I typically agree with this statement, but I believe the engineers behind the first gen Dodge Neon did think about the other guy.
But I've never replaced a heater core on one.
You want an easy car to work on, get yourself a Saturn ion
My father in law had one, and kissed a telephone pole with it
Less then 3 hours to R&R both front fenders, the front bumper, the hood and both headlights...and that was my first time working on it