1990 Geo Metro XFI review from North America

This car had over 100,000 miles when I got it and of course a few parts needed attention.

I replaced the muffler and resonator and the exhaust pipes from the catalytic converter to the tail pipe because they were rusted out.

I have replaced the battery, spark plugs, radiator hoses, a few heater hoses, and the fuel filter.

When I got the car it had a problem with filling the fuel tank. The vent on the fuel tank was pinched and would cause the fuel to spray back at you unless you filled very, very slowly. I found that the manufacturer or a repairman had pinched the vent hose under the tank and after I routed it correctly that problem was solved.

All of the repairs I have made on this car I would expect to make on a 10-year-old car, except for the fuel vent repair, and so I still give the car high reliability and low maintenance cost marks.

The Metro paid for itself in the first year I had it. I keep track of the fuel and maintenance costs on all of my cars and compared to the other cars I have and cars I have sold this one has saved me enough money to buy 2 more 10-year-old Metros.

It drives very well. Of course a 3 cylinder 1.0 liter motor doesn't rocket you down the street like a Dodge 318ci V8 or even a larger 4 cylinder Toyota or Honda, but they can't come close to 49mpg city and 56mpg highway fuel economy.

The seats are comfortable and I can haul 4 people and a week of groceries easily. I have even carried a band saw, it's stand, and a 5-foot foosball table with the back seats folded down.

I recommend using the best fuel that can be found (like Chevron or equivalent) to keep the fuel injector clean. I have used good fuel until this year when a local discount warehouse installed a fuel station and their prices are so much lower that I changed my mind and started fueling there. After 3 or 4 tanks my car started stalling while not fully warmed up. It took 2 $9 bottles of good fuel system cleaner to restore the injector to it's proper functioning. The cheap gas cost a lot more when adding $18 to the cost. Pay a little extra at the pump and save a lot in repair cost!

A cruise control and air conditioner has been installed in this car after the factory. Both have really made owning the car a pleasure. The cruise and air work great and I personally hate cars that don't have them. It's hard to find a Metro XFI that has both of these options. I don't know if cruise is even a factory option especially with a manual transmission.

To sum up, I love this car. When this car dies I will be looking for another one. I am looking now because I would rather invest in a spare Metro than be without one.