Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm
Last October I purchased a 1999 Chevy Prizm... the
3-speed automatic (what was i thinking?).
Within one month I had to take the car back to the
dealer to have the windshield wipers fixed since
the wiper motor died on my way home from work... i
live in seattle, this was a BIG problem.
Tires... the tires the car came with may work just
fine if you live in a flat desert and never have
to stop quickly. During the rainy season, the
tires will start spinning mid-way up a hill! Let
alone all the squealing and sitting in one spot if
you try to start going up a hill when the roads are
wet. I've slid through many an intersection
because the tires simply won't hold the road...
it's not like i was going 60 and slammed on them
either.
Paint... you can actually chip it with your
fingernail. Several spots on my trunk have
discolored for no known reason.
Handling... forget about taking any sharp turns at
more than 10mph or you're gonna be in a ditch.
Power... this car has about as much oomph as a
slug. I can make it up the mountain passes at a
whopping 15mph... i realize this is partially my
fault for getting the 3-speed automatic.
Lights... for one thing, one of them seems to be
aimed to hunt for birds... taking it into the shop
for that next week... the lights illuminate about 5
feet in front of you, which is fine in the city
but very frightening out in the mountains with lots
of animals to jump out in the road.
Overall, I would not buy this car again if I could
turn back time. It's not a bad car, just not the
quality of car I feel I should get for the price.
If anyone else has had similar problems with their
prizm, I'd be interested to hear... feel free to
e-mail me at deadficus@aol.com
3-speed automatic (what was i thinking?).
Within one month I had to take the car back to the
dealer to have the windshield wipers fixed since
the wiper motor died on my way home from work... i
live in seattle, this was a BIG problem.
Tires... the tires the car came with may work just
fine if you live in a flat desert and never have
to stop quickly. During the rainy season, the
tires will start spinning mid-way up a hill! Let
alone all the squealing and sitting in one spot if
you try to start going up a hill when the roads are
wet. I've slid through many an intersection
because the tires simply won't hold the road...
it's not like i was going 60 and slammed on them
either.
Paint... you can actually chip it with your
fingernail. Several spots on my trunk have
discolored for no known reason.
Handling... forget about taking any sharp turns at
more than 10mph or you're gonna be in a ditch.
Power... this car has about as much oomph as a
slug. I can make it up the mountain passes at a
whopping 15mph... i realize this is partially my
fault for getting the 3-speed automatic.
Lights... for one thing, one of them seems to be
aimed to hunt for birds... taking it into the shop
for that next week... the lights illuminate about 5
feet in front of you, which is fine in the city
but very frightening out in the mountains with lots
of animals to jump out in the road.
Overall, I would not buy this car again if I could
turn back time. It's not a bad car, just not the
quality of car I feel I should get for the price.
If anyone else has had similar problems with their
prizm, I'd be interested to hear... feel free to
e-mail me at deadficus@aol.com
Tagged:
0
Comments
tires- Yes, cheap tires, but you could get a set of four good ones from the tire rack and then have them installed for total cost of about 200-250 bucks. Cheap car, cheap tires.
paint- good paint job, but they probably did not put too many coats on. We'll see how it holds up. Does not have any flaws or orange peel.
power- these days, virtually none of the cars in the 15 grand price range will have more than 120 horsepower. Any car in this range will feel undermotivated, especially with a 3speed automatic. My Prizm has a stick and actually feels quite lively and quick for a small car. The prizm motor is smoother and easier to drive (nice DOHC motor, yes it matters) than many cars in this price range, and should hold up a lot longer.
Handling- could be quicker and more assured but i think part of it is the cheap tires.
Lights- are your daytime running lights switching to full power at night? The full power lights are to come on automatically when you release the parking brake.
Overall though, the car is quiet, rides nice, has nice dashboard and switchgear, and is better screwed together than a Cavalier or Neon, IMHO. You don't get much more than that for 15 grand these days, I'm afraid. Even most bigger cars like Grand Am's are over 20,000 now.
But I read reviews that said prizms's options are more expensive than the corollas, so in the end, a corolla could be cheaper than the prizm. Besides, on the Prizm, while the major components like the engine and power train may be Japanese parts, the small things like wind-shield wiper and door handles are GM parts. Quite frankly, I wouldn't trust GM stuff. Better pay the little extra money for genuine toyota finish and get that higher resale value. GM has that magical touch that ruins a car, even when 95% of it is already put together for them.
difference between 98 and 99 are new paint colors so I figure it is OK here.
My wife is the main driver of the car (it has a stick) and she likes it a lot. I like to drive it
too primarily because the engine is so responsive
(the automatic -- especially the 3 speed -- may not feel as responsive.) I live in the Silicon Valley and we don't have a lot of rain and slopes so it has been a pleasant, dependable commuter car for my wife.
Recently I saw a local dealer ad about a new 99 base prizm selling at, after factory and dealer rebates, $9000!!! If I didn't already own one that is still pretty new and I know it will last me a long time, I would have certainly picked it up without hesitation.
2) In the '98 model, front and rear stabalizer bars were avail. in the ridiculously "LSi handling package", up until about July, when they became standard. The front stab. bar was not avail. in the base level Corolla either.
3) If you look under the hood of a Corolla, you will also see a mix of US and Japanese parts. (i.e. a Delco battery). The base level trim (CE in the case of the Corolla) of either model has chintzy interior componnents. The upper level trims are identical, except for color schemes, logos, and the center console. (To accmodate a GM-style stereo.) Once you pop open the hood, the cars are completely identical, with not a single GM part in sight, except for the battery.
4) For the 3 vs. 4 spd. tranny: the 0-60 times are virtually identical. What that overdrive gear does for you is save some RPM's at high speed. If you look at the gear ratios, you will find that the three speed is geared for more torque on all three of it's gears.
For an obvious example is the trunk. The trunk lid of the corolla and the prizm is styled and shaped differently.
I think where most of the internal machinery is the same between the 2. Once the major machinary is put in, the corolla and the prism go their seperate ways to different side of the plant. Toyota uses their own body pannels and Chevy uses theirs. This is just a theory.
It's amazing to see where people's bias falls, even when the car is the same, but one car has a Chevy badge on it and the other has a Toyota badge. All of a sudden the Chevy is "evil" and the Toyota is where its at. Just cause the Prizm has the Chevy badge does not automatically mean it is a second class product.
I suppose the Isuzu Rodeo is a piece of crap to most folks and the Honda Passport is all fine.
Example, the trunk of the prizm is not the same as the corolla, so I wouldn't be supprised if more prizm owners have problems with their trunks in the long term than corolla owners. But again, as I said, all major components are toyota quality. So if one would be willing to take those occational annoiance into perspective, then the Prizm is undoubtably an good car, and by no means a second rated product. A second rated product would be the cavalier, well, maybe that would be the 3rd rated.
The Prizm has never sold as well as the Corolla, partly because of marketing, but then again, it has far ousold its reverse nationality counterpart (the Toyota Cavalier), which Toyota has had extreme trouble selling in Japan.
Anyways, from waht I know prizm and corolla are identical except for radio and rear of the car. They are both manufactured by very same ppl and machineries in the same plant. So ppl who thinks corolla's so much better than prizm are obviously biased against anything under "American" brand name.
It is true that options on prizms are more expensive than corolla, not to mention invoice prices. I settled for prizm because of $1900 rebate and I bought one with minimal options (rear defogger, radio/cassettes,ac) without any extra options such as power window/door lock/mirror. Corolla's Value Packages would have saved me so much comapred to prizm.
It was a tough choice but it made sense to get prizm over corolla with minimal options.
i notice when i am driving down hills it feels
like the car is pulling or trying to hold it self back. I assume thats the way the way the transmission is suppose to work. if anyone has any information or a similar experience please post it.
I noticed that prizm manual asks to "lubricate" chasis component and check air filter every 6months. Are these necessary? I don't think i did these things with '99 corsica.
pros- fairly smooth and powerful motor for a car its size. Good mileage. The car seems to be well built and that makes me feel confident its worth the money. The factory stereo is tolerable. Nice gauges. Simple controls. Looks good for a small car. Comfortable seats.
Cons-ABS not standard as in Cavalier, a bit tight inside (all cheap cars are), lacks an armrest in front or folding rear seat (base model price range), needs wider tires and wheels as well as stiffer suspension. Could stand to be priced more in line with the Ford Escorts; that is to say about a thousand bucks cheaper.
Cons: Leg room is terrible if you are 5'4 or over; driver side visor can block your view and is very stiff; exterior dents easily because it is plastic,if you drive behind semis or live in the country expect dings; tilt wheel is a joke, it moves, maybe an inch, if that much; the seat does not move back very far, if you have a spare tire or a larger middle, your stomach may touch the wheel and you sit very close to the air bag.
Overall, it is a good car for someone who needs a fuel-efficient car. I prefer the Malibu's styling and size. The Cavalier has a lot less head room and does not drive as smoothly as the Prizm.
Good Luck!!!
a) Take your readings in the same way every time. Go to the same gas station and use the same pump and let the auto-shutoff do its job. The second time, figure your mileage, miles driven divided my gallons used. This way you eliminate human and pump error. And never top off your tank anyway, it fills your EEC canister with liquid gasoline and can be expensive to replace.
b) Accelerate smoothly. Note I did not say slowly. Get up to speed with traffic but don't do the watusi on your pedals. Ease your foot onto the accelerator. So what if the guy in front of you moves fifty feet away. You'll catch him at the next light anyway, or maybe not...read on...
c) Brake smoothly. If you do it right you can coast to a slow roll as the light is red and then almost reach the car in front of you as the light turns green and traffic starts moving again. The less you use your brakes, the better your mileage will be.
d) ALWAYS choose the highway over the city route. Your car will get the best mileage between 45-55mph on a flat surface in top gear. Period.
e) Cruise Correctly. Do not step on the gas and let off to keep your speed. Touch the accelerator ever so lightly so that you keep it in overdrive (automatics) but not so lightly that you lose speed. Every time you move your foot the car compensates by adding more fuel or cutting it off. Try and keep your foot completely still.
f) Reduce idling and turn A/C off. If it's summertime and the weather is fine, you can stretch right up and touch the sky...oops had to break into song. Idling uses about a gallon an hour, depending on engine size and type. A SOHC engine will use less fuel in an hour than a DOHC engine. A 2.0 liter engine will use less fuel in an hour than a 2.4 liter engine. But when they are moving, it changes everything. The A/C cuts 2-5mpg from your mileage, BUT having windows open at speed causes a greater drop than running the A/C.
And tire pressure makes a difference along with hills, weather, and traffic. But the smoother you drive, the better your mileage will be. I can achieve 36mpg on the road in the Metro and 28 in the Dynasty because I drive smoothly. I get 24mpg in town in the Dynasty, way above the 19mpg city rating, because I try and coast as much as possible. Think...your car is moving, your engine is idling as if the car were still...it means great mpgs!
-Cynthia
Reliability: Excellent. Took it to the dealer only once-the windshield wipers quit out of the blue one day. Dealer replaced the motor. No other problemas after that.
Performance: A punk on a skateboard might pass you.
Handling: Good.
Body Style: A microwave oven looks better.
Quality and Finish: Very Good. Especially liked the steering wheel. It felt tight and comfortable. Interior was high in quality (for the type of car, of course). Good fit and finish.
Other stuff: Avoid the 3-speed auto if youre a frequent highway driver. It is annoying. Other than that it was a good car.
Mine has diminished partially in about six months but has not gone away completely.
I figure its either gear whine, alternator noise, or intake noise.
but don't quote me on that.
Break-in will help to reduce the amount of the resonance, but probably won't totally get rid of it. Since the engine should only be at about 26-2800 rpms even at 80 mph, the whine should only appear during acceleration, most typically between the 2nd-3rd gear.
cythia:
if the engine light comes on, take it to a dealer without delay.
My 99 Prizm whines when the engine is cold, at speeds between 10-40 mph.
It's more likely to whine when it's cold. Small part is because all engine are noisier when cold. The big part is because, the toyota engine is programed to have an higher idle speed when it detects the engine is cold. The reason behind the higher idle rpm (1500-2000 rpm compared to the normal 500-600 rpms) is because it warms up the engine faster. Cold engine produce the most engine wear, and so by programing it to warm up faster is designed to help it last longer. But that also means it's much easier for one to reach the 3000-3500 rpm resonance frequency. That's why whines more when cold.
hope I was of help.
cpzhang
The current corolla/prizm will be redesigned in 2002. So any model sold between 1998-2002 will essentially be the same, with only minor changes. But the 2000 corolla get's a better VVt-i DOHC engine, rather than the normal DOHC in the 98 and 99. So right now may be the best time to buy.
By the way, I contacted both NUMMI and Chevrolet via email regarding this problem. Both appear very hesitate to provide me with a straight answer. It almost sounded like they built (NUMMI) and marketed (GM) the car, yet expected the dealership to fix their mistakes and/or design errors!!!
I noticed that the whining tends to be less noticeable when the engine is warm and at speeds over 40 mph.
I know a guy who has a 99 Corolla and his car also whines...
However, the seat belt light doesn't go off when the seat belt is fastened, unless the belt is pulled out almost all the way. Anyone had this problem?
There is also a weird budge on the right rear passenger door that is causing the paint to crack. Of course, the dealer said that is cause by something hitting the door, even though it budging out from the inside. An non-dealer body shop said no way was it caused by a collusion.
Oh, if anyone wants to make their Prizm a little more sporty, check out the Prizm spoilers at www.sportwing.com. They will even prepaint the spoiler to match the factory paint.
>I think where most of the internal machinery is
>the same between the 2. Once the major machinary
>is put in, the corolla and the prism go their
>seperate ways to different side of the plant.
>Toyota uses their own body pannels and Chevy >uses theirs. This is just a theory.
You should talked like you know what's going on if it's "just a theory". I believe they are actually made on the same line, with some ordered to be Corollas, and some finished as Prizms.
>Example, the trunk of the prizm is not the same >as the corolla, so I wouldn't be surprised if >more prizm owners have problems with their >trunks in the long term than corolla owners.
Haha, only the sheet metal is different, and only in styling. The mechanical is the same. I am not sure, but I would venture the sheet metal is made at the same place by the same people.
And also, I said the trunk and many body pannels are different which is obvious by plain sight. I did not know or state exactly which parts are different. Do you know? Do you have a list of parts for the corolla and prizm? I wouldn't presume to say exact parts are the same unless you can show it.
points and the rebate. I am happy with the price
and all. But I was thinking. I probably drive
this car for another 5-10 years depending when
it dies. I have a long commute everyday from
home to work. (Each year, I would put on about
18K+.) So, I'll probably have to buy another
car in the future. I saw messages going around
about MAYBE Toyota won't make Prizm anymore. Can
anyone confirm this for sure? Or can someone
tell me where I can get a more definite info? I
understand, maybe there is no way to know. I just
want to know if I should continue collecting
points with GM card or forget about it.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you.
I ordered a 2000 Prizm a week ago in order to cash in my GM card points. I started to accumulate them seven years ago hoping that GM would produce some cars I like. Now I still could only find the Prizm worth to buy after seven years. So I'm not going to use my GM card any more. In fact, if I did not have those GM card points, I wouldn't buy the Prizm either. I could buy a Corolla with options I want (PS,PL,ABS and split rear seats etc.) for $400 less. This also takes into account the $1K rebate from GM. In addition, Corolla's resale value is typically $1K higher than Prizm. So I don't want to be trapped by GM again.