keep this in mind when purchasing!Tidbits - 1) The sales dork seemed to think I wouldn't like the car after the first couple of months because of the deficiencies of having a "real" racecar - 18mpg highway, sortof loud all the time, stiff ride. The car is not intolerably loud (though the ACR is pulled off the factory line prior to insertion of sound deadening material), and I've long since gotten used to the ride - which is much worse in the rear seats than the front. But the car is fun as all get out. Car and Driver said the R | | | What things have gone wrong with the car: | Dealership is a ship of fools. God they suck. And avoid the automatic transmission like the plague. This should be true of any car purchased from an Amercican brand, but especially from Chrysler. My high school minivan went through a new $1500 tranny every 60,000 miles. Friend's Die-nasty was exactly the same. Co-worker's used LeBaron is having the same issue. Another friend's Ford Taurus was stuck in the mud, spun tires, and needed a new tranny the next day. Buy manual and all you'll haveto worry about is $500 clutch replacements every 90,000 mi. | | | Previous car: | Better than Cavalier (who buys that p.o.s. anyways?), comparable to the Focus. The 2000 model Neon is louder but quicker (same mpg - don't look at EPA, look at driver reviews) than the Focus. Wife will be getting the Focus if complaints about reliability |
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