Glad to hear that with some tender loving care a few individuals were able to get a reasonable life out of one of these. They ddid not fare well in the rust belt around the Great Lakes, as I recall. My cousin in Holland bought one for his wife, but it was built in Cologne, Germany, and held together better. Also the Dutch don’t put salt on their roads in winter.
Right! Michelin only had problems on Formula 1 cars at indy 
I’ve done some roll out tests to gauge efficiency improvements with tire pressure. Diminishing returns start above 40 psi (for the particular tire being tested), meaning that the reduced rolling resistance was linear until it started to taper off about 40 psi. Keep in mind that diminishing returns on comfort and safety start at the manufacturer’s suggest pressure.
The Ford issue was caused by running a manufacturer suggested pressure that was below the limits of the tire, causing the sidewall to be overworked and the carcass to overheat, which lead to blowouts and rollovers. Running higher pressures reduces the contact patch and promotes more wear in the middle of the tread. You’re better off slightly over than slightly under.
I’m a fan of the old Metro/Swift and have a 93 Swift 4cyl 5spd. These cars are not for everyone but I sure like mine. It gets 40 mpg around town and 50 mpg on the highway if I keep it between 60 and 65. Nothing like driving 500 miles on a tank of fuel then putting in 10 gallons to fill it up!
Q
I had a 92 metro ,aired tires to 44 psi used 5W30 oil. Got 5o mph on road 45 in town .Now have 1995 metro 4 cyl.4 dr. sedan,use small tires aired to 44 psi ,use same oil ,get 44-46 in town and 46 48 mpg on road .enjoy very much ,sure it is not same as my Honda Accord but saves lot of gas and what is wrong with that? John
i was interested in the ‘swift’ solution, until i realized that suzuki uses the daewoo plant in korea, and since i am well acquainted with the “pleasure” of owning and maintaining a daewoo, i treat suzuki with a bit of skepticism.
Air emissions regulations changed in 1994. Specifically, the Nitrogen oxide limits were lowered. The only way to do that is lower combustion temp, reducing complete combustion of the fuel. The limits were further lowered in 2004. Now, the limit is about 1/6 of the limit in 1992. That’s why nothing gets high mileage anymore.