Vehicle Type: Compact sedan and coupe

Retail Price Range: $8,655 to $11,740

Invoice Price Range: $8,153 to $10,942

Engine: 1.0-liter, 55-horsepower I3 or 1.3-liter, 70-horsepower I4 Front Engine/Front Drive

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Safety Features: Driver and passenger side airbags; ABS anti-lock brakes are optional

Fuel Economy: 43 mpg city/48 mpg highway

Features - Longer, wider, and safer with better tires and a four-cylinder engine. The high-mileage version was dropped, but the Metro is still the cheapest car to own.

Malibu, California -- The scenic coast north of Los Angeles is the site of one of the most attractive and expensive campuses in the country, Pepperdine University, and Chevrolet chose the spot to display the virtues of the most mundane and cheap car in the country. Our dozen Metros seemed overwhelmed in a parking lot characterized by BMWs, beach-customized Jeeps, and more â57 T-birds than you will see at a classic car auction.

Still, economy has its place even in these lofty environs, and dozens of students gave the little sedans and coupes the once over, showing lots of interest in cost and economy figures. OK, every dollar saved means that much more vintage cheese and designer togs.

One of the most endearing features of the Suzuki-designed car was its EPA mileage rating. With this complete re-design, the XFi super-sipper version has been dropped, but that version was only sold to the econo-masochists.

Honda offers a Civic model that is the economy champ, but it costs more than the highest price Metro. It would take a heap of driving to make up the price difference -- about 120,000 miles per year!. When Chevrolet came out with the new models they shuffled the lineup, with a four-door sedan replacing the venerable 5-door. The useful hatch is kept on the coupe, but although popular in Europe, this rear door is considered a security drawback in this country. It has a privacy screen, and properly used, Metro should not be any more vulnerable than sedans with a trunk. The flexibility and ability to load bulky objects are a real plus with this configuration.

An important message that Metro delivers is that cheap does not mean unsafe or shoddy. Chevy packs in a full complement of safety items, and most importantly, the crisp handling can avoid most accidents. A remarkable variety of convenience and even luxury features are available that can send the sticker climbing, but still leave room in the budget for the things that make life worthwhile.

The 3-cylinder, 55-horsepower, 1-liter powerplant is well up to the task with the five-speed manual transmission, but those who prefer automatics are likely to be disappointed. The rule of thumb is that an automatic makes a car drive as if it has 10-15 less horsepower, and that is too much for such a small engine.

The good news under the hood is a 1.3-liter, 70-horsepower aluminum 4-cylinder that comes standard on four-door models. It is optional on the LSi hatchback. The old, reliable 1-liter 3-banger is still kicking out a solid 55 horsepower.