New Member, about to dive in

[Improbcat]

Hello, I'm Pixel, and am glad to find this site.

I just sold my daily driver ('97 Subaru Outback) and am in the process of shopping for its replacement. I've narrowed it down to three car types and am waiting to see which I can find the nicest example of first.

'95-'99 Dodge Neon.
I like these for their small size, good handling and respectable MPG. I don't like that they aren't hatchbacks as I tend to randomly need to haul awkwardly large stuff.

'92-'95 Civic hatchback. Love the MPG #'s, like the styling, not fond of the age and pre-OBD II. Bonus for the chance to get a VX

'96-99 Civic hatchback. Not as fond of the styling and MPG, but like the OBD II computers and newer age. Also the chance to swap in an HX drivetrain in the future.


I'm planning some aero mods, and some eco-driving. One thing I like the idea of is a set of buttons to kill the engine, crank the engine & kill the alternator without messing with the key so I can cut the engine in and out easier.

I'm sure I'll have a barrage of questions once I find my next car.

[diamondlarry]

Welcome to GasSavers! I owned three different Neon's in the past; '95, '96 and '00. The '96 and '00 were automatics and the '95 was a 5-speed. Without knowing what I now know about eco-driving/hypermiling, I was able to get consistent mid-40's on the highway with the '95 with a best of 47. The '96 was good for about 36-37 on the highway and the '00 was only good for about 33 max. If you could find a '96-'99 5-speed, that would be the best coice for those cars.

I think that a VX would be be the best overall choice for the cars you've mentioned. It's hard to beat lean-burn on the highway.

[Danronian]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

I think that a VX would be be the best overall choice for the cars you've mentioned. It's hard to beat lean-burn on the highway.

I agree. You also can't beat Honda reliability and a car that will last you almost forever (versus neons which aren't known to be a high mileage performer). The HX is also a nice car, but the weight of the car makes the MPG worse, and it's ugly.

Welcome to the site!

[Hateful]

OBDII would be the most important thing for me,as driving without my ScanGaugeII seems unthinkable now.Aero mods can really change the body style,depending on imagination and guts.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by Danronian

I agree. You also can't beat Honda reliability and a car that will last you almost forever (versus neons which aren't known to be a high mileage performer).

I hear you. The reason I don't have the '95 anymore is because it blew a head gasket at around 95K. I traded it in on the '00 and the dealer fixed the '95 and re-sold it. The guy who bought it is still driving now though.

[brucepick]

For my next car - if I can ever stop driving Volvos - I'm considering a Civic HX. OBDII/scangauge, reliability, good FE, and better safety statistics than other high-FE cars so far as I can see.

[smccall]

I'd go with either of the Hondas over the Dodge. Dodge Neon is not known for being a reliable car. My exact choice would be the 92-95 VX simply based on mpgs. The 96-00 civic hatches dont come close to the mpg the 92-95's have. The closest would be the 96-00 CX but even that one gets 33/38 mpgs. Not close to the 48/55 for the VX. With the HX drivetrain you'll still only be in the mid 40s and thats an extra expense with the higher price for newer model plus parts and labor for the tranny.

[Three6Eight]

Get the Civic. The neon is an awful car. I had a Neon and the best it did was 30 mpg

[Improbcat]

My biggest problem is finding any civic hatches at all, let alone a VX. Most have either rusted badly, or been turned into a "riced" one with all sorts of the exact opposite mods to what I want.

I have a (supposedly) nice '96 DX hatch I'm supposed to be going to look at, but the guy has fallen off the face of the planet.

I may just end up picking up a cheap neon by default, and planning to keep an eye out for a civic hatch to replace it with later.

If anyone has any ideas on where to shop for civics in New England I'd appreciate it. I've been haunting craigslist, ebay, bargain news & the cars.com classifieds with little luck.

[Hockey4mnhs]

it will be worth the wait if you can just hold in there and get the vx