Twice as nice

In the middle of this past August, I decided to go and buy a new car. This is the first car I had ever purchased, but I was pretty sure about what I wanted. My original intention was to buy a Dodge Stratus. When I went and looked at the car, I hadn’t realized how big it is. It’s a perfect family size car, but the only person in the car is usually me and sometimes my fiance. The price on it was about 17-18,000 for low/middle option packages. This was also a bit pricey for me. I wanted something in the 15-16,000 range. While on our way out, we saw the Dodge Neon ES. I had always liked the car, but I hadn’t really seen any new ones. I fell in love with it instantly. The one I was looking at was a dark metallic blue color and the price was about 15,000. We decided to go inside and talk to a salesperson about that car.

We get inside and are immediately blown away by a RED Dodge Neon ES on the showroom floor. (Mine looks like the one in the picture.)We read the sticker and see that it has many more goodies than the blue one, but it also is listed for a little over 16,000. The salesman said he would figure out payments for the blue one and whatever he came up with, the red one would be a little more. He came back with the figures and I was pleasantly surprised. They had taken money off the price of the cars (without us even asking!) and the payments were what I was looking for. Since the RED one had more goodies for a bit more money, that was the one I decided to go with.

*The following information I am taking right off the window sticker.*

Exterior color: Flame RED clear coat
Interior color: Taupe
Interior: seats-cloth low-back bucket
Engine: 2.0, 4Cylinder, SOHC, 16Valve, SMPI
Horsepower: 132
Transmission: 3 speed automatic
Fuel tank: 12.5 gallon 25/city 31/highway

I will not list every feature that the car has, since most of the standard equipment is what you usually expect. The *goodies* include:
A/C...Tachometer...Power windows/door locks...Power heated, fold away mirrors...Keyless entry system w/2 transmitters...Sentry key theft deterrent system (panic button)...Security alarm...power trunk lid release...15” tires (the standard model has 14”)...Aluminum wheels (rims)...Leather wrapped steering wheel...Leather wrapped shift knob...Passenger assist handles...Fog lamps...Radio AM/FM cassette...4 CD changer in the dash...Six speakers...60/40 split backseat...Tilt steering...Trunk light.

This car does not have power in the back seats for child safety reasons. That didn’t bother me because I’m not the one in the backseat! :) The are also three hooks in the back for tying down child seats. This is a very child friendly car. It also does not have an ashtray or a lighter. If you want the smoker’s package, you have to order it. I don’t know how much that would cost because it didn’t bother me. I do smoke, but I have never used a car ashtray anyway because it makes the car stink. The outlet for the lighter is there so it can be used for other things such as a radar detector, or a cell phone adaptor.

I have about 1600 miles on the car already, and I have loved every mile so far. This car is very quick and very comfortable. I’ve already spent quite a few hours in the seats and have not walked away with a sore back or anything of that sort. I was impressed with the takeoff of the car considering it is only a 3 speed. It also hugs corners very nicely, even at higher speeds (wink, wink :)). The cupholders are right in the front underneath where the ashtray would be. I have no problem with the location of them, but if the ashtray was in, there might be a problem with the size of the drink you could put in there. My fiance put one of those huge Dunkin' Donuts mugs in there, and it fit perfectly (there is also a cut out in the cupholders for cups with a handle). The third cupholder is up front, and the fourth is in the top of the console, which flips all the way back for that purpose. There's a nifty little tissue holder in the top of the console too. There are countless doodad holders in this car, along with map holder pockets in the doors and on the backs of the front seats.

The only thing I have a small problem with (and I KNOW this sounds dumb) is the trunk lid attacks me. Even if the car is on flat land, it has a tendency to come back down (on me!). I figured out that if I put it up just right it won't fly down at me, but sometimes it will really irritate me.

My fiance liked it so much that he went out and bought one too! The differences:
His is silver, has a standard shift (his mileage is 28/city and 35/highway), traction control, ABS, and he has hubcaps. It was special ordered for someone that ended up backing out of the deal so that's why it is standard with all the goodies.

I would recommend this car to anyone. It is perfect for a single or couple, but also great for someone with a family. For a compact car, it is extremely roomy, so older kids (or adults!) are not cramped in the backseats. I've had two men, both over six feet tall, sit in the front and the back of the car, and neither one complained.

I think I covered everything, but if anyone has a question, feel free to ask!

*Note: I have not had the chance to drive the car in the winter yet, so I can't comment on that at this time. I'll let you know when I do!*