1997 Geo Metro 3 cylinder, 1.0L

Summary:

Great gas mileage, easy to maneuver, reliable if cared for

Faults:

Rack for the front wheels wore out, had to be replaced, probably from driving too fast on gravel roads.

Transmission stopped working while driving on the highway, expensive to fix, honestly I forgot exactly what went wrong.

Brakes wore out and had to be replaced.

Tires wore out quickly when driven on gravel roads a lot.

Had repairs for leaks in radiator and coolant hoses a few times. Engine overheating has been the main thing that's gone wrong from time to time.

Transmission; Car shudders when it goes in reverse, shifting to first you have to pay close attention so it shifts all the way.

Driver side window isn't aligned, doesn't close quite correctly.

Tape deck gets cassettes stuck or spits them out.

General Comments:

I got this car for the 46/41 mpg it gets.

It seems very comfortable and reliable to me, but then the only other car I've owned was a temperamental Gremlin with wiry, deteriorated seats.

It seems like the fuel efficiency makes up for the expense of repairs it has needed. I know there have been other repairs than I listed, I don't remember them all.

I appreciate the relatively high clearance, my previous car scraped bottom often.

As you can see from relatively basic description of what has gone wrong, I don't know much about the workings of cars, and I haven't always treated this car well.

However, it still runs well, engine sounds OK, the body has no rust even though I rarely wash it.

It is easy to get unstuck because it's so light.

Very maneuverable, kind of fun to drive.

Slow to accelerate if there is much weight in it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th January, 2008

1997 Geo Metro

Summary:

Great great great!!!

Faults:

Exhaust valve burned out, due to no maintenance by previous ouwner.

Rear struts are wore out.

General Comments:

Great car, had many things to fix when I bought it. but due to the knuckle dragger that owned it, what can you expect. only bummer is that the EGR system must be cleaned out on a regular basis, otherwise the exhaust valves burn out.

But the car is a very very easy to work on, built very good... parts are cheap... if they still sold them in the u.s.a., I would buy a new one in a second!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd July, 2007

1997 Geo Metro Base 1.0L inline three

Summary:

Watch out hybrids, the Metro is still a better deal for $2k

Faults:

Absolutely nothing mechanical.

Cosmetically the car's interior is cheap, so it has some cracks here and there. The plastic vents are notorious for breaking.

General Comments:

This car isn't going to win any awards for quality or comfort, but it's designed to get incredible fuel economy. I've averaged 47 mpg the 1700+ miles I've owned it and if you're patient enough to drive it 55mph, it will return 55 mpg!

The purchase price was also inexpensive. Only $2,000 for a 10-year-old vehicle.

Even though the 1.0L 3 cylinder engine is known to be reliable, it's barely adequate for this vehicle. If I have the gas floored in 5th gear, the car only goes up to 80mph due to wind resistance (and the car will get only 35mpg at that speed).

If only they made the Geo Metro lower and more aerodynamic, the car could have performed better at highway speeds (they would've sold lots if they got a wedge-like design like the Pontiac Fiero from the 80s).

There are virtually no options on my car, but the fit-and-finish is still an improvement from previous Metros.

Because the small tires are very thin, the breaking/handling is marginal.

The crash test for this car isn't too bad (four stars for both the driver and passenger) and for those of you that think a car this small is a death-trap, it's inarguably safer than a motorcycle!

Highly recommended if you want great fuel economy and don't care about "bells and whistles" in your car. I would however recommend installing an after-market cruise control for highway driving (the best investment I've made).

Just imagine filling up the car for $18.00 and driving 370 miles. It's definitely worth it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd September, 2006

25th Nov 2006, 19:30

I disagree, I think that Metros are like hybrids. I make 120k a year and I still have a Metro, so I don't think that they're made to park by trailers.

26th Nov 2006, 10:43

The safety issue is really the only valid comment as it is for any car made 10 years ago vs. one made today. Remember when having a driver's side airbag was a big deal? Just drove the Honda Fit (Jazz) yesterday and it has front, side, and curtain airbags. In a subcompact!

As for the trailer trash comment, I had a BMW 5 series and a Ford Festiva, and loved them both.