Chrysler Neon (1996 - 1999)
BY JONATHAN CROUCH
In the USA, the Neon is a small, affordable saloon that sells in big numbers, much like a Focus or an Astra does here. Yet in size, its equivalent to a Mondeo or Vectra. Cleverly, the UK importers realise this and have priced the car mid-way between both. New car buyers snap up almost every Neon that lands here, with used examples also much in demand.
Despite the many trim level variants, the Neon has always been sold here in small numbers, with demand constantly outstripping supply. Chrysler even withdrew their TV ads only months after the launch, claiming dealers had too many customers and too few cars. Like Daewoo, they used a mass of publicity to promote what was effectively an unknown brand. Similarly, with cars that were not quite the last word in technology or driving satisfaction, the value for money card was pushed hard in the advertising.
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Even the LE comes complete with driver and passenger airbags, power steering, a high quality stereo, electric front windows and mirrors and remote central locking. To this, the LX adds air-conditioning and ABS, as well as the novelty of mirrors which fold back electrically to protect them when parked in narrow streets. The SLX automatic takes the equipment tally a couple of stages further, with features like alloy wheels, front fog lamps and a six-speaker stereo all standard. You can tell the SLX from other Neons by its bonnet power bulge, as well as colour-keyed door-handles and bumper rubbing strips.
For the complete luxury touch, however, the GLX boasts a leather interior, wood trim and special alloy wheels. The post 1999 cars are improved in all respects. Both models are available with the all important Four As; air conditioning, automatic gearbox, anti lock brakes and airbags for driver and passenger as standard. The LX comes with a full leather interior.
With new and used demand extremely strong, prices have stayed firm, with even the earliest N-plate LE versions commanding at least £900. Though automatic transmission has always been a no-cost option on every model, the trade still prices used versions £50-£100 or so above manuals. A LX manual should be around £1,000 and an automatic about £1,100. If you can stretch to the GLX, its probably a better bet, as they include ABS and air conditioning.
If youd prefer a 1998 R-Plater, expect to pay roughly £1,200 for a LE manual or £1,200 if youre after an auto.
No major areas of concern have surfaced since the Neon has been on sale, so provided the car has been maintained according to the service schedule, all should be well. Electrical features like windows, door-locks and mirrors should always be checked as its amazing how expensive they can be to set right if theres a problem. The interior trim assembly on some cars has been somewhat less than exact so make sure everything fits properly and that there are no squeaks or rattles. The Second Generation Neons are a vast improvement in this respect.
(Based on a 1996 Neon 1.8, excl VAT) A full exhaust system will be about £500. Brake pads front and rear are about £60 and £70, a starter motor is about £190 and an alternator around £285. You'll pay around £240 for a new door mirror, roughly £350 for a radiator and about £95 for a replacement windscreen. As for servicing, a major one will be about £200, an intermediate £110 and a minor one, close to £70.
Performance is strong, with rest to sixty dispatched in just 8.8 seconds (only a 10th of a second slower than a VW Golf GTi) on the way to a maximum of 121mph. And handling? Well, the Neon's chassis isn't quite as involving as that of, say, a Peugeot 306, though you wouldnt really expect it of a car originally tuned for billiard table-smooth American roads. Chrysler in the UK chose a stiff suspension set-up for European roads and the result is a car that handles tautly enough for most (with surprisingly responsive power steering), losing out only over poor surfaces. As a motorway car, though, it's excellent. At the pumps, the Neon's economy is impressive given its engine capacity, with official `extra urban` figures of 49mpg for the manual and 43mpg for the automatic to its credit. The small fuel tank, however, restricts you to 300 miles or so between fill-ups.
Not the cheapest used family saloon but as something out of the ordinary, loaded with features and likely to hold its value, the Neon adds up.
