The Neon is a 10 year old design and is being replaced as we speak with the Dodge Caliber.
The Neon, in its day, was well-known for reliability and performance. It was favored by weekend racers for its tough track performance. You might not like the ergonomics, but it was a big seller.
Well it was a 2006 car. If they haven't updated the design in 10 years that's their own stupidity.
It might have been a big seller then, but now it looks and feels cheap. Then there's the football field sized dashboard that can serve no purpose other than gathering dust you can't reach. Just not that impressive a vehicle, and stuff like that is why American cars lag in perceived quality, even if in reliability it's the best car ever it FEELS cheap and crappy just sitting in it.
I drove a rental Neon for one day in an area of hills and curves of southern Mississippi in 2002. It was a battle every inch of about 200 miles. Poor steering, clunky transmission, under-powered engine and back breaking seats
made it a tough day. I had been thinking of buying one before that experience. There is certainly some merit in driving a rental of a model for a while in varying conditions rather than settling for a brief test drive.