2000 Chevrolet Metro/Suzuki Swift

By Bob Storck

These cars survive mainly to help Chevrolet's fuel economy average. The high-mileage version was dropped, but the Metro is still the cheapest to car to own. GM has dropped the GEO name, and now they are just known as Chevys.

Metro has benefited from larger 13-inch tires. Chevrolet was wise to make them standard across the line. The old 12" tires were good for mileage, but any savings were lost whenever new tires were needed. The car is now built in a new plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. The car is sold in Canada as the Suzuki Swift and the Pontiac Firefly as well as under the Chevy Metro name. The coupe will be offered for all lines, and the sedan will be GM only.

The three-cylinder, 55 horsepower, one liter powerplant is well up to the task with the five-speed manual transmission, but those who prefer automatics are going to be disappointed. A 1.3 liter, 70 horsepower aluminum four-cylinder comes standard on four-door models. It is optional on the LSi hatchback. Chevy incorporated ride and handling improvements and ABS brakes in the Metro.