The Clever trick The Neon was a car with two faces. One was that of an econobox, with a tacky interior, poor overall build quality and scary safety ratings. The other, however, was a performance bargain. While not universally loved in America, the Neon did receive some favorable reviews in other markets, such as Japan. In 1994, Japan’s Best driving took the then-new Neon, Honda Accord EX and Nissan Sunny 1500 Super Saloon to Tsukuba to compare their performance – and the American tourist beat the local competition.
We’re not talking about a Neon ACR or even a SRT-4. This was a regular old Dodge Neon, with a two-liter, 132-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a three-speed automatic transmission. There was nothing special about the Neon Best driving tested and yet, on track he left the Accord and Sunny far behind. At one point it looked like the Neon driver was playing with the others, as he was so far ahead that he started to tease and sway back and forth in a teasing manner.
In a very unscientific real-world test, the Neon was just as roomy inside as the Accord. So here was a sedan that offered interior comfort and trunk space on par with its contemporaries, but a more engaging driving experience. It showed a lot of promise, such as a june 1996 Bloomberg article about the car’s launch in Japan. However, it struggled in the country, perhaps because of its classification as a larger vehicle than its rivals, which meant owners had to pay higher road taxes. By December ’96, after five months on the market, Chrysler had sold just 900 Neons in Japan per Chicago Tribuneand the enthusiasm gradually waned.
Yet Chrysler has delivered a rocket among sensible sedans. Despite poor international sales and a lack of durability, even here in the US, the Neon is to win recognition since its demise as a cheap, simple means of transportation that’s fun to drive, and also easy and cheap to repair. Would those same drivers be better off with a Honda Accord of similar vintage? Probably. But hey—the Neon is faster.
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