Tidbit about that Metro. It’s a 97 with an automatic. Automatics could only be had with the 1.3L I4 in 1997. It was rated for 26 MPG city and 31 MPG highway. It doesn’t have overdrive. You can get plenty of nicer/more substantial cars that will get equal or better fuel economy.
" It was rated for 26 MPG city and 31 MPG highway. You can get plenty of nicer/more substantial cars that will get equal or better fuel economy. "
Heck, my 3.6 liter Outback regularly yields 24 mpg in local driving, and 30 mpg on long highway trips. Why would anyone want a tiny, insubstantial, incredibly underpowered Metro that produces only slightly better mileage than a modern, roomy, far safer vehicle?
And my 2.5 L forester gets 34 MPG on the highway in the summer. I agree.
Yeah I usually sail along at 29+ in my V6s and when I step on the gas, it goes someplace, fast.
Yes, a 97 Metro configured as an automatic w/AC wouldn’t be something of interest to me at any price beyond salvage value. But a 97 manual tranny Metro without AC, that might be a pretty good car.
Used to know someone with a Geo Metro. I forget the year, but I want to say 2000 or 2002. He had a very long commute and bragged about the 53 mpg highway. I know he had well over 300,000 miles on it and was shooting for 400,000 miles, but the thing was rusting out so bad his butt would get wet driving in the rain because the undercarriage had rusted out so bad the water from the road was saturating the bottoms of the seats. His wife made him get rid of the car before it disintegrated on the highway, said she didn’t want to be a widow because of his quest to get to 400,000 miles. Another reason why I never married. 
I rented one a couple times. Once for a trip from Atlanta to Orlando. It was more memorable for my wife than me. I bought a package of garbage bags for her to use along the way. I never got whatever she had but the Florida sunshine was all that was needed. She heals fast. Nothing against the car though. It was just basic is all.
We owned two of them. A '91 and a '94 model, both 5 speed manuals. Starting in '94, they geared them a little lower and the fuel economy dropped by a few mpg. The '91 model could easily get 50+ mpg. The '94 model got 45-50 mpg.
It was basically the '90s version of the VW Beetle, a basic small car that got good gas mileage but the Metro beat a '60s era Beetle in gas mileage, safety, high speed stability, and especially reliability and longevity.
The engine was a gem, reliable and long lasting, but the rest of the car fell apart.
The light weight of the 3 cylinder engine and it’s track record for reliability even in courier service made it a popular engine for home built aircraft with companies making reduction units for driving the prop.
http://www.raven-rotor.com/html/redrive.html
I saw a 6 yr old 32" lcd TV forsale asking price was $350. Well, it was a Sony. They are awesome.
You can get a brand name 32" LED TV for $350. Why buy used?
Edit: Oops! I forgot the thread subject for a minute. I guess that was your point, @Cavell.
I’m no master negotiator, but isn’t easier to bargain the price down than bargain the price up?