"DaimlerChrysler has announced that it will discontinue the Neon line, with the final cars being assembled on September 23, 2005 at its plant in Belvidere, Illinois. [[1]] The Neon will be replaced for 2006 with a new vehicle (probably the Dodge Caliber) based on the shared Chrysler/Mitsubishi Motors GS platform."
The Caliber is by no means a replacement. It's simply the bottom of the line car where the Neon used to be. It's like saying the Neon was the replacement for the Omni (same 3-speed auto), or the Colt, or the Shadow, or the Spirit...
Maybe if Shelby had got involved at some point... instead we have the SRT-4. Nonetheless, it lasted 10 years, better than some of the other great Chysler cars that have gone by the wayside.
Besides, there have been replacements for the Neon out for a while now - Focus SVT, Contour SVT, Mini Cooper /S, Mazda 3s... The Neon died in 2000, it's about time Chrysler finally put it in the grave. Good riddance. Hopefully we'll see a 25th anniversary special edition ACR come 2020, complete with radio delete, a/c delete, power steering delete, no power options, and as fun to drive as the original.
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1995 Plymouth Neon
2006 Mazda5 Sport
I know nothing about cars or engines, at least according to Neon2.0T. Must be true then!
The Caliber isn't really all that bad. Wheelbase and width are similar, seating for 5, etc. But the chassis is different, and parts are not going to be interchangeable with the Neon the way we were able to swap out with other Chrysler cars (PT Cruiser, Shadow, Omni, Stratus, etc.). The engine design is quite different (variable vlave timing being probably the most significant), and the option of AWD is something the PL/PL2 chassis simply isn't capable of without a lot of work. I'm sure it won't be nearly as nimble on the autocross course as the Neon (particularly the 1st gen), even though it's likely to be in the same classes. It's not a Neon, it's not an upgraded Neon, it's simply a new car that just happens to be debuting the year after the Neon ends.
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1995 Plymouth Neon
2006 Mazda5 Sport
I know nothing about cars or engines, at least according to Neon2.0T. Must be true then!
Are you serious????? They are discontinuing the neon??????? When the hell did this happen???????? I am so lost, lol
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1998 Neon- Iceman intake, Pacesetter exhaust, Megan racing short shifter, Kirk Racing header, AFX solid race front mount, AFX solid bobble strut
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The end of the Neon family
