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economist suniribune advertising feature thursday nov 25 the secondgeneration neon 2000 has been completely redesigned the car no longer says hi but hello the neon 2000 offers refinement and a new level of sophistication robbcintema metroland staff the chrysler neon has grown up the new neon 2000 is probably the first y2k model to actually put rubber to the road in canada and it certainly is a much improved product put together with a long list of longneeded structural technical and ergonomic revisions but just one look tells you that this chrysler neon really isnt neon any more i had a chance to check out some preproduction models recently after a quick walkaround i stood there check ing the spec sheets deep cranberry forest green i read through the muted exterior colour list yes this neon doesnt say hi any more said tom mcpherson regional public relations director for chrysler it now says hello goodbye lime green when the spunky chrysler neon broke the econo car mould five years ago it debuted as a brash 95 upstart in a rather bland smallcar market its loud colour palette and sporty styling promise were backed up by spirited handling and a segment lead ing 132 horsepower engine a motor that blew away the competition with pennywise pizzazz and performance but with that youthful image came growing pains and product quality problems that plagued the first genera tion vehicle leaky windows suspension harsh ness engine noise neon owners love their cars but they can grumble the list of complaints by heart still for all its faults the neon was roomy for its size sporty and fun to- drive it was just a little rough around the edges what it really needed was refine ment and according to chrysler thats what they put in when they built the secondgeneration neon 2000 refinement and a new level of sophistication at first glance the neons face may look familiar but the design has defi nitely evolved and the lhstyle profile is now more reminiscent of chryslers larger cars were not just talking about a cos metic makeover either the familiar cabforward design has been accentu ated by moving the windshield forward three more inches almost 80 per cent of the neon 2000 is brand new its bigger the wheelbase has been stretched an inch to 105 inches with a wider track for better stability the car itself has also grown a little taller arid- wider giving it more of a midsize feel overall length has increased by 26 inches and a dropped floor in the trunk boosts cargo capacity by 10 per cent theres a corresponding increase of interior space most notably in hip and shoulder room and the bigger car theme carries on inside with slightly oversize vents and gauges that giveyqu the impression youre driving some- thing larger than a compact soft touch coatings refine a round- edoff dashboard and instrument j panel okay okay you might say thats all fine and dandy but what did they do about some of those real problems mentioned earlier well lets look at a few noise vibration and handling nvh covers a wide range of vehicle charac- teristics and almost every improve ment listed below affects this broad category somehow chrysler started by building a stronger body with 37 per cent more 0 bending stiffness while torsional stiff ness improved by 26 per cent expandable foam fills open cavities and more mastic a sort of foam insula- tor has been baked onto the body metal to separate you from both road s and engine noise while neons gained a reputation for v see eighty page22 drive into a great preowrted deal at m ford swt ford kennedy rd just south of mil 7 474- 1 350 plus l satisfaction guaranteed 3 day350 kms i refund available r exchange i r available m buy or lease financing available 1999 ford hurusse sms 4 to choose from all loaded wair power group more- all with low mileage all with a money back guarantee test drive today oott sale priced only 1 8888 1892 olbsmoraje ackeva sl arlodb 2 door one owner low mileage trade with buckets console mint condition test 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