Still running

My husband and I purchased this car new from the dealer in 1993 and gave it to my brother in 1998 when my husband got a company car. At 120,000 miles, it still ran like it did when we first bought it. Highway mileage was still at 45-50 mpg and city at 40-45 mpg. This is from a manual transmission. This car has been on many road trips, even from Connecticut to Atlanta and North Carolina without any problems and only a several fill-ups per round trip.

We test drove both the manual and automatic transmissions. The automatic had no pick-up, the manual was pretty impressive. Owning a 3-cylinder car like the Metro in a manual transmission is key. We think this also helped with maintenance, since there are fewer big-expense items that can go wrong. During the years we owned it, we had no problems with it. Oil changes, timing belt changes, and regular tune-ups was all it needed.

We owned the 4-door sedan style of the Metro, which definitely has more back seat space than the 2-door. Putting the back seat down also gave a lot of trunk space, which came in handy for big bulky items like the rototiller we rented once. Passengers in the back seat were always surprised at the leg room it had.

Of the gas mileage and the low costs of this vehicle were the major reasons for purchasing it. However, you do get what you pay for. The major drawbacks of this car are the non-existent safety features. There are no air bags and no power brakes, so getting this car for teenagers just getting their drivers' licenses can be worrisome. Although, it did perform in the snow okay for a lightweight vehicle.

Overall we would recommend this car to people who want a basic, high mpg vehicle.