The Geo Prizm is one of the domestic auto industry's best-kept secrets.
If you have had any experience at all with a Prizm, it has likely come via your friendly airport rental fleet: "Oh, yeah, your car is the white four-door on row 17."Even after years of being sold at Chevrolet dealerships, many people draw a blank when they hear the names Geo or Prizm (The Metro, Storm and Tracker are also sold under the Geo banner.)
The Geo Prizm is a product of the General Motors/Toyota joint venture plant in Fremont, Calif., which also builds the Toyota Corolla. While the Corolla has prospered under its Toyota logo, its sister ship, the Prizm, has been pretty much lost among the "Heartbeat of America" offerings.
But that is changing. Along with an all-new selection of Prizm models for 1993, Chevrolet, which operates the Geo division, is now steering away from fleet business in favor of more profitable retail sales. More importantly, it is beginning to aggressively advertise the car.
As well it should. After spending a week with a black Geo Prizm LSi, I can only wonder why this relatively inexpensive but relatively great compact sedan isn't wrestling with Honda Accord and Ford Taurus for best-seller honors.
Moved up for '93 from sub-compact to compact due to increased interior room, the Prizm, if it catches on with the public as, for example, the Saturn SL2 has, should be formidable competition in the compact class.
With a price range of $9,995 ($130 less than the '92 model it replaces even though it's bigger and better in every way) to $14,500, it offers most of what its comparable competitors at Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Saturn have - except a well-known name - for less money.
In the '90s, the decade when consumers are searching for products that offer value for money, the Prizm may be a sleeper on the verge of waking up.
"The 1993 Geo Prizm provides more car for less money. It's that simple," Chevrolet General Manager Jim Perkins said at the car's introduction this fall. He said the Prizm's price structure is intended to "simplify and improve" the buying experience. No rebates will be offered on the '93 Prizm.
The base Prizm has a 16-valve 1.6-liter 100 hp engine built by Toyota and a five-speed manual transmission. A three-speed automatic and anti-lock brakes are optional.
The LSi that I've been driving has a larger 1.8 liter 100 hp engine, also Toyota built, and the optional anti-lock brakes ($505 but well worth it). The LSi can also be bought with a CD player and a sun roof. With AC, power door locks, a fancy stereo and a few other items, the bottom line on my test car was $12,852.
Mileage with the shift-for-yourself transmission is rated at 30 mpg combined city/highway. Going shiftless drops it to 27 mpg.
A driver's-side airbag is standard equipment on the Prizm. Unlike most airbag-equipped cars, the horn button is in the center of the steering wheel where you don't have to hunt around to find it with your thumbs just when someone is cutting in front of you (although I've never found that blowing your horn at someone wards them off).
A lot of cars built in the '40s and '50s had the horn button in the center of the wheel, proof that change isn't always for the better.
Perhaps the best change in the '93 Prizm is its styling. Some have suggested that it looks like the megaluxury Lexus, probably because the tops of its doors extend into the roof as do those of its high-priced cousin (Lexus is Toyota's upscale line.)
Overall, I am reminded more of the Infiniti J30, but whatever luxury car comes to mind, the Prizm is a fine looking automobile with softer, rounder lines than its predecessor.
With the larger interior, the new Prizm becomes a true family sedan, and its voluminous (13.8 cubic feet) trunk allows plenty of room for luggage. On the LSi, a 60-40 split seat folds down allowing access to the trunk.
Dashboard controls are large and easy to reach, and a five-position seat belt allows almost anyone to find a comfortable position for it - leaving no excuse for not buckling up.
Performance is good as are ride and handling, although no one will mistake the Prizm for a "sports sedan" in the European tradition. On the other hand, you could buy three Prizms for the price of one BMW 325i and still have less back seat room in the Bimmer.