It won't rock your world, but a great car!

I've had my Dodge Neon SXT for a year and a half now. I purchased it to get into an inexpensive car with good gas mileage. While the mileage has never been as good as listed, it's still better than most vehicles out there.

I have put on a ton of highway miles, and this has been a pretty comfortable car. It drives and handles nicely, and the seats are okay. I found an addition of a small pillow placed in the right spot to make it exceptionally comfortable.

I've played around with trying to maximize my gas mileage. I average 26 mpg in the city, and 29 highway. I've hit 32 mpg on the highway, but never more. That was disappointing since I expected closer to 35. I tried no air, slow acceleration, speed limits, but alas can rarely break that 30 mpg mark. However even with full air, fast acceleration and not exactly obeying the speed limit mileage on the highway is around 29 mpg.

The Neon looks nice, and I do get some compliments. It's an understated style, not meant to impress but definitely won't be mistaken for a Civic (yawn). The acceleration is about as good as you can expect for a four cylinder, and the shifting (automatic here, unfortunately) is aggressive. It gives a feel of a sporty car.

I caught the last model, the last car on the floor. I did get a good deal for it, paying under $14K. the resale value like most domestic cars is low, but I bought this with the intentions of putting on 200,000 miles in eight years. From the history of the Neon (I've known many people with them), that's entirely possible.

The sound system is surprisingly good. The bass can be too much, a rare problem in stock radios. The radio reception is crystal clear, pulling in stations outside the range of most other cars. The CD player is good, and handles my burned collections just fine.

The heating and cooling on this is astounding. On 100*+ days I still can't keep the air on full cool. And on -20* days (I'm from Wisconsin, and we get both!) the heater is wonderful. Again, I can't keep it on full heat.

Unfortunately I've found with the heat that one notch is a little too warm, and the next notch below is slightly too cool. A personal thing. But the controls for vent/floor is great, allowing for a lot of adjustment.

The backseat is adequate for three kids, but the seat belt buckle is difficult with a booster seat in. I often have to help my five year old buckle it, unless my 8 year old son is in a good mood and does it for her!

Overall, it's a cheap car, without the cheap car feeling. My wife had a 2004 Civic that felt like a 1990's car by comparison. We now have a Honda Odyssey (see other review) which complements the Neon just fine.

The Neon is noisier than many compact cars. The noise comes from the engine, and in my opinion gives me a sense of "power". If you are used to the whisper quiet Civics or Corrolas, you will be annoyed.

I've owned a few cars in my short driving life (17 years now). They have ranged from a 1969 behemouth to a Mustang, Explorer, Windstar, Acura, and Sentra. I've also rented my share of cars, plus experience with friends and family. I would rank the Neon as one of the best, just below my beloved 2002 Mustang. Sigh I miss that Mustang!

I don't know how well these will hold up, but I am surprised at the resale right now. A 2005 Dodge Neon SXT is listing around $9,000. After owning mine for a year and a half, I would find that to be a good bargain.