At $3,999, Could This 1998 Dodge Neon Brighten Your Day?

Once Chrysler’s valiant attempt to profitably compete in the small car segment with a domestically built contender, the Dodge (and Xerox copy Plymouth) Neon proved just as cheerful as it was cheap. Let’s see if this Highline edition still lives up to that standard.

Rock and roll and cars go together like Positraction and peeling out. Over the decades, plenty of toe-tappers have been sung about specific models—”GTO” by Ronny & the Daytonas, “Hey Little Cobra” from the Rip Chords, and Jan & Dean’s opus, “Schlock Rod, Parts 1 and 2”, among them. Few, though, have feted a carmaker’s entire lineup, as does the 1948 song “Mercury Blues. written by blues musicians K.C. Roberts and Robert Geddins. Originally titled “Mercury Boogie”, the song has been covered by the likes of Alan Jackson, Canned Heat, and the Steve Miller Band. My favorite version is the barn burner by my hometown boy, David Lindley. If you haven’t heard it, you really should check it out.

I have to say that the 2004 Mercury Marauder we looked at yesterday, while nice and only slightly beat up, failed to elicit an urge to sing its praises from any of you in the comments. Not at its $19,000 asking price, at least. Surprisingly, that generated a lot of resistance, which manifested in a wildly lopsided 92% “No Dice” loss. I guess we can’t all be crazy ’bout a Mercury.

It’s unlikely that anyone is going to write a rock ditty about Chrysler’s import fighter small car of the 1990s and early 2000s, the Neon, but should any of you feel inclined, I’m not going to stop you.

First introduced for the 1995 model year, the Neon, like the Saturn Brand at General Motors, was an attempt to profitably build a small, affordable car in the U.S. in order to compete with Japanese imports that had dominated that category for 20 years or more. Led by then Chrysler Corporation head Bob Lutz—who also championed the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler (high-five, Bob)—the Neon proved to be an instant hit. Part of the attraction came from the car’s cheery looks, centered on a happy-looking face with round, eyeball-like headlamps. That wasn’t the car’s only party piece, though. Chrysler offered the Neon with a choice of SOHC or DOHC 2.0-liter inline fours that gave the car a sprightly personality, and made the model extremely competitive in SCCA autocross and showroom racing series.

This 1998 Dodge Neon Highline only disappoints in being a later edition of the first-generation model, which didn’t offer the zany bright color options it did in the first few years. Painted in a more somber black, with alloy-aping silver plastic wheel covers, it still elicits a smile by its cheeky looks. Being a higher-spec Highline model means it’s also fitted with fog lamps at the front and a spoiler at the rear.

Under the hood sits the Neon’s weapon of choice, the DOHC 16-valve edition of the 2.0 four. That made 150 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of twist, both respectable numbers for a naturally-aspirated engine of this era. Sadly, some of the fun is sapped by the engine’s partner in crime: a three-speed automatic driving the front wheels. Yes, as a cost-saving measure, Chrysler only gave the Neon three cogs in its automatic transmission. Four would have been extravagant, and five would have been unheard of.

According to the ad, that combo has taken the Neon on a modest journey of just 59,073 miles since driving off the lot.

As noted, these cars were built to a price, and nowhere is that more evident than in the cabin. That’s comprised of a sea of hard plastic and thin carpet. Both windows and locks are completely manual as are the seat adjustments and climate control. Speaking of the latter, Chrysler’s designers made an interesting choice for the A/C control. It’s built into the fan knob, which turns one way to increase the fan’s spin and the other to do so with cooling on. Clever! 

Sadly, the ad gives us no background on the car or its maintenance history. That means a diligent buyer will need to do some homework before making an offer on the car’s purchase.

On the plus side, the lack of power gadgets means there’s less to go wrong (important on a car this old, of course). There’s also some very cheerful seat upholstery that spruces the place up and makes you wonder why carmakers can’t be this whimsical anymore. Other notches on the Neon’s bedpost include full instrumentation, including a tach, an AM/FM/cassette stereo, and airbags for both the driver and the front-seat passenger. It’s all very tidy and clean inside, while the exterior is only marred by a ding on the hood. A clean title means no monkey business when transferring the title or talking to Flo the lizard about insurance coverage.

When new, Neons were considered to be pretty decent values, offering plenty of interior space and most of the basics for price-conscious car buyers. With engines that outpaced the competition, they also made for a great option for anyone looking to spend their weekends at the track.

This Neon might not be the best equipped—that three-speed is a ding—but it’s otherwise well-kitted and seemingly, in great shape. Yes, the dealer selling it couldn’t be bothered to tell us anything much about the car in the ad, but the pictures give a good overview of its condition. 

Also, the $3,999 asking price is just about as old-school as the car itself. What’s your opinion on this Neon and that asking? Does that seem fair given the car’s presentation? Or would paying that much for any old Neon not be a very bright idea?

You decide!

Florence, South Carolina, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Steve65 for the hookup!

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