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Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm

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  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    Very happy to report 37.6 mpg on my first tank of gas in my brand new 2001 Prizm. The car is the 5 speed, and the driving was about 85% hi way, and the rest in and through small towns, on my way to work, and over a period of 3 days. During this time I was trying to vary my traveling speed on the hi way from 50 - 75 mile per hour, to get a better break in. Still hoping for 39 to 40 mpg range, once break in is complete. Car is a very smooth and peppy runner, and is fun to drive! Looks like the Prizm is going to be an economical, and excellent "step up" choice from my 1998 3 cylinder Metro. (It is now for sale.)
  • meshuga139meshuga139 Member Posts: 11
    Hello,

    Does anybody know where I can find performance suspension parts for the Prizm? I have a 2000 Prizm LSi 5-speed and it's a great car. I'd like to upgrade the handling though...I think the suspension is a little too soft and would like to add new springs and shocks...The trouble is I haven't been able to find anything...

    I have seen some listings for Eibach and H&R Springs for the Toyota Corolla, however. And, as we know, the Prizm and Corolla are built in the same factory in Fremont, CA. and are for the most part, the same car.

    I haven't been able to confirm or deny that a set of springs/shocks for the Corolla will work on the Prizm. I even called H&R and they couldn't help me.

    Any ideas?

    PS. For anybody wondering why I find the Prizm suspension a bit soft, the car I had before the Prizm was a Golf GTi which I had for 10 years...

    Thanks in advance..
  • cpzhangcpzhang Member Posts: 16
    Hi, I am looking at a 97 Geo Prizm. This car has 62k, auto, AC, Cass, looks very good and drives very well. I ran a VIN check, no problem was reported except for that it was a rental car from 1997/02 to 1999/09. I am a little worried about it. The dealer offered me $5700. Suppose this is a very reliable car. But a rental worries me somewhat.
  • pacific231pacific231 Member Posts: 1
    Re this post: bk_furman Mar 30, 2001 1:02pm

    I looked at the Saturn S wagon, Ford Focus Wagon and Ford Escort, Dodge Neon, and Chevy Cavalier, before I looked at the Chevy Prizm. I wanted to look at the Toyota Cars, but my wife did not want anything from Japan. So to appease us both, I went with the Prizm.

    You made a very good choice. FYI for your wife though...Prizms and Toyota Corollas roll off the same assembly line in California. I'm sure there have been other posts about the joint venture between GM and Toyota which spawned the Chevy Nova and Geo Prizm. Don't let misguided concerns about baseball and apple pie and the "good old US of A" stop you from considering a "Japanese" car in the future.

    I've owned Geo Prizms (and Chevy Novas before that), knowing all the while they were basically Toyota Corollas with an American flag on 'em. And unlike 100% "American" cars in the same price range (especially the Cavalier -- a dogmobile if ever there was one), your Prizm/Corolla will actually love you back! :-)
  • squeak6squeak6 Member Posts: 28
    Hello all...

    I have a 98 Prizm ( 5-speed) with 97,000 miles.... I know, I do drive a lot... I have had no problems at all... I change the oil every 3,000... get my tune up's every 30,000 I wanted to know the following:

    * how do I do the gas cap trick? I lost my gas cap and the check engine light came on... I purchase a new gas cap and the light is still on...

    * I'm only getting 32 mpg... what can I do to increase my mpg...?

    * do I need to do any special service soon...?

    * does this car have a timing belt...?

    * any other suggestions...?

    as always thanks for your help...
  • tgrautgrau Member Posts: 1
    Hi gang,

    I have a 1999 Chevy Prizm with about 47,000 miles on it. Unfortunately, because of the mileage my car that is less than 2 years old is outside the warranty period (3/36). About a week ago the transmission (3 speed automatic) went on me, and I had to eat a $2,500 repair bill to have it rebuilt (bad valve body if that means anything to you). The guy at AAMCO suggested I contact GM to see if they would cover some/all of the cost since the car is still fairly new despite being out of warranty. I just wanted to know if anyone has run into similar problems and/or if you have any advice on how to convince GM to pay for this repair. I would appriciate any advice. Thanks.

    Tim
  • cpzhangcpzhang Member Posts: 16
    I just called a mechanic asking for the price for a timing belt change on my 97 prizm with 62k. But he told me that it is a timing chain, I do not need to change it till the running condition is really bad. Any owner out there could give me advice?
  • nqhnqh Member Posts: 1
    In a jam ... can I cram 3 baby seat across the back of a Prizm?

    Please don't tell me to get a mini van, I have a maxi van.

    I can always disable the front air bag and put one up front. Hard to give up the mileage and buy an Impala.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    The 97 Prizm has a timing belt. The 98 and newer models use a chain.

    You will probably find it difficult to fit three infant seats in the back of any car the size of a Prizm - they just aren't wide enough.
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    Sqeak 6 - You don't say if your 32 mpg is mostly stop and go city driving or not. If that is what about one half of your driving is, then you are probably in the ball park for a 5 speed. If your driving is 90% highway, then you should expect around 35 to 39 range, according to my experience. (I got 37.5 on my first 3 tank fulls of a new 2001 5speed, with 90% highway, and traveling about 60 to 65 mph.) To improve mileage, try changing your air filter, slow down a little, and shift sooner than you do now, anticipate braking, and start to slow down sooner (brake less). Also, check tire pressure often, with a good gauge, and keep up to maximum recommended pressure (or error 1 to 2 lbs to the high side)that you see inside the glove box. Always travel with the windows up, and use the air conditioner minimally. Good synthetic oil may help, but very little.
  • squeak6squeak6 Member Posts: 28
    WOW you drive 60 - 65 mph.... I wish I could drive that slow.... I just came back from Orlando which is about 218 miles from Miami... and I was getting passed doing 85 mph.... my check engine light went off... after about 150 miles on a full tank... ( I did the turn off and on trick )... my 98 prizm now has 99,000 miles.... this car runs good... * any thoughts on what I could do to keep it running so good....?
  • zemmy2zemmy2 Member Posts: 5
    Ask the dealer about help on your transmission bill. They have an unwritten rule on helping with things like this if you are the original owner. They will probably have to explain the situation to the regional manager who will make the judgement. If you are not the original owner they won't waste their time.
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    Just to let you all know, the molded black mud guards for the 2001 Corolla fit my 2001 Prizm just fine. Cost $67 at the local Toyota dealer. All of the existing screw holes line up just fine for attachment, so no drilling is needed. (You must remove the thin black plastic fender lip liner off of the edge of the rear fender lip opening.) Chevy has mud guards available, but I passed on those, because they only come with the white Chevy emblem. I have no problem owning a Chevy (I have a 99 Lumina in addition to the Prizm), but I see no need to call attention to the mud gaurds with something white on them, plus the white is also bound to take extra effort to keep clean.
  • wallywyowallywyo Member Posts: 3
    A local dealer has a 96 LSI listed in the paper. They say it totally power, auto, has 74000 miles and they are listing it at $6990. I need to check on a couple of details with them as if it is a 3-speed or 4-speed and a couple fo other features.

    I cheked both Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book on prices and have a problem -- Edmunds list it at $5795 and Kelly Blue Book list it at $7670. this dealership does not negotiate -- company policy -- they let you know the price and that is that. So what price do I go by?

    I own a 90 Geo Prism Hatchback and loved it -- wish i hadn't sold it. If it is a 3-speed is there anything I need to be aware of beside noise at high speeds?
  • drmeyerdrmeyer Member Posts: 3
    I have the opportunity to buy a 99' Prizm baseline with 3 spd. A/T. It has 39,000 miles and dealer is asking $6,500 for it. I'm wary about 3 spd. A/T. I'll be using it for work purposes driving a 5 day 100 mile roundtrip commute, 99% of the time on highway. Give me your thoughts on that matter.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    You don't want the 3-speed for highway driving. Find one with a 4-speed automatic - it will be quieter and deliver better mileage in your commute driving.
  • charlincharlin Member Posts: 7
    I'm considering a loaded 98 Prism lsi for my teenage son because it has abs and side-air bags besides the things he wants such as cd, sunroof, alloys, and black metallic exterior.It has 32K miles on it. However, it has the 3 speed auto tranny. The owner's asking $9800. Any comments or recommendations? Would it hold it's value very well for 3-4 years?
  • rwfrwf Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone experienced a growling noise in the front when you come to a stop? It occurs only while braking and speeds less than 3mph when coming to a stop. The sound is quite noticeable and occurs 40% of the time while braking. I can feel it in the steering wheel

    I replace both Vs, both disc brakes and out of ideas.

    Mechanics can't find it
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    I personally will not deal with any dealers who have a policy of not dealing. (There is way too much competition out there to sell cars, for me to walk away from a chance to save $1000.00 or so, by shopping around and getting several dealers seriously working to earn my business.) I believe the 96 you mentioned is really not worth more than $6000, and this is especially true if it is the less desirable three speed auto. With the price of gas going up and the mileage you may be driving I would hold out for the 4 speed auto, or a 5 speed stick.
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    The 98 LSi with 32k miles is about $500 high in my opinion. Sounds like a nice car. Should be able to buy for $9300. In three years or so, if well taken care of, and with 85k miles, you should still get approx. $5700 out of it. However, teenagers as a whole, don't have a good track record for properly caring for a car as a long term project. If it is routinely abused and neglected, all bets are off, and you may end up with a value down in the $4000 range rather quickly.
  • drmeyerdrmeyer Member Posts: 3
    I'm looking to buy a 98' or later prizm with 50,000 miles or less for under $10,000. It must be a 5 spd. Beyond that, Lsi package would be nice but not a have to.
  • homer61388homer61388 Member Posts: 54
    My dad is looking at a used 1995 Geo Prizm with a stick and a/c. Since gas prices are soaring, he doesn't want to spend $45.00 just to fill up his 5.3 V8 Silverado LT. I only want to know if the prizm is safe, reliable, and a good buy at $3,400 dollars for A/C and rear defroster with a manual transmission. He wants this because it gets like 30 miles per gallon compared to 17 with his silverado! Please write back to tell me information about these questions. Thanks!
  • rworrellrworrell Member Posts: 149
    Homer, I bought a 93 Geo Prizm LSi with 91K, stick, a/c as my winter car. I don't know if he's looking at the base or the LSi, but the LSi has some nice upgrades over the base, my favorite being the split folding rear seat. Note that on these cars, even the tach is optional!

    That being said, I highly recommend the car. As you probably know, it's basically the same as a Toyota Corolla (built on the same line, but they tend to sell for a lot less). It's pretty fun to drive with the stick, as well. A friend of mine had one with an auto and it SUCKED! I get around 26-27 mpg in city-only driving and I drive it pretty hard (my main car is a Miata, so I tend to flog my winter cars!).

    Let me know if you have any other questions. I think he'd like the car--but make sure he's prepared for the fact that when people hear you have a Geo, they always think of the Metro. Even if you say it's a Prizm, they still think of the Metro. No wonder Chevy dumped the marque... :)
  • ken126ken126 Member Posts: 39
    I am about to purchase a new prizm with a manual trans, its the LSI. The only options I am getting is aluminium wheels and cd player for 14,300. Does that sound like a good deal???????
  • drmeyerdrmeyer Member Posts: 3
    Can anyone help me in locating a 98' or later prizm with 5 spd. with 5ok miles or less under $10,000. Can you suggest some web sites i might try to locate one.
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    The 2001 Prizm LSI you mentioned with the alloy wheels and CD player as only options is exactly the car I bought in silver 6 weeks ago. I bought my 5 speed, for $13k even ($17k window sticker). Got factory rebate at that time of $1500, GM card rebate of $1400, and dealer down to a couple hundred over invoice. Purchased in the Twin Cites area. Your $14,300 deal you mentioned is a very good deal on this new car, especially if you are not using the GM card for a big reduction like I did. By the way, with gas prices heading up I am loving the mileage, which started out at 37.5 mpg, and most recently went up to 39mpg on a tank full. (Mostly highway driving.) Biggest (minor) complaint so far, is that high cross wind days seem to want to move the car around a little more on the road than ideal, but I can live with it. When I go to replace tires down the road, I will take a good look at the stability rating for possible improvement.
  • y2ksporty2ksport Member Posts: 2
    drmeyer:


    Check out the Auto Trader:


    http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/index.jtmpl?ac_afflt=none&borschtid=68297049781591539225


    There are a lot of dealers and private individuals listings

  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You can get to edmunds.com's partner Auto Trader through this edmunds.com Edmunds UsedPowerShopper link. You can use this service to either look for a used vehicle or list a used vehicle for sale. Auto Trader is the partnered source for this service.

    Check it out.

    After all, it would only be polite to use the edmunds entry point as a thank you to Edmunds.com for providing these wonderful free message boards, don't you think?

    :-)

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
  • sailorbeavissailorbeavis Member Posts: 14
    Hi, everyone,

    I wonder if anyone a little more knowledgeable about cars than I am can help me. I currently drive a 1986 Mercury Topaz - a small (mid-size in its day) sedan that, for all its woes, is a car that I like very much. Its gas mileage is great (for a 1986 Ford), it's comfortable in both driveability and roominess, and it's a very sturdy car. However, because of its age, I can't really keep it any longer. Parts are getting harder to find and it eventually will suffer some sort of problem that will probably be more costly to fix than the down payment on a new Ferrari.

    So I'm looking for a new(er) car. I'm not looking for anything auspicious. I don't want a sportscar, I don't want a luxury sedan, rather, something economical that has decent performance (i.e. won't get me killed on the highway), as well as roominess. I like the looks of the Prizm / Corolla. I figured I'd ask the usual questions:

    1. Has anyone had any major problems or dislikes about their Prizm, any sticking points I should be worried about?

    2. Does Chevrolet provide decent after-purchase service?

    3. I attend a college that is fairly far from home, so I log a LOT of highway miles. Is it a good highway car, or should I pick up something with a V6, like a Malibu?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

    Sincerely,

    Josh Rutherford
  • ken126ken126 Member Posts: 39
    I bought the prizm yesterday, taupe cashmere LSI, with 5 speed, alloy wheels and cd. I ended up paying 13,100 with my gm card rebate. With the 1500 factory + gm card rebate the car ends up being a great bargain. I just got rid of my 90 prizm with 311,000 miles on it!!!! Hopefully the new one does the same. One note, The alloy wheels are not as nice looking as I thought they would be, but its still nicer than hubcaps.
  • bullockfbullockf Member Posts: 1
    I own a '95 Geo Prizm with 75,000 miles on it. I too am experiencing the same growling noise on low speeds. It stops when the car completely stops. I have had no luck fixing the problem. Have you had any other responses to your dilemma?
  • 39043904 Member Posts: 16
    Until recently, my wife and I owned a 99 Prizm. It was a reliable, economical, and fun to drive car in spite of the engine whine and the tilt steering wheel (that apparently was some sort of engineering joke).

    Than in February, my wife and daughter were involved in an traffic accident that completely destroyed our Prizm. PLEASE BE WARNED, LIKE MOST SMALL CARS, THE PRIZM DOES NOT FARE WELL IN SERIOUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING LARGER VEHICLES!!!! My wife and daughter survived the accident with only minor injuries but will never set foot inside another small car. You can't really appreciate how "in expensively" made the Prizm is until you see one AFTER an accident.
  • ken126ken126 Member Posts: 39
    Brought my 5 speed prizm to the dealer today for a rotating noise which happens when i depress the clutch going over 30 mph. It also happens when I am crusing but it is not as apparent. To me this is not normal, but the dealer says this is probably normal because the transmission is a 3 bearing only one. Whatever the heck that means.
    Does your car make any kind of abnormal sounds when you press the clutch to shift when you are moving?
  • morin2morin2 Member Posts: 399
    Having maxed out GM card rebate and driving 90 miles a day, considering a Prism.
    Will there be a 2002 Prism? If so, are updates expected to be meaningful ? Worth waiting for 2002 or buy 2001 now ?
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    Ken 126 - My new 5 speed Prizm makes no noticeable noise at all using the clutch, and changing gears, and moving in any of the gears, including third. Shifts very smoothly. Is so smooth, I don't have to think about shifting at all, and almost seems like driving an automatic.

    By the way, getting 39mpg on my last several tank fulls, including running the air conditioning about 33% of the time. This is about 85% highway driving, putting on 152 miles a day. Guess you could say, I am ready for the summer gas prices, whatever they may be!
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    Mornin2 - I would buy a 5 speed now (or 4 speed automatic). They may not build the Prizm in 2002, and because I believe you can still get good factory rebates now ($1500). You can get most good dealers down to a couple hundred dollars over invoice, and then use the $1500 rebate to go that much lower still, and your GM card to go still lower (if you have one).

    Even if they build it in 2001, I would not expect any major changes, because they just upgraded the peppy engine (now 125 hp) to variable cam technology several years ago, and have a good timing chain now (not a belt).
  • kunze1kunze1 Member Posts: 19
    Sorry to hear about your car wreck that totaled the late model Prizm. Am also very glad to hear your loved ones walked away with only minor injuries. Have you considered that that was a blessing, and additionally may have been proof of a car made to crumple in the right places to avoid seriously injuring the occupants? Sounds like to me the car did a reasonable job protecting them after all.
  • jacky3jacky3 Member Posts: 1
    I am a new GM card member. Now I gonna to
    buy a prizm. Can I still get GM rebate?
    (I haven't spend a penny with GM card)
  • dst5dst5 Member Posts: 39
    I replaced the factory struts when the car was new with much firmer aftermarket strut KYB I think that made all the difference in my 1995 Prizm. Just a tip those struts lasted 140,000 miles and were still good when i sold the car.
  • jeevcyjeevcy Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at a manual 95 Prizm LSI for USD 2750. It has 103K on it. Is it a good deal? The car is a very clean car with the original owner sale.

    The other option is a 98 Hyundai Elantra [Auto] with 66K on it. This offer is for USD 3500. This doesn't seem to be a clean car as it has some rental history and 3-4 owners. The existing owner is selling it to me within a month of purchase. Also, Hyundai's reputation ain't brilliant....

    What is the resale value of a manual stick to the auto transmission?

    Pl. Advise.
  • artur80artur80 Member Posts: 1
    Yes, I would definitely go for that deal with 1995 Geo Prism. Make sure you change your timing belt (at 103K that's a must if you don't want to risk your life) unless some else changed it. Stay away from Hyundays, believe me, elantra after 50k is not a car. Arthur
  • mathersonmatherson Member Posts: 41
    Just picked up my Silver Prizm LSI w/ Alloy wheels, 4 Speed Auto & CD Player.
    List price $17,678, bought it for $15,749 minus $1,500 rebate or $14,249 less my GM Card rebate of $5,238.($9,011 before tax and tags.)
    Quirk in Braintree, MA always seems to give the best deal.
    All seems pretty good so far. Nice little engine in this car.
    I've read a bit about this car having lousy tires. What are the best tires for this vehicle? I definitely plan on upgrading them.
    How is this car in the snow?
  • britton2britton2 Member Posts: 305
    you got a heck of a good deal - I have a '01 Corolla - almost the same car - it's been wonderful so far - you made a good choice - my car came with Goodyear Integrity tires - my preferenc is Michelin - will change them out one day - am getting 30 MPG (city) so far -
  • ken126ken126 Member Posts: 39
    I am having a noise that sounds like something is either loose or not lubricated properly. I hear the noise when traveling over 30 miles per hour and is more pronounced when I press the clutch to switch gears. Dealer claims this is a normal noise which is BS, I just traded a 90 prizm with 311,000 miles on it and never heard that kind of noise. Anybody have any ideas???????
  • ecarmackecarmack Member Posts: 161
    How did you get the GM Card rebate up to $5,238? I am under the old program that limits me to $3,500 ($500/yr for 7 yrs).
  • mathersonmatherson Member Posts: 41
    I got the gold card when it first came out, 8 years ago.
    They used to allow $1,000 per year. They even counted balance transfers and had double awards for shopping merchants like CVS and Mobil.
    I actually had the rebate up to $6,500 last year, but was not ready to use it.
  • 39043904 Member Posts: 16
    I agree with your response that crumble zones are effective and save lifes, however, what I was referring to in my original post was the fact that upon impact, 60% of my Prizm just desinerated into fine pieces of glass, plastic, metal, and faberic. Once the dash panel or door panel is cut away, you can see how cheaply the car is constructed. Since the rear bumper ended up through the back window shield I was able to get close and personal with it too -- its construction was also a sight to behold!!! Since both of the front seats were knocked out of their rails, it was amasing to see just how inexpensively they were attached to the floor pan. If it hadn't been for the seat belts, both seats (along with my wife and daughter) would have been launched right through the windshield.

    My bottom line is simple, buy a Prizm, Corolla, Civic, Neon, etc. and enjoy the nimble handing and the above average gas mileage but always remember, crumple zones or not, in an accident with a larger vehicle at most posted speeds your chance of survival drops considerably. And that, my friend, ain't good news!!!!!!
  • ecarmackecarmack Member Posts: 161
    I hope GM at least keeps the 5% with the $3,500 max for a while to come. I know the Subaru MBNA card recently went from a 5% rebate to 3%.

    I am enticed to use the rebate on a disguised Toyota, but the safety issues involved with driving a smaller car do concern me. I am not in a hurry for a new car, so perhaps I'll wait and see if the Vibe is any good. Although with its styling and the younger crowd that will be driving it, I may look a silly in it, but who cares if it is a good vehicle.
  • wtanwtan Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Prizm and in most part, it is a great little car. It gives me great gas mileage and snappy acceleration. However, one thing bugs me whenever I drive it - the noise from the tire is very prominent. Depending on the road surface, the tire can be very quiet or can give a big roar. Did any of you find a way to muffle the noise? Another set of tires? Home-made noise insulation? Any advice?
  • squeak6squeak6 Member Posts: 28
    my 98 prizm has it first major problem... the A/C went out... I am so hot.... the est. cost is $1,065... I'm just upset that I had no warning sings that the a/c was about to go... my car has 103,655 miles on it... any suggestions would be appreciated.... thank you...
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