Looking at a Geo Metro for my wife. Ad doesn't have much info : 1991 Geo Metro convertible, 3 cylinder 1.0 liter automatic transmission. Has 91,000 miles.

It looks clean in the pictures and I will look it over like any vehicle for rust. Is there anything specific to look out for? Pretty low miles for its age should be a good thing. This will definitely be our main DD since they are way better on gas.

 

Why a Metro?

I would get a 96-00 Honda Civic. The D series engines are great. I get 45mpg hwy out of my hatchback. Parts are cheap too.

 

Don't get Metro. Not enough engine to get good mileage.

If your wife can drive sick, Cavalier coupes get 40+ in good working order. So do Mazda Protege's. If you get one from the 80's the can pull 45-50. Those are both nicer, safer, and she won't get laughed out of book club lol

Biggest hit in small car fuel economy is the automatic. That and having an engine too small to efficiently move the car.

A Ford Festiva will out millage a metro just because of that extra couple of horsepower.

 

i was looking at a geo metro too. was going to pull the engine and put it on my go kart

 

Well neither of us can drive stick. So an auto is a must. Geo Metros are in our price range, especially with a move coming up. I found a good thread on a Geo Metro Forum. Oh and Festivas don't exist around here except in junkyards.

 

Horribly under powered car and not sure about mpg since your right foot will aways be mashed on the floor.
Believe me I've test driven these lol

 

Don't even need a engine hoist to pull it!

 

X2, A former co-worker had one, I saw under the hood once and the engine was about the size of my air-box.

 

the 3 cyl metro (1.0) is a royal POS if you have to go above 60mph or up hills. The 4cyl 1.3 is alot better they go fine on the highway 75-80 no problem and also made on later and more models with many more parts. just my opinion having worked on quite a few.

 

Bad thing about the Metros is their lower control arm mounts rust out.. when that happens they are worthless.

There are plenty of auto Honda civics.

 

turbo...

there are some turbo metros pushing 150hp (doesn't seem like a lot, but a 150hp metro will destroy a stock corvette) that still get 40+ mpg...

I'm a closet metro fan, laugh if you must, but i reeallyyy want to build a sleeper metro. I figure fully built bottom end, some headwork, cam, 25psi... should put down 200hp and rape just about anything out there from stoplight-stoplight

 

i have a festiva for sale! it is a stick tho..

 

That's a cool car but stick and in Texas.

 

So you can't learn to drive a stick?
I was forced to learn to drive one..traded my old XJ for a Toyota pickup that was a stick traded the guy without me ever driving a stick before. Managed to make it home with only stalling once. Now my TJ is a stick ..wouldn't want anything but.

Fwiw get a honda. I loved my 90 accord. 40mpg and cheap parts

 

Only if it's an old (90s or older) Corvette.

Geo Metro curb weight = 1832 lb.
@150hp = 12.21 lb/hp or @200 hp = 9.16 lb/hp

2013 Corvette curb weight = 3311 lb.
@430 hp (base model) = 7.66lb/hp

some other comparisons:

2013 Mustang GT curb weight = 3618 lb
@420 hp = 8.61 lb/hp

2013 Camaro SS curb weight = 3860 lb
@426 hp (manual) = 9.07 lb/hp

2013 Challenger R/T curb weight = 4082 lb
@375 hp = 10.89 lb/hp

Don't get me wrong a 150hp or 200hp metro is definitely impressive, but it wouldn't compete with most modern performance cars (though a 200 hp one could probably take a Challenger R/T) , though it wouldn't have any problem blowing stock Corvettes, Mustangs, and Camaros from the 80s and 90s off the road.