It's a 2-liter, SOHC 4 cylinder with HLAs. We bought it early last year with just under 36,000 miles on it, and it now has ~53,000. When we got it, I immediately performed all the maintenance specified for the 30,000 miles service: Air filter, spark plugs, check a milion things, be on your way. I also switched it to RedLine 10W30 and a PureOne filter and replaced both the PCV valve and the piece of filtering foam in the airbox end of the PCV system.
That RedLine was run a short interval (~2,000 miles) and was followed by Amsoil 10W30 and an Amsoil filter for ~7,700 miles. That was followed by M1 10W30 and a PureOne for ~5,000 miles, with some Schaeffer Neutra added at 1 oz/qt at the end of the OCI. Then, an Amsoil Dual-Remote system was added (still using a PureOne full-flow) and Exxon SuperFlo 10W30 (SM/GF-4) was run for ~2,000 miles. Switched back to RedLine 10W30 at that point.
So, as you see, I have never knowingly run any Group III oils, though I read here that the Exxon I put in may have been partly G-III.
The car runs beautifully and I have no specific complaint. Mileage runs 32-35 around town and county roads, very slightly lower at high speed. We've also gotten a few hundredths short of 40 mpg on an extended highway (not freeway) trip. I can't recall how much the A/C lowered mileage last year.
{EDIT: I forgot to mention that I don't have a tachometer so I don't know what the RPM is at 75 mph. I had an earlier Neon years ago and it wasn't turning too fast, but these have a lower final drive ratio.}
I have avoided (until now) saying it's a Neon because I was hoping to keep prejudices about the brand or model out of this. Coincidentally, this is the same consumption pattern I used to get out of my 240Z.
I'll check the PCV suggestion. Some folks report these engines to dump huge amounts of oil out the PCV hose when driven hard, although we don't ever drive it that way. I thought the reports had to do with cornering/street racing, but I'm not positive.
[ May 29, 2005, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: bulwnkl ]