I bought my Neon Sedan new and drove it hard for 4 years putting about 84,000 miles on it.

I liked the engine pick-up and nimble handling of the car. You could really zip in and out of traffic with it in the city and on the highways.
Also, the car had a decent amount of space for a compact class car (although I wished the back seats would fold down and combine with the trunk space to increase your cargo space).
Also, and perhaps most importantly, it never left my stranded anywhere.

On the con side of things, the brakes squealed horribly from day one. I repeatedly had them checked only to be told that it is a "typical" fault of Neons. Also, my headgasket needed replacing at 80,000 miles ($1000) and I found out that that is another "typical" problem with these kinds of cars.
Road noise is also a problem. Highway traveling is VERY loud.

The car also does NOT hold its value well. Too bad.

If I had to do it again I probably would have paid a little more and gotten a Honda Civic. They're a reliable compact that hold their value well.
Amount Paid (US$): 12,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 1997
Model and Options: 4DR Sedan Automatic