Here’s a Suzuki in disguise, badged in the US by General Motors as the Geo Metro. It’s as small as it looks, about as long as your living room couch at 146″. Strictly a two-seater, it does have a party trick: in the trunk is a fabric drape that separates the cargo area from the rear of the car – lift that drape and you can get a pair of skis in this little thing. It’s profoundly fuel efficient, rated at more than 40 mpg when equipped with a manual gearbox. While the Metro also came in sedan and hatchback body styles, the convertible is the one to own. This five-speed LSi is for sale on facebook Marketplace for $8900. That might seem like a stiff price for a bare-bones convertible, but this one has traveled only 33k miles since new, and it comes with many original documents from a caring second owner. Zappenduster, who has a talent for finding cars on the cheap, sent the tip over – thanks!
The Metro LSi is fitted with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder fuel-injected engine, good for about 50 hp. Since the car weighs only about 1800 lbs soaking wet, performance isn’t horrible, but highway merging requires a plan. Disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear are vacuum-assisted, and that’s about it for power-assisted components available on a Metro. This one is said to run well, and it sits on new tires. It comes with lots of literature, two original keys, and its window sticker.
The interior isn’t shown in the listing, but it’s about as plastic as it can be. The rear tonneau is a hard cover that houses the top; you’ll be raising that by hand, of course. This car does have working air conditioning, which probably subtracts a few points off the fuel efficiency and performance ratings, but these days, AC is a good idea.
The LSi (“luxury sport injection” – three words, of which two are laughable and only the third is really true) came with an upgraded interior (fabric instead of vinyl upholstery), body-colored bumpers, the aforementioned AC, and a stereo – items we might expect on a base model Anything in 1992. Spartan though it may be, the seller’s photos romanticize the car nicely, with the fading summer sky in the background. This Metro isn’t perfect, but it’s on the high end of the range. Most Metro convertibles were junked for the sin of leaking, which rotted out their floorpans. Ok, close to $9k is a premium price, but if you’re in the market for this model, buying the best one available is wise.
If I buy this one, where will I find another one for my other foot?
H owdy Do ? ! She Sure is a Looker ! In Oklahoma City at the state fair a dealer would put a 4 Dr hatch on display & 4 people were picked to roost in it (with breaks) till there was 1 left that won it . It was called the b o Geo . What is the comfy cruising spd on hwy ? Thanx Dave
The price is too high at 8900 which makes more car choices seem logical to me.
The 3 cylinders made the cars super slow.
Good luck with sale.
Very nice-looking example of this car. If driven as they were meant to be driven, these were fine, frugal, dependable little cars. That engine was fantastic, for what it was – efficient, reliable, non-interference, SOHC, injected. how many econoboxes came with a 5-speed transaxle & 4-wheel independent suspension? If the first owner(s) paused long enough for the synchros to mesh, when shifting, the transmission will last forever.
Pretty gutless, but speed & acceleration were never what these cars were about. They were a cheap, reliable way to get to point B & back.
My stepdaughter had one of these … she was short – 4’10”, and her license plate said “OTB 5FT” … she loved that car …
Almost $9K and no photos of the interior. Not very bright.
I’d agree. I’m amazed at how people don’t post critical photos when trying to sell a car.
That said, I’d love to have one of these for just an around town car. Would make running errands much more enjoyable.
Ideal RV tow behind.
Large folks need not apply. If I recall correctly, capacity for people and cargo is around 330lb. So, basically me and a Big Gulp.
Maybe if you drank a few less Big Gulps, it wouldn’t be a problem! 😂
This would be one for backroad commuting/travels; perfect for those that want to go the twisty scenic routes on.a budget. Advantages of a bike is that might hold more luggage than some tour bikes and sip the same or less gas though climbing the Rockies-anywhere I suspect-would be a serious challenge.
As has often said here “there’s a butt for every seat”.
So funny! It’s a $2,000 car at most and I would seriously have to think st that amount.
IMHO 9K is a reasonable price for a dozen of these baby cars.
Yes, the price is at the very high end of these el cheapo cars. But low miles, 50mpg economy, 300k mechanicals (if maintained) and open air motoring make this a no-brainer, compared to any newer POS at this price point.
I like these quite a bit, as others have said for what they are, they’re quite nice, good little cars. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to drive one.
However.. I’d much rather have that navy colored Camaro with the black interior shown a few BF posts back.. :D
The seller is right , it’s an original car but he is wrong with his asking price, not many fans of these tiny commuters !
Yolo
Many of the convertibles were saddled with the automatic transmission, which greatly reduced the available power all the time, not just when the A/C is running. My ’93 has the 5-speed, and no one wants to be behind me when I’m running the A/C for sure. But I’ve had my car for 25 years, and I wouldn’t trade a day of that time for anything. These cars were well-engineered for the price, and regular maintenance keeps them on the road with incredible gas mileage. There is a huge group of Metro drivers who appreciate these little cars and meet up around the country to share the love. GEO meet season begins next weekend in Minnesota. I’ll be there.
Howdy Do ? ! Weelll , sure is a Beaut ! What is comfy cruising spd on hwy? In Oklahoma City at the state fair for a few yrs would have a 4 Dr hatch & 4 folks in & had to stay in buggy with rests & last remaking won it & they called it the b o Geo . Thanx Dave
I have an aftermarket cruise control, and I usually set it around 72 or 73 mph. It still gets over 40 mpg, even with the top down, as long as there is not a terrible headwind. The B O Geo does not sound fun. LOL
My step-daughter had one of these, and she loved it … she was 4’10” tall and her license plate read OTB 5FT (oh to be 5ft) …