1992 Geo Metro review from North America

First week I had the car, timing belt broke. Amazingly simple to replace, and belt cost 1/3 price of belts for other cars.

Nothing since.

This car is simple, and very economic as you may have heard. Every few months I take it for a drive 1,000 miles and back. It runs fine. I drive for the 24 hours straight, and don't have any problems with it overheating.

I average about 50 mpg. I have actually gotten about 60 mpg by tricking the engine to think it is running rich. If I fill up I will put in about a capful of 2 stroke engine oil. I read in one of the manuals that these geos are supposed to get 60mpg, and figured that the computer was calibrated to run too rich. It also runs a lot stronger with the little bit of oil.

People try to say 3 cylinder cars break down all the time, but all I've done for the past 3 years is replace the timing belt. I know 7 other close friends with 3 cylinder cars and they swear by them also. We actually have a 3 cylinder auto club (kind of as a joke.)

I only have power trouble if I carry a full car load and try to go up a steep hill. Then I just go a little slow. I've even got a trailer hitch, and haul a trailer some times.

I can run it 80mph easy on flat land if I want, without much stress.

Love these things, and car manufacturers are idiots for not still making them. A $40,000 car with every add on which cost $10,000 to make would make a lot more money than a cheap car for $10,000 which cost $5,000 to make. But they would sell a lot of 3 cylinders.

But now they only release a 3 cylinder as a "Smart Car" or hybrid. And those cost a lot.