The Bottom Line: A combination of Toyota quality and reliability, and Chevrolet resale, makes this an outstanding choice in used market for small cars. Avoid the 3-speed automatic.
One might wonder why it makes sense to write a review on a 7-year old car that was never selling in high volumes, and which was discontinued completely in 2002. The answer - to me - is that it is one of the best used buys in small cars if one considers the combination of (Toyota) reliability and quality and (Chevrolet) resale price. With the prices of new small cars creeping up, a used Prizm can be an great buy for a student, or just a frugal person or a small family which does not the space of a larger sedan or minivan. Certainly I would pick a used Prizm for less money compared to a base model of an Accent, Rio or a Cavalier. Hence this review.
2. History and "ancestry".
Since the mid-80's, Prizms (originally FWD Chevy Novas) were built at NUMMI, a manufacturing plant in Fremont, CA, jointly owned and operated by GM and Toyota. It also built most Corollas for the U.S. market, some still coming from Japan. Toyota provided the design, engine, transmission and many parts, while GM supplied some sheetmetal and interior components. Prizms and Corollas thus share all major and most other components, the production line and the workforce.
The 1996 Prizm I am reviewing is from a 1993-1997 generation. 1997.5 models were redesigned along with Corollas, and the Geo nameplate was dropped, so they became Chevy Prizms. This was the last generation for the Prizm. The NUMMI plant now builds the Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix twins, based on the 2003 Corolla platform. My review of a 2002 Chevy Prizm (owned since March 2003) is at http://www.epinions.com/content_94749560452
3. Trim levels, standard features and options.
93-97 and later Prizms came in 2 trim levels: base and LSI. The base car did not have much in terms of standard features - only power steering, AM/FM radio, and rear defroster. The engine is a 1.6 litre DOHC I4 putting out 105 bhp and about the same amount of torque. The standard transmission was a 5-speed manual. Our base 96 had optional A/C and 3-speed automatic transmission - read on why you want to avoid it. You could get an optional 4-speed automatic with overdrive on either a base model or an LSI.
On the LSI, the standard engine is a 1.8 DOHC I4, putting out almost the same amount of power as the base 1.6, but slightly more torque. The LSI's have split folding rear seat, standard A/C, some power equipment (I believe windows, locks and mirrors by 1997), tachometer and possibly cruise control. Starting in 1994 or 1996, both trim levels had driver and passenger front airbags. Both base and LSI have such niceties as remote trunk and fuel door release.
4. Interior.
While this is an economy car, the interior is a high-quality one. The plastics - charcoal color in our red Prizm - feel richer than those in Sentras, Neons or Cavaliers of the same vintage (and, sadly, than in newer Corollas and Prizms), somehow more smooth. Civics have nicer interiors, but then they are more expensive new (though not by much) and MUCH more expensive used. The grey cloth is darker than in most other cars with gray interiors. It is very durable - it shows little wear in our car with 125k miles.
The seats are comfortable, even on long trips (the longest one was about 300 miles one-way). Gauges are easy to read. Our Prizm does not have a tachometer, but I don't believe it is particularly useful in a car with an automatic transmission.
When we bought this Prizm used in 1999, the factory Delco AM/FM radio did not work - the speakers were shot. I bought a fairly inexpensive Sony stereo radio and 4 speakers at Best Buy, and was happy with the sound at most cruising speeds.
5. Ride and handling.
As I mentioned before, the base car does not have a lot of power. Sure, it picks nicely from the stoplight (though I am not an aggressive driver by far), due to the fairly low curb weight and torque being achieved at lower RPMs. If you need to merge onto a highway, or overtake another car, stomp on the gas and it will move - but the engine has to downshift.
Ride is composed and quiet - quiet until you reach highway speeds. There are no rattles or squeaks from the interior or car body.
Be careful on the snow - this car is light, and without ABS (few Prizms had those), you can easily lose control over slick snow or ice. This is probably true for most small cars, certainly for the Sentra and Protege I have driven. Factory tires on new Prizms are not great - we replaced them with better Dunlops when we bought the car with 55k miles, and again at about 112k.
The biggest complaint I have against our Prizm is the lack of an overdrive gear in a 3-speed automatic. Going over 60 mph, the engine has to rev high to maintain the speed, and is is definitely heard in the cabin. How high - I don't have the odometer, but would probably say 4k and above based on the sound, comparing it with other small cars that did have odometers. Over 70 mph, it was difficult to have a casual conversation.
The lack of an overdrive gear also negatively affected the fuel economy. I was getting 29-30 mpg in mixed city/highway (more highway than city) driving. This is not bad, but for a car with little power and a small engine, definitely not good enough. The 5-speed manual 2002 Prizm I am driving now easily gets 36 mpg with a similar mix of highway/city.
I would definitely advise against getting a 3-speed automatic in this car - of any generation. If you must have an automatic, try to find a Prizm with a 4-speed. The way to tell is to look for the overdrive button on the gearshift. This is useful if you are calling a dealer or a private seller and asking them to verify whether it is a 3-speed or a 4-speed.
Even better yet, get a 5-speed manual if you know how to drive one and do not spend much time in heavy traffic. It is just a better match for the car's relatively small engine, and an extra gear allows the driver to use the engine power more efficiently.
6. Maintenance and repairs.
When we researched small used cars in 1999, reliability and price were our top criteria. I must say that we were pleasantly surprised by our Prizm's reliability and durability. Aside from non-maintenance items - replaced hood after sliding under an SUV (see above on braking in the snow), worn brakes, mended tires after biting road hazards - our Prizm has been (almost) repair-free. The only broken items so far, at 125k miles, are:
- electrical items: the dome light does not come on if you open the driver's or either of the passengers' doors. We never bothered to fix it.
- The pin for the remote fuel door release got stuck in the recessed position several times. I drove with an unlocked fuel door for a few days until I disassembled the fuel door and filed the pin down.
- Check Engine light came on twice, the first time I asked the mechanic to check the code (there was none) and reset it. The second time it went away after 4 days.
I had a trusted mechanic at a small shop perform routine maintenance such as oil changes, radiator and transmission refills (not flushes!), and brakes.
There is still no visible rust anywhere on the car, and this is in Minnesota (where you can pickle kabobs in road salt in winter)! I did wash the car a couple times a month in the winters in automatic car washes, paying extra for the underside wash. Not sure if this helped stave off the rust so far. I just asked the mechanic to check the muffler - he says it is made from stainless steel and has several years of life left in it.
7. Conclusion.
If you are looking for a small cheap used car, a Prizm of the 93-97 generation appears to be a great choice, based on the combination of reliability, quality and price. While nowhere as popular as the Corolla, there are quite a few Prizms on the road here in the Twin Cities. Dealers and private sellers list used ones for considerably less than comparable Corollas. Remember that 2002's had a $3000 rebate for about a year, negotiate price aggressively, but remember to check vehicle history and avoid a 3-speed automatic.
Update 01/2005
About two years ago, this car was passed to relatives who spend only 3-4 months in Minnesota, so it is not driven very much. Currently at 145k miles, it has the following issues but is perfectly driveable:
- slight oil leak. Uses about 1 quart every 1500 miles.
- engine light on.
- aluminium exhaust manifold (the cover that connects the engine to the exhaust system) has a small crack. Quote to fix: about $300 for labour and parts.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 6,100 in '99
Condition: Used Model Year: 1996 Model and Options: base 3-speed automatic
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