1995

1996

1996 brought a new steering wheel, hood logo for Plymouth, and camshaft for the SOHC engine. Also the SOHC received a new air intake; the air inlet relocating to the front of the engine bay vs. the rear. This reduced NVH levels but at a cost of some power (the cam was smoother but not as agressive; the air intake caused incoming air to pass over the manifold); bringing the engine more in line with its 132 hp rating. A Base Coupe was introduced, and the ACR was based off this model. The former gray bumpers on the Base model were dropped; giving the Base body colored bumper fascias. A power sunroof was available, but due to production glitches few were produced. The Expresso package made it's debut, with Expresso graphics and increased options list. Plymouth models received the Sailboat logo on the hood in place of the previous badge. The chrome Pentastar forward of the passenger side front door disappears.

1997

Some interior trim adjustments this year. The Coupe gained cloth inserts on the door panels. The Recirc feature was modified to prevent Defrost from being selected while Recirc was set to interior air only. The backround for the HVAC controls was refined. The trim pieces for the interior door handles and foglight/rear defrost panel became a darker color for added contrast. The sedan gained map pockets on the front doors. Finally, the brand name gained a spot on the trunk, at the spot where the 'Neon' name was. That badge moved to the other side of the trunk lid. This year saw a revision in the suspension set up. ACR's received adjustable Koni struts, replacing the original Arvins. The original stand alone Sport model was blended into the Highline, and inherited that models' suspension. the original Sport SDE suspension setup (front/rear anti roll bars and specific tuning) was dropped. I believe this was in preperation for the 1998 model year.

1998

This year saw a new model; the R/T. The R/T came with the SDE suspension, DOHC engine and five speed manual. It was a fully optioned out package offered exclusively by Dodge. For all intents, the R/T was an ACR, plus all the power and comfort goodies and minus the Koni struts. Plymouth had an exclusive package option as well; the Style package, which included all the options, including power sunroof. The Base model was dropped. The airbags were changed to the Next Generation type; with reduced force upon activation. A new Multi-Layered Steel head gasket was phased in to address for good the infamous head gasket issue.

1999

2000

2001

In '01, Plymouth loses the Neon mid year when the entire brand is phased out permanently. A Neon is the last Plymouth made. The coupe is still gone, likely never to return. On the plus side, the R/T and ACR return, powered by a 150 hp version of the 2.0 SOHC, called Magnum. Torque is up to 135 lb. ft. from the original 130; fuel economy is unchanged. True to form Chrysler seems intent on confusing people with names; here it's trim lines. The 'base' Neon is the SE. The midlevel is the ES. Then we have the more familiar R/T and ACR. The SE and ES are powered by the carryover 132 hp 2.0. Both include wheel upgrade options, SE 14" to 15"; ES 15" to 16". The R/T and ACR come with 16" wheels. Leather will be optional on the ES and R/T. It's unknown if the car will get power windows in the rear. More info on the 2001 Neon is found at Allpar.

2002

The old three speed auto is gone, replaced by Chryslers four speed unit. A slight facelift of the front end brings a new grille. Also, an SXT model fills the void left by the loss of the Expresso theme:Lots of content for a small price.

2003

For 2003 the Neon received its most significant facelift ever. A new front clip strengthened the familial look with other Dodges, while the rear clip was tweaked a little, altering the look at the point where the trunklid meets the rear bumper. The taillights were also altered, though it's hard to pick it out until they're activated as they look similar to the 00-02 models. The gearing on the 4spd auto is markedly improved. 
The SRT-4 hits big with its 215 horsepower; however at the cost of the ACR, which is dropped.

• Four wheel ABS (BRJ System)
• SDC Touring Suspension
• Power mirrors
• Power locks
• A/C
• Full console
• Fancy Neon floor mats
• Full intstrument cluster w/tach
• lluminated visor mirrors
• Remote Trunk release
• Six speaker stereo cassette (No longer in car)
• Cruise control
• Automatic transmiss

• 'Spring-open' trunk
• Mopar Trunk cargo tray
• Mopar AM/FM/CD/Cassette stereo
• DOHC muffler
• Leather Steering Wheel cover
• Carbon Fiber Dash Kit

• Buy a Neon at Kemps used cars! Find Neon Tao yourself!
• The Tao of Neons Why Neon folks love their cars.
• A good dealer: Coleman Chrysler Jeep in Hightstown NJ
• The place I picked up my carbon fiber dash: Auto Dash
• A V8 Neon? You be the judge. Someone sent this to me & I can't get through to them to get details other than what's posted.
• Neons.Org Very complete Neon info. How to's, message boards; if you want to know about the Neon here's the place.
• The Neon FAQ. Everything you'd ever want to know about the Neon (Work always in progress)
• Allpar's Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Central also has a very intensive Neon section.
• A storm chaser Neon!
• Neon Technical Service Bulletins
• Need parts? Accesories? Try Modern Performance, Pacific Neon Performance, and Captain Nemo.
• CyberAuto is another cool source of parts.
• Plymouth's official site, where you can build your own Neon! (Alas, Plymouth is no more)
• Neon models for 1995-7 can be found at Bob's Promotional Cars Online Store. (Updated Link)
• SMC Motorsports has some neat ideas; from gauge faces to an overhead console and more...
• Jeff Duncan's Neon page