Thanks for that Chris, thats what I was hoping to hear, a satisfied former owner, I haven't really heard many good reviews about them, seems to get average reviews for everything, am going to go and have a look at one, a 2.0 ltr lx, as its the closest to me, that way I can judge whether the less expensive but further away RT would be suitable.

Hi

I have never driven the newer shape one. From what I remember the new one is a bit heavier and a bit better sound insulated. Ride is less harsh. Definately well worth a look. Remember US cars are built around different (longer) expected vehicle life to UK cars. Lot of low mileage cars for low money about. You get aircon in the LX and it works in Arizona, so better than a lot of Eurobox stuff that almost cools you down. Your budget should get you a 2002 car with 25,000 on the clock or thereabouts. A Focus for that money will have around 60,000 on the clock.

Got to be worth a test drive, but dont try the auto, it will put you off! Try autotrader online, there will be plenty about.

Chris

Am going to have a look at a couple, also noticed Mazda 323 Sport 2l model for around the same price, may have to look into them as well...

We had a lady wanting to do a part exchange on her neon, and it had had nothing but engine faults. The ABS had gone totally, she had cam belt problems etc. She was interested in buying a 107. If you want one of those my direct line number is.................................

My Sister had one in Australia for a few months. Let's just say that aside from the 'comprehensive list of fitted accessories' I think it is one of the most bland cars I've ever seen/driven. That's why she ended up swapping it. Best look elsewhere for something that will not depreciate very quickly (like dropping a lead balloon off a cliff kind of quick).

Don't buy a Neon. I drove one as a hire car once, it was a load of garbage.

AutoTrader is throwing up a whole heap of interesting possiblities, at the minute I'm looking at a '99 Subaru Legacy Outback, 70K miles, looks good but dont think it would be any cheaper to run than Octy, engine is 2.5l so would say mpg is poor but are pretty much bullet-proof, also '02 Mazda 323 Sport, 50K on clock, which also gets good reliability reports..

Mate of mine has had a Neon for over 3 years, he bought it because it seemed good value second hand and came with Air, Leather, Traction, but he isn't enjoying driving it now.

For a 2 litre it's slow, he thrashes it everywhere hoping it will die so his wife will let him buy something else.

It's comfy though, and has been dead reliable.

I took a test drive in a Neon R/T just before I bought the Octavia, all I can say is don't !

Stop buying super unleaded, look for a cheaper insurer, and ditch your current finance scheme - get a personal loan at 5.8 % APR (Post Office for example) to buy the car outright ? Repaying

I think the majority on here have already given you there opinion.. DON'T BUY a

Neon... But I think you've already made your mind up....

Considering what you are trying to do.. then the best option is to look at something like a 1.8 Focus or a Leon/Toledo.. If you don't want to go down the diesel route that is.. Something cheap to run/insure with a half decent

value..

The Neon was not rated when it came out.. And financially won't be worth jack after 7-9 years.. Where as a Focus should still have a value into 4 figures...

Current Mondeo and Mk5 Passat are also very good buy's as both are very popular, cheap to insure and run and will last the course....

cheers

Dazz

All the negative opinions about the Neon have made me realise it probably would be a bad idea to go for one, may still go for a test drive just to see, Mazda 323 Sport is an interesting proposition as it gets good reports from what I have read, nowhere near the performance of the Octy but a more affordable car I reckon, also Mondeo 1.8 or maybe even an older Subaru Outback, but servicing costs would be sky-high for it I reckon, would be cheaper to insure tho, definitely not interested in Focus/Astra or Seat options, I need to have something interesting or I'll get bored and want to change again...

Really can't recommend Honest John's mini-reviews highly enough if you're looking at a range of different cars!

Apparently R/T only puts out 150bhp, so it's not going to touch your Octy for performance... And the steering columns on Neons have been known to snap (:eek:) amongst other things!

HJ seems to be very fond of the 323 (his only criticism is they look naff without alloys); I reckon from his review you'd have to think carefully about a second-hand Outback; and Mondeo / Focus / Astra reviews are much as you might expect...

Really can't recommend Honest John's mini-reviews highly enough if you're looking at a range of different cars!

Apparently R/T only puts out 150bhp' date=' so it's not going to touch your Octy for performance... And the steering columns on Neons have been known to snap (:eek:) amongst other things!

HJ seems to be very fond of the 323 (his only criticism is they look naff without alloys); I reckon from his review you'd have to think carefully about a second-hand Outback; and Mondeo / Focus / Astra reviews are much as you might expect...[/quote']

Honest John is none too honest is he? Aparently the 96-99 model has chain driven camshafts. Really? Wonder what the toothed rubber belt going round the crank and cam pulleys that I changed at 60,000 miles did then? HJ could stand for heresay John?

I have to say I am a little surprised at how so many Skoda drivers, drivers of a brand known to come in for unjustified stick, are quick to dispel a car with which they have little or no experience. Most who have driven one have driven a US spec hire car which has different suspension settings and very crappy US spec tyres. The car was sold in the UK at too high a price (in the US it cost the same in dollars as in pounds here). Depreciation knocks ths off for the first buyer, so as a used prospect they are pretty much on value.

What you get if you buy a used one is a car that is not to the latest European specs and interior standards. Mechanically, remember US cars are subject to lemon laws, so reliability should be pretty good. Service life is another area where the car should fare better than many European products. Most main sector EU manufacturers work on an expected vehicle life in the order of 60,000 miles for the smaller mainstrem cars. US makers work at 160,000 to 250,000 (I have subcontract developed for US and EU engine management system companies and these are customer specified design parameters).

What you also get is a family saloon sized car for small hatchback money. And yes, it is not as good as many alternatives, however, it is not all bad either and you get a much lower mileage car from your cash buying one of these compared to a Focus that is nearing the end of its design specification life. Pound / mileage you could buy a low spec used Fiesta for similar money. I have owned both (well old spec Neon) and can tell you that the Fiesta is not even remotely in the same class for space, comfort, NVH, reliabilty and performance. Even odder is that there is not much in it fuel economy wise either.

Chris

maybe even an older Subaru Outback, but servicing costs would be sky-high for it I reckon

Servicing will not be too bad if you get it done at a local independent (believe the interval is 7.5k oil changes) but the big killer will be the AWD system which will seriously harm economy! 2.0l 16v Mondeo's are worth a look and you could probably get a Mk3 for the money....

Chris

The guy is wanting to save money so why are people even considering anything with a petrol engine ?

I've never had any reason to doubt his reviews / advice. Perhaps the manufacturers changed the engine specs. The review doesn't say whether the 1.8 is chain- or belt-cam for instance.

I can see what you're saying in defending the Neon being a former owner, but in my personal opinion things like a third-rate interior are a perfectly sound basis for not recommending a car. Just because there's nothing wrong with a car, doesn't mean there's anything right with it. Don't forget, most people's cars are their second-most expensive possessions after their houses, so no matter how much or little the cost of the car is, I'd want to recommend a car that the owner would actually want to have. In my personal opinion, the Neon isn't a car I'd want to have (at any price).

Fair enough, as you say, second-hand prices cancel out the fact that the Neon is overpriced when new. But then again, would you recommend a second-hand CityRover if someone you knew was looking for a cheap supermini? I think not.

And yes, the car may be reliable (few cars these days aren't), and this may be more than enough for many, many people, but the fact that rob1sp asked for people's opinions suggests that a car to him is more than just a mode of transport that can be relied upon to get from A-B and will start first time in the morning.

At the end of the day, all the above posts have been people's opinions. Fair enough, owning one gives you a better idea than most on here about reliability and performance, but these are only part of the package. My personal opinion is that no US vehicle can touch its European or Far Eastern counterparts for quality, style and performance. Period. Even cars that are based on European models (such as the Crossfire) somehow seem to be let down by what the Americans do to them. Maybe the RHD conversion somehow ruins everything else, I don't know...

American cars suit Americans. It's just the way it is IMO. And it would explain why, even though they produce so many of the damned things, they're seldom more than niche products over here...

Slightly related to this:

I considered the Crossfire recently but the whole car was let down by the shabby interior. The Z isnt exactly a classy place to be (the S2000 is nicer but ending its life this year) but the Crossfire is truely awful.

The guy is wanting to save money so why are people even considering anything with a petrol engine ?

Not interested in diesel as previously mentioned, will be saving a bucketload on insurance anyway...

Edit: Crossfire is based on Merc SLK platform isn't it? No wonder it's cack then...

I dont know what the SLK or Crossfire are like to drive - The Merc dealer looke ddown his nose at me and wouldnt give me the time of day let alone a test drive...... The Chrysler let itself down as soon as I sat in it, the words tacky and shabby describe it nicely.

Ok current shortlist is as follows:

02 Chrysler Neon RT

02 Mazda 323 Sport

00 Nissan Almera GTi

and still hanging in there at the back of my mind...

99 Subaru Legacy Outback

also a new contender steps into the ring...

00 VW Polo Gti (Thanks to Wardy's recent posts,

I can see what you're saying in defending the Neon being a former owner' date=' but in my personal opinion things like a third-rate interior are a perfectly sound basis for not recommending a car. Just because there's nothing wrong with a car, doesn't mean there's anything right with it. Don't forget, most people's cars are their second-most expensive possessions after their houses, so no matter how much or little the cost of the car is, I'd want to recommend a car that the owner would actually want to have. In my personal opinion, the Neon isn't a car I'd want to have (at any price).[/quote']

I did not say there was nothing right with it. A third rate interior? Mine never creaked rattled or wobbled anywhere. All the kit worked and the aircon was very good. The new models interior is supposed to be much better. Handling was good, well balanced and plenty of grip with communicative and accurate steering. The ride was a little harsh when the surface was poor. The engine was harsh when extended (no worsre than the Focus 2l unit but as the Neon is taller geared, not the drag that a Focus is on the motorway), but generally subdued at speed. Seat comfort was very good.

I cant see why you think the Neon would be such a bad car to own and why you think an owner could not enjoy having one? It really is a pretty decent car and fun to drive. It has not got the sophistication of some European models, but its less sophisticated approach can still be very entertaining when a fun road beckons.

So given a budget to keep to and needing a low mileage car for long term ownership, what alternative would you recommend? Maybe a 1.6 Octavia with 50,000+ miles on the clock?. Know which I would have.

Fair enough' date=' as you say, second-hand prices cancel out the fact that the Neon is overpriced when new. But then again, would you recommend a second-hand CityRover if someone you knew was looking for a cheap supermini? I think not.

[/quote']

Never owned / driven one so cant be qualified to say. Which is quite relevant to my point.

And yes' date=' the car may be reliable (few cars these days aren't), and this may be more than enough for many, many people, but the fact that rob1sp asked for people's opinions suggests that a car to him is more than just a mode of transport that can be relied upon to get from A-B and will start first time in the morning.

[/quote']

If you need a car to last, you need one capable of going for high mileage. In this respect, the US built cars could be superior to EU built alternatives. Why do you expect the Neon cannot be more than just A-B transport?

At the end of the day' date=' all the above posts have been people's opinions. Fair enough, owning one gives you a better idea than most on here about reliability and performance, but these are only part of the package. My personal opinion is that no US vehicle can touch its European or Far Eastern counterparts for quality, style and performance. Period. Even cars that are based on European models (such as the Crossfire) somehow seem to be let down by what the Americans do to them. Maybe the RHD conversion somehow ruins everything else, I don't know...

[/quote']

Depends what you see in a car I guess. Ford are particularly good at making the interior look and feel good for example, but if you compare a Focus or Mondeo to a Neon, you find that you are paying close to twice the money for stylised plastics. Quality is a whole different game. Defined as subjective quality, the alternatives look better, but where it counts is in bits dropping off and rattling. The Fabia has lost two pedal rubbers, has a rattling glovebox lid, door trims that rattle when the car is cold and a mis fitted electric window switch cover, so in terms of quality defined as fitness for purpose, my old Neon at 80,000 miles was better than my Fabia vRS at 20,000.

The crossfire is appalling because it is a reskin of an appalling car. It is cheap and looks good if you like that sort of thing.

American cars suit Americans. It's just the way it is IMO. And it would explain why' date=' even though they produce so many of the damned things, they're seldom more than niche products over here...[/quote']

I think it comes down to cost. Americans dont expect to pay the extra for the oh so expensive niceties that seperate the Euro / Japanese equivalents from the US counterparts. The manufacturers make good profit on percieved finish and the trade and press here have a vested interest in keeping these margin maintainers important. At the end of the day, if the budget and mileage are fixed, the Neon provides a far superior alternative to the likes of a Fiesta or Focus at the same price. It is a good car, the press, or some elements of the press, will resist everything US built. Chrysler gave the press the excuse to slag it off by pricing it so far above where it should be. As a used prospect with its price sorted by depreciation, it is worth a look. I think it would be a shame for anyone to overlook it on the basis that a few folks who know little about it said dont bother.

Chris

I think it would be a shame for anyone to overlook it on the basis that a few folks who know little about it said dont bother.

Chris

Can't deny that! Please bear in mind that everything I've posted on the topic is my own subjective opinion, so I'm quite happy to be proved wrong!

Some ruthless slating of other cars going on, on a Skoda forum as well, isn't there a recent thread about other people slagging Skodas, with the moral being that maybe they should try one before consigning it to their mental list of rubbish motors?

Ok, this is pretty much going against everything I have mentioned in previous posts, but just seen a 99 Vauxhall Vectra GSI for around my budget, cant imagine mpg is going to be anything better than Octy, insurance should come down a bit, what are Vauxhall parts/servicing costs like just out of interest? Fella at work has a 96 2.5l Vectra that he says he has had no bother with at all in the two years of ownership, which has got me thinking...

EDIT: Scratch that, pointless thinking about one, would only be a few quid a month difference for insurance, and fuel bills would be higher, so wouldn't be a solution to my problem at all!!!

I used to work at a chrysler dealer, the neon was awful and poorly made. A ford focus or a honda civic or toyota corolla would be far better. You can't go wrong with Japanese normally.

Ok, my old preliminary list of cars is kaput, looks like it will be between the following cars based on how test- drives go:

99 Vectra GSi (Out of frying pan into fire but really want to test drive anyway!)

02 Mazda 323 2.0 Sport (Solid reliable car, sporty, low mileage, cheap to insure/run, plus bonus it looks a bit Subaru-ish thanks to big front bumper/fog lights!) also a 00 323 1.8 Sport, similar to above but pre-facelft (ie. smaller fogs and bumper, higher mielage too)

99 Volvo S40 T4 (As with GSi Vectra, want to see what they are actually like performance-wise)

02 Nissan Almera 2.2 Dti Sport (Nice looking car, diesel so frugal, most sensible option)

Possibly 99 Golf GTi (highish miles compared to current car but cheaper to insure, bit of prestige there too with VW Gti badge)

Am really struggling to limit myself to less powerful cars (hence the vectra and volvo included in the list!), even though I am looking for something cheaper to run and insure than the VRS, but can't help but think that if I get a less powerful car to run for 4 or 5 years ie. into the ground, then there's the chance I may get bored with it in a couple of years and want to change again...