1997 Dodge Neon Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
Like the neon lights of Broadway, the 1997 Dodge Neon shines bright, its unique oval headlights beckoning curious onlookers to check out...
Like the neon lights of Broadway, the 1997 Dodge Neon shines bright, its unique oval headlights beckoning curious onlookers to check out why it's different than other subcompacts, like the Civic and Escort. Sure it gets great fuel economy, and sure, it's affordable, but the Neon has set the bar for speed and handling.
The 1997 Dodge Neon saw few changes, aside from color and fabric options. Whether choosing the four-door sedan or two-door coupe, both come with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder single-cam, 132-hp engine. In Sport trims or with the Competition Package, you can upgrade to a twin-cam, 150-hp version. Inside such a small lightweight car, that means you better get ready for takeoff. With a wider and longer wheelbase and wheels moved to the outer edges, the Neon adds great firmness and stability, with less roll and vibration around curves.
Inside, the 1997 Neon fits four comfortably, due to its arched roof and extended wheelbase. It claims to be the roomiest of all subcompacts. In all but the base models, the rear seats fold down to add even more room to a spacious trunk. Dual front airbags come standard. Base models, to keep costs down, offer few basic features and less options than the sportier and peppier Highline or Sport models. All owners agree the Neon is fun to drive, with a lot of energy and power. The amount of headroom, legroom, and trunk space is also a plus, along with the great price. A lot of drivers mentioned problems with overheating because of a faulty head gasket, transmission defects, and peeling paint. They also complain about how noisy it is and the lack of features. Some wish a 4-speed auto tran was available instead of just a 3-speed.
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1997 Dodge Neon appreciate its good fuel economy, affordable maintenance, and decent performance for a compact car. Many find it to be reliable and economical for daily driving, making it ideal for small families or as a starter car. However, some drivers point out its lack of speed compared to competitors and mention potential issues with the build quality, particularly concerning the head gasket."
This lil' car was underestimated, Compared to my Plymouth it was a Cadillac, but that's besides the point. It had decent acceleration, the handling wasn't too bad either, I had mine Autocross racing and it was extremely fun to drive. The Neons of this generation had a major problem with head gaskets going out because the factory put less than quality head gaskets in the car to begin with. After that the only problem I had was that I had to replace the radiator, partially due to the head gasket problem and the way I drove the car (which wasn't very nice.) With no modifications, I had this car from 0-115 in less than 1.5 miles. I traded it in when I got my S-10.
October 1, 2009Fun to drive, looks nice, is quick for the price & fuel mileage.
March 3, 2008The first car I ever bought was a slightly-used (it had about 2,000 miles on it) 1997 Dodge Neon coupe. It had the more powerful engine option and a rear spoiler (which didn't seem to make it go faster, really), but as my dad described it, "It feels like the engine is powered by rubber bands."
March 31, 2008What owners say
This lil' car was underestimated, Compared to my Plymouth it was a Cadillac, but that's besides the point. It had decent acceleration, the handling wasn't too bad either, I had mine Autocross racing and it was extremely fun to drive. The Neons of this generation had a major problem with head gaskets going out because the factory put less than quality head gaskets in the car to begin with. After that the only problem I had was that I had to replace the radiator, partially due to the head gasket problem and the way I drove the car (which wasn't very nice.) With no modifications, I had this car from 0-115 in less than 1.5 miles. I traded it in when I got my S-10.
October 1, 2009Fun to drive, looks nice, is quick for the price & fuel mileage.
March 3, 2008The first car I ever bought was a slightly-used (it had about 2,000 miles on it) 1997 Dodge Neon coupe. It had the more powerful engine option and a rear spoiler (which didn't seem to make it go faster, really), but as my dad described it, "It feels like the engine is powered by rubber bands."
March 31, 2008accelerates very nicely, brakes exellent, handles like a hot wheels. very few things go wrong with it except for scheduled maitanence, no squeaks or rattles. looks somewhat sporty, interior could look a little better. excelent mpg's, low maitanence cost. FUN!!!
January 6, 2011Pretty nice car. Big difference between 96 and 97! I like that it has a sporty look to it. I got it used but it is in great condition and have not needed to put any work into it yet. If you need a starter car this is the way to go. You can find them pretty low in price.
February 27, 2010For what it lacked in over-all performance (even though with the 5-speed transmission it was pretty quick), it made up for in durability and driveability. The car was just short of indestructible and an excellent winter driver. It's still humming along after the front end and head gasket were done (a major flaw in all Neons from that era).
October 1, 2009good affordable and good stock performance cheap on part easy to fix and will last along time looks on the other hand are not so good from factory but with some the can look very good tint lights rims body kit and so on
July 1, 2009Performance is good it accelerates quickly as it is has had some mods done to it. Braking is awesome, stops on a dime. And handling well in all but the tightest corners. Sure I have had some typical repairs and few major job but the cars is 12 years old now and some things are expect so build quality is good. Gas mileage has been improved with my modifications but it never was bad. $40 t fill a tank at most. And the car is plenty fun to drive. I love even the short drives to work. I recommend the car but I would also recommend doing the mods I did to release the beast in this car.
October 28, 2008maintain it and it will take abuse, slip up one time and its downhill from there...prissy little car it can be
March 31, 20080 to 60 in around 7 seconds. 150hp stock (wipes out the rest of cars in that class), dump 3 grand into this car and expect to smoke vettes. very good on gas. handles great. easy to maintain, but some expensive parts.
October 22, 2009
