17th Dec 2003, 17:46
The previous comment has so many errors and inaccuracies in it... the writer has no idea: The Spectrum was not replaced by the Storm, actually the Prizm (a much better vehicle) replaced the Spectrum; other models (Metro, Prizm) in addition to the Tracker, were continued after the GEO brand name was cancelled; and finally, the Chevrolet Aveo is based on the GM Daewoo Kalos, not the Lanos, which has been discontinued. The GEO brand was intended to appeal to those people who thought (and may still think) "Foreign=good; American=bad". The cars themselves were still made by the same manufacturers (Isuzu, Suzuki, and, later, Toyota) both before and after the GEO name replaced the Chevrolet brand. Silly as it sounds, many people (like the above writer) apparently thought that a car with a Chevrolet emblem on it would always be inferior to an identical car with a GEO emblem. The reason GEO went away is that GM was able to improve their quality to the point where they did not need to tout a foreign-sounding brand name to get sales. The American car-buying public (with a few apparent exceptions) is much more educated about value and quality when choosing automobiles than was the case just 10-15 years ago. Sites like this one are helpful too, but only as far as the accuracy of their information!
9th Dec 2004, 16:51
I have owned many Geo's over the years and find the Suzuki engines in the metros to be very reliable. 220,000 miles on my 92 metro convertible and still going strong. I bought a 1988 Chevy Spectrum when it was brand new and rode the wheels off of it. Now I have a 1989 Geo Spectrum. This has an Isuzu engine. It has a Chevy emblem on the front grille and a Geo emblem on the back. Is it true the body is made in the U.S.A. and they drop Japanese engine in them?
6th Sep 2006, 18:15
Lanos and Karlos - two korean made nightmares and they are the same car. Further more, the Prizm replaced the Nova and the Storm did replace the Spectrum, so get your information straight.
2nd Dec 2007, 17:38
GEO is in fact made by Chevy, and because I was a sales person from 1991-1996, I could tell you more than most, this was Chevys way to lure the Import buyer onto the Chevy lot, and have a car that they would be interested in. The fact is this, a car that old that is meant as an economy car that is still running?! That is a testament to Chevy's designing, and they DID design it. despite CV Joints, Exhaust problems, rust, etc. These cars and the rest of the Geo line are for the most part reliable cars for the money. I currently own a GEO Spectrum, bought it for $200 bucks, run it hard every day with lots of miles, and it still runs. Can't say that about Fords for example (well for econo cars I should say, there trucks are solid, as well as there v8's like the Mustang and Crown Victoria)
27th May 2003, 21:30
GEO was not a Chevrolet at all, nothing like a Chevrolet, Geo was its own brand of re badged foreign cars. Then in 1998 Chevrolet absorbed the Geo line, The Spectrum however was replaced in 1990 with the Geo Storm and the Geo storm was discontinued in 1993, I just wanted to make it clear that Geo was not a Chevrolet at all thank goodness for that. Now at one time in the mid 80's the Nova, Sprint, and Spectrum wore Chevy badges, they were all foreign cars rebadged and sold as Chevy's since Chevy's own cars had such poor reliabilty and poor workmanship they had to do something to get some sales, in 1989 these cars were grouped together and the Geo brand was born a terrific group of small reliable cars, sales were strong on all of these vehicles until 1998 when Chevrolet absorbed them, then of course noone wanted a car with a Chevrolet name on it after it had carried the Geo LOGO, apparently once again Chevrolet needed those tiny cars again to gain sales in its own division, however doing this killed all of the Geo's except the Tracker, In 2004 Chevrolet is once again pulling the "we need sales" so they are throwing a Chevy emblem on a Daewoo Lanos and calling it Aveo. I don't think this Korean made car is going to stand up to the Geo line-up of yesterday. I suppose we shall see though.