Why Did Dodge Discontinue the Neon

[Whelan]

Felt like starting a good discussion here. The Dodge Neon, an iconic car of it's day that stole tons of buyers from the Civic and Corolla. It was a bread and butter car for Dodge. Available in multiple trim levels from the basic fleet rental to a sporty SRT form, with plenty in the middle to suit everyone's needs. It was popular to many people and many tuners. Move forward, Dodge introduces the Caliber. Available in SXT, R/T, SRT and maybe something else, never kept up on it. But all those version only come one way, a hatch. And not just any hatch. A hatch that although it is not taller than my Matrix, the wheel gap and sudden ending of the lower lips gives it a high SUVish stance. Poor interior ergonomics and no desire to try and create a 4-door sedan or coupe version to keep buyers from previous generation Neons around. Therefore the masses flocked elsewhere.So did Dodge make the right decision? I personally say no. With a completely redesigned and modern Neon they could have kept in the game and offered something that people today seem to be trending towards. Not to say they do not like hatchbacks and crossovers. But the Caliber is not very appealing and looks somewhat like a mini Malibu Maxx from Chevy. But at least the Maxx pulls off the look better. Now Dodge is scraping to keep it's head above water, the company is now coming out with a Hybrid HEMI for the Aspen and Durango...wait...backup...Yes I said Hybrid HEMI, those two words just do not belong in a sentence together, ever! If I were Dodge I would keep the Caliber and follow Toyota. They have the Corolla, a four door econo sedan that still drives masses to its dealers. And they have the Matrix, same platform, same engine, different sheet metal and interior. So how hard would it be for Dodge to create a 4 door econo sedan out of the Caliber, just for S$G's, the research and development team could poke into this. Offering two variables from the same platform could prove extremely beneficial and cost effective.Again, change the sheetmetal and interior, keep the mechanics, and you have a new Neon that was not entirely drawn from the ground up, you save money, sell it for a profit, and get back in the game!

[Mavrik]

I hated the neon lol... they like to leak a lot of oil. Kinda glad there are no more new ones on the road.

[Kamikaze]

Head Gaskets... FTW

[KNINE]

Neons liked to blow head gaskets like Paris Hilton liked to blow... You get the picture!

[NibCrom]

I think the Caliber was a smart move for Dodge, but they should have come out with a non hatch small car replacement.

[ToolGuy]

Well the Neon was dated and needed a change. I suppose Dodge could have kept it a car but all new and called it a Neon still I dunno. The Neon came out in 1993 95-ish maybe? The name Neon also conjured up images of cheapness and I think a new name was in order. The Caliber also offers up more engine choices and a better engine all around then the Neon ever had; their World Engines 1.8L, 2.0L & 2.4L & Turbo. And the CVT trans which Neon never had. Did Neon need a CVT? No, but it is not a Chrysler born CVT and since it does not shift like a Chrysler trans, it is of course smoother and nicer. All of this is of course food for thought, I am not disagreeing with you here! For the Hybrid Hemi, I think what you are really supposed to hear is the Durango Hybrid which is an Electric Transmission backed by the V8 Hemi. It is an HEV for Hybrid Electric Vehicle. It will go into electric mode when cruising and little load. Hook a boat trailer to it and it will probably NEVER go into electric mode and run from the V8 constantly!The Durango HEV will be limited production and is the same technology as the Chevy Yukon HEV. Both are a big dog and pony show with little gains to me! Actualy it was the same project for GM and Dodge for both SUV's.A Hybrid anything vehicle and called that, also has an engine of some kind. An EV Hybrid is an all electric with no dependence on oil, which is the best kind of Hybrid.

[ragingfish]

Let's be honest, the Neon, on the whole, was a pile. Those cars were, and are, for the most part, absolute unreliable trash. Some people drove them forever with not a single problem, but everyone, and I mean EVERYONE I know who owned one, had nothing but nightmares. And I knew a lot of people who owned them.Now, was ditching the Neon for the Caliber the right move? Not really, IMHO. Apples and oranges. Besides the fact the Caliber is fugly, it is not a comparable replacement to a econobox sedan. That would be like Pontiac replacing the Sunfire/G5 with the Vibe. Nothing against the Vibe, but it's just not going to fill the same niche. Wagon vs. sedan (in Canada) or coupe (in both). This is interesting, because I've also been bashing on Toyota because - according to substantiated rumor - they are replacing the Solara with this new Venza crossover. Yes. Let's replace a 2 door sporty coupe/convertible with a 4 door high riding CROSSOVER. Great job guys. *rolls eyes*

[WaveAction]

my moms got a neon and its never had a problem..runs really well for a 97

[zionzr2]

Dont both the Caliber and the PT Looser share the platform of the former Neon?I know they are produced in the same plant as the neon used to be. Bellvidere, IL (just East of Rockford, IL on I-90.)

[ColonelPanic]

The Neon sucked, I mean c'mon - (removed) was up with the power front windows and having cranks in the back? I didn't understand the Caliber being a direct Neon replacement. I'm another one that doesn't think you can replace one type of vehicle with another and still expect people who bought the original to buy this new, entirely different thing. If that makes any sense. *shrug*The Caliber is a passable car, I see many on the road - not selling as good as Neons though. They really need to work on getting a small sedan and possibly coupe, but I doubt they'll do it... Chrysler doesn't seem particularly interested in small, efficient FWD cars. They need the RWD tire smokin' gas suckin' machomobiles. The few they do have that get in the upper 20's are nice but they need more cars with greater efficiency. And preferably of their own design, not rebadged Chinese deathtraps like they have coming to our shores soon. But anyway... I don't miss the Neon, but I'm sure some buyers do.

[northvibe]

the neon had the worst crash rating too! what a pos....and they were ugly, the srt4 was cool though.

[harryyiii]

(Those cars were, and are, for the most part, absolute unreliable trash.)I object. My old neon sports coupe had superior handling, ready to SCCA race, got better gas mileage, and was bulletproof. Timing belts routinely last more than 140K miles. On the Neon site I was on, I never heard about bad auto transmissions, bad manual transmissions, premature clutch wearout, siezed engines, like I routinely hear on this site. The head gasket problems were solved by 1997. My 95 had a bad head gasket that caused me to sell the car at 140,000 miles last year. I got my money's worth. My son drove it for 2 years and loved it. I think Toyota builds their car parts for grandma and consumer reports, and when pushed, the frail parts break.

[ToolGuy]

I think the Neon also filled the void of the Dodge Aries going away. Dodge needed an inexpensive small car in the line up. I do remember the first gen Neon's were and are easy to steal. The door frames did not encompass the windows, thus the windows sealed to the body. All a thief had to do was pry their hands at the top of the window, pull it outward and then hit the lock with something and you were in. Of course the re-design fixed this issue but many were stolen before hand.

[lovemyraffe]

I know the PT Crapper is the same as the Neon, I'm not sure about the Caliber. The Neon IMO is one of the ugliest cars ever made. And it was absolutely terrible mechanically. HUGE PIECE OF JUNK. It's about time they stopped making that POS.

[Whelan]

Whether it was a POS or a decent car that can be debated. But it was what it was and sold very well against competition regardless of opinion. The biggest point here is that Dodge really needs to create another small 4 door sedan and coupe to get some market gain, especially with the gas prices. People don't want what they offer currently. My friends had a rental Avenger (I think thats the new one), and it was a total POS. The 4cyl barely got the car moving, mpg's sucked, and the interior was beyond cheap with plastic ALL over. And totally uncomfortable to be in, no layout. Compare this with my rental G6 GT with comfy seats, well appointed interior, powerful V6, etc. etc. I realize mine was a step up, but how much better could a comparable one be to that car. Dodge seems to be missing their targets left and right and banking all their money one car at a time. The Neon, then the Ram, then the PT snoozer, then the Charger. And in Chrysler their only money car is the 300.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by zionzr2 »Dont both the Caliber and the PT Looser share the platform of the former Neon?I know they are produced in the same plant as the neon used to be. Bellvidere, IL (just East of Rockford, IL on I-90.)Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »I know the PT Crapper is the same as the Neon, I'm not sure about the Caliber. The Neon IMO is one of the ugliest cars ever made. And it was absolutely terrible mechanically. HUGE PIECE OF JUNK. It's about time they stopped making that POS.Actually, contrary to what many believe, the neon's PL platform was NOT used for the cruiser. The Caliber is on the Mitsubishi GS platform, and the cruiser on it's own, the PT platform.

[Toasted7]

I had an old roomate that had a Neon and I still have the oil spot his car left behind in my driveway. I hated that car!On the otherhand... I have a co-worker that he and his wife have Neons and they LOVE them to death.Hit or miss!

[ToolGuy]

Dodge or Chrysler Corps biggest issue right now is vehicles not getting good fuel economy. They are way behind! The only fuel efficient engines the Chrysler group has are again the World Engines, 1.8L, 2.0L and 2.4L.FWIW, the Caliber, Compass and Patriot are all the same platform and built on the same line.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Toasted7 »I had an old roomate that had a Neon and I still have the oil spot his car left behind in my driveway. I hated that car!LOL, at my old apt. I had this neighbor with a 90's Neon coupe- I recognize that oil spot! That thing really did some leakin'. Plus side is she never had to change her oil. Not sure what happened with the Neon, things could have been much better. I remember the Neon was a big thing when they first came out. It apparently was in pretty big demand where I lived at the time, so much that the dealer wound up selling Canadian-spec Neons complete with DRL's and metric gauges, they couldn't get any US spec versions or something. I guess the Neon was like the Hyundai Excel, a great deal and tons were sold at first but in a short while you end up not having such a bargain.

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »Actually, contrary to what many believe, the neon's PL platform was NOT used for the cruiser. The Caliber is on the Mitsubishi GS platform, and the cruiser on it's own, the PT platform.Got proof? I worked for dodge in the lube bay and I can tell you under the hood those two (cruiser and neon) were identical.

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »Got proof? I worked for dodge in the lube bay and I can tell you under the hood those two (cruiser and neon) were identical.Right... The suspension was identical too. Both used the same lower control arms and BOTH rubber bushings were junk! Every one I have ever seen has failed! Even on my 2003 PP Cruiser Turbo. We did tools to fix them too since dealers kept replacing arms and it cost Chrysler a ton! Chrysler never did fix the issue with a better bushing.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »Got proof? I worked for dodge in the lube bay and I can tell you under the hood those two (cruiser and neon) were identical.I know I read that somewhere a while back. I'll see if I can track it down again.Of course 'tis always possible my sources are wrong!

[ramenboy...]

yeah, it was a dodge, and dated by now, but i thought the 2003 srt-4 was pretty cool... it could stand toe-to-toe with, or blow away the Mini Cooper S, Nissan Sentra SE-R, Hyundai Tiburon, Honda Civic Si, Volkswagen GTI, Ford SVT Focus of the same yearcaliber... meh...

[breezd]

We have a Chrysler engine plant here in the town I live in, and its where they assembled the Neon engines (I'm pretty sure...). I swear that for every car I see on the road, there's 5 neons. My roommate is drivin a 97 Neon he bought almost a year ago for $300. Thing's been runnin on 3 cyl and therefore guzzles gas, exhaust is LOUD, thing's just a piece of junk. But it gets him from A to B; and nowadays, that's what people buy the Neon for.