1990 Geo Prizm LSi | Retro Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- This Geo Prizm was basically a rebadged Toyota Corolla except for the fact that you couldn't get the Corolla in a hatchback, which makes the LSi quite unique.
Show 845 | Original Airdate 08-04-1989
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We had a similar brand swapping at Holden in the 80’s in Australia , the Corolla was sold as Holden Nova and Toyota Camry was sold as Holden Apollo.
I see these in Adelaide everyday toyota seca as well weren't they I drive a 1998 7th gen corolla and a 2007 toyota tarago utilma v6 3.5
Not to mention the Ford Corsair and Nissan Pintara 😮
does the sales were comparable to the corolla? here in canada its was a complete failure, proof that people that buys toyotas only buy a name not a car
Just a little badge engineering mate happens here in the states often
The Holden Nova was manufactured for GM by Toyota in Melbourne, initially at the Dandenong factory then switched to Altona in 94.
This was my first car! ❤
Brings back memories..
I loved driving this car.
Somehow it was more enjoyable driving it than any other cars since!
Only issue I had was the weak brakes..
My first car also. If this was your peak enjoyability...you need to drive more cars!
First cars are always memorable.
I worked at NUMMI when we built these. We made very few of the five door variant Prizm.
Better then Kentucky 😊
We need that GEO brand back again. Bring us some compact & affordable cars, GM!
That's basically what the Chevy Trax is. Time will tell if it approaches old-school Toyota durability but the turbo isn't a good sign. At least it's not a CVT and between the two I'd rather deal with the turbo, you don't need to dismantle the whole car to replace one.
I think GEO was always intended as a stopgap measure for GM. They weren't certain which way the market was going, but knew they needed compacts now. So they cherry picked select models from companies they were aligned with and rebadged them for sale in America.
Soon after the SUV craze hit. This was something GM knew how to build and sell for decent profits. GEO wasn't needed after that.
Gm won't bring affordable cars back. They tried with Geo brand and failed. Then they tried Saturn brand and not only failed but some of higher ups made sure it failed asap.
They had the Chevy Spark that was only like $17-$18k in 2022 but they discountined it because lack of sales. In 1990 money it would only be $7,500. So considering inflation the Chevy spark was actually way cheaper than this car. Realiabilty I mean a chevy spark probably isn't going to run like a old Toyota engine but more comfortable and way safer. The real problem is not enough people want to buy a small cheap car.
😂 those days are long past!
Back when we could see out of cars!!! I would drive this proudly today 🤍🤍
Absolutely
Now they want all the cars to be “ aggressive”
I literally still see these Corolla clones on the road, as well as the updated 93/94+ models. Not so many of the hatches, but plenty of the sedans.
9.4secs to 60 with only 101hp was a feat for the the time.
Same. Still plentiful on the road where I'm at 🎉
not here in canada, they all rotted through, toyotas over 15yo is kind of rare
I’d imagine any vehicle of that age is rare in areas where the local DOT applies corrosive chemicals to the roads.
The Corolla with the carburetor and 3-speed auto was significantly slower.
The liftback version of the Toyota Corolla is the Toyota Corolla Seca in Australia; in Japan, it's the Toyota Sprinter Cielo.
Very nice and beautiful this Geo Prizm
@@fernandorocha-dx1wv and cute looking. The front looks similar to the 1st generation Subaru Impreza.
The Prizm was actually a version of the JDM Toyota Sprinter which was a version of the Corolla sold in Japan. The Prizm had a different dash design, different suspension tuning, and it also had (superior) Delco radios
Idk about superior but thy were good
The plant that made these is in Fremont, CA and is now a Tesla plant.
This corolla was the best selling car here in Finland.
And these were made in Japan and could do 300k with ease.
It was a far better car than the Cavalier ever was!
In what way?, I had a clapped out Cavalier when I was younger, couldn't kill it, lost it over legal issues.
I had a Chevy Cavalier around this time and it was fine for what it was, I believe it was a 1986 - kept it until 93 and from what I can recall it didn’t demand many repairs, the body had gotten fairly rusty toward the end which is what made me trade it in.
I had an 85 Nova...loved that little car! About 50mpg highway... over 40 in town. No power anything, and a blast to drive. Not fast, but handled like a go cart! Good times!!!
Loved my '85 Nova CL 5spd. First car bought at 15 years old. Finally traded it in on a 92 Saturn SL after a blown head gasket and cracked head after overheating... But it still ran! Later, I had a 96 Prizm LSi as well. That might have been my favorite value car I've ever had. Felt way nicer than the price and class.
Early in 1990, my father bought a 1989 Geo Spectrum hatchback- i.e. Isuzu I-Mark. We called it "The Little Red Car" in our household. It met an untimely death around 1998 when someone ran a red light and hit the driver's side front fender/door. My brother was barely injured, thankfully. The poor Little Red Car went to Heaven and was replaced with an EG Civic.
I remember years ago, i saw my neighbor and aunt race at a stoplight and a down a long straight away😂, she had a 91 green geo prizm LSi, my aunt had a 91 escort hatchback, my aunt escort would do 60 mph in 2nd gear ! Those were the days
Was it a grudge match?
@blisterbrain lol I was 11 at the time, It was a slow race lol , my aunt out ran her neighbors geo, I think the geo was a automatic not a manual
@@andraeneal9134 I can picture them leaning forward, hunched over the wheel, trying to urge on some extra speed!
I raced like a 2001 chevy malibu (v6) with my 4cyl 1989 ford probe and absolutely smoked it lol You would be surprised how fun slow races are
@@Yophillips3272 so true, I had 2 probes GT, one was a 93 red GT automatic, I luv that car, and I had a blk 5 speed 94 probe GT!
I miss these original MOTORWEEKs. There's something undeniably charming about them, we love u Our John Davis!
I've owned 3 different manual transmissions. Not once did I ever watch the tach to see when I needed to shift. That's what engine noise is for.
I just listen to the engine. Same when driving a concrete mixer. I listen to that Cummins ISM.
Same here. 1982 Ford Escort, 1996, 2004, 2017 VW GTI's, 2000 Maxima...all manuals and I never used the tachs.
I guess you never had anything that revs high and fast. Very easy to bounce off the limiter!
A journalist driving a vehicle they're unfamiliar with after they've just finished driving a different vehicle they're unfamiliar with is very different than owning and driving the same vehicle every day. It's true that after a while you can hear (and feel) where the engine is at but it takes time to make that connection with the car. Those of us who live in mountanus areas have it even trickier since significant changes in elevation result in changes in an NA engines powerband
I leased a 1995 Prizm in Dec 94. It was a nice comfy ride, reliable and handsome. Being so similar to the Corolla, when I needed to downgrade to smaller car years later, I bpught a used 2007 Corolla and it felt l8ke that Prizm. I've owned a 2010 Corolla since 2015 and it's the best car I've ever owned. But my love for the Corolla is credited to thar wonderful Prizm.
The prism is a completely underrated car. 9.4 second 0-60 for a naturally aspirated 4 banger is pretty dang decent in my opinion.
Sold in same dealerships as the Chevrolet Cavalier. Had the chance to sit in both in the same dealership. The Cavalier was cheaper in price and interior materials. At that time there were still hardcore Chevy loyalist who would not buy a Japanese Geo/Chevy. Today I still see this generation Geo/Corolla on the road while I rarely ever see the Cavaliers in the same time period.
GM dumped Cavaliers on the market through rental fleets. This drove down the resale value, but did provide access to cheap transportation on the used market. Unfortunately it also meant they weren't worth fixing if anything beyond maintenance went wrong so they went to the junkyard early.
Because Cavaliers were built to a price point quality dropped off fast after a certain age. While you can still see older generations of Corollas with cosmetic (And likely other) issues driving around. Cavaliers went from "old" to "I'm scared to get in it" after a certain point. They were disposable appliances, not a bad thing, GM intended it and priced accordingly.
You must be in California, I don't see either one on the road except an same ventage Cavalier once a while..
I remember the “Getting to know you “ commercials for these.
i really liked driving the GSi trim
My mom bought one of these in 1990 from ZFrank Chevrolet in Chicago, IL. It was my first car as a result. Man, did I beat the heck out of that car. No wonder the tranny blew at 70K miles. That L to 2 to D shifting without a tachometer probably wasnt the best in retrospect. She was decent until she wasnt. Blown tranny, Rust for days, and the fact that it wouldnt start after about the 3rd trip of the day led to its downfall. Was replaced by a 1996 Infiniti G20, a much better car in just about every respect.
I used to live right by there! I too had a ‘95 G20! 😊😊😊
@@rushmatic MY MAN! Lincolnwood in the House
@@izzysvids lol 60659… what’s up fam!
The GSi and LSi were the way to go.
2:42, kids of today, that there is your vehicle’s anti-theft device, the 5 speed manual!
My spouse is over 40 and never driven a manual transmission. It’s not a new thing
When looking at cars like this, I note the visibility that cars no longer have. That's thanks to rollover protection standards. I remember the brochure for the Honda Civic touting it's outward visibility, showing how thin the pillars were.
Rollover standards are part of it, side airbags in the pillars, and "it's what the market wants".
If you want good outward visibility look at a Subaru Forester (other Subarus are also pretty good). They do excellent in crash tests yet still have lots of glass.
It's crazy. I lose so many cars and people in the A - pillar blind spot of my Honda.
3:01 John: THE LACK OF A TACHOMETER ON ANY PRISM TRIM GRADE ADDS TO A DRIVER'S SHIFTING DIFFICULTIES! LOL
Maybe it's my age, but I learned to drive a manual using a butt tach. Shift when it feels like you need to shift.
I have a manual VW GTI and I never use the tach to determine when I should shift.
You had to listen to the engine before you shift..
Not to mention it doesn't even have a volt meter
Best little engine ever made
I owned a 1990 the same blue as @:26 from 1994 until a drunk hit it in 1999. It was replaced by a 1993 we had until 2008. It was still in goid mechanical condition at 15 years, 200k miles, but the body started to rot away and all the plastics started to crumble. Two rear door handles and a window crank broke in a single camping trip a week after the windshield washer reservoir cracked. I was tired on replacing pieces so sold it for a little more than scrap.
My parents used to have light blue a 1990 Geo Prizm hatchback. It was their only car for a few periods of time, was once my Mom’s daily driver, and later my Dad’s. Had been in a couple accidents, one around 1994 with my Mom and in 2000 with my Dad, was totaled at that point. Theirs had a 3-speed automatic since my mom couldn’t drive a manual, and if I’m not mistaken, it had door-mounted shoulder belts instead of the regular 3-point seat belts this car in the video has. Must have depended on when the car was manufactured, as this video was filmed in 1989, and I think all cars manufactured in 1990 for the US were required to have a passive restraint.
Bring back memories.
"it will swallow a full load of luggage with eassseeeee."😂
That comment at the end cracks me up, the best and most versatile economy car GM has ever offered. That's because it was a rebadged Toyota lol
I remember this in early 1990 seeing these on the road what a rare dinosaur.
My mother and sister both had 89-90 Corollas. It was a great, high quality little car but the power, handling and braking were just sad. My mom went through front brake rotors like crazy with her city driving.
It was the car that made me swear I'd never ever get stuck with a Corolla if it was the last thing I did.
I now drive a 2010 Corolla S as a beater, and it's a far, far cry from this. It feels safe with its higher belt line, and the handling and braking is decent. The ride is one of the best I've ever had, and the very decent handling was achieved with a Megan strut tower brace and rear sway bar.
Here’s a hard line to follow, the Prizm did debut in February ‘89, but was officially labeled a 1990 model, because of this; the sportier GSi bowed about a month or two afterwards. Needless to say, the hatch and the GSi, which by the way, had flashy alloy wheels, were both canned after 1992.
Geo had a knack for taking rather bland Japanese cars and adding a dash of American flair. The Prism was a little more stylish than the Corolla, especially with the 1993 redesign. The Geo Tracker was offered in some fun '90s candy colors not offered on the Suzuki Sidekick. The Geo Storm was sleeker and sexier than the Isuzu Impulse. I miss Geo. This generation of Prism/Corolla was an extremely dependable car. Unfortunately, they had about as much driving personality as a Walmart mobility scooter.
I was in Austin, TX a couple weeks ago and I saw two Prism sedans within minutes of each other. I can’t explain why I noticed but it put a smile on my face because it made me feel like I not that old. I am really old tho😅
It's probably the best vehicle or platform to come out of the GEO division. Imo, if that cooperation had continued, GM would have had a better quality car vs. Ford (non Mazda based) and Stellantis in the long term. I remember test driving one. I love that engine 😍 bay.
I was impressed with the amount of rubber he got out of the hole.
He said it will swallow a full load. That was cool
I wonder what he means? Makes me want one I think.
Lol
Believe the Prizm is the Sprinter in Japan. Lot's of glass area!
The hatchback was Sprinter Cielo in Japan, Corolla Seca in Australia and Corolla Executive (shades of Hyacinth Bucket) in Britain.
@@nlpnt That's right- the Cielo. To me, the home market version looked better.
You just know it's 1990 when the Beatles' _Day Tripper_ is playing on the radio. lol😁
4:38 day tripper by the Beatles.
I have never ever seen a hatchback version of this, anywhere. This was honestly the first time ive seen a running one. Talk about crazy. These were still a great idea if you ask me. Best of both worlds, just like the matrix/vibe.
I remember the sedans, they were common enough. But also can't recall seeing a hatchback. But by the 90's hatchbacks, or cars that obviously were one were becoming much more scarce. I guess people who wanted something that could lift the entire back either bought minivans or full station wagons, or later on SUVs.
Saw several living in Northern NM and urban West Texas between 1993-2004, so color me surprised. Even saw the Corolla Sprinter, in West Africa even longer (vanished by 2010s).
I honestly think some of you are just not as anecdotally observant of your surroundings and miss things.
Probably harder to spot cars, if you were a 90s motorist versus passenger like me.
En France, on avait la Toyota Corolla et après c'était les modèles européens comme la Peugeot 309, la Renault 19 ou la Citroën ZX.
I rented a 88 Chevy Nova and remember that with the AC on you had to almost floor it to get it to uphill on 90+F days. Great gas mileage but slower than a snail.
My family had one of these I'm the early 90s, a white hatchback exactly like this one except with an automatic. As a 2nd grader, I loved this car. I think my parents traded in their Plymouth Reliant for this car.
My bro had one. That was a well made car that lasted a long time before the tin worm ate it up.
Amazing the performance numbers are referred to positively lol
These were the epidamie of reliability!
I always wanted one of these back in the day, to do a 4AGE swap and better suspension bits would make for a great undercover GTS!
I think it was called the GSi
@@sjhudon386 I remember the 4 door coming in GSi trim but couldn't remember if the hatch had a version.
I forgot about this hatchback. I haven't seen one in years!. The sedans are still out therez especially the later refeshed models. A guy iin my town has a brand new looking 93-94 Prism. Next time I see him at the Mexican food joint where we both frequent, I'm going to ask him about it.
Had a leather jacket like that back in 89" In fact I still do 😂
Same year as the episode! Probably the same brand too.m!
This is my first car, but it's the sedan model, base model. I love the thing, the headgasket has been blown for a year now but it still drives and somehow passes smog
Ive been in these with a 4age, geez it sings!!
My first car!
I had *never* liked any hatchback cars since I can remember. But this is the only one that I ever liked and thought of it to be nice looking, even back in 1990 when I was a 17-year-old teen. And as a extra bonus, it was a reliable Toyota at a GM price.
Good performance for 100 hp, even by today's standards..
This car is light!
Needed some rims to shine ✨
4:08 nice
Would still like to have a Prism GSi
What a reliable car it was
never seen this car before!
It's literal the toyota sky (here in southamerica)
I took my first driver test in a 95 geo prism.
Still here today
Anyone else think that little motor sounds pretty good for a 4-banger?
I wish they just had made it a full-on station wagon with a rear-facing Third-row - no wagon is complete without that. Great with a turbo diesel and 6-speed manual for highway trips
I was born in 1980 and I’m literally never seen one of these cars and I was very in tune with cars at that age
Same age, I've seen plenty of Geos when I was a kid, you're probably was out in the country...
In europe, this was a common Toyota Corolla model
prizm hatchbacks are incredibly rare nowadays
I was 20 when these came out, and I don't know that I've ever seen a hatchback on the road.
DC 101 playing Day Tripper
I have 88 Corolla 4af carb engine
I'll take the Prizm GSi sporty model both sedan and hatchback with a tachometer and a manual.
Corolla e9 in Europe
My French class teacher had this car
The Geo's interior, with its heavily padded and contoured seats and lush velour, puts today's economy cars to shame. Throw in dual airbags and I would buy it in 2024 even with manual windows, door locks and a stick.
😮 oldie 😊
My roommates' first car...
I always liked the style of the hatchback. The sedan was just meh.
Apparently GM and Toyota *really* wanted you to buy an automatic (or a Honda).
Just one of the 1,675,234 times GM did not, could not understand the market.
Drive this exact car in blue 5 speed traded for a $3000 car but even it was only worth $1800 I needed the gas mileage 214k now 235k no plans to get rid of only if I find a mint one power locks manual windows power sunroof who optioned my car lol
No tach on a manual. Smart. 😂
These didn't sell well because people who valued the durability of a Toyota went to a Toyota dealership. The people who went to a Chevy dealer had other priorities.
"swallow a full load"??? 🤔😂🤯😬😮
oh noooooooo lol i watched the whole thing 🤣
The Chevy Nova Twin Cam was a better car, probably the best Numi car.
I would rather have this than the crossover garbage people drive today
And now Teslas are made in the same plant these were made in.
This arrangement in my opinion barely even worked, because the design risked feeling dated out the gate.
Toyota had patent and studio photos of this same design already in 1985, but it didn't even came out in USA as a Geo until 1989.
That little car was part GM, and mostly Toyota Corolla, too bad GM resolved the nummi project with Toyota,as far as technology is concerned GM,s best days are behind them.
The Geo Prizm Didn't Look Like A Geo It Looked Like A Toyota Corolla The Geo Metro Looked Like A Geo
The Metro was made by Suzuki, called the Swift. They’re basically identical…
@ouch1011 The Geo Metro Was Made By Suzuki To Replace The Chevrolet Sprint & You Couldn't Tall That The Geo Metro & Suzuki Swift Looked A Like
@@rushbroussard5399- in North America they were identical minus some grille and taillight differences.
@@ensignjimmy3237 The Geo Prizm Replaced The Chevrolet Nova Chevrolet Had Another Car The Chevrolet Spectrum.
@@rushbroussard5399- no one is arguing that point. The point was Geos were built by different companies that also sold the same models 🙄
Early gang
👇
Vroooom
Forward… No Matter What
those big paws are too rough on this car, manhandling the manual shifter, the seat adjuster, the climate control... I'm surprised nothing broke during the making of this video. 😮
How to make a boring car even more boring?
1) Take one mediocre Toyota Corolla
2) Put forgettable Geo badges on it
Why would anyone buy such an appallingly bad car, even in 1989?
Better than what GM could’ve came up with on their own.
Glad you can read, compared to other comments I often see. 👍 Even if I disagree lol.
I think it was okay transport lol.
This just didn’t make sense. It is only a Toyota Corolla. Why should Toyota make such a deal?
This seems to be the last attempt before GM founded the Saturn brand in the 90s.
The brakes are just so awful. 146 feet. No. This car was used in all day life especially for families living and driving in places with lots of children. Toyota just didn’t give enough attention on safety.
Saturn was founded in 1985. I’m sure the use of the plant capacity was a positive and not a negative. Even though this car is mediocre in more than one way it would’ve been better than anything GM could’ve come up with.
@@ensignjimmy3237 While Saturn was founded in 1985, the first Saturn cars were produced for the '91 model year.
@@stephenj4937- obviously. They also worked on those cars for all those years before they came out.
Toyotas are still awful to drive but now also unreliable. Progress!
Me like it a lot! If it had optional AWD(ALA Subaru) then i would have loved even more!