The Neon SE ($13,800) is spartan, to be sure, with wind-up windows, manual door locks, and 14-inch steel wheels. Its mirrors and moldings are black, though it does come with tilt steering, a 60/40 split folding back seat, AM/FM/cassette stereo with four speakers and vanity mirrors. A five-speed manual transmission is standard. Options for the SE include air conditioning ($1,000), a four-speed automatic transmission ($825), AM/FM/CD stereo with six speakers ($175), and cruise control ($250).

The sanely equipped Neon SXT ($16,110) adds the air conditioning and CD, power front windows, power door locks (with speed-sensitive automatic locking), keyless remote, power mirrors, power trunk lid release, tachometer, map lights, 15-inch aluminum wheels and body-color door handles and molding. SXT buyers can choose the manual or automatic transmission. Options inlude a power sunroof ($695), six-disc in-dash CD changer ($350) and a Kicker audio upgrade ($495).

There are also several appearance tweaks available for the SXT, starting with a trunk-lid spoiler ($100). The economical Sport Appearance group ($150) includes the spoiler, fog lamps, body-color or satin-silver bezels on the dash and unique 15-inch aluminum wheels. The SRT Design Package ($895) gives the SXT the look of the high-performance SRT4 by adding a power bulge on the hood, unique front fascia, and dual exhaust tips. Colors are limited to Blast Orange, Bright Silver, Flame Red, and Black. Finally, a Special Edition package ($945) includes chrome wheels, the Kicker audio with CD changer, and an alarm.

The Neon SRT4 ($20,700) comes with a turbocharged 2.4,-liter dual-overhead cam inline-4 rated at 230 horsepower. It also features a heavy-duty five-speed manual transmission, limited-slip differential, 17-inch aluminum wheels with 50-series ultra-high performance three-season tires, high-performance suspension, Viper-inspired sport seats and special trim inside and out, including bright pedal pads. The SRT4 is not offered with an automatic. The sunroof is optional, as is an even more powerful Kicker audio package ($795).

The ACR package ($1,195) for the SRT4 actually takes content out of the car to trim weight, and includes a true race suspension. We absolutely do not recommend ACR for anything other than track use.

Safety features on all Neons include front-impact airbags, three-point belts at all seating positions, the LATCH child safety-seat anchor system, an emergency inside release for the trunk lid and child-protection door locks.

Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) are standard on the SRT4 and optional ($695) on other Neons. Side-impact airbags are optional ($390) on all Neons. We highly recommend both options, but particularly the ABS, which allows a driver to maintain steering control in a panic-braking situation.

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