Did anyone from Daimler Benz drive a Neon before they bought Chrysler? If they had, they might have realized the amount of work they had before them. Basic work. On stuff that shouldn’t be a problem in this day and age.

Let’s start outside. The Neon continues Chrysler’s trademark “cab-forward” styling, but seeks to make the look sleeker than before. Which means the roofline is described by a low arc from the A- to the B-pillars. This may look good when sculpting an expressive, visually aerodynamic vehicle, but it plays havoc with ingress and egress for normal adult humans, demanding a deep bend in order to clear the sloping roof.

Inside, things get worse. The instrument panel sweeps from left to right in such a way that the gauge cluster is taller on the left than on the right. And the soft upper surface mates to a hard plastic lower section, both of which sport a coarse grain and a singularly bland dark gray hue. Wait, it gets even worse. The center console has three cup holders, but only two front seats, and two of  the cup holders are awkwardly low and forward, while the third sits just behind the gearshift and handbrake. Further, the center stack is covered by a matte silver bezel with a fine dark mesh overlay. It’s the only piece with this covering, and looks very out of place. Was it too expensive for other areas of the dash and doors to receive similar bezels?

Then there’s the CD player. With driver distraction gaining attention from consumers, the media, and automakers alike, you’d think this piece of equipment would be part of the main audio system. It isn’t. Rather than replace the AM/FM cassette head unit with one that also contains a CD slot, someone decided it would be better to have just one main audio unit, and add the CD player separately. And while I won’t argue with the desire to save a penny or two, I can argue with the placement of said unit: at the bottom of the center stack, forward of the trailing edge of the cup holders. In order to accurately place a CD in the slot, you’d have to be a contortionist – or a short front seat passenger.

Driving the cost consciousness home are the power widows. Why, you ask? Because the rear windows in this four-door sedan are wind-up units. Power front/wind-up rear windows may be a common layout in Europe, but it’s an unusual one here. And power rear windows would come in handy on days when the optional sunroof is open, and a non-buffeting breeze in the cabin is desired.

Speaking of the sunroof, it’s a power unit that has a large bump in the center of the headliner that clears the electric motor and offers an angled surface for the switch. It’s so big, in fact, that it forces the rearview mirror down, into the driver’s line of vision. And that mirror? It’s probably the slickest piece in the whole interior. The map light switches operate crisply, and the day/night knob rotates smoothly from one position to the other.

Smooth, crisp. These are words that can’t be used to describe the gearbox. The shifter is easily cross-gaited during hurried shifts, often landing in a no man’s land between gears, and has a rough, notchy feel. Plus, it’s covered with a shift knob unworthy of a post-1985 automobile. No wonder younger buyers jettison it in favor of an aftermarket piece.

They probably look for a new steering wheel while they’re at it, because the unit in the Neon lacks style and grace. The spokes are arranged in an “X” pattern that looks like it was borrowed from GM’s trucks, and gives the impression that – no matter which end is up – the steering wheel is upside down. Someone in authority in Auburn Hills should decree that all Dodge vehicles with the “R/T” badge should have thick-rimmed steering wheels with a downward curving upper section. After all, if Subaru can put a stylish Momo steering wheel on the WRX….

I won’t talk about the clutch, which releases high up in its travel, and move on to the powertrain instead. The twin cam inline four has all of the parts that make small performance engines so much fun, but none of the refinement. The engine is loud as the revs rise, entering a booming period that resonates throughout the vehicle. In addition, when the clutch is depressed between shifts, engine revs rise 500 rpm, making the step between gears a surprising 1,000 rpm. At first it appeared that some savvy person realized this was necessary to make matching engine and gearbox revs between shifts smoother, given the slow, balky shifter. But the rough idle, power dips and spikes as the accessories engage and disengage, and the precipitous drop in rpms when the steering wheel is turned toward lock left another impression. One of a job done hastily and for minimal outlay.

The same applies to the suspension. On smooth roads the Neon rode well, but on rougher pavement it showed a distinct lack of compliance, coordination, and comportment. In some situations, the car exhibited a “porpoising” motion that had the rear wheels hopping out of sync with the fronts, which was very uncomfortable. Save your breath about the ride quality of short wheelbase sporting vehicles, because the argument doesn’t hold water. Any number of similar vehicles show more sophistication and cohesiveness than did the R/T, without significant compromise. There’s no reason the Neon can’t do the same.

I was very disappointed with the Neon R/T and its lack of refinement because I expected more from a vehicle parked squarely in the sport compact segment. Against the likes of the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, VW Golf GTi, Ford Focus and others, the Neon falls well short of the target. Which is sad considering many of the pieces necessary to build a competent sport compact sedan worthy of the R/T badge are already in place. Unfortunately, no one seems ready or willing to take the time and effort to develop the Neon to its full potential.