1999 Dodge Neon R/T Practical and fun to drive. By Mitch McCullough, Editor-in-Chief, New Car Test Drive .com

The 1999 Dodge Neon is fun to drive, roomy and inexpensive-a great combination.

When it was introduced in 1994, the Neon came with a cheap interior; it was noisy and unsophisticated. Since then, nearly a third of the Neon's components have been changed and current models are much more refined. It rides smoother. Wind noise, road noise and engine noise have been substantially reduced. Interior details are much closer to the Honda benchmark.

So, while earlier models were practical and fun to drive, current models have added comfort to the list.

The model with the highest fun factor is Dodge Neon R/T, which focuses more on performance than frills. For just over $14,000, the R/T comes with Viper stripes and most of the go-fast bits found on the Chrysler's Neon ACR competition car that helped the Neon win four consecutive SCCA Showroom Stock national championships.