2000 Dodge Neon Redesigned, it's more comfortable and more refined. By Mitch McCullough, Editor-in-Chief, New Car Test Drive .com

The Dodge Neon offers a solid value among compact sedans. Roomy and fun to drive, it delivers style and performance.

The Neon was completely redesigned for model year 2000. This second-generation Neon is far more refined than the first. It's more pleasant to live with than early models, which were initially Spartan, unrefined and noisy. This new, second-generation model moves the Neon up a rung on the compact car food chain. Compared with the previous model, the new Neon is solid, serious and sophisticated.

For 2000, the Dodge Neon is initially available as one model, the four-door ES. It starts at $12,460. That sounds like an attractive price, but surely you'll want air conditioning and it's a $1,000 option.

Dodge Neon comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It comes standard with a 5-speed manual transmission. A 3-speed automatic transmission is optional ($600).

Dodge will soon introduce a high-performance Neon R/T as a 2001 model