Faults:

Shifter bushings wore out, it was a $25.00 fix from Booger Bushings, and that included shipping :) Very inexpensive.

General Comments:

When my wife wanted to buy a neon, I was very against the idea. I wanted another Ford. Her and I decided to test drive every 5 speed compact 4 door on the market. After driving everything out there, the best car for the money was this 98 Expresso. Impressive handling, impressive acceleration and the price couldn't have been beat.

I was also impressed at the availability of aftermarket parts from Mopar and from a good number of other suppliers.

After all of the goodies I bought for the car, I took it on a cross country trip and my best tank was 46 mpg that's better than the highway fuel economy rating than a Toyota hybrid Prius (44mpg highway) Not too shabby.

One of the worries I had was the head gasket going out, but with over 96,000 miles on the car, the original head gasket and the original clutch are still going strong. Even with drag racing the car at the local strip and participating in some grass roots level autocross. They're like Dungarees, can't be busted.

My only complaint is that I get a lot of people ridcule on the car because it's a neon. Maybe they're jealous.

I would definitly buy another one (I actually did, a 99 R/T)

One tip, and this holds true with any brand. Do your preventative maintenance. Cars need care.

Faults:

My head gasket blew at 70,000 miles. Then again at 80,000 miles.

The sunroof stopped working just before the warranty ran out. The dealer replaced it for free. It lasted for three months then quit again.

General Comments:

The worst part about my neon was the dealer and the manufacturer. They both treated me like I had just kicked them in the groin. They accused me of over heating my neon even though I repeatedly told them that I did not. It cost me over $700 for them to fix the head gasket then I had to replace it 3 months later myself for an additional $300.

Faults:

Since I have had this car, every time it rains, the floor in the back seat area gets severely soaked. Sometimes, there are puddles of water on the floor.

The car will shut down sometimes after heavy rainfall. I have to put dry gas in the tank to absorb the water.

I spend a ton of money on gas, but no one seems to be able to pinpoint why.

The alternator belt has been replaced twice since I have owned the car.

General Comments:

This car steers very well.

It is comfortable for a small car.