I think the Neon is a little large for my tastes and needs.  The problem
I have with it is that, at least the ones of 10 years ago or so, it
looks/feels CHEAP.  Drab cloth, blah plastics, so-so performance and
handling, unnecessarily high seating position.  When will mfgrs. figure
out that there are people who may, for whatever reason, consider a small
car but don't want to feel like they're being punished for making that
decision?  I had an '02 GTI 1.8T for a while and it was the exact
opposite of the Neon.  Felt like a luxury car trapped in a small body.
Nice heated leather seats, quality-appearing plastic on the dash, and
unique (well, not anymore) red/blue gauge lighting that really made the
car look special from behind the driver's seat.  Only real complaints I
had about the car were a) same high seating position b) the uselessness
of the factory fog lights in real fog (they were integrated into the
headlamp clusters; I bought a set of Hella fogs to fit in the airdam but
never installed them before I sold the car) and c) what VW calls a "MFA"
(multi-function display; I primarily wanted it for the oil temp. readout
and the outside temp. sensor) which I'd been accustomed to having in all
my previous GTIs had apparently become optional for the '02 models, and
I didn't find this out until I went to take delivery of my car (the cars
that I test drove had all been equipped with the MFA and silly me didn't
read the fine print on the window stickers.)  Other than that I freaking
loved the car; great power/torque and nice ride, handling was a little
off but I deliberately did not get the sport suspension or 17" wheels as
this was to be my daily driver not a racer.

nate

<cuhulin@webtv.net> wrote in message news:26135-46F959F6-1489@storefull-

And this from the former Isetta owner?
--scott

That's why they make the Escalade.

Possible?  No possible about it.

They also have lost that direct mechanical feel for the road... they
seem to isolate the driver rather than involve him, for the most part.

The solution is to get an old car and update the suspension, wheels/
tires, shocks, sway bars, etc...  Oh, wait, I'm doing that right
now :)

nate

But they're filled with cheap plastics that start to deteriorate within
10 years, that's my biggest complaint.

         I have arthritis in one hip. Makes getting in and out a
pain. We bought our last car three years ago, and one of the
requirements was a car that was easy to get in and out of. It's
amazing how many automakers ignore that, and even before arthritis I
had trouble getting into some vehicles.
        Chrysler's small cars were the worst. The Neon is hopeless.
We bought a Cavalier, which was pretty good that way. I wanted the
Mazda 626, which was the easiest by far, and ran and handled the best,
but it cost too much. Next time...
          Newer cars are far more reliable than the old ones. They
get far better mileage. They handle more safely. Some of them are more
comfortable, some not. All of them are neither easy nor cheap to fix.
The reliability/mileage/handling improvements come at the expense of
extensive electronic automation, with tiny circuits that can't be
repaired even if you understand electronics. Got to replace a whole
circuit board or box. Plastic is used everywhere because it looks
better and is quieter than sheet metal, and weighs a lot less. More
mileage, see. And fancier architecture. Exterior plastics don't rust,
and we demanded cars that don't rust. Now we need cars that don't
shatter when a shopping cart bangs into them.
         So we have the Cavalier, but I have a 1951 International
pickup. No plastic, no electronics, no comfort, and no mileage. Lots
of bumps, rattles, road noise, rotten handling, easy repairs, and
nostalgia. Gets lots of grins from the retired farmers around here.

        Dan