# Should i buy it? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133 "2014-03-11T05:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![plauges\_tib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/plauges_tib/32/1499_2.png) [@plauges\_tib](https://community.cartalk.com/u/plauges_tib)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/1 "2014-03-11T05:10:32Z")
I am currently without a car. I have a chance to buy a 94 geo metro, 5 speed, with 75k on it for $900. The question is should I buy it? If you need more info, just ask. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 5:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/2 "2014-03-11T05:18:45Z")
How do you intend to use the car? If you are going cross country on long trips, this is probably not the car to buy. Does your state have inspection and if so, will this car pass? Are there things that need to be done immediately to make the car reasonably safe such as tires or brakes? How much oil does the car burn (at this price, you don’t ask if the cars uses oil, but how much does it use)? ---
**Author:** ![plauges\_tib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/plauges_tib/32/1499_2.png) [@plauges\_tib](https://community.cartalk.com/u/plauges_tib)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 5:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/3 "2014-03-11T05:40:02Z")
It’s my boss’s car, so I have some security there. It doesn’t burn oil, tires have a good amount of tread left. I will be driving it for about 45 minute 1 way to work, mostly state routes, not many stop lights. VA does have a state inspection, but as of 3 days ago it passed. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/4 "2014-03-11T06:07:20Z")
If it already passed the state inspection, that’s a big plus I’d suggest getting somebody mechanically inclined to check it out first If nothing major is amiss, go for it Be aware that you’re almost certainly due for a timing belt ASAP ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/5 "2014-03-11T06:19:36Z")
+1 for db4690 . I really don’t see the appeal of these vehicles but around my neck of the woods…they sell like hotcakes. ---
**Author:** ![plauges\_tib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/plauges_tib/32/1499_2.png) [@plauges\_tib](https://community.cartalk.com/u/plauges_tib)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/6 "2014-03-11T06:28:20Z")
My reasoning is I don’t want a car note, trying to get debt free. I have had a mechanic I trust do a once over and he said nothing major is wrong. I will plan to keep the maintenance up on the vehicle as well, so hopefully I shouldn’t have issues. ---
**Author:** ![plauges\_tib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/plauges_tib/32/1499_2.png) [@plauges\_tib](https://community.cartalk.com/u/plauges_tib)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/7 "2014-03-11T06:29:20Z")
The reason I asked is the reputation and stigma they carry. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/8 "2014-03-11T06:41:43Z")
Considering the prices of used cars, the low miles on this one, the recent passing of the state inspection, and the once over by a mechanic, this sounds like a very good deal to me. If the car had 175 or 200k miles on it I might balk a bit. There are countless people every day flushing 900 dollars in interest payments alone down the drain just by making one or two car payments. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/9 "2014-03-11T06:47:46Z")
Good price it seems. Just drive carefully, it’s poor in a crash. ---
**Author:** ![plauges\_tib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/plauges_tib/32/1499_2.png) [@plauges\_tib](https://community.cartalk.com/u/plauges_tib)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 6:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/10 "2014-03-11T06:59:00Z")
I will keep the crash in mind, but other than that it sounds like I have all the bases covered? ---
**Author:** ![DrRocket](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/drrocket/32/2603_2.png) [@DrRocket](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DrRocket)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 7:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/11 "2014-03-11T07:18:03Z")
Sounds like it. Just be aware the this car is a tin can. It earned a “safety concern” from the Federal government . And THAT was by early 90’s standards. Bottom line: Don’t get hit by just about anything else on the road. One more question, with mileage that low, has it been sitting for long periods of time in recent years? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 7:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/12 "2014-03-11T07:18:10Z")
Go for it Have that trusted mechanic do the timing belt job ---
**Author:** ![plauges\_tib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/plauges_tib/32/1499_2.png) [@plauges\_tib](https://community.cartalk.com/u/plauges_tib)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 7:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/13 "2014-03-11T07:46:18Z")
I will, being that I have no where to work on it, and I only know one mechanic in the area well enough to trust with the vehicle I don’t have many options. As to the sitting for long time periods it is no longer a primary vehicle, but twice a month it was run from Lynchburg to Roanoke and back. So it did sit, but not for a really long period. I plan to get all the fluids, belts, plugs, wires, ect. done fairly quickly. And go from there with what the mechanic recommends. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 8:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/14 "2014-03-11T08:45:10Z")
I believe you’ll find that this vehicle is pretty easy to maintain ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 9:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/15 "2014-03-11T09:32:49Z")
Depending on certain factors, that car should get 40-50 MPG on the open road and pay for itself pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 10:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/16 "2014-03-11T10:17:02Z")
These still have a certain following even after all these years because of the high MPG. Try to keep an eye and ear out for any problems starting to crop up and you should hopefully be able to use this car for a few years while you get into a better financial situation. These weren’t known for being very powerful just like the Sprint before it (My brother drove a sprint ER over Snoqualmie Pass many years ago to bring the car back for friends who had to leave the car at a repair shop east of the mountains and he felt like he couldn’t pedal fast enough to get over the pass while the rest of the church group was in a full size van passing semi’s) Sounds like good basic transportation to me. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/17 "2014-03-11T17:41:13Z")
Sounds like a great deal to me… if it meets your needs. I like the way you’re thinking, by the way. Staying away from expense debt (as opposed to investment debt) is always good. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 4:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/18 "2014-03-12T04:48:04Z")
Buy it. You may need a few repairs since it is 20 years old, but $900 should leave a bit of money for occasional repairs. ---
**Author:** ![DrRocket](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/drrocket/32/2603_2.png) [@DrRocket](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DrRocket)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/19 "2014-03-12T06:11:45Z")
The reason I asked about how often it was driven was because if cars are allowed to just sit for a year or two (or more) things like hoses, gaskets, seals, etc tend to dry out and start leaking after the car is driven again. (Happened to me, but I knew it was coming.) Your new car appears to have been driven enough to avoid those pitfalls. Sounds like good basic transportation. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![bscar2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar2/32/2468_2.png) [@bscar2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar2)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133/20 "2014-03-12T15:29:14Z")
I’d buy it, but I’d keep an eye out for any rust that starts showing. Pretty much game over for the car at that point [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-buy-it/84133.md?page=2)