2004 Dodge Neon SXT, have you owned one?

Nakatomi2010

So, I've been looking at cars lately and found a store that's selling a 2004 Dodge Neon SXT with 12,000 miles on it for basically about $11,500 out the door... To me this seems like a really good deal on a fuel efficient car... I used to own a 1996 Dodge Neon and was very satisfied with it, but I also know that in 2000 they switched body styles to the newer on, so I was wondering what experiences forums here have with the newer Neons, in addition to input from people who've owned the 2004 Neon, and whether or not my view of this being a good deal is jusitified?

Tox

So, you're buying a Fiat?

Nakatomi2010

I'm assuming you're making a poke at the fact that Fiat has to buy them...

Your statement would only make sense for current generation cars and others going forward, for previous generation cars the original remark still applies....

Inquisitor

I drive a 2004 Neon, not sure if it's an SXT or what specific model it is though.

This is always a fun read though:

Wikipedia wrote:

Both generations were rated as "Poor" in the side impact crash test [3] (IIHS Safety ratings go from "Poor", to "Marginal", "Acceptable" and "Good"). Only the Chevrolet Cavalier performed worse in the small car category in 2006, the Neon's final year [4]. Other cars made from 2000 to 2005 which were rated "Poor" when tested without optional side airbags included the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Mitsubishi Lancer, and Chevrolet Cobalt. No small car made in this period, tested without side airbags, achieved better than a "Poor." [citation needed]
In 2005, the Institute carried out side impact tests on 14 small car models, simulating an impact with an SUV. Among these, the Neon performed the worst. IIHS stated that the Neon had “...major problems beginning with its structure. This car is a disaster...The structure is poor...If this had been a real driver in a real crash, it’s likely it wouldn’t have been survivable...if safety is a priority, the Neon is a small car to be avoided.” [5]
Second generation headrests were rated as "Poor" [6].
Driver deaths fatality risks statistics -published by the IIHS- rated the Neon among the "Highest rates of driver deaths", with 161 driver deaths per million registered vehicle deaths. Average for the Neon class (4 door small) was 103 driver deaths per million registered vehicle deaths [7].

Nakatomi2010

Neat...

“...major problems beginning with its structure. This car is a disaster...The structure is poor...If this had been a real driver in a real crash, it’s likely it wouldn’t have been survivable...if safety is a priority, the Neon is a small car to be avoided.”

Intruiging....

Though the main reason I liked my 1996 Neon was the fact that she just kept going, I mean all the way through 2008 when we got rid of her she always started for us...

Inquisitor

I've had no problems with the car in terms of it working.

Of course, I haven't put a ton of miles on it either.

saggio

I think you are looking for H/A. You'll probably get more responses there.

Elki

This is better placed in H/A.

wasted pixels

My first impression is that's way too much money, you should be looking at a dealership price of $7,000 to $8,000 for that, and that's if it's in fuck-me perfect condition.

I have a fair bit of hands-on experience with 2k-era Neons -- one of my friends has owned both an ACR and an SR4, and my ex drove an SXT -- so I think I'm qualified to say that having been in three of 'em for extended periods of time, they're pretty lousy cars. The build quality is VERY poor, the transmissions (both automatic and manual) are prone to expensive problems, and the interior is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a car that originally invoiced at under $15k.

You can do a LOT better for twelve grand.

TexiKen

Twelve grand these days can buy you a brand new Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt.

The Crowing One

Honda.
Civic.

There are certainly better options out there. Anything Toyota or Honda springs to mind. Hyundai has also been getting better and better with each passing year.

Nakatomi2010

12000 for a brand new Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt don't have the same features as this car, such as actually having power windows and remote keyless entry and such...

Honda Civic is too expensive, same for Toyota... I swore of Hyundai after my wife got a 2001 Tiburon that was utter shit... Used to stall at random times when trying to accelerate, they never could figure it out, kept blaming the gas cap...

Remember, I'm saying 12000 out the door, the car itself is only 10,000, the rest of it is tax, title, etc fees...

TexiKen

You can do just fine then getting a used 2007 or so Nissan Sentra. That will put you under 12k. Mazda 3's are another good vehicle to buy used that don't have the high value Toyota or Hondas have.

What people are trying to say here is that it doesn't matter the miles, it's a Dodge Neon. There are better cars out there, even older cars that are better.

Crashtard

That's WAY to much for a 5 year old car, especially a Neon. I just bought a 2009 Hyundai Elantra, fully loaded except for the sunroof and wing on the back, for 12,900 after 1,000 trade in for my old car. If you have 11 thousand to spend buy a new car if you can, because right now is a GREAT time. They practically begged us to buy the car we bought. You should be able to get a real good car for around 11-12k.

wasted pixels

Nakatomi2010 wrote: »

Remember, I'm saying 12000 out the door, the car itself is only 10,000, the rest of it is tax, title, etc fees...

That's still several thousand dollars more than the car is worth.

Crashtard

wasted pixels wrote: »

Nakatomi2010 wrote: »

Remember, I'm saying 12000 out the door, the car itself is only 10,000, the rest of it is tax, title, etc fees...

That's still several thousand dollars more than the car is worth.

Definitely this. For 12k you can get a 2009 Chevy Cobalt and drive it home including the tax/fees usually.

Tomanta

It's definitely priced way too high. I paid about $13,500 for my BRAND NEW (<50 miles) 2002 Neon. It hasn't been a bad car, though. Only problem was one incident with the transmission, mostly covered by warranty. Even so I'd agree that there are likely better cars out there.

Wezoin

Yeah, as everyone else is saying, brand new similar cars can be had in that range, or even couple year old nicer cars. Are you looking at small cars because of the initial cost, fuel cost, or because you actually like them?

If its initial cost, you could probably find a couple year old Charger/Magnum/300 for about that price. That is, if you're specifically looking at Dodge/Chrysler. You could probably find a few year old Ford Fusion about that price too.

Just, honestly, a Neon is not a desirable car by any measure (my driving instructor had one and I hated every minute of it) and especially not when there are so many better cars you could get for that amount of money.

Fagatron

Wezoin wrote: »

Just, honestly, a Neon is not a desirable car unless it's an SRT-4 by any measure (my driving instructor had one and I hated every minute of it) and especially not when there are so many better cars you could get for that amount of money.

Wezoin

Oh, I had no idea they even made a 'fast' version of the neon. Alright, from looking it up on edmunds.com they seem to think a dealer would sell one for $12,000 - private party $11,000. If its what you really want then I guess thats the price for it, but I still think its overpriced for a neon.

Fagatron

Wezoin wrote: »

Oh, I had no idea they even made a 'fast' version of the neon. Alright, from looking it up on edmunds.com they seem to think a dealer would sell one for $12,000 - private party $11,000. If its what you really want then I guess thats the price for it, but I still think its overpriced for a neon.

He's not looking at an SRT-4, he's looking to buy an SXT which is...well, it's a luxury Neon I guess. o_O

I just wanted to point out that the SRT-4 is a bitchin' sweet ride.

Wezoin

Fagatron wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

Oh, I had no idea they even made a 'fast' version of the neon. Alright, from looking it up on edmunds.com they seem to think a dealer would sell one for $12,000 - private party $11,000. If its what you really want then I guess thats the price for it, but I still think its overpriced for a neon.

He's not looking at an SRT-4, he's looking to buy an SXT which is...well, it's a luxury Neon I guess. o_O

I just wanted to point out that the SRT-4 is a bitchin' sweet ride.

Oh, well then its coming up as
Private Party - $4,725
Dealer - $5,711
(By the way, for anyone wondering I'm using zip code 90210 since I'm not from the states and don't know any others. Click Here and type in your own if you want to have a more accurate pricing)

For reference, the 2007 Dodge Caliber SXT (I think this is essentially the replacement for the neon) comes in at
Private Party - $10,833
Dealer - $11,778

The 2006 Ford Fusion SEL (their "luxury" trim) shows
Private Party - $11,051
Dealer - $11,948

For those recommending the Honda civic, the 2006 Honda Civic DX (Not sure what this really means) comes up as
Private Party - $10,523
Dealer - $11,182

Keep in mind these probably haven't been adjusted for "economy has collapsed" pricing, so you could probably find something a bit cheaper, but these are the types of cars that should be asking that kind of price.