1994 Geo Metro 3 cylinder review from North America

Exhaust leak at the manifold.

Broken interior door handle. Bought one on eBay for $30.

Hatch supports shot.

Cylinder #2 bad when I got it. Cylinders #1 and #3 have 150 pounds compression, but #2 only has 118 pounds. I'm told a dirty or clogged EGR valve is the cause. A lot of Metros have uneven compression.

Heater core shot.

Have to slightly depress the gas pedal or it won't start. Once it starts I have to keep the pedal slightly depressed or it will stall. If the car sits for a couple of months it's very hard to start.

Squealing belt when cold. Broke an alterntor belt a few months ago.

Despite the above problems I love the mileage. I see other people posting mileage as high as 54 miles per gallon. In straight city driving conditions I get 35 miles per gallon. On the open road going 45 miles per hour I've never got anything less than 60 miles per gallon.

I own a second '94 Metro 3 cylinder manual with 64,000 miles on it and I got 70.5 miles per gallon on one leg of the trip I made out west. That car averages 66 miles per gallon at 45 miles per hour. The trick is to try to stay at 45 miles per hour which is hard to do if you want to make time.

There is a lot of road noise and the integrity of the parts, like door handles, knobs, plastic parts etc., is poor.

At 6'2" and 220 lbs I have no problem with head height or leg room.