The Neon is my first Dodge vehicle having grown up in Ford Country and going on my own with Chevy Country (easy to swap parts between small blocks).

I love our Neon. It's an '05, Orange Blast SXT, 2.0, 5sp, CD, A/C, PW (rear manual=weird), Power trunk, power locks, and actually quite comfortable in a 6 hour drive. We AVERAGE 36-38mpg mixed driving and we both (wife and I) wind it up. Power.....not really, good economy, good running car, almost 30,000 miles and not one problem with exception to a slight squeek from drivers seat while going around left turns, somewhere on bracket, just haven't pulled the seat and lubed it. CD's with thick stickers will stick in the CD player and we don't play those (ones kids make at home with their own stickers on CD's, others work fine).

We paid $9,499 brand new in 06 (they had a big sale on them and closing the 05's, had 69 miles on the clock when we took possession 4/06). We got 26 mpg on way up from Fairfield CA, to Yreka, CA (almost OR border), fluctuated speed according to book, dumped break in oil at 1,000, then change at 3,000 (2,000 mile on that oil), and every 3,000 until I reached 15,000 and now use Mobil 1 oil and Napa Gold/Wix filters, why? wanted to make sure engine was broke in. Old fashion I guess, I remember the days of removing break in ATF in the old Turbo 400's

Future Plan is to tint the windows. No modifications to it with exception to wheels/tires, I would not mind an SRT exhaust, but it's our commuter/kid hauler (school, football/volleyball). Oh yeah, we got XM radio in it. I'm gonna put a new stereo system in it, as the stock one is not the greatest. But for 9500 bucks, who can complain eh?

It would be fine first car for you and there are plenty of folks here to make it fast, look good, tell you whats the biggest tires/wheels to cram underneath, etc etc etc. I've done a lot of reading on this site, wish I had the $$$ to do an SRT swap and keep it a sleeper

On a sadder note, I really wanted to get a civic for the duty, but I could've bought two Neon's for the price of one Civic at the time and now wished I bought two, Orange and a Black one We love Halloween

L8R
Aaron

Here she is. Just got a G100 dual action polisher and some Meguiars goodies and gonna make it shine even better hopefully. Wheels are TSW Volcano's and Zexius tires (Falken). A little wider tire and just slightly shorter (I may lower it an inch but my wife said when are you going to grow up???, I said never, he he) and it grips awesome, good enough for me anyway.

 

I actually have a 1st gen neon and a 04 sxt neon and both are so much fun to mod and I love them both so you dont really have to buy a srt4 to have a fun neon you can buy a r/t or sxt or even a se . All are fun to drive and mod and show if your into that like I am. Really a srt4 is a bit expensive to take care of the engine is very sensitive and has to be taken care of just right and can be very addicitve to mod and more expensive that other neons. Thats why I sort of had to sell my acr srt4 plus I got to many speeding tickets in one week.

 

i like the look of your neon. its similar to what i would like. if you ever think about selling it, let me know. and thanks for all the info.
ashley

 

i would suggest the neon for the first car, you would really like it.. and nappers, i have power windows in front and roll down in the back also.. thought that was wierd, but yea, i got my neon in may and it had just over 7,000 miles on it and i've got almost 12,000 miles on it.. and i love it.. i wish it had more "get up and go" but they'll get you up the hill..

 

buy the yellow neon!!! and put some black rims!!! it would look bad ***!!!

 

i think a neon is a great first car. i jus got a 03 neon sxt and love it.

 

PYH Solar Yellow all the way!!
I love my yallar neon.

 

+1 . i have to show off now

2003 solar yellow dodge neon SXT ATX. sun roof, 6 disk in dash cd changer, power windows and locks, sport appearance package (spoiler, painted center stack bezel and shift boot to match color of the car, dark slate gray dash, 15" Aluminum rims, fog lights) I love it to death! it's slow but she's my baby

 

yeah. i love the yellow neons. but i havent been able to find a yellow one cheap enough yet. its my first car and my parents are buying it, and they arent wanting to spend too much. so i have to keep it kind of cheap.

 

I got my 03 with 40123 miles on it for 7.5K before tax, tags, and security etching.