Fuel injector nozzles replaced at 30,000 miles.
The door handles and console knobs fell off.
Seats are cheap and falling apart.
This car has no power. The engine stinks. It does nothing. When you floor it, the car does nothing. The car slowly moves up to its top speed of 60 MPH. When you follow people so where when there in a better car, which is everything, but a Metro, you get burned. The car takes 5 minutes to get up to 60 MPH. You also can't go up hills. The little engine doesn't do anything to this car. The engine slow drags it up the hill as you hold up traffic because it goes so slow. The car doesn't move on the highway and it feels like it's going to tip over. The engine might save gas, but it takes 3 times as long to get to the place you want to go. The car is also the ugliest car I've every seen. The car looks small and fragile and it also gets made fun of. When you drive the car you need a lot of self-confidence or you'll break down because everyone will make fun of you for driving the Metro. I think this line for the Simpsons sums it up the best. Maudie says,"Step on it Neddy!" Ned complains,"I can't it's a Geo!"
I purchased my '97 Geo with 145000 miles on it. I have had it now for about 5 months and have put another 5000 miles on it. I have the 1 Liter, 3 cylinder, five speed model.
As far as keeping up with traffic, I don't have to take a back seat to anyone. As to slowing down going up hills, yes it does, but that is what the transmission is for. If it slows down, down shift. The car is good to about 50 MPH in third gear.
I live in Arkansas in the Ouachita Mountains, so I am very familiar with going up and down hills. We also have a mini van which stays home most of the time. Our transportation of choice is the Geo. If the car had cruise control I would take it on long trips and get 2 1/2 times more gas mileage than I do with the van.
What is a V3? You don't even know what the engine you're complaining about is! Your car is and I3 as in inline 3 cylinder. And, yes, I do agree that they suck. The three cylinders have little more power that a starter on a half-ton truck. Find a Metro with a 1.3 inline 4 cylinder and a manual transaxle if you want to be able to climb hills.