Overview & Reviews

As the market for import automotive brands became dramatically larger in the late 1980s, the Detroit automobile companies created their own import-style sales divisions. In 1989 General Motors introduced its Geo division, which became the most successful of these attempts before the division was discontinued in 1998.

Geo re-badged various GM cars made for world markets. Its most notable success came with the Geo Prizm, a version of the Toyota Corolla then being built cooperatively in a California assembly plant by Toyota and GM. The Geo Metro compact car began life as the Suzuki Swift, while the Geo Tracker sport-utility vehicle was derived from the Suzuki Sidekick. The Geo Spectrum sedan was an Isuzu I-Mark and the Geo Storm coupe was an Isuzu Impulse.

The experiment ended because the Geo division was unable to establish a stronger identity than the brands from which its products were taken. Moreover, GM quickly realized that Geo was simply funneling its brand loyalists into the import brands of other companies.

User Reviews:

• 

  What a trooper! - 1991 Geo Storm
  By katja - July 7 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for 11 years! I love this car! It is economical, stable and very nimble for the time period/design. The odometer just crested: 174,565. I have the original clutch in this car! The interior has a great driver friendly design. This car is very peppy for the amount of hp. It handles nicely on turns, no pitch or yaw present.

• 

  Bullet Proof Bank Account Builder - 1996 Geo Prizm
  By MPLSSTEVEO - July 7 - 2:00 am

  This is by far the best vehicle you can buy for the money. No, its not a thrill to drive, but its easy, quiet, smooth, rides like a larger Camry (kinda looks like one, too!) Good power for the size, especially with the 1.8L engine and the 4-speed auto. Never had one problem. Due to time-gone-by, Ive had to replace the battery and break pads 1 time. yes, I said ONCE in 100,000 miles. i do regular oil changes and scheduled maintenance, but that is it. If you need cheap reliable transportation thats not embarrasing to drive, this is the one!

• 

  1991 geo storm - 1991 Geo Storm
  By don.elias - June 19 - 2:00 am

  no complaints about this car. just crested 270K miles on the original engine last month. great to drive, especially if you like the curves. tight turning circle. engine revs high with no strain. most responsive front end ive ever driven. lots of road-feel. the trade-off of course is that the ride can seem a little rough at times, but if you like road-feel, its a great car, esp. considering the price. i have no regrets.

• 

  An Awesome Car - 1995 Geo Prizm
  By Linthergal - June 17 - 2:00 am

  My Geo Prizm has been in my family for seven years now, and it has been a great car. All it has needed was new brakes (expected!), and that was at 115,000 miles, when most cars need them around 30,000. Other than that, it hasnt been to a mechanic once. Its an awesome car. It has a ton of miles on it (167,000) but still runs great. My advice? Buy one!

• 

  Great Commuters Car - 1995 Geo Prizm
  By hondaguy - June 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 1995 Geo Prism LSi with 65,000 miles. It was perfectly maintained -- not a scratch. It has everything thing I need except power windows. I bought this car strictly as a transportation vehicle. You see, I drive about 400 miles per week and for me it doesnt make sense to buy an expensive vehicle and throw all of the cars value out the tail pipe. I paid $4400 for the Geo. The Prism serves my needs fine. I get about 35mpg. Except the stereo, I have no complaints. Ill probably upgrade the head unit and speakers soon.

• 

  how can you go wrong - its a toyotta - 1997 Geo Prizm
  By hotdax - June 13 - 2:00 am

  i would definitely buy this car again. i only wish i got the auto vs. man (knee problems) and the fold down rear seats. this car rides great in the snow and ice, rain, excellent car.

• 

  Best buy in small cars - 1995 Geo Prizm
  By Dan G - June 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 1995 Prism with 20K miles on it, now it has 100K miles. This is the most reliable car Ive ever had. Believe it or not it still has the original brakes. The only thing I had brake was the altenator. What is Chevrolet thinking when then stop making this wonderful car after 2002.

• 

  Raving for the tricked out Storm! - 1991 Geo Storm
  By Thorn... - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is the most unbelievable car in the world. Im looking ahead to buying another one when mine finally dies. Great handling. Terrific accelleration. WAY higher top speed than the factory specs! And its SO cheap.

• 

  Happy with Geo - 1995 Geo Prizm
  By prizmguy - June 9 - 2:00 am

  We have owned ou PRizm since 1995. I have had no problems so far and am pleased with the reliability of the Toyota drivetrain. This car will last another 10 years, no sweat! If you are looking for a car that provides peace of mind. This is your car.

• 

  Excellent 4WD for the money! - 1991 Geo Tracker
  By GeoJoe - June 4 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle, along with its twin brother the Suzuki Sidekick, and cousin the Suzuki Samurai, make EXCELLENT and AFFORDABLE alternatives to the way overpriced yet classic Jeep Wrangler CJ-series. The 2WD is fun in itself, but the 4WD model is very fun to drive. It is so small, light and nimble that when equipped with larger than stock tires it will easily go some places that the bulkier/heavier Jeep only wishes it could. On the road the ride and mileage is similar to the average 4WD SUV/Pickup. I currently own two of these models with 5-speed and manual locking hubs, and achieve typically 20mpg minimum in 2WD mode.