Help me pick a good used car

[coolred]

I just checked consumer reports, don't know how I forgot about them in the first place, but according to them pretty much everything made by dodge is a reliablity risk.

Reliability risks



The models in this list are especially risky buys. Distilled from the list of Used cars to avoid, (available to subscribers only), they have exhibited multiple years of poor overall reliability. The list contains many twins and triplets, which are essentially similar models sold under different nameplates. Listed alphabetically.

Cadillac Catera
Chevrolet Astro
Chevrolet Blazer
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet S-10 (V6, 4WD)
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (4WD)
Chrysler LHS, New Yorker
Chrysler Town & Country ('94-97)
Dodge Dakota (4WD)
Dodge Durango
Dodge Grand Caravan ('94-97)
Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Neon
Dodge Ram 1500 (4WD)
Ford Windstar
GMC Jimmy
GMC S-15 Sonoma (V6, 4WD)
GMC Safari
GMC Sierra 1500 (4WD)
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Oldsmobile Bravada
Oldsmobile Cutlass
Plymouth Grand Voyager ('94-97)
Plymouth Neon
Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac Grand Am
Volkswagen New Beetle
Volvo S70/V70 (AWD)
Volvo S80

 

[iamwiz82]

Interesting, half the people here dont even have a license, and yet still manage to complain.

I'm driving my second neon right now. its a 2000 model its fully loaded(but its still a subcompact car fully loaded ). My first neon was a 1996 and its HG did go at 72,000 miles. I had it repaired, if you are good, you can tlak DCX into giving it to you for free. Find their customer care line and bitch til they do. Other than that one problem, i never had ANY others of note. Exhuast gasket went at 90,000 miles, but that was a 15 minute repair.

My 2000 has 40,000 miles and has never seen the inside of a shop. If you take good care of the car, it will last 200,000 miles.

any question can be taken here

 

[TremblingFool]

I drive a 2001 Neon R/T. I like it. I used to drive a '98 auto and had no major problems with it, the A/C went and that was about it.

It's a decent cheap car, I would never go back to the 3 speed though.

-Erik

 

[coolred]

Thanks for the link to the forum, I see your point as well. Also notice how when someone says the car is a good car they list reasons as to why it is a good car, yet when someone says it's a bad car, all I get are No don't get it or it's a POS. Like I said I am open to any opinion especially after seeing the consumer reports rating, but if your gonna knock it then give me some reasons why. Thanks

 

[BooneRebel]

<< Thanks for the link to the forum, I see your point as well. Also notice how when someone says the car is a good car they list reasons as to why it is a good car, yet when someone says it's a bad car, all I get are No don't get it or it's a POS. Like I said I am open to any opinion especially after seeing the consumer reports rating, but if your gonna knock it then give me some reasons why. Thanks >>



You've been here long enough to be told the truth: Forum rules state that no reason or explanation has to be given to knock a product. It doesn't matter if it can be proven or not, as long as it's negative then it's OK. Like this:

Neons SuXoRs! Civics rulez! Honda gets 45654% better tread life than Dodge; if you buy the Neon your children will inbreed.

OK, now you try it.

 

[SSP]

<< Thanks for the link to the forum, I see your point as well. Also notice how when someone says the car is a good car they list reasons as to why it is a good car, yet when someone says it's a bad car, all I get are No don't get it or it's a POS. Like I said I am open to any opinion especially after seeing the consumer reports rating, but if your gonna knock it then give me some reasons why. Thanks >>



This is a tech site. Most people are not qualified to give you advice about cars cept few who drive it or car enthusiasts. I'm surprised no one said Maxima yet.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

If you want a used compact car that you can just get in and drive I wouldn't suggest you get a Neon. I would rather point you to a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda instead. Simply put, they are better built.

Other things to look out for is in the early models of the Neon there was a problem with the steering column. In head on collisions they tended to break in half inside the car. That in turn was responsible for many people getting their leg broken in a relatively minor wreck. If I remember correctly they nearly recalled all Neons on the road in the first year or two of production... I think by '97 they had this problem fixed.

 

[iamwiz82]

<< If you want a used compact car that you can just get in and drive I wouldn't suggest you get a Neon. I would rather point you to a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda instead. Simply put, they are better built.

Other things to look out for is in the early models of the Neon there was a problem with the steering column. In head on collisions they tended to break in half inside the car. That in turn was responsible for many people getting their leg broken in a relatively minor wreck. If I remember correctly they nearly recalled all Neons on the road in the first year or two of production... I think by '97 they had this problem fixed. >>



do you guys make things up?

In 1995 the steering wheel couplers could be knocked out if hit from below. This just causes a loss of steering. I have NEVER heard of someone legs being broken.

 

[littlezipp]

No, for lower end cars, stick with Toyota and Honda.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Buy a Neon with absolutely ZERO options, and those little buggers are FREAKIN FAST.

nik (approves)

 

[Babbles]

In 1996 I bought a new 1997 Neon coupe, with no options. It was my get-me-thru-college-because-I-am-broke-car.

I would not buy another Neon, however that little thing did last me through a tad over 5 years with no problems what so ever.

I will admit I did treat that car pretty roughly, due to the fact that I know I was going to ditch it after I graduated. It was a manual and I was always red-lining it, grinding gears (the transmission isn't all that smooth in the Neon, but what do you expect for less than $10k). I get absent minded so changing oil was always something I forgot to do until like 5K miles later.

Anyhow, for driving all over Texas (where I live) and to Florida, New Orleans, treating it pretty roughly . . . it did a hell of a job and never once broke down on me.

The reason I would never buy a new one, is just a matter of taste. The car was kinda loud on the highway, not the smoothest ride, but hey it got from point A to point B.

If you were on a budget and looking for a decent car I suppose I would recommend the new Neon SRT for kicks.

It has a 2.4 liter 205hp 4 banger.

Read Here

And Here

One site said it will be the second quickest car from Dodge, with the Viper being quicker.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

<<do you guys make things up?>>

No. I don't. I worked in a collision repair shop for 10 years and saw it happen on two different occasions. Just because you NEVER heard of it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

<<In 1995 the steering wheel couplers could be knocked out if hit from below. This just causes a loss of steering.>>

This is true as well.

When I worked on cars for a living we often received faxes from insurance companies concerning the different problems with certain vehicles. This was one that we received about Neons.

 

[coolred]

Alright, those are some better replies. I will look into this more

 

[BigNeko]

coolred,
whatever car you decide on, sit in it for about 15 mins straight to see how your back feels. Had a neighbor who had a neon and he complained that his back would bother him after driving the car. This might not be a problem for you, but better to sit for about 15-20 minutes to be sure.
Bump for new (to you) wheels.

 

[coolred]

Okay it seems like a lot say the neon is crap, but still quite a few says it an okay little car, but like I said I am open to other options and opinions. I am looking into civics and sentras, anything else?

Also my girlfriend just told me her brother knows someone that is selling a car and wanted to know if I was interested. She just asked her mom what he said it was and she said a Honda Scoop. I don't know much about cars, especially foriegn but I have not seen a scoop before, is there such a thing? I thought maybe there was a misunderstanding and he said coupe, but then i still don't know what model it is. Thanks

 

[ShizNitz]

<< Okay it seems like a lot say the neon is crap, but still quite a few says it an okay little car, but like I said I am open to other options and opinions. I am looking into civics and sentras, anything else?

Also my girlfriend just told me her brother knows someone that is selling a car and wanted to know if I was interested. She just asked her mom what he said it was and she said a Honda Scoop. I don't know much about cars, especially foriegn but I have not seen a scoop before, is there such a thing? I thought maybe there was a misunderstanding and he said coupe, but then i still don't know what model it is. Thanks >>



I think she meant Hyundai Scoupe. It has virtually no resale value, breaks down a lot, and is ugly. Go figure.

 

[coolred]

Like I said I don't know what he said, but your prolly right. He said he wasn't sure on the year, he said early 90's to late 80's, but from what I see the first year I can find them is 91, so it must be early 90's and they only want 500.00 for it. Which means it's prolly a piece of crap

 

[Doggiedog]

I find it kind of funny that some of the Neon supporters say "I haven't had a single problem with it other than the head gasket blowing up" or "I've had no problems with it other than the AC going".

To me those sound like problems.

 

[Capn]

Hyundai Scoupe

 

[KokomoGST]

<< I find it kind of funny that some of the Neon supporters say "I haven't had a single problem with it other than the head gasket blowing up" or "I've had no problems with it other than the AC going".

To me those sound like problems. >>

That's like Bimmers with their engine fires and Honda with their numerous TSBs/Recalls. Every manufacturer has them. It's just that Dodge dealers just suck so much @$$... the Neon is a great car. It's cheap, fast, handles better than most sport compacts, easy as crap to maintain, and cheap as all heck to repair. The head gasket problem was a TSB/recall. But other than that, the Neon will treat you as well as it is treated.

Check out Grassroots' latest issue, they look at all the hot compacts fer under $20K... the liked the Neon ACR the best... it was the flat out fastest around the course and by a fairly wide margin. Even compared to a turboed SE-R or tricked out GTI. People have already mentioned it whups Honduhs in a straight line too. Turbo it and you have one of the fastest, most insane fwd cars on the planet. Not to mention they'll soon be factory turbocars with the SRT-4. Fugly, but dang it's gonna be fast.

Civics are generally overpriced due to the Honduh riceboy tax but you might be able to find a decent Sentra... but that's a tad more difficult than finding a cheap Neon. And yes, I used to own a 95 Neon manual, it has over 140K miles and my dad still uses it as a commuter car. Lightly modded and still can do some Honduh whupping.

 

[iamwiz82]

<< I find it kind of funny that some of the Neon supporters say "I haven't had a single problem with it other than the head gasket blowing up" or "I've had no problems with it other than the AC going".

To me those sound like problems. >>



my head gasket went, and that was all. Go look at The_Good_Guy's post about his toyota. He has similar miles(IIRC) to my old one and he has dropped thousands of dollars into it.

 

[Ih8canada]

were you beaten as a child for the love of god no dont do it.. for 350/month you can lease a benz!! or a jaguar x-type DO THAT! not a freaking neon.

 

[RossMAN]

They're decent cars and CHEAP (compared to a Corolla or Civic) but you get what you pay for:

I was almost tempted to call this guy and ask if I could see his Neon and take it for a spin ... (found this on wweek.com Classifides):
1995 Dodge Neon. 4dr, Dark Green, 76K, AT, Dual Airbags, Power Steering, New Brakes, $2,995, Great Condition, Call 503-521-8703 or Email: dodgeneonsale@hotmail.com

 

[Thegonagle]

<< were you beaten as a child for the love of god no dont do it.. for 350/month you can lease a benz!! or a jaguar x-type DO THAT! not a freaking neon. >>

Um, for $235/month, you can buy a Neon (For 265/month, you can buy a Civic).

Neons are not bad, if you like small cars. They're actually fairly roomy, and they ride and handle pretty well. I think Hondas and Toyotas are better mechanically, but you pay more for better cars. I Prefer Neons to Cavaleirs, Saturns, and most of the Koreans. But do get a five speed. The three speed auto blows.

 

[coolred]

Okay now it seems like a lot of people are saying the neons are okay. I looked into the civics and like everyone has just said, the civics are a bit more pricey then the neons, so I will add another requirement, lets say I need a car to last me say 3-5 years with the least amount of money being put into it. Neons are pretty cheap in price, maybe in quality. Were as civics are somewhat cheap in price not so much in quality. So to meet my needs would I be better off with say a '96 or '97 neon, or a slightly older civic in the same price range as the neon?