Comments: 1-15, 16-17
When I first got the car I had several small things break like knobs and switches, but Geo fixed them right away and after than nothing has broke or failed on me.
I've been buying small cars for years to run errands with and all I can say is that the Metro's are strong little cars. My last one had about 200k on it before I parked it and bought this one. I enjoy these cars. Too bad the meat heads at General Motors have decided to discontinue it.
I am curious as to why "saving" is in quotation marks - although I realise that my little '94 geo metro is no looker, I bought it for $1300CDN with 129000kms on it and am more than pleased with it so far. it has taken me along country roads, cow grates, and through the city problem-free. I get amazing gas mileage and have replaced things (preventatively - nothing's gone wrong so far) incredibly cheaply.
So perhaps the geo isn't for "smart" business execs who can afford to blow $50+ on a tank of gas that'll get them to the corner store and back, but it's certainly practical for students like myself as well as anyone else who has a budget to mind.
It's not for hippies - it's for people who are (ahem) secure enough with themselves so as not to need a Navigator to support their personal image.
I am a Geo Metro owner; I have had my car for 5 years and can also relate to the stories of reliability and longevity of the motor. We bought it new and have over 120,000 km. on it (that's about 75,000 miles) and have never had a problem with expensive costs. It doesn't have air conditioning in it, but we have taken it over mountains and hummed it down roads all day at 80 MPH with no problem. It's also an economical choice for a person who works part time and I would recommend them to anyone who wants a reliable car.
I would also like to recommend the metro to anyone who is planning on buying a first car. there is only one bad thing about it, its hard to get up hills. lol I have to turn off the AC just to get home from school.
But this car can get all the way across missouri and I would highly recomend it. plus its CHEAP.
Oh, I suppose that Car and Driver knows better than the dozens of "hippies" on this website that have praised the reliability and drivability of their Geo Metro's. Mine, on the other hand, has no difficulty significantly exceeding the posted highway speed limit or passing on country roads. The only problem I have with handling is when my long hippie-hair occasionally gets tangled up in the steering or gearshift ;-)
This hippie dude has a 94 GEO metro xfi 3cyl. 5 speed,
Bought it new. Had problems the first year and a half,
like the map sencer went out. ($400.00) to fix YIKES...
Bing that I was drivin it 80.000mi a year no warr. for me.
=0 (, Anyhow other than that.. It's been a great car. it now has 198,000 and still goes. Never stranded me ever.
Thanks a bunch GEO...
I thought the Geo Metro/ Suzuki Swift was kinda cute! hey also got good gas mileage and did pretty well in crash tests. It was dumb of GM to phase out this car.
OK, I have an 89 geo metro 4 door, 5spd, and a 93 two door auto. Both of these cars have in excess of 240,000 km on them. The 89 lived out its useful life on the highway, at which point I Built a 6 point roll cage into it, and turned it into an ice racer. won its first race out. The 93 is being used as a parts car for now, as the transmission is not very good. It too will be turned into an ice racer, hopefully before next season. Now, I am actually a long haired freaky person, and I love these things. Cheap on fuel, run forever, and other than preventative items, it seems to be no problem getting 200 - 300,000 km on them. They look terrible, they don't have a great deal of power unless you rev them, but they do the job. Best part is, I can drive it to and from races, as it is still street legal. And, it will embarrass certain "sports" cars. Cool huh.
I have a 1992 Geo Metro with 115,000 miles on it. Beyond the 47+ miles per gallon I get it has been very cheap to maintain. I replaced the gas struts at 80,000 miles. It has had 2 brake replacements, 1 battery replacement, 3 sets of tires and that's it! If more people in America drove a car like the Metro we'd all be better off. Chevrolet was thinking in the right direction with this car. I don't plan on getting rid of it until it won't answer the bell anymore.
My first Metro experience was a 1987 Chevy Sprint 5-sp and got 47 mpg. Loved it so much I took a plunge and bought a brand new 1990 Geo XFI. $5000 and no options. I loved it. Other than brakes, tires and battery, I don't think I had any other repairs. I sold it 5 years later with 112,000 miles for $1200. Combined with 50 mpg, that's cheap transportation.
I now have a '97 2dr 5sp and get about 44 mpg. Again, tires and tune-ups and I can park where a lot of SUVs can't. To me, the biggest surprise about these cars is how much leg room there is in the back seat. I know for a fact there there is more than a lot of the midsize cars like Grand Am, Contours, etc. I can spend $2500 on a used Metro and be perfectly content.
I am considering purchasing a Metro and have always been interested in them. My current car, which I will keep because it is so fun to drive, averages 13 miles per gallon and burns premium. To balance this out, I'd like to find a Metro XFI, which had only 49 horsepower, but was EPA rated at 53/58. I suppose I could 'settle' for a non XFI model, since I am having trouble finding one, and will 'put up' with only 43/49.
My aunt drove a Metro for many years and it was the best car she'd ever owned. I am pretty sure it was an XFI model, and it made my uncle's Dodge Shadow become their family's big and powerful car.
I don't see the Metro as a car for hippies, and although I enjoy reading Car and Driver every month I would never base a car-buying decision off of something they said. People do not buy a Metro because they are able to tackle a road course, which is what CD seems to expect every car on the road to be able to do.
As an owner of a 96 geo metro and handicapped, it has allowed me to afford mobility at a cost where I otherwise could not afford to. The car has been problem free for three years now. I do get strange and condescending looks on the road, but that's OK, I will survive honorably and without debt. As for the others with their high looks, and pompous attitude here in the USA, that is the precise root cause why America is going down, and down hard in the future with an economic demise that only the tremendous burgeoning debt will demonstrate.
Hey they are good cars, but they do not have a GM motor in them they are a suzuki motor.
Thank God it does have a Suzuki motor! It would not be half as good if it were a GM product. The only thing I would say in defense of GM is that they know a good thing when they buy it and rebadge it...lol.
I have a 1997 Geo metro and it has been a good little car until recently. I just had to replace the fuel pump and change the CV axles, and now I am having troubles with my fuel system again so now when I start the car up I have to keep my foot lightly on the gas pedal in order for it not to die.
I owned a 1993 Metro. I loved that car. It had a 5 speed transmission which gave it plenty of pep. Recently I bought a 1997 Metro LSI off of Ebay for $2700. I put 10000 miles on it this year and it has saved me $1875 in gas versus driving my Mustang. One more year and the car will have paid for itself, including shipping. Ice cold AC and an automatic transmission and I get 34.8 MPG in town. I used a IAT sensor mod for more Horsepower. It work, but brought the MPG's down to 26 in town. I removed it. I drove to Montana and back from Washington, 85 mph with the AC on, up and down hills, and got 36 MPG! (with the IAT MOD) Can't wait to see what I get on the freeway next trip I take! I love this little car!