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:

• 

  I loved my geo! - 1996 Geo Metro
  By ilovemygeo - July 11 - 2:00 am

  I loved my Geo! I bought it because of the great fuel efficiency!!! Everyone should have a fuel efficient car. The only problem is the big gas guzzlers that infiltrate the roads!!! People living in the flatlands do not need 4- wheel drive!!

• 

  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!

• 

  my car - 1990 Geo Prizm
  By menden - June 25 - 2:00 am

  i do not like this car it is not very relable, comfortable, or built very well. I would not recomnd it the only good thing about it is its gas milage. It often overheats or will not start on warm muggy days.

• 

  Green Machine - 1994 Geo Metro
  By muzikman1037 - June 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car to learn to drive. It has been very dependable and excels at fuel economy. It currently has 115,000 miles and is still going strong with no problems. Other drivers often seem surprised at its pep and ability to keep up with larger cars with bigger engines. I have very impressed with my Metro.

• 

  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!

• 

  Awesome Car - 1994 Geo Prizm
  By geoguy - June 17 - 2:00 am

  My first new car! Driven daily for 8 years - almost 100,000 miles and still going strong. Decent engine power (at least without the A/C), responsive steering. Extremely reliable - only maintenance, and one alternator at 90,000 miles. Great gas mileage. Good sound system. Too bad Chevy will no longer be offering these. Will probably buy a Corolla (its twin) next time!

• 

  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.

• 

  Good little car - 1994 Geo Prizm
  By moosesmom - June 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine as a salvage vehicle, and Ive had to fix a few random things, and it still has some quirks (cant roll up the drivers-side window if youre going above 45mph) but overall its been good. When I bought it it had 94K on it, now it has 124K. In that time (15 months), Ive bought 2 sets of tires, numerous oil changes, two alignments, transmission, starter, alternator, timing belt, replaced all the other belts and hoses, and replaced the distributor and everything that attaches to it. Besides the tranny, the most $$ repair was the distributor.