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Geo was a subsidiary created and marketed by General Motors within its famous Chevrolet division. It was first introduced in 1989 and was discontinued altogether in 1997. By most industry standards, Geo was a colossal failure for GM. It was designed and produced to compete with the vast number of small, fuel-efficient cars coming out of Japan at the time. But the 1990s saw consumer interest fade in this type of car and Geo sales suffered accordingly.
GM came up with a marketing plan using the slogan “Get to know Geo”. Unfortunately, not many consumers warmed to the idea. GM, like many other auto manufacturers in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was losing customers at a furious pace to the Japanese automakers. Thinking along the lines of “if you can’t beat them, join them”, GM proceeded to make the Prizm with Toyota, the Metro and Tracker models with Suzuki, and the Spectrum and Storm models with Isuzu. Most were built in the U.S., although the Spectrum and Storm were manufactured entirely in Japan.
The premise behind the Geo was simple. Offer only a few models which have two main features: small size and good fuel economy. The Metro was the most popular Geo model. It was basically a tiny, hatchback compact car which didn’t use much gas. It offered unheard of gas mileage for the time- an astonishing 53 MPG city and 58 MPG on the highway. This was the biggest factor in its popularity. Three models were available: the Xfi, the Base, and the LSi. Consumers had a choice of either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 3-speed automatic. In 1990, a convertible model of the Geo Metro was introduced but was phased out after 1993.
If you own one of these pieces of automobile history, be sure to check with several different car insurance companies about coverage options. A qualified agent will be able to help you determine the cost of an annual premium. Shop around and get various quotes before making your final choice. As with any type of car insurance, your age, where you live, and your driving record all factor into the final cost of your policy. There are certain things you can do to help keep down the cost of your car insurance: maintain a clean driving record, take advantage of available discounts, and keep a good credit score. Nearly every major insurance company will check your credit history and use this information to determine your costs.