1996 Geo Metro 1.0L, 3 cylinder from North America
Summary:
A moneysaver, but you get what you pay for
Faults:
By 140,000 miles, 2nd gear is broken. It constantly slipped out gear to the point of being unusable. For the last two years I have been shifting from 1st to 3rd gear.
Driver's side window needs maintenance about every 3 months. The rolling mechanism falls out of its track, and the inner panel of the door needs to be taken out to put it back in place.
Driver's side door lock doesn't work from the outside.
Passenger's side door lock doesn't work from the inside.
Muffler has been replaced once, and needs to be replaced again. The car runs very loudly for now.
Glove compartment latch had to be fixed.
General Comments:
Overall, this car has been a good value, considering its costs--low sticker price and high gas mileage.
What you save in price and gas expenses, you give up in other ways--comfort and power.
During the first 4 years I got about 50 mpg on the highway, and even today I still get about 38 mpg, but the lack of power from the engine is drastically noticeable.
I have even noticed that my acceleration suffers when there are 4 people in the car.
The car also feels unsafe to drive at more than 70 mph.
As for comfort, body room is cramped in all respects, although the interior is actually roomier than the outward appearance would suggest.
I have the hatchback coupe model, and cargo space is amazing with the back seat folded down.
No A/C, weak heat, and uncomfortable seats make getting into this car a chore and not a pleasure.
Wear and tear and general maintenance has been very good besides 2nd gear, but this surprisingly has not been that much of a problem so far.
In general, you will save money with this car, but you will pay in other ways--but it may be worth it!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 20th September, 2004
29th Aug 2005, 13:14
I bought a 95 Geo Metro in 1997 with 24,000 miles on it. Now it's 2005, and the car has 105,000 miles on it. It's been an excellent car. I've been careful about oil changes and routine maintenance, and the only repair I've had to have done to it besides routine maintenance was replace the water pump, but that was at 100,000 miles. I haven't had problems keeping up on the freeway, and I still get 40+ mpg on the highway. When we moved, my car was loaded up to the roof, and I was driving uphill most of the way, and I still got 50 mpg with it. This was at 101,000 miles. A car with 140,000 miles on it is going to show some age, no matter what type it is, and I fully intend to keep my Metro as long as I can, especially with gas prices of over $2.50 a gallon.