Nerd Alert! Geo Metro: the new "it" car?
It's not uncommon for owners of the late, lamented Geo Metro XFI, which USA Today refers to as "nerdy," to report fuel mileage rivaling and sometimes beating hybrids such as the Toyota Prius. The lightweight structure and very small engines - just three-cylinders and 49 horsepower for the Metro - allow these little runabouts to post great mileage figures. With gas prices at an all-time high, the efficiency of vehicles like the Metro, Ford Fiesta and Apsire and Hyundai Excel is raising their prices to levels sometimes above what they cost new. Don't believe us? Check out this recent eBay auction for a low mileage Metro and see for yourself.
So, should you be running out and purchasing a used fuel-sipper of your very own? Maybe, but consider that these vehicles would not be able to meet the safety regulations required by law today and the fact that they would likely not pass current emissions requirements. Additionally, the fuel savings of these vehicles makes for pretty poor performance. At AutoblogGreen, we're apt to overlook some of these deficiencies in the name of efficiency, but we also recognize that older vehicles such as these can present problems to their future owners. Our advice, therefore, would be to look hard in order to find a good deal if you're really interested in the ultimate in fuel savings, and remember not to discount the first-generation Toyota Prius in your search.
[Source: eBay Motors, U.S. News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Throwback 3:26PM (5/16/2008)
I co-owned a '79 Ford Fiesta, that was a sweet handling fun to drive car. That car more than anything made me a fan of small cars. Light weight, and a small engine made for great mileage. I think I got about 35mpg.
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Bob from ALAMN 3:41PM (5/16/2008)
There's a fellow near St. Cloud, MN who specializes in finding and selling these older fuel sippers.
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Tim Russell 4:53PM (5/16/2008)
I know that the Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift (aka Chevy Sprint/Pontiac Firefly in Canada, probably all rust or crushed due to salt corrosion) might be great in the MPG but I saw one broadsided by a normal sized car. The driver of the Sprint was killed, in a newer car he would have lived, maybe walked away if side airbags were on his car. Then again if you live in a lighter traffic area it might not be a problem. I would hate to see Metro vs. SUV.
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nealr 11:51AM (8/04/2008)
I saw A Ford SUV Broadsided by a truck and the driver died.
fnc 5:14PM (5/16/2008)
I fondly remember the old first-gen Escorts we owned. The first one was an automatic with a/c compressor issues, but was otherwise good. It got rear ended by a pickup on the freeway but everyone was okay (low speed collision). Being young and poor we replaced it with a near identical car but with standard transmission that got into the low thirties on gas mileage. It was a reliable trouble free car until our family outgrew it. We sold it to the neighbor's daughter who had it a few months before totaling it. It is kind of amazing how far safety and efficiency tech has progressed since then.
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John 6:22PM (5/16/2008)
Some moron paid over $7K for this thing. You can certinally get a good Corolla or Civic for that kind of money. A fool and his money soon part....
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Matthijs 6:36PM (5/16/2008)
Note that the car is being shipped to the Netherlands. Gas is now $9.50 here. So 4645 euro isn't cheap but it isn't that expensive. Well with 19% extra VAT + 1000 euro shipping + dutch car VAT i am not so sure......
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Matthijs 6:39PM (5/16/2008)
Oops forget that comment, it not going to the Netherlands, I was still logged in and it showed shipping to here. My bad.
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doug 10:05PM (5/16/2008)
And that geek in the credit commercials was pissed he couldn't get a convertible!! He's got the hottest car going!
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MetroMPG.com 10:55PM (5/16/2008)
That's insane. Recently I saw an eBay auction for a mint '89 CRX end at $7k as well.
So... my 1998 Metro (Pontiac Firefly) has just over 10k original miles on it (16k km). It was a genuine barn find, parked for 7 years. But it's only the garden variety version (not an XFi). Think I can get 7 large for it too? :D
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Mattias 7:57AM (5/17/2008)
Poor folks over there. Here in Europe, five year old Citroen C3s with the 1.4l diesel usually sell between €5000 and €7000. These are fuel sippers that usually get around 60mpg.
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motorman 9:09AM (5/17/2008)
the "Safety Nazis" put all these car out of business with their stupid "we have to protect stupid driver from themselves"
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Joseph 12:05AM (5/18/2008)
This is hilarious!
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Azrael4h 7:41AM (5/19/2008)
I was halfway looking for one back when I was looking for a car, and gas hadn't yet hit $3.00 a gallon. I actually couldn't fit in one of those.
Now, I'm looking for a used Mini with a stick, but I'm concerned about the reliability. Thus far, I haven't found one with a stick, so it's a moot point. Not manual transmission, not going to buy it.
I would pay at most $1500 for a nicer 3 cylinder Metro though. Maybe 2 for the newest 4 cylinder ones. I'd sooner just suffer through $4.00/gal with my poor 34mpg average.
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vintage 9:20AM (5/19/2008)
What Autoblog Green continually fails to realize is that the Metro, even if it needs work, is by FAR a greener choice than a new Prius. Reducing the need for new cars is a huge savings in energy and pollution, and keeping an old car on the road for as long as possible saves a ton of energy. Sure, they might need a waterpump or something, but who cares? Most people could do this themselves over a weekend, and spend another few years driving the car without any issues. This country needs to realize it doesn't 'need' new cars at it's current rate of consumption.
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Tim 2:11PM (5/19/2008)
Paris Hilton NAKED again:
http://celebritiesvidz.com/videos.php?v=Paris_Hilton
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B Smitty 2:28PM (5/19/2008)
We had a 2001 Saturn SL1 which got 40 mpg on the highway and 33 around town (5 speed stick). It was reliable and needed nothing other than routine maintenance. Wish we had it back- it was our third small Saturn- daughter wrecked one in a head-on crash- no injuries. Our insurance agent had recommended it because they were safe and cheap to insure.
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Theresa 2:33PM (5/19/2008)
I salute everyone who does not buy a new car until they are hybrid or electric.
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Michael 2:39PM (5/19/2008)
f,r,e,e that spells free......credit report dot com baby.
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Jonahmel 2:53PM (5/19/2008)
Phooey!
I bit for the high mileage trap. I bought a 2005 Chevy Malibu and it gets 24 MPG in town and 36 on the highway, with plenty of power and luxury. I'm paying less for gas, BUT the $1500 sales tax and #300 license plates each year offset all my savings. I figure that by 2015, I will break even. But then the car will be worn out and I'll have to pay all the taxes again. If big brother wants me to drive a clean-burning fuel-efficient car, he has a strange way of telling me.
Jonahmel
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