2004 models get a Quaife diff as standard equipment plus higher flow-rate injectors and a recalibrated ECU. Call it "Stage 0.5" and that'd be more accurate. But all this Stage crap is dumb anyway...it's just marketing.

People say "it's still a Neon" but if they looked at how well built the motor is or how sophisticated the engine computer is they would be impressed. I'd be willing to bet however that most of the people making the dumb remarks wouldn't understand those things anyway.