1997 Geo Metro LSi

Summary:

Cute and unique, with a good price

Faults:

The overhead light doesn't work anymore for no reason we can find without ripping the cars wires out.

At one point we took the car in to the shop because it was making an odd noise. some piece of metal from the car's bottom was touching the muffler and vibrating when I drove. The shop cut it off (obviously it wasn't needed, I don't recall what it was) and it sounds fine now.

Other than that, there are two small vents facing toward the rear hatch window. Supposedly for defrosting. They have not worked since we bought the car and we haven't gotten them checked out yet, so the window fogs pretty bad at times. (Small car though. Easy to handle.)

General Comments:

The car's history began in Florida so she's a little rusty on the bottom around the wheel wells. Nothing major though.

Some people have commented on how the car "has no power". I have the 4 cylinder hatchback and I have beaten almost all of my friends out of stoplights and received 4 tickets in my short time. Just gotta give her a little mid-grade gas to keep her injectors clean is all!

I seriously love my car. Don't know what I would do without it. Especially since people around town know me as the girl in the "little green car with all the stickers."

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th August, 2002

19th Feb 2004, 00:45

Those "vents" at the back of the headliner do nothing. There is not any vent work in the roof of the car.

I would like to know what your friends drive, or were they running along side of you?

No hard feelings, I just know that it takes quite a bit more than high octane pump gas to beat anything in most any sub-compact car.

I'm glad that you love your car. I also own a 3dr Metro that has been in my life for almost seven years.

Don't believe anything that spectators say (or chuckle) about; it takes a strong ego to even commute in one of these rides.

18th Feb 2005, 15:33

I think the people who say your car has no power are referring to the go-kart sized 3-cylinder engine that the Metro is known for. Most Metros were made with this engine, but a few were equipped with 4-cylinders after 1995 when drivers began demanding more Metro muscle. When people see a Metro, they automatically think "slow", but in your case they are wrong. I, myself have a 3-cylinder Metro, and though it is a bit powerless, I'm proud of it. What other car gets 50mpg without a hybrid engine?

31st Mar 2005, 00:49

Some Geo Metros are indeed very peepy. I have a 1997 Hatchback Lsi 1.3 liter engine and I commute in a highway 100-120 miles per day. I normally keep up with traffic flow at 65-75 (continuously) miles per hour almost all the way. I drive on the average 3300 miles per month and owned it for 4 years now with no major problem. I change oil every 10,000 miles and never had to add oil in between. I feel my Geo Metro is fast, economical, reliable and a lot of fun to drive. It is as good as my Mercedes, Jaguar and other fancy cars I still own- currently in storage.

12th Oct 2005, 22:19

I also have a '97 LSI with the 1.3L engine. You are right about the power - mine is very peppy. I drove it for 5 years and recently gave it to my son for college. It now has over 130K miles and doesn't burn a drop of oil. It's a great car that has paid for itself several times over. A/C has a slow leak, but I recharge it every couple of years and it keeps on cooling.

1997 Geo Metro LSi 1.3L

Summary:

A fun-to-drive, reliable commuter car

Faults:

A/C did not work when I bought it.

Windshield washer did not work when I bought it.

A/C Blower switch was broken when I bought it.

Battery needed replacement at 60,000 miles.

General Comments:

This is an excellent little commuter car. I like the body styling and it has plenty of interior and luggage room. I have the hatchback style. The car performs well and it is very maneuverable.

I bought the Geo used, with 40K miles on the odometer and some known minor mechanical problems. I also purchased a GM service manual for it as I planned to fix the problems and maintain it myself.

When I bought it the A/C had failed for two reasons. The blower switch did not work in some positions, and the system was low on refrigerant. According to the Chevrolet parts department, the blower switch is a common failure point on these cars and they sell a lot of switches. After getting the old switch out I found that the problem was that the back of the plastic switch housing likes to pop off because the snap-together catches are not designed very well. This prevents proper electrical contact. Also, the 1/8" ball bearing in the switch detent likes to fall out. I replaced the ball bearing and superglued the switch housing together and that fixed the switch problems. I also purchased a recharging kit for about $36 and recharged the A/C. This was easy to do and the A/C has worked perfectly for two years now (knock on wood). I use the A/C most of the year.

When I purchased the car (at 40K miles) it seemed sluggish, so the first thing I did was to install Bosch platinum spark plugs. That restored the performance and the car has continued to run great.

Since it rains a lot here I decided to fix the windshield washer. The pump is located inside the left front fenderwell and it was a little difficult to find, but the $13 replacement pump fixed the problem.

I drive it a minimum of 50 miles a day and this car has never failed me. It burns no oil (I change it every 3-4K miles) and it performs well. With 72000 miles on the odometer it is time to replace the two front tires. I will probably replace all four since they are only about $100 for a complete set.

Although it has power brakes, they seem weak. I'm not sure if this is a mechanical problem or a design problem, as I have read others with the same complaint. I may replace the master cylinder to see if it improves things.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th August, 2002

23rd Oct 2002, 21:46

My brakes did the same thing as I tested one today, and I'm getting it. I love the Metro.

16th Feb 2004, 15:37

I'm glad that more people than just me have enjoyed their experience with their Metro. I've put over $2,000 in my metro in modifications including the Bosch platinum plugs that you mentioned. One warning I will give (and I speak from experience) is not to use the plus 4 version of those plugs. This is a good product, but it will damage your pistons directly. Another good product I found was Arrow spark plug cables. Almost anything you do to this cars ignition system to get more spark to the gas can't hurt. Another slight flaw that I found when trying to modify for higher horsepower was that the gas pump will only push 130% of it's stock setting, so replacement is a must if you're wanting to get over 100 hp. The struts on the 2dr version are quite peculiar, as well. In my vehicle, anyways, the struts are factory replacements with shorter springs with a higher rate that dropped the car about an inch and a half, which is good, because in my opinion, these cars sit way too high in stock configuration. I'd like to know what else you do or have done with your car. In north Missouri I have the only "tricked out bubble car" that I know of.

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