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Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Prizm, Geo Prizm, Sedan

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#654 of 1322 Comparison: 96 vs. 02 Prizm by asafonov Mar 29, 2003 (8:04 pm)
We had a 96 base Geo Prizm 3-speed for years, it has 125k miles and will be passed on to my sister-in-law shortly. Last week, I bought a used '02 base Prizm with a 5-speed manual tranny. My impressions:   1. When I read about the "Lexus-like" quietness in the 93-97 Prizms (and Corollas), I thought this surely was an exaggeration. I can see now that the 02 is a LOT less quiet at highway speeds. Whether it is cheaper insulation or stock tires or both remains to be determined. Bottom line: the car is noisy at 70mph, even with the manual. I was hoping to use it for longer trips to avoid putting the miles on my wife's car, but this probably will not happen.   2. A combination of a somewhat stronger engine and a 5-speed gives a very different driving impression. Even without a tachometer, it is easy to figure out when to shift, and the car really (though somewhat noisily) flies.   3. Interior trim and materials are actually better than what I expected after reading about the decontenting that was done on 98-02 models. Decent plastics and upholstery for an economy car, reasonable sound from 4 speakers/CD player.   Conclusion: too bad Toyota skimped on soundproofing when designing 98 Corolla and Prizm. Still, at the right price (50% off invoice for 1-year old car), for in-town trips mixing street and highway driving, with cheap insurance and excellent fuel economy, this is a sensible little car.
#655 of 1322 Do Prizms have folding rear seats? by fred_smith Apr 01, 2003 (10:57 am)
I've spent the last several months looking at used Prizms and have not found a single one with folding rear seats. Is this an option that is purchased or some sort of X-Files conspiracy? This seems like a great car, but it would be a real shame if the folding seats weren't available.
#656 of 1322 Folding rear seats on Prizms by asafonov Apr 02, 2003 (9:21 am)
AFAIK, only LSI trim has folding rear-seats on the 93-97 and 98-02 generation Prizms. LSI's are less common than base model (I estimate 1 out of 5 to 10), but can definitely be found in most larger cities. I was shopping for a Prizm and concluded that an LSI may not command a significantly higher price than a base, especially if you go back to 96 and earlier. Now if you want to find a 4-speed auto LSI (or any 4-speed auto Prizm), this can be problematic...
#657 of 1322 Water in trunk by goose1207 Apr 03, 2003 (11:08 am)
My folks have a '99 Prizm that they just picked up. Was an off-lease vehicle. They have been noticing small amounts of water in the trunk around the spare tire. Maybe I need to replace the round rubber plug on the floor, right next to the spare?? And also on the passenger side of the trunk mat there is water. I opened up the rear taillights and didn't see any evidence of water in there so I'm not sure if siliconing the area around them would work (this was mentioned in an earlier post on this board, after running a search). The weatherstipping around the trunk looks good. Other than that, the car has been solid. Any ideas? Thanks!
#658 of 1322 1998-200 Reliability? by jas9297 Apr 06, 2003 (4:31 pm)
I'm looking at buying a '98-'00 Prizm/Corolla (and also Saturn or Sentra) with under 50,000 miles and am concerned about the quality of the engines. I've read about a few engine failures on this board (about 65k miles) and seems like the engine quality is suspect. Also seems like folks say 1994-97 has better build quality.   Can anyone shed some advice about the quality of these cars?   Thanks!
#659 of 1322 jas: advice on Prizm reliability by asafonov Apr 09, 2003 (12:41 pm)
jas,   From a sample of one each of 96 and 2002, I can say that the sound insulation (and the road noise) is definitely worse in my 2002 Prizm. I read a lot about decontenting and cheaper plastics with the 98 model changeover, but find the interior actually pretty decent. Still prefer the charcoal plastic of the 96... Noise at speed is my biggest gripe (with speed limit of 70 mph just outside the I-494/694 loop, you can imagine how fast on average traffic flows outside the rush hour).   As for the engine quality, I don't expect it to be any worse in the last generation Prizm compared to 93-97. I have not seen or heard any complaints about Corolla engines of the newer vintage. On the 96, I already have 128k and it runs like clockwork with reasonably regular maintenance.   I will repeat my advice to Corolla/Prizm shoppers: do not get a 3-speed automatic. These are more common, but look for a 5-speed manual if you are comfortable driving it, or a 4-speed auto with an overdrive gear. Anytime you exceed 60mph in a Corolla/Prizm without overdrive, you will hear the engine rev and think about potentially wearing it off faster.   When I was shopping for a Prizm a couple of months ago, I always verified with dealers that their cars had 4-speed auto (though I ended up buying a manual from a private seller, on eBay no less!) One of the dealers commented that though his 00 Prizm was a 3-speed, it had a torque converter that essentially did the job of the overdrive. I know that every automatic transmission has a torque converter and dismissed his claim (and this dealer) outright, but perhaps there was something in his remark that I should have investigated.   Good luck,   P.S. I cannot say much about Saturns. I had a '87 POSy Sentra, should have got an '88 or later - serious tranmission, idle, carburator issues around 100k. Call me ethnically insensitive, but I would not touch newer Sentras (or any other car) built in Mexico.
#660 of 1322 jas: other small cars to consider by asafonov Apr 09, 2003 (12:47 pm)
Jas,   I think newer Prizms/Corollas are great cars but if they are too plain for you or cannot find one, I would look for a Protege before a Sentra or a Saturn. Proteges depreciate rather steeply, maybe approaching Prizms in that respect, and are nice little cars - rented them several times. Of course, you don't want the base 1.5l engine with automatic... However, according to Phil Edmonston's LemonAid books, repairs are more expensive on Proteges than other cars in its class.   I would even consider a Suzuki Esteem before a Sentra or a Saturn, much as I like Nissan's other cars. I have not checked Esteem's crash ratings, though.
#661 of 1322 Prizm reliability by Boris2 Apr 16, 2003 (12:07 pm)
I don't think you need to worry too much about the reliability of Prizm's engine. I had '98, which I bought new, till 70K mi. I never done any maintnence on it except oil changes and EFI cleaning one or two times as a precaution. I had Check Engine Light going on one time when I hit 40K miles and that turned out to be one of the sensors that controls the ignition or something like that. While my warranty covered it, the total bill that the dealer would charge was around $200. That was about it. I think the new generation of Corolla/Prizm engines are super reliable. As was mentioned already if it's not too plain for your taste, go for it!
#662 of 1322 MY light came on... by squeak6 Apr 21, 2003 (10:58 am)
After 173,897 miles my check engine light came one for the second time w/my 98 5-speed... I hope its nothing major... what would cause the light to just come on?   I changed the passenger side front head lamp with no problems, it took me less than 20mins.... I may try to do a radiator flush later this week...   As always any additional tips to keep her running will be greatly appreciated... I only have 5 more payments...!!!!!
#663 of 1322 squeak6 by goose1207 Apr 22, 2003 (9:18 am)
The check engine light could mean a number of things. See if you can get the OBD-II code. Autozone can do this for you for free.

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