In March 2003, I bought a used 2002 base Prizm with a 5 speed manual transmission from a private seller. My review is based on 3̶ w̶e̶e̶k̶s̶ 4 years of ownership, plus some comparisons with our older 96 then-Geo Prizm.

1. Options

Power locks, CD, cruise. A/C is standard on all Prizms of that year.

2. Exterior

The exterior of the cas is what I believe it should be for a econobox: inoffensive, smooth but "tight". Looks a bit like a small Infiniti G20. I prefer the sheetmetal and lights of the Prizm to its Corolla twin, but this is a matter of taste. I am particularly fond of multicolored oval back lights.

3. Interior

Decent, but not spectacular. Hard plastics pretty much everywhere, but at least they are not light beige - more of a dark-gray-beige. Seat cloth is better than the rest - does not have the linty feel of many other small and midsize cars. Sturdy, honest cloth.

4. Ergonomics

Seats are not cushy but not uncomfortable either - have not evaluated it on a longer trip, but we had no problems in our 96 Prizm. Excellent visibility due to low window bottoms - much better than in a 03 Accord. The shifter nob does not look pretty (light gray plastic), but feels fine in hand and shifts easily with short throws. Nice details such as remote trunk and fuel door release. The AM/FM/CD face looks like an ancient (circa 1990) Delco unit that it is, but the *important* buttons are surprisingly easy to find - pure function over form.

Rear legroom is definitely lacking, due to a shorter (97") wheelbase. If you plan to have medium to big passengers in the back seat of this car, make sure it try it with the front seats all the way back. On the other hand, there is plenty of room in the back for a car seat, either forward or rear facing.

5. Ride and handling

Our 96 Geo Prizm is a 3-speed auto, and we constantly experienced poor acceleration when merging, and a high-revving engine at speeds above 65 mph (due to the absence of an overdrive gear). The 2002 has a 1.8 litre, 125 hp VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence in Toyota speak, similar to Honda's iVTEC) 4-cylinder. Combined with a smooth 5 speed, it produces spunky acceleration and effortlessly cruises at 85 mph. I was going with the traffic in a 70 mph zone, but I generally do not drive that fast.

Due to its small size, the engine does not have a lot of low-end (or high-end, for that matter) torque, so you will find yourself shifting a lot in city driving. Definitely hard if not impossible (and not recommended) to start from a stop in 2nd gear. Some drivers would mind an extra shifting, but they would probably opt for automatic transmission in the first place. I don't; I rarely drive in heavy rush-hour traffic where you can wear our your left foot (and a clutch, if you are not careful).

Handling is decent - I would give it a B. Goes nicely around corners, does not wallow, but is somewhat rough over uneven pavement.

My biggest complaint is the amount of noise. According to Edmunds(TM), Toyota decontented the Corolla/Prizm for the 98-02 generation, resulting in higher levels of engine and wind noise. I can confirm that - the 96 we have is a lot quieter (at least below 60 mph). That's a serious deficiency, especially if you want to have conversation in the car while cruising on the highway, or take long trips. If I am alone in the car, I just turn up the CD or radio a bit.

An annoying squeak has developed in the left side of the dash or the front pillar. It seems to be more pronounced when the car is cold. I will take the car to a dealer to look it (it is under warranty for another 1.5 years and 13,000 miles), but doubt they will acknowledge the problem, or if they do, be able to fix it.

6. Safety

Obviously, both driver and passenger airbags are standard. No side airbags (optional) or side curtains (not available at all). DRL (daytime running lights) are standard on a Prizm - I believe they are important. This model always had good or decent crash tests. Still, I would not want to be involved in a collision with a Suburban, or, G-d forbid, an H1.

The Prizm, unlike most compacts and many midsize cars, has two full-size, adjustable headrests in the back. It goes without saying that if the car is rear-ended, the headrests are essential for all passengers. The car without rear headrests is essentially a two-seater.

7. Conclusion

I drove other (sub)compacts and can say that a last year's Prizm does not really stand out, and it might not have made a great deal of financial sense to buy it new - not even with a 3k GM rebate. However, as a used car it can be bought for 6-7-8 k - nearly half the price of a new Protege/Sentra/Corolla/Civic. So it makes great sense as a used second car, the one you put the miles on, drive when it the rain/snow/etc.

[Update 05/24/2004]
During a routine oil change, my mechanic pointed out a leak in the valve cover. Promptly replaced under warranty. Still disappointing, though, and I hope not an indicator of future reliability.

[Update 01/14/2005]
Front tires were worn at 35k and were replaced (about $140 including labour for name-brand tires.) Still drives great, gets excellent fuel economy. The shifter is particularly pleasant to operate. About to go out of (stingy Chevrolet) warranty at 36k miles.

If I detail this car well, I could probably sell it privately for almost 6k. Since it was bought used, this gives very low depreciation/cost per month.

[Update 06/06/2007]
Still drives great at 57k miles. Brakes still good per my mechanic - who pointed out, with joking disapproval, that only spent $90 on this car in his shop since 04 (oil changes and tire rotations). Still gets 30 MPG in mixed (and spirited) driving. Absolute best MPG - 44, driving from Madison to Minneapolis last July, cruise set to 68, no AC.

Amount Paid (US$): 7600 in 03
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: base 5 speed