About to Buy a Metro

I'm going to go look at a '95 Metro this weekend and was wondering what to look out for. I'm starting to find out that where the A-frame "control arm" gets connected to the frame of the car rusts out in a hurry. I need to make sure that is good and solid. But is there anything else I should look for. It is a '95 Metro 1.0L, 5 speed manual. They claim to get around 45 - 47 mpg on highway. That triples what my Dodge Dakota gets (17 mpg on a good tank). Thanks in advance.

Dan the Man

another achilles heel with these cars is the manual transaxle. weak synchros - crunchy 2nd gears in particular (shifting up or down). i'd want to try the car "cold", when it's more likely to exhibit that problem.

I'd have a look at the fuse-box under the dash (to the left of where the driver's left knee would be). Look for melted plastic connections/wires.

Check the steady-ON state of the hi-beams (pushing the switch toward the dash = steady-ON state of hi-beams, pulling it toward the driver = temporary-ON hi-beam state).

45+ highway MPG sounds reasonable at a steady 60 MPH.
Don't expect this if you drive hard or like to exceed 65 MPH.

-Mike

these things are great.

you know I picked mine up at an estate sale, a 94 with 105k miles. its around 130k miles on it now, and it runs like new.
Im not sure the engine wasnt newer when i bought it, I have no history. It sure looked clean though. I have no oil usage. I mean if it has 130k its a miracle engine.

I have gotten over 50 miles on the freeway. Im going to call it around 55.
that was a special trip. these arent actually good freeway cars to tell you the truth they have no passing power and might actually get worse mileage on the freeway sometime depending on the hill.

they are geared really low for getting around town. when you test drive it it will amaze you actually.
I get around 40 mpg on all start and stop in town driving. I deliver pizza with it. This thing blows away a car such as a toyota corolla or ford focus in start and stop driving and city street turning. I mean its way faster not close, and it gets much better mileage.

There is nothing even close to that on the market unless its a honda insight.

other small cars are laughable. Like ok, lets say an aspire. an aspire will lose a race to a bicycle, somehow with a larger engine its much slower and gets about 10 mpg less. I mean they might look the same but that is a small car and the metro is a motorcycle with a side car. Thats really what it is its quite different and its much lighter.

a big part of the mileage boost is starting. the engine is so small and perfectly engineered for priming and starts. Its a motorcyle engine not a car engine. Its not made for long trips it wants to reach operating temperature in less than a minute

mine is just so precision machined. It gets better mileage than all of these i read about on the forums so sometimes I think its special. It got better mileage than my friends xfi model ( i think its called) that was the same thing but timing advanced to get 5 mpg more according to the epa ( his was a 91)

let me see what else is different about it.
well like a honda the power band is extremely short but even more. like I said its a motorcycle engine made with a 6 speed in mind. You will have to learn to drive it correctly its not a low iq machine. mine has a tach I think its very useful.

I mean just to add, when it was smogged it registered 0 emmisions in 2 categories. I dont even see exhaust coming out of it after about 20 seconds. I abused it last year by not changing the oil that year and driving it around 10k miles ( dont try this at home) It didnt burn any oil and the oil was dirty but like no sludge.

I want another one for no good reason. I dont even have a place to park this one but i want a stockpile.

and pps, all these mileage estimates are with my 200 pound body and a reasonable load.