2001 Dodge Neon- Whooo! They Did it Again!

The 2001 Dodge Neon has a vastly different style than the 1995-1999 versions, however, the body and components essentially have not been altered from the 2000 model. The model that I am reviewing is the 2001 ES model, automatic, in bright silver, with slate gray leather interior. The sticker price is approximately $16,000 - however, I paid $14,000 with incentives and rebates. This is a lot of car for the money, and I am fairly confident that I have made a sound purchase.

As the owner of a 2000 Dodge Neon, I am a bit biased, when it comes to this car. I adored my previous car, and have become accustomed to trading in my car on a yearly, or every two years- basis. There are no major differences in the car for 2001, however, a few aesthetically pleasing change have occurred.

Leather Makes a Grrrl Happy

I opted for the leather seats. Ooooh baby! I LOVE LEATHER. In my 2000 Neon, leather was not an option and I was very happy to see that they had come to their senses, and added a lovely dark, slate gray leather interior, with low bucket seats. The seats are comfortable, and as with the 2000 Neon, you could really sit in these seats all day, and have no trouble at all.

What else ya got?

The styling, as I said, is essentially the same, as well as the many amenities available. The side view mirrors are heated, which is a big plus on such a low-end vehicle. The lighting package includes a flood light under the dashboard, as well as lighted visor vanity mirrors for driver and passenger. The rear view mirror also features two map lights. There are no rear reading lights available for this car. There is a nice trunk lamp, which is very handy!

The rear 60/40 split rear seat is a big plus, especially when hauling something extra-large. The addition for the 2001 is the presence of a 3 point shoulder belt for the center rear passenger. The child seat anchors come standard: they are little anchors on the rear window ledge, just behind the bench seat, which allow you to tether a child seat to them.

One other small thing that Dodge neglected to upgrade from the 2000 model, are the rear manual windows. It is rather annoying when the kids leave the windows open, and get out of the car, as I drop them off somewhere, only to find that now I have to get out of the car and close the Windows. If you have automatic windows in front........ I don't get it.


One more cup of coffee for the road!

The front console is a godsend. Actually the entire storage space in this vehicle is a dream! You get two extra large cupholders, which are placed at the lower center between the two front seats, just under the stereo. In addition, is a nice change holder, and a few small compartments for your ‘stuff’. In the center, is a super duper extra large cup holder, adequate for a large coffee, an actual mug, a juice box, or anything else you’d like to put there. Within the flip out center storage box, is another cup holder, to be used by a rear passenger. A great idea if you have kids! The center storage box also holds CD’s, tapes, etc.

The glove box is slightly small, and it could have been expanded. After all, many things are routinely kept there on a permanent basis. There are deep, wonderful pockets on the rear of the two front seats. My kids keep a copy of Harry Potter and the latest issue of Teen People back there. There are also nice deep and wide pockets on each of the front doors, which give easy access to those things you need close at hand, like gloves, or your book of daily meditations for women who do too much!


Take me for a ride, Grrrl!

This car rides beautifully for the price. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no BMW, but the car is relatively smooth and fairly quiet. When driving a capella, without the benefit of the awesome stereo, there is alot of wind noise. Engine noise in minimal, not overly intrusive. But when the kids are in the rear seat, I have to tell them to speak up when they talk to me.

The car handles exceedingly well. Corners, like it’s on rails! I’ll say that again for the 2001! The handling is lovely. I took it out in my first snow fall just today, and didn’t notice any slipping.

It comes standard with bolt on wheel covers, however, I opted for the 16" Silverstone Aluminum Wheels - Nice addition, as it adds some sporty/classy attitude to the car! My 2000 Neon had 15” wheels, so I feel like a teenage boy, with real live rims! Whoo hooo!

The 2.0-liter SOHC16-valve engine at a peak of 132 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 130 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm, is peppy, not race-car. Don’t be fooled, however, you will outrun all the virgin Civics you see on the road. The owners manual stresses that only Regular 87 octane gasoline should be used in this car.



Sounds Like a Party!

The stereo is so awesome in this car- for stock, of course! And, while I’m at it, for a Dodge! There are six speakers within the car, and a four disc in dash CD changer. No going outside the car to the trunk to reach your changer. Nice! My car also came with an AM/FM stereo and a cassette player. Nice mini-equalizer. The sound is great, for such an inexpensive car!


Don’t hurt me!

The seat belts are height adjustable, which is a bonus for short grrrls like me, and there are second generation front and side impact air-bags for the front passengers.

Step Away From The Vehicle!

This car is also equipped with an optional Sentry key system. What this is, is a keyless entry, that allows you to lock and unlock your doors from up to 23 feet. It also gives you the choice of unlocking only the driver's door, or all the doors at one time. The best thing is the immobilizer, which basically won’t let anyone steal your car, unless they have also stolen your keys. The ignition barrel is equipped with a computer chip that recognizes the computer chip in your key- pretty smart, huh? It gives a decent discount to your car insurance too. The car has an alarm, which consists of the horns beeping and the lights flashing a bunch of times.

Overall, Dodge has done a great job on this car! I am loving it! The car is all of the above, and more. I suppose that when you have spent so little, (relatively) on a car, and you are treated like a queen, (or king) while driving it, it’s a really nice feeling.