Dodge Neon (1995–1999)
The first generation Neon was introduced in January 1994 and manufactured for model years 1995 to 1999. It was available as a 4-door sedan or 2-door coupe. It was powered by either a 132 hp @ 6000 rpm and 129 ft•lbf @ 5000 rpmSAE (98 kW) 2.0 L SOHC or a 150 hp @ 6500 rpm and 133 ft•lbf @ 5600 rpm SAE (112 kW) 2.0 L DOHC 4-cylinder engine. The Neon was available with a 3-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual transmission and was sold as a Dodge and Plymouth in the United States and Canada, and as the Chrysler Neon outside of North America.
Often neglected in discussions of the Neon is the relative horsepower compared to other cars of the day - the Civic DX at 102, the Civic EX at 125, the Sentra and Sunbird at 110, the Escort at 127, the Corolla at 115, etc. The Neon's torque output was also higher than competitors. At the Neon's release, then chairman of Chrysler Corporation Robert Lutz said, "There's an old saying in Detroit: 'Good, fast, or cheap. Pick any two.' We refuse to accept that." Indeed, the Neon made a sizable profit - the only recent American car in its class to do so.
First-generation Neons are highly competitive in SCCA Solo autocross. Available with both the SOHC (sedan) or DOHC (coupe) the ACR was one of the most competitive in its class, and featured four-wheel disc brakes, Arvin or Koni adjustable dampers, thicker anti-roll bars, fast-ratio steering, heavy-duty front wheel hubs, and a 5-speed manual transmission with a numerically higher fifth gear and final drive ratio for quicker acceleration. 1995 through 1997 models featured adjustable camber. The computer-controlled speed limiter was also completely removed from 1995 ACR models, and raised from the standard 190 km/h (118 mph) to 210 km/h (130 mph) for subsequent years. The ACR offers no badging to distinguish it from other Neon models; the only visible difference is a bumper with fog light holes, but no fog lights. In 1995, the ACR was only offered to SCCA members, but in subsequent years it was available to the general public. The name "ACR" was initially the internal ordering code for the "Competition Package", as it was termed in dealer materials; however, as knowledge of the model spread, the ACR name stuck, and backronyms such as "American Club Racer" were given to it by fans.
The R/T model (Road/Track) debuted in the 1998 model year featuring many of the ACR's mechanical upgrades. The R/T, however, was intended for the street, with many more comfort and convenience features standard or available, and specialized racing parts like the adjustable dampers removed. The R/T also featured bold stripes over the top of the car, and prominent "R/T" badging.
Early Neons had a number of reliability problems, the most famous being head gasket failures. By November 1998, the head gasket had been replaced with a new MLS (Multi Layer Steel) design which proved to be much more reliable and was standard in most 1999 models and was also retrofitted to earlier models. Many early Neons suffered from poor paint finish quality, where the paint became brittle and peeled off in sheets, partly because of teething problems with a new environmentally-friendly "dry painting" process. Either way, by the end of the first generation, most problems had been sorted out and the Neon proved to be a reliable car. Unfortunately, the Neon's early reputation for poor reliability persists even today, possibly because Chrysler failed to adequately publicize its improvements or proactively reach out to customers who had experienced failures.
Neons also suffered from some interesting design choices, including the impossibility of gaining power windows in the rear doors, and a climate control system which had drivers move the fan knob in one direction for air conditioning and the other for vent. The latter caused less conscious drivers to drive consistently with the air conditioner on, which greatly hurt power and gas mileage, since the unit was quite powerful. Also, the car automatically turned on the air conditioning whenever the defroster was used, regardless of which side the fan control was set on. Owners often would disable the contact on the selector knob allowing them to use the defroster without air conditioning. The air conditioning evaporator proved to be prone to failure after warranties expired (a problem addressed in later years), which is an expensive repairing since it is relatively inaccessible.
Certain color Neons, such as red and black, had bumper covers molded in color rather than painted. These covers would not shine like paint, but they absorbed scuffs and scrapes with less notice. The mid-level Highline models were well known for their unique "bubble" hubcap design.
The Australian-market Chrysler Neon came in two models, the SE and the better equipped LX. Later, the LX model was replaced by the LE with the updated model in 1999. In the United States, the lineup started out as Base, Highline, and Sport, with different styles and options in each line, but the lineup titles changed frequently (other trim lines included Expresso, SE, ES, SXT, ACR, and R/T). In Europe, the car was also available with a 1.8 L engine.
The first generation Neon was introduced in January 1994 and manufactured for model years 1995 to 1999. It was available as a 4-door sedan or 2-door coupe. It was powered by either a 132 hp @ 6000 rpm and 129 ft•lbf @ 5000 rpmSAE (98 kW) 2.0 L SOHC or a 150 hp @ 6500 rpm and 133 ft•lbf @ 5600 rpm SAE (112 kW) 2.0 L DOHC 4-cylinder engine. The Neon was available with a 3-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual transmission and was sold as a Dodge and Plymouth in the United States and Canada, and as the Chrysler Neon outside of North America.
Often neglected in discussions of the Neon is the relative horsepower compared to other cars of the day - the Civic DX at 102, the Civic EX at 125, the Sentra and Sunbird at 110, the Escort at 127, the Corolla at 115, etc. The Neon's torque output was also higher than competitors. At the Neon's release, then chairman of Chrysler Corporation Robert Lutz said, "There's an old saying in Detroit: 'Good, fast, or cheap. Pick any two.' We refuse to accept that." Indeed, the Neon made a sizable profit - the only recent American car in its class to do so.
First-generation Neons are highly competitive in SCCA Solo autocross. Available with both the SOHC (sedan) or DOHC (coupe) the ACR was one of the most competitive in its class, and featured four-wheel disc brakes, Arvin or Koni adjustable dampers, thicker anti-roll bars, fast-ratio steering, heavy-duty front wheel hubs, and a 5-speed manual transmission with a numerically higher fifth gear and final drive ratio for quicker acceleration. 1995 through 1997 models featured adjustable camber. The computer-controlled speed limiter was also completely removed from 1995 ACR models, and raised from the standard 190 km/h (118 mph) to 210 km/h (130 mph) for subsequent years. The ACR offers no badging to distinguish it from other Neon models; the only visible difference is a bumper with fog light holes, but no fog lights. In 1995, the ACR was only offered to SCCA members, but in subsequent years it was available to the general public. The name "ACR" was initially the internal ordering code for the "Competition Package", as it was termed in dealer materials; however, as knowledge of the model spread, the ACR name stuck, and backronyms such as "American Club Racer" were given to it by fans.
The R/T model (Road/Track) debuted in the 1998 model year featuring many of the ACR's mechanical upgrades. The R/T, however, was intended for the street, with many more comfort and convenience features standard or available, and specialized racing parts like the adjustable dampers removed. The R/T also featured bold stripes over the top of the car, and prominent "R/T" badging.
Early Neons had a number of reliability problems, the most famous being head gasket failures. By November 1998, the head gasket had been replaced with a new MLS (Multi Layer Steel) design which proved to be much more reliable and was standard in most 1999 models and was also retrofitted to earlier models. Many early Neons suffered from poor paint finish quality, where the paint became brittle and peeled off in sheets, partly because of teething problems with a new environmentally-friendly "dry painting" process. Either way, by the end of the first generation, most problems had been sorted out and the Neon proved to be a reliable car. Unfortunately, the Neon's early reputation for poor reliability persists even today, possibly because Chrysler failed to adequately publicize its improvements or proactively reach out to customers who had experienced failures.
Neons also suffered from some interesting design choices, including the impossibility of gaining power windows in the rear doors, and a climate control system which had drivers move the fan knob in one direction for air conditioning and the other for vent. The latter caused less conscious drivers to drive consistently with the air conditioner on, which greatly hurt power and gas mileage, since the unit was quite powerful. Also, the car automatically turned on the air conditioning whenever the defroster was used, regardless of which side the fan control was set on. Owners often would disable the contact on the selector knob allowing them to use the defroster without air conditioning. The air conditioning evaporator proved to be prone to failure after warranties expired (a problem addressed in later years), which is an expensive repairing since it is relatively inaccessible.
Certain color Neons, such as red and black, had bumper covers molded in color rather than painted. These covers would not shine like paint, but they absorbed scuffs and scrapes with less notice. The mid-level Highline models were well known for their unique "bubble" hubcap design.
The Australian-market Chrysler Neon came in two models, the SE and the better equipped LX. Later, the LX model was replaced by the LE with the updated model in 1999. In the United States, the lineup started out as Base, Highline, and Sport, with different styles and options in each line, but the lineup titles changed frequently (other trim lines included Expresso, SE, ES, SXT, ACR, and R/T). In Europe, the car was also available with a 1.8 L engine.