16th Jun 2006, 14:35
"Anyway, the problem with the Metro is that it is a highly efficient gasoline car yet has extremely spartan accommodations and only 30 cu. ft. of cargo space."
Which cost the owner $7,000 dollars vs. $25,000 for a Prius. Did I mention the Prius's batteries might go bad within 4 to 5 years? Like the guy/lady said: Why the hell aren't we duplicating tech from 1993 where cars like the Metro/Swift averaged 45 miles to the gallon?
2nd Nov 2006, 19:35
Oh great, another Prius v.s. normal/"real" car debate!
Pros: I know they aren't making Geo Metro/Chevy Sprint/Pontiac Firefly anymore, but hey, there's at least a handful of current cars nowadays that can get 30-50mpg (with the standard trans.), for example the Toyota Yaris, and possibly the Honda Fit.
Cons: But who wants to plunk down approx. $15,000 CDN for a new car like the Toyota Yaris when they could get a Prius for almost twice the price?! (that was sarcasm, people, sarcasm).
Solution: I would much rather buy a $1500-$3000 CDN Metro/Sprint/Firefly from 1991-1998 than a brand spanking new car that gets the same gas mileage, but will fall in depreciation as soon as you drive it off the lot!
Thanks for your time.
20th Dec 2006, 17:09
I have a 94 Geo Metro 5 door that has done quite well. I bought it from friends in 2002, they bought it as junk and put a new engine, other parts in it. I've had to replace breaks, exhaust, and battery. This little car has been great, but mine only gets about 37 mpg right now. Any suggestions as to how to improve that?
Yes, the body leaves something to be desired, but it runs and I can trust it.
As another comment about hybrids, I too don't think I'm ready to spend that money/take the plunge. I also have a 2000 Toyota Echo that gets 40 mpg on average. I bought it for $5,000 in 2002 with 69,000 miles on it. It now has 135,000 miles. I've seen it get up to 47 when driving 90 mph for lengthy periods of time (across states). This car has been such a trooper. I just cannot justify buying a hybrid when I can go buy a efficient car for a few grand. I also offset my carbon emissions through terrapass.
30th Dec 2006, 18:17
I recently bought a 1994 Geo Metro automatic transmission with 140,000 miles on it. I have been driving it and am only getting about 29 miles per gallon. Just wondering if this is common, I have heard that they get approximately 40 miles per gallon. I changed the plugs, wires, distributer cap and roter and haven't had any better luck. I drive approximately 30 miles per day and try to keep my speed under 60 miles per hour. Is there anything else I can do to get better gas mileage.
14th Jun 2006, 12:59
A lot of this is true, I happen to think hybrids are a stopgap measure by the the car companies, which would be better served by having a plug in option. That being said, it seems needlessly expensive and convoluted to produce a car that gets 45-50 mpg in real life driving situations, when you could do the same for less than half the price with 1980's technology. I sure don't need heated seats and refrigerated glove boxes in my car, and neither do you. Check out the Loremo web site.