Faults:

Replaced clutch at 137,000.

General Comments:

Prior owner installed aftermarket cruise control. On relaxed trips (under 65 mph) I occasionally get 50 mpg. Overall 46-46 mpg.

Prior owner had also installed a towing hitch (on a 1.0-powered car!) which may have related to the clutch going bad. Nothing else has ever gone wrong. Oh, one flat about a year ago.

Learn to shift down one gear on hills, drive the car on its own terms, and it's remarkably satisfying. In the 1950s and early 1960s, this would have been a leading-edge sports car.

Faults:

Catalytic converter.

Muffler.

Window regulators.

Air conditioning switch.

Timing belt.

Waterpump.

Front crank shaft seal.

Oil pan gasket.

Valve cover gasket.

General Comments:

Keep in mind that when I replaced these parts they were all original. And expected to go out with so many miles on them. I replaced them all myself except the muffler and the catalytic converter.

Overall the cost for everything was around $300.00 and not everything went out at once. The window regulators however cost a fortune at the dealer, but I fixed the problem with a little modification to them, after finding out the parts from the dealer. I can tell you how at bruce85203@earthlink.net

Overall it has been a great car, very reliable.

Faults:

The engine light came on a couple years ago. The car never had any trouble running though. I took it in for a repair, I don't remember now what exactly was wrong... but it was the only problem with the car in the five years I owned it. Besides that it has just been oil changes and new tires.

General Comments:

This car has been the most steadfastly reliable car I have ever owned. It is cheap to drive and maintain. For the price and age of the car, it is a cutie. There are no areas of rust yet and I live in the snow belt. The dash has faded from a wrong cleaner applied and the passenger side mirror got knocked loose, but other than that it has held up great. It has even been parked outside for 5 years. It has been on a lot of road trips. The car handles and accelerates adequately. A great bargain if you are frugal!

Faults:

Steering has been a little loose (i.e. there's a bit more play in the steering wheel than I prefer)

The stereo/cigarette lighter circuit blows its fuse once every couple months for no good reason.

General Comments:

It's very hard to find someone who can describe a Geo Metro without eventually resorting to the word "cute." This is not a studly car; this is not the car you buy to impress the ladies.

This is the car you buy when you and your lady are on a tight budget, and just need to get to work and to the store.

The "Metro," as the name implies, is a great car for city driving. It's VERY nimble, and has remarkable acceleration, given its tiny (1.3L) engine. It can even get past 80mph with little difficulty (though going much faster is only really possible whilst going downhill, and it does shake a bit, as many smaller cars do when going so fast).

However, it's not the best for long trips. I drove this Metro 6000 miles in two weeks (long story, don't ask) ; while the car performed admirably, the same must also be said of my chiropractor, who had to undo the damage of that tiny cockpit and less-than-plush bucket seat. Trips of a few hours won't take a serious toll on the driver or passengers, fortunately.

Even with my heavy foot, automatic transmission, fondness for air conditioning, and everything I own piled into the back seat and boot, on that 6000-mile trip, I still managed almost 30 miles per gallon. Under more normal conditions, 31-33 mpg is typical for me.

In short: it's called "Metro" for a reason. It's a great city car, a perfect errand-runner or commuter car. Its somewhat limited power, design, and fuel efficiency are all tuned for that style of driving.