Well, it had to happen sooner or later, due to many factors, mainly mechanic incompetence and dealership jerkishness, I had to get rid of my '02 Neon, it served me well for five years, it never gave me a second of trouble until recently, a phantom creaking/groaning/clunking noise came from the front end during suspension flex or when turning the steering wheel
basically, the recent problems with my car were documented in my “I Hate my car” thread elsewhere here in MPSIMS, so I won’t go into too much depth here
yes the Neon wasn’t known for reliability (mine was just fine though, at least until recently), and yes it had a little over 96K on it, all original miles, but it was paid off, it was mine, I was reveling in the glow of no-car-payment nirvana…
…until last week, when it became clear that the car would need major repairs, totalling a little over $1700, repairs that needed to be done quickly, as the car was actually becoming unsafe, I was torn, do i suck up the repair cost to keep myself out of payments, or replace the car?
well, I shopped around, the Toyota dealership had a nice used '05 Scion xB, but the interest on the loan wasn’t acceptable to me, and i’m not financing a vehicle with 48K on the odo for six years, even if it IS a Toyota, just not logical
besides, the Toyota salesman and manager were jerks, high-pressuring me, and even insulting me today when i told them i purchased a different vehicle…
anyway, back on track, last night, I stopped at the local Saturn dealer and test drove a red '07 Ion 2 with 5 speed manual, as I was considering a used '03 Ion at a local used car dealer, I wanted to see how the Ion felt
suffice it to say, I liked it, really liked it, and the payments were right, but it was almost closing time for them and I needed to think about it overnight…
so after a quick call to my new mechanic this morning to get a second opinion on the Neon (his advice, “get rid of it”), I decided to take the chance, and fill out a credit app on the Saturn website
I’m now the proud owner (well, financer, to be honest) of a brand new (35 miles on the odo at time of delivery) '07 Ion 2, with front and side airbags, antilock brakes, 5 speed manual, air conditioning, a nice CD stereo with iPod line-in jack, OnStar and hands-free cellphone, for $0 down, and 0% financing, admittedly yes the loan is for 72 months, but at 0% interest, who cares, i’m just paying for the car, and with payments of $209/mo, I really can’t argue, that’s almost $20 less than i was paying when i was financing the Neon AND paying 7.5% interest on the loan…
I do still miss my Neon, the darn thing was just so much fun to drive, but sinking almost $2K into a car with almost 100K on the odo wouldn’t be very logical
the Ion is almost as fun to drive as the Neon, it has more horsepower and torque (145HP/150TQ) yet it supposedly gets the same mileage as the Neon (mid 30’s), the only annoyances I have with it so far is that the electric-assist steering is rather numb, it’s hard to feel the road, and I like to feel what my car is doing through the steering wheel, and the stupid traction control needs to be turned off every time i start the car, I’m not a fan of nanny/helper devices in my car, wonder if the Ion’s computer can be reprogrammed to have the traction control set to off by default, it would be handy in winter on snowy roads, but it’s more than useless during spring/summer/fall days with dry conditions
acceleration is quite peppy for a 2.2L Four, and the engine is nearly silent at idle, and aside from the numb steering, it handles, corners and switches lanes with aplomb, it feels more like a sports car than an econobox
one thing I wonder though, why are Saturns more reliable then other GM cars, i mean the Ion is a Delta platform vehicle, similar to the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5, but you really only hear about Saturns getting high 100K/200K/300K on the odo, why are Saturns more reliable when they’re basically just a Cobalt with polymer body panels?
I’ve got high hopes for this one, I’m hoping to roll 200K+ on it
Goodbye, Neon, I miss you already, you died before your time, CURSE YOU, VERMONT, curse you and your heavily-salted winter roads for claiming an otherwise good little car
and a SCREW YOU to Sullivan Tire in Portsmouth, NH for not advising me of the rust and tie rod problems when you had the car up on the lift numerous times for lubes and tire rotations, you had every opportunity to alert me to the problems festering deep within the suspension and frame components, yet you did not, I lay the blame for the Neon’s untimely demise squarely on your shoulders, you have lost a customer that has had all his cars “maintaned” there, I’ve used you ever since the days of my first “car” a '88 ford crapscort pony, that ends today
and another SCREW YOU Dick Bournival Dodge in York, Maine, for not doing the right thing and even helping with the repair cost, your sticking to the party line of “rust warranty ended in April” has cost you a dedicated customer
and a HEARTY SCREW YOU WITHA RUSTY SUBFRAME to Dalmher/Chrysler (not sure if that’s spelled right, and by now I don’t even care) for sticking to your hardline “expired rust perforation” warranty angle, all I was asking for was a little assistance with the repair, oh well, if you’re willing to lose a customer over this, so be it
and finally a major THANK YOU to Saturn of Portsmouth, NH for knowing what the term “customer-focused” and “Customer satisfaction” really mean, you have gained a dedicated customer, thank you 
