The formerly mocked and neglected Geo Metro is finding new popularity amidst high gas prices. According to CNN, the Geo Metro is making a spectacular comeback, especially on eBay. You might be surprised to learn that the Geo Metro and Toyota Prius get nearly the same gas mileage. Now consider that a Metro can be found for about $7000 compared to a new Prius which costs $21,000+, it becomes easy to see the attraction. Details, inside…
Graphic from CNN:
Marci Solomon considered a Prius but decided the Metro was the best economical choice for her. The article says,
For the most part, Solomon plans on using the car for commuting from her home in Rochester, Washington, to her job. The vehicle she has now, a Honda Element, was getting 28 mpg, and she was filling up twice a week, costing her nearly $100. Stations were charging $3.97 a gallon in her area Tuesday, she said. The Metro is an investment in the future, Solomon said, even if she did pay more than five times the Blue Book value of the car.
“It was all about saving money,” she said. “I don’t think gas is ever going to go down, and these are going to be the types of solutions we have to turn to. I wanted to beat the rush.”
The rush may have begun. The 1996 2-door 3-cylinder Metro Solomon now owns opened on eBay May 7 with a bid of $200. A week later, Solomon won the car auction with a bid of $7,300. In 1995, a new Metro hatchback sold for about $9,000, according to Auto Mall USA.
In May alone, 43 Metros of various years and models were sold on eBay, ranging in price from $221.50 to Solomon’s bid of $7,300. The cars have been hot items, drawing upwards of 49 bids on certain vehicles, with many of the auctions coming down to last-second bidding wars. On Tuesday morning, 34 Metros were still up for grabs.
It’s good to see this little guy making a comeback. Obviously, a Prius is going to offer more in the way of safety, speed, style and features but saving $14,000 on a car that gets nearly as good gas mileage makes good economic sense. So the next time you see a Metro roll up, don’t disrespect, they’re rockin’ 46 miles a gallon!
Gas prices drive Geos from clunkers to chic [CNN]
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@bmoredlj:
These cars ARE a death trap. My mom almost died driving a Metro when some yutz in a big truck rear ended her doing 70 when traffic was at a standstill.
Because of that, and even if it gets 50 miles to the gallon, I refuse to drive one. 26 mpg? That’s alot better than my 6 year old Mercury Sable gets in the city (I average about 17-18 mpg). Spend a little more for safety, for the sake of Pete.
Cheers!
Wow, Jay, way to ignore the fact that this Marci Solomon spent $7,000 on a $1,200 car (this is how much I received thru my insurance when my own ’96 was totaled). This was greenlighted on Fark with much more relevant discussion. This story is actually about how NOT to bet thru auction on an old POS car. My own couldn’t go up hills in the mountains over 35 mph. I am not exaggerating. I do not miss that car.
Numerous studies have shown that buying a used car that gets better-than-average gas mileage is a more economical than buying a new (or newish) hybrid.
However, this woman paid way too much for this vehicle, so even if it only takes her 18 months to recoup her costs, it’s too long considering that car is worth about $500 (check Edmunds.com if you don’t believe me)
She needs to put about 60,000 miles on the Geo to break even. I wonder how many miles are currently on it? It’s a 1995, so it probably has at least 100K.
Of course she could save even more money if she carpooled or took the bus. There’s a park and ride lot on I-5 near her home in Rochester with buses that would probably take her to where she works.
Overpaying by 600% is not the best way to save money.
That being said, I had a 99 Mazda 626. 4 Doors, seated 5 fairly comfortably, 2 liter I4 and a 5 speed. Plenty of space in the trunk for that girl you “picked up” at the bar.
I got 40 on the highway and upper 30s driving around town in it. Oh yeah, and I’d have survived a crash with anything larger than a bicycle in it. This woman is the prime example of someone going to an unbelieveable extreme to try to save money. In the process she’s wasting money (hell she could get a 5 year old mazda in decent condition for 3 or 4 grand nowadays), and jeopardizing her safety as well as the safety of the people who ride with her.
I guess what they say is true. You can’t fix stupid.
There’s one little problem with this assessment: there is only one model of Geo Metro for which this statement applies, the XFi.
For those who don’t know, the XFi was an attempt to manufacture a super high-mileage car, which was accomplished by stripping out absolutely everything which is not essential to the operation of the vehicle (including such things as air conditioning), to reduce the curb weight to barely 1600 lbs, and by using a different camshaft, ECU, and transmission to increase fuel efficiency (at the cost of a significant portion of what little power the metro had to begin with).
As noted in POLAЯ OF THE DAY’s comment above, the next best model in the Suzuki Swift/Geo Metro lineup had the rather lower fuel economy of 38 mpg in the city, and 45 on the highway – only tying the prius on the highway, and getting 10 mpg less in the city.
It should also be considered that only about 10% of all Geo Metros sold in the US were XFi’s. And Canada fared even worse in that regard, so you can’t get them from Canada, either.
@SinisterMatt: Sorry to say that if your Sable at a deadstop gets rear-ended by a truck going 70 you’ll be lucky to be alive as well. I agree with you that the Metro lacks safety features but it’s important to recognize that at high speeds and when there is a big size disparity between the cars involved, it’s pretty much a disaster no matter what you’re driving.
@forgottenpassword: A couple of points:
1)Until just this week I lived in the Upper Midwest my entire life, and never needed a 4wd vehicle to drive in the winter.
2)I just drove my “clown car” Mini Cooper from Chicago to Los Angeles, and had the time of my life. Today’s small cars aren’t yesterday’s Chevettes and Pintos. I’ve never had a more stable roadgoing car than my Mini.
As to what everyone’s saying about the metro’s safety, or lack thereof, I was actually happy with how mine did in the accident. Granted, it wasn’t a horrific accident, and it only involved a mustang, but I was going 50 mph when I hit it side-on (not my fault BTW *grumble*). The metro’s hood crumpled up well.
But for God’s sake, don’t spend $7000 on one! And don’t write articles about what a good idea it would be to do so.
Though, as someone else already stated, it did get blown about on the road by gusts of wind…and I couldn’t get it up the hill leading out of our neighborhood when there was ice on the road…had to call work and tell them I couldn’t come in…because my car…couldn’t get up a hill…
It’s not that I don’t like the geo metro or anything, but that car has a very limited weight capacity. In fact, I’ve found a few that can’t get into reverse over 700 pounds. Sure that doesn’t sound like much, but when your carpoolers include your fat self and two samoan co-workers, it’s amazing how fast that metro can stutter.
It seems I’ll stay with my jeep a while longer.
@Steaming Pile:
You know what? If there’s two more hours I can spend in my more-expensive home, it’s generally gonna be worth it for me.
Where I live, people I know add 30 minutes to an hour to their commutes (one way) to buy a house at $250k instead of $300k. Not even close to worth it to me.
Hmmm…. Aren’t the Geo Metros horribly unsafe? I believe that is what I’ve always heard.
According to safercar.gov, the Metro has a “High Likelihood of Thigh Injury” and even calls it a “Safety Concern.” The Call me insane, but I’d stick with the Prius… and my legs…
I’m in it for the airbags…..and the back up sensors/camera, navigation, touch screen, HID lamps, traction control, stability control, anti-theft, etc. It’s worth the difference to me.
I have a Honda Insight, spent a little over $200 on gas — last year, for the entire year — and it has airbags. No, I can’t haul much more than groceries in it, but if I need to haul something, I’ll give a friend a few bucks, borrow their station wagon, and buy them lunch. If you’re not a construction worker and don’t have a job that requires you to take a bunch of stuff all over the place, how often do you need to haul stuff?
I’m guessing that the people who say they wouldn’t take a small car on the highway have never ridden a motorcycle on the highway.
I have no problems with small cars on the highway (or motorcycles, for that matter). If you like filling up your explorer with $4/gallon gas just so you feel safer, that’s fine by me. Make sure you aren’t near me when you think 4 wheel drive somehow helps your braking ability though.
She paid $7300 to save $50 a week on gas. That’s funny, no matter what kind of car she bought.
Filling up twice a week?! Ouch! She just lives too far from work.
The table at the top of this article has some serious problems. For one, the EPA has adjusted its mileage estimation process in the last year, causing the Prius and other high mileage vehicles estimates to go down. So comparing it with the Geo Metro’s 1992 measurement looks worse than it should. Add about five MPG to both of the Prius measurements to balance out.
Another difference is that the table only shows the comparison for the Priuses’ gasoline engine. Its electric motor kicks in another 70 horsepower, making it a much more capable vehicle. The table does not show that the Prius is a true four passenger vehicle, with comfort that is better than many medium sized cars.
Other people have mentioned things like the safety, air conditioning, and other features of the much more modern vehicle. The Prius is tied for the highest score ever registered in Consumer Reports annual survey of car owners.
If all I want to save gas, I leave the car parked and ride my bicycle. I have better things to do than nursemaid a very old econo-box.
“It can be as chic as it wants, but realize that in an auto accident your car just became your coffin. ” – Try a compact urn.
I drove the Sprint throughout the 90s – I was a poor college student and it did the job at a great price. I bought it used for $4400 in ’94 and sold it for $1700 in ’02 – not too shabby.
As far as “greeniness” ges, a new Prius might last longer than a used Metro, but odds are the batteries won’t – replacing those puppies will likely cost the same as the old Metro, and how exactly do you plan to dispose of all that Nickel and other nasty stuff?
@Canoehead: By “dispose of” I assume you mean “recycle.”
@macmizzle: I seem to recall that the Geo Metro’s safety ratings were low at first, but became much better later in its production run when it was partially redesigned. I know I looked up one of the later ones and was surprised that it scored better than my Ford Crown Victoria, a massive boat of a car. Unfortunately, NHTSA’s website is broken so I can’t find when the cutoff was.
I think in general Americans greatly overestimate how hazardous small cars are. We sort of see subcompacts as a lower-class thing, something you only drive if you can’t afford anything bigger. It’s different in Europe where tiny “city cars” are common. I admit, though, that in areas with a lot of SUVs on the road driving a small car sometimes feels like bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Oh, and one safety concern with the Prius is the battery pack. Some fire departments have expressed reluctance about doing Jaws-of-Life type rescues of people in Priuses due to the fear of electrocution. If I get in an accident I really don’t want to be in a car first responders are afraid of.
I tried fixing up and driving a Metro convertible. And what a mistake it was. It was a three cylinder with a standard trans. Yes, it was slow, and yes the gas mileage was ok. The problem is, these were not built to last or be fixed up past their normal expected life. I had so many problems. First, there’s rust. If you see any, don’t bother. Second, the three cylinders have a nasty habit of plugging up the EGR port with carbon, and you get no warning of it until you end up burning your exhaust valves to a crisp. What else? They used multiple different alternators on these things, and autozone does a fine job of mixing them up. If you buy the wrong one, expect it to throw the belt at the worst possible time – say when you’re on 94 in the middle of the worst part of Detroit.
Last but not least, forget about finding the weatherstripping for the convertible top. It is not available ANYWHERE. People buy used weatherstripping for these things, and it goes for a princely sum!
I like Metros, but if you’re going to bother with one, don’t buy a convertible, and for god’s sake, clean the EGR valve port (not just the valve!) immediately.
I almost forgot- the unloved Toyota Echo can get 40m.p.g.. It is at least as ugly as the Metro, but it can get out of its own way and is a hell of a lot more reliable.
If saving money is that important : buy a Smart. It will pay back, since no other car in North America has comparable fuel efficeincy.
@Victo: I’m not so sure the Smart is worth the cost premium — you can buy a much more versatile used car for the same price. And since it’s really a Mercedes you know costs for replacement parts are probably going to be steep.
A friend of mine has a Metro and another friend has a Echo. Having ridden in both I would ovewhelmingly choose the Echo as it has great acceleration and power and rides good along with great gas mileage. The Metro just seems to chug along and rides like a tank but does get great mileage.
Neither of them can compare to my Miata for power and stability at speed….but I only get around 32mpg on the hwy.
Mac
She is a tool for paying 7,000 for a Metro. I got my 97 Metro for 1,500 with 65k miles about 5 years ago.
I cannot find the link anymore but mine actually got decent crash test ratings and it has dual air bags.
Hah. You want unsafe? Google the Peel P50!
Gahahahahahhaahahha!! This is hilarious. A few years ago you could pickup a Metro in decent running condition for a few hundred bucks. Now people are paying a small fortune for ‘em.
Here’s an idea: Honda Insight. My Insight is about the size of a Metro but gets 70 miles to the gallon and has all the modern safety features. And, I only had to give 12 grand for it. Beats the hell out of 7000+ for an old Metro. Much, much nicer car.
@Ash78:
From the Somethingawful forums thread on this subject:
“The Northwest region’s resident asskicker in Stock Front (rallycross) has a Swift and a Metro. You wouldn’t think you’d see a Metro go a lot faster in the dirt than an STi, but they can. I fear those things.”
There’s something else to like about the laughingstock.
@roche:
Oh, about 5 years ago when gas prices were about half what they are now?
Assuming it’s still in comparable condition, that car is probably worth twice what you paid, now.
@TechnoDestructo: I’m not surprised. The car weighs almost nothing. You can make up for other shortcomings with suspension and engine mods, but if a car is too heavy, it’ll be a pig in rally events no matter what you do to it.
@jimconsumer:
AND, unlike a Prius, it’ll keep going when the batteries die.
@Orv:
[www.scca.com]
“Stock front” means no modifications. It’s the light weight, the FWD, and driver skill. You can do amazing things on loose surfaces in a <2000lb car, even if it’s worthless on asphalt. (My ’84 Corolla taught me that)
I’d rather stick to driving my 2000 Taurus and enjoy having some things like airbags and crumple zones. I’m going to guess that a Metro IS a crumple zone. If I’m being easy on the gas pedal, I can do ~30MPG Hwy, and ~20MPG city.
the longer i own my metro the more i love it. mines not even running well (i suspect a fouled o2 sensor due to the raw fuel smell), its an auto, and its the LSi 1.3L (yep, the hi-po version) and it still gets over 30mpg. this adds up quick driving 80 miles 5 days a week. i just had 4 new kumhos put on it and they were $25 a piece. there is more to economy than simply mpg.
would i pay $7k for one? hell no. that is ridiculous. it should be very easy to find one for under $2k and at that price they are a bargain.
i admit that the size makes them unnerving safetywise but i actually have plenty of legroom (no fear of “thigh injury” as someone mentioned earlier) and i am 6’3″. also, the 99 model i have has airbags.
i know i haven’t done a thing to convince the naysayers and that’s ok. i want them to remain low in price for those of us who know what value is.
@Canoehead: Toyota has an 8 year 100,000 mile warranty on the hybrid components. Possibly even longer depending on the emissions warranty.
@VA_White: I had a new Metro that I bought around that same time and drove for just as long, and I can attest to not only the great gas mileage (mine was the standard transmission, no A/C, and it got around 52 MPG on a good day), but also to the surprising lack of repairs the thing needed. After the second kid, my wife and I traded it in for a used minivan, but I miss my little Metro, even if it crawled up hills and got pushed to the side of the road during especially windy days.
Quick, snap ‘em up before they go for millions at Barrett-Jackson in 20 years!
After all, if Pacers can be considered “ironic-chic” these days…
Also, $7000 would have bought her 1,750 gallons of gas at $4 a gallon. That’s 49,000 miles worth of driving in her Element. Just drive the fracking Element, for crying out loud.
@bzr the paranoid android:
If there is any justice in this world, the Metro convertibles will be doing just that.
i don’t care if cosmopolitan magazine names it the coolest car in the world, i will never ever ever buy a geo metro. i’d rather bike to work and i live quite a distance away.
Heck yes, long live the coffee grinders!!! This is the way to go, IMO, buy a small old car that gets prius mileage & flip off all the elitists. Oh, and spend the money you saved by NOT buying a grossly overpriced hybrid on other stuff
The $2200 I spent on my 99 Dodge Neon was the best $2200 I’ve EVER spent. It’s not only cute & zippy(and a 5-speed & fun to drive), it also gets about 35-40mpg city & about 10 over that on the highway. It had 91,000 miles on it when I bought it & apart from some basic maintenance(hoses, belts, plugs), I’ve had to do no real repairs to it. And I know in a wreck I will live too, cause I was in a full-frontal wreck in a neon last december & I walked away with only bumps & bruises. The best part of all is that I won’t be getting assraped by a stealership for the next 7 years.
@BlackFlag55:
Haha I was a p50 now!
@kabuk1: I already do so, I transformed my Grandpa’s old Suburban to a diesel engine. Nobody driving near me even attempts to cut into my way, they know just how much weight I’m lugging around.
Besides, I make some bio-diesel at home, so it isn’t like I pay to much for fuel.
@DashTheHand: You’d be surprised. I rolled one once, well actually I rolled the damn thing 6 times, and we all walked away. Then again, maybe it was because we were packed in there like sardines. E
@Ryan H:I took it as her two weekly fillups totalled $100, meaning she saves $40/week. It’ll take over two years to make up what she overpaid, based on gas savings. Eventually she will come out ahead. Her insurance may well go down too. Besides, if she was driving an Element, the appearance of her car is obviously not a concern.
Okay. I’m an engineer, so I’m with people saying that death-by-squishing is an issue in this car. If you get hit by a four-ton SUV in a 1500-lb car… well, the cold equations of energy conservation are not your friend. Nor is the lack of thirty-six airbags, or whatever the Prii and Yarii are running these days. Those cars are still lighter than an SUV, though (to say nothing of the transit bus or heavy truck that eclipses them all), and I’m not sure I’d want to be stuck in one when that 120-lb, 270-volt battery pack caught fire after a collision.
I’m also an EMT, though. Been with one fire or rescue company or another for a good decade. Saw my first dozen MVA trauma fatalities the first three months I was a probie, and lost count after that.
To make a long story short, I’ve seen far, far more people die in trucks and SUVs than in econoboxes. Part of that is because most people don’t really have the skill to handle one in an off-nominal situation (hence all the Explorer rollovers), and a lot of mass is actually detrimental when you hit something solid. Another part is that the man driving an econobox knows his life is forfeit should anything larger than a bicycle touch him. He remains alert, watching his mirrors at a stop to make sure the guy behind him is stopping. If endangered, he is ready to make a dive for the median / shoulder / sidewalk, whereas a complacent SUV man spends his time fiddling with the radio or talking on his phone, easy prey for a rear-ender.
Some of the time, I drive a two-ton Hemi Charger, but that’s a personal choice, so I can’t really complain about the fuel costing me too much. The rest of the time, I’m commuting to work on a 360-lb motorcycle. On the Capital Beltway. Much riskier than the econobox, but if one does one’s homework, there are generally opportunities to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. I’d drive my old (45MPG, $400) Tercel without hesitation, if I still had her.
If you’d rather just sit in your SUV and feel safe, by all means do so. But know that it’s only a feeling — every corpse I ever pulled out of a wrecked urban assault vehicle had the same astonished look on their face — the “how could this happen?!” one.
–R
Seems like ole Chevrolet already had a eco-friendly car. No need for the hybrid Tahoes.