I've read reviews of the '92 Skylark that claim it's a good-looking car, but in my opinion, it's unbelievably nauseating. If that "bird beak" on the front wasn't bad enough, Buick felt the need to partially enclose the rear wheels with those hideous built-in "fender skirts". The 4-door version was really bad, but the 2-door gave a whole new meaning to the word "grotesque". IMO, it's those built-in skirts that ruined the design of the Oldsmobile 98 during the nineties, and they certainly didn't help the design of the '91 Caprice. But, hey, to each his own, right?
@@bobcarlino7280 I recall GM saying those skirts aided in fuel economy as the wheel wells weren't open to resistance. I also hated them because, like many people, felt it made the Caprice look booty-heavy. But now, seeing the two side-by-side with my own eyes, I'd take an early 90's skirt Caprice. The open wells just aren't attractive to me anymore. Btw, my neighbor had a 90's Olds 98 Regency, blue. I was truly sorry when its engine died like 5 years ago. I got used to looking at it everyday.
Owned a 92 Geo Prizm 5-speed 4 door sedan. Very economical, it was an excellent car in many ways with well over 200k miles whenever it was finally sold
@@alslimshady7215 Toyota and GM had created a partnership back then. You'll ALSO see a LOT of Pontiac Vibes on the road today too given they share the same mechanics as the Toyota Matrix.
My mom had a 1997 Catera. To make a long story short it was a huge pile of poo. It broke down left us stranded so often it was comical. By 2003 the timing belt was replaced twice. Electrical issues galore. And it over heated a lot too. It was traded in on a Accord asap 😂
@@RPI79 yeah very attractive for sure! Just way too young for me (like I would have a chance in hell lol) but I'm closer to Cindy's age and she aged like a fine wine to me! And I'm 43!
I’m 51 and remember all these cars in my young adult years. As a college kid that came from a blue collar buy American family it was frustrating watching GM churn out junk from the late 70s into the 2000s. The 1990s: if you wanted a reliable sedan Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. If you want a reliable compact then Corolla or Civic. If you wanted something fun to drive a Celica, Supra, or Eclipse (all the cars came five a five speed manual). GM sealed their fate in the 1990s.
so the 3800 series I, II, and III werent reliable? a small block chevy wasnt reliable? the 2.2 cavalier engine wasnt reliable (ok, head gaskets fail but you can fix them yourself, i had well over 200K on one of those engines)? the 3800 was one of, and still is one of the most reliable engines you can buy from any manufacture. the supercharged versions can be allot of fun with a little tweaking (they had very conservative factory tunes and pulley configurations). i still have 2 decent 3800 cars i do not drive in the winter, my daily driver vehicle i use in all seasons is a 2022 subaru crosstrek 6 speed manual GM had some great products from this era, and some not so great. fast forward today and GM doesnt currently offer much good. allot of junk made in korea.
Gms issue is they wanted to globalize all their platforms and even went a step further in some cases and simply badge engineered cars across 3-4 brands. If they forked out the dough and gave each brand its own identity (as Pontiac did being their excitement division)and let them be unique in their own way, things probably would have ended differently, but they were all micromanaged. The corvette was the reason for the death of the fiero.
I am also 51 and this is exactly how I remember it as well. Absolutely nothing GM interested me in my teens and 20s. The sporty GMs that theoretically should have interested me were nothing but crude, cheaply made rattle traps.
@@ezrashonori like anything with a 3800 series II engine, espcially the supercharged versions. those cars are old now, but that engine is just so smooth, torquey and reliable. fairly decent gas mileage and easy to work on.
@@landonbenford8369 it was only a 2 door. But ya I'd certainly take another one. The worst part of that car was doing an alternator. It was an ignorant job let me tell you and they were known for them because of the heat and location. Heat kills alot under the hood. Ty for the response 👍 🇨🇦
@@nvragn One of my bff's from high school; his parents only bought Chevys. They had a Nova, Corsica, and bought a 1990 Lumina 4 door brand new! It was the base model but with air conditioning. A car with a/c was a VERY Big deal back then. I remember the 2.5 being lethargic but my 1980 Cutlass Brougham with the Buick 110 hp 3.8 wasn't much better. I always wanted a 3.4 LQ1 4-door but the sales were only around 10,000. Plus up here in the rust-bucket of Chicago...well...I haven't seen ANY Luminas in a Very long time.😟😥😥
@@landonbenford8369 that list sure brings me back had at least one of each. Too funny my uncle had me look at his escape for a trans leak. Ya that's the least of his problems. Engine cradle is dam near on the ground. True story. Ty for the response 👍 🇨🇦
The Geo Tracker (also known as Chevrolet Tracker, Asuna Sunrunner) was actually a Suzuki Sidekick or in other parts of the world, a Suzuki Vitara. Yes it was a bit tinny, but quite a capable off roader even in stock form due to its short wheelbase and good approach and departure angles.
I work on cars for a living, and I've worked on one Chevy Tracker from that era about 2 years ago. It was the first car I had to condemn. It was a death trap waiting to happen. It barely had 150k miles on it
I had a 97 Monte Carlo LS. I definitely saw it as a big touring coup. It was quiet, had soft suspension, and roomy. I liked how it looked and drove. I wish I still had it, really.
That’s why I’m surprised that it’s on this list. Every other car in the parking lot of the company I worked at had a Monte Carlo. Granted it was a lot of soccer moms reliving their high school days, but they sold a ton of them. Add in the Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt editions for the men that followed NASCAR and it was even more popular.
“Get to know Geo”. I owned at least one model of every Geo including 3 metros. They are a great car for around town but not the best for long-distance highway use. The Toyota made Prizm was probably the best one to get.
This migt be a wildly unpopular sentiment, but 90's GM has to be one of my favorite car manufacturers ever. Every single car they put out just looks like the 90s. Curvy, round, unique grills, tailights that ran accross the back, bubbly plastic interiors, two tone paints, big bulky wheels, etc. Truly a beautiful time for them. Great video btw!
Idk my 91 Grand Prix SE was the opposite of curvy or round and came with enki wheels stock. It did have unique tail lights. It was a great car could hold it on the governor at 111 for hours at a time. It was also awesome in the snow with studded tires. I literally drove right by my buddies stuck 4x4 f-150 on a steep hill with 4-5 inches of snow.
I had a '99 Monte LS. As a Monte Carlo, it's certainly the odd-man out appearance (and performance) wise. I loved that car though. It was comfortable and reliable. I wish I still had it.
I liked your inclusion of the Catera, the “ Caddy that Zigs”. I had the pleasure of driving a few of these when I worked at a Chevy, Olds, Cadillac dealership in the late 90’s. To me, at the time, these seemed like the best cars on the lot and frankly way better in terms of interior quality that other Cadillac cars. They were way, way stiffer and better handling too and probably quicker than most of Cadillac’s line as well. Not really a bad car, but one that missed the in terms of mission a market. It probably would have sold better as a Buick.
I never thought I’d say it, but I miss 1990’s GM and wish we could have it back. While I’d still probably be a Honda and Toyota driver the automotive landscape is far less interesting without GM cars on the road. Thank goodness Cadillac is still selling proper cars, I just wish some of that would at least trickle down to Buick.
The first new car I bought was a 94 Pontiac Grand Am coupe. It was the biggest piece of junk. They didn't put a inner gasket on the back window and it flooded the trunk. That was at 2 days old. The ac would stop every once in a while. The transmission would not downshift and I fought them to replace it. The car creaked and was very loose. A few months later the transmission was defective again. This time they refused to fix it, even though GM had released a bulletin saying it was bad. I took the car over and traded it in on a new 97 honda civic.
Now if they had dropped a 3800 supercharger in there that could drift, Then they might've been on to something. Can you imagine a minivan doing burnouts?!?!?
@@landonbenford8369while i love the 3800 and superchaged variants, i have a 2003 SSEi that i only drive in the summer..... i do NOT do burnouts because the engine is tougher then nails..... the transmission will break if you abuse it.
@donohue1853 That SSEi only runs on premium, right? I Seriously thought about buying one in mint condition until I found that out. Maybe I'll scope out the SSE instead.😎
I only watched because I like the channel. By the time I became an adult in n the late 90s I stopped caring about new cars. When you do a video n GM blunders of 80s it will be two hours long. 😁
Great Video. As a GM guy all my life, I agree with almost everything you bring up. Glad you never included the fourth Gen Camaro. I own a mint mint mint 94 Z28 and absolutely love it. VERY 90's and all in a good way!
The thing I liked about GM pre-mid 2000's is that their engine bays were roomy enough to fix things yourself and even if they weren't the most reliable they were the easiest to fix since parts were numerous and mostly interchangeable with the exception of brand specific engines and seat mechanisms.
Did you say that Geos were not made all that well?? Particularly with the Prism, storm and even the metro, they were actually known for being pretty bulletproof in terms of reliability. If anything, a lot of them haven't been around anymore because it's 30 years later, and people did not take good care of those cars. But they weren't necessarily performance cars, which I'm assuming is what you mean. Performance isn't everything to everyone...
I had one of those Monte Carlos. Bought it new and it was a nice, comfortable reliable car. A month after I paid it off a girl playing with her radio smashed into it while it was parked and totaled it.
This is a quote from Doug Demuro's Review of Mitsubishi Mirage : "It made the Honda Fit looks like a muscle car" If the Mirage made Honda Fit looks like a Muscle car then the 1.0L Geo Metro made the Civic looks like a Dodge Demon... And the Metro also made the Terminator Cobra looks like a Top Fuel Dragster
Metro wasn't that bad was it sounds at all, yes they where slow but they weren't meant to be fast at all why the small engine they where reliable what I know everyone says else
@@BIGGIEDEVIL yeah, I know the whole point of Geo Metro is to be as cheap and as reliable as possible while also get pretty good gas mileage, LOL :P but compare it to literally any other cars on the road... Yeah... It looks kinda pathetic...
That Tracker, you take that to the mountains, you'll always have people make offers to buy it. It's truly an off-road beast, one of the best off-road vehicles we ever owned, and was great in snow.
Quite honestly the 2 best GM cars to come from the 1990s are the 1991-1996 Buick Park Avenue and Ultra and the 1988-1996 Buick Regal coupe. I had the Regal in high-school with the series 1 3800. What a nice, decently sized sporty looking vehicle. And it never really gave me any issues.
in 1986, I knew a guy from school who had borrowed $12,000 from a bank to buy a brand new red coloured Holden Camira. By the time we caught up a year later, he was still servicing the loan. But what shocked me was the state the car was in. It was literally falling apart, all kinds of things broken or not functioning, ceiling hanging down, etc. There's no doubt the car didn't even last through the life of his loan. I haven't seen a Camira on the roads for decades. Definitely a bad investment.
The Cadillac in video 1, I remember them as the Vauxhall / Opel Omega over here. Such a weird advertising campaign with Cindy Crawford and that cartoon bird. I quite like the look of the Buick Skylark Coupe 👌🏻
the aging opel omega B leftovers were recycled and repurposed here in Australia as an 'all brand new 100% Aussie' design in the late 90's and it was a big success. a win for the marketing team
Nothing outrageous about an entry level base model Cadillac with cloth seats. It was the norm in the Cimarron until 1988 and even the Deville and Fleetwood had them until 1994. The Catera was a new Cimarron for those of us familiar with the brand and cloth made sense.
My first car was an 89’ Buick Skylark, and I always thought it was a good looking car (at least in a boxy 80’s way) but I thought (and still think) it’s a masterpiece compared to the 90’s skylarks
I'd say it belongs not because it was a bad car, but because it was a case of GM misusing a nameplate on a product that doesn't deserve it. Kind of like what they're doing with the current Blazer.
Ive got an 98' Isuzu Hombre LS, its probably the cheapest but most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned. I just wish it was the space cab model for more room. I know its not a car or mentioned but GM's sub set vehicles werent all bad..
Cadillac Catera: the commercials were jokes. Good thing my aunt didn't lease one. The 90's Monte Carlo...it's just a two-door Lumina, nothing else. 3800 V6 for life! Geo vehicles made sense because they were affordable transportation and got impressive gas mileage. At least Chevrolet sold them when Geo went away. 1992-1998 Buick Skylark...I could've sworn my aunt leased one back in the day, no idea. The 3.3L V6 has to be a reliable engine just like the 3.8.
Dad saw a guy putting on his seat belt in a new Metro once and said "it must suck to have to strap on your car every morning and wear it to work!" We drove souped up big block 4 door Chryslers then. You could get them real cheap, hotrod them with 4.10 gears a big cam, headers and 2x4 bbls on long ram intakes, or a Six Pack and I still got 21 highway mpg out of a 440 that would lift the front tires on a newport! I gave $300 for mine. I still have our 1968 Dodge monaco 4 door race car with long rams. 2500 passes at the dragstrip, 150,000 street miles and no breakages. When I could buy a car with the same basic drivetrain as a cuda or charger etc from the junkyard for a few hundred dollars I couldn't justify spending money on a loan for a new tin can Metro etc. Those payments buy ALOT of gas. 440s don't loose value! I told one guy after his new Geo Storm got totally blown off the road by a rusted out 4800lb land yacht with 6 smiling, waving guys in it, that my drive train alone had more metal in it than their whole car! And it was true! My friends car broke down once and I towed it home with my newport i decided to have a little fun and dumped the 8 bbls on that 440 for a few seconds. after the tire smoke cleared he got out of his car shaking and say "holy s**t man! My car NEVER went that fast before!" He would tell people the fastest way to make their s**t box move was to chain it to my car!
I own 2 Oldsmobile cutlass supremes, 1992/1996 currently. 3.1 multiport/ 3100. Ive owned for 24 years They both still run. 1996 is clean. 1992 has 250,000 miles and still running having no major issues. Also my first car was a 1986 Olds Cutlass supreme G bod❤❤❤ They were and are still better than most cars today.
Im with ya in all of them. GM is my favorite car maker, but all these were awful. Espcially the Monte. You may not hate Luminas but i sure do. All of them.
The Catera was an unreliable car with bad quality materials, even though its exterior design was an eye-catcher. The late 90s was a very bad time for GM, as they were losing money and making unreliable vehicles with bad quality materials. The last gen Skylark was a hideous car. Very ugly exterior. I would easily go for the Grand Am or 2-door Achieva instead. Geos were all over the place for their first few years of production before sales began to drop quickly.
@@michaelsimko7694 It was truly one of those GM's lazy moves, they not try re-stylized the Catera, but interesting that this happened around the same as the Chevrolet Alero.
The best thing about the Catera is donating it's door handles to the 04-06 Pontiac GTO. They are a direct fit (with very little modification to the actuator rods) and replace the plastic handles that came on the GTO with nice tough metal ones.
Yes, I had a 96 Riviera and a 2000 Park Ave. Both of them would get about 20 mpg on Socal freeways. Each would run about 60 dollars a week to fill them. I sold the Park Ave in 2010 and traded the Riviera in 2016. They both had over 100k miles on them. The Riviera had 206k lol and was still going 😅
monte carlo had a special trim level called the eliminator in honor of dale earnhardt. it was gray and black came with a 350 cid v-8 to cash in on the popularity of the nascar driver dale earnhardt who drove a monte carlo bodied car in the nascar races during that time period.
On the topic of Geo's, I just figured it be interesting to share that my grandpa actually has 3 geo trackers in his backyard. Two purple, and a red one with a manual. Sadly, none have been on the road in years and one of the people ones has practically rotted away. They are cool to look at though, and the better condition purple one runs!!
I owned a 96 chevy cavalier and that thing was such a massive piece of junk that I changed brands and bought my first Ford. I'm on my 4th Ford product now and I'll never go back to Chevy.
Am driving a ‘05 sunfire that I got for $100. Is a cavalier with a butt ugly Pontiac snout. Still runs @ 232K and can’t complain. It’s reliable roller skate transportation.
Thank you for the video. You are right about the Catera. The one good thing it did was paved the way for the CTS or CT5 today. You covered it well. It was a Opel/Vauxhall Omega. There were issues with the car. It was a missed opportunity marketing and quality wise. It also was the basis for the Holden Commodore/Calais which were different and modified. All the GM brands at the time wanted the Opel Omega. I know Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick all wanted it. Buick had a concept car in the 1990's based off the Holden version that they wanted to bring to production. It would have fit in Regal's slot in the brand. It was called XP 2000. The 3300 V6 was a great engine. It was derived from the 3800 V6. The engine was good. I was shocked to see Monte Carlo on the list. That car started out a concept car and then it went into production. If you got one with a 3800 V6, then it was fine. They did improve the styling in 2000. They brought back those styling cues. I cannot justify the Skylark front end styling. That was a mistake, They changed it by 1997. The Geo Prism was a Toyota Corolla. It was not a bad car as it was built in the same factory as the Corolla. In Canada they had a brand called Asuna which was the Geo of Canada sold at Pontiac dealers. In Canada the roles for Chevrolet and Pontiac were reversed. I like seeing the parade of GM cars and I saw the Ninety Eight too. Thank you for the video and effort. I will look forward to your Skylark video.
I never understood that either as Opel/Vauxhall Omega had a great reputation there, but the Cadillac version had issues. It was messed up with marketing and quality issues. Something got lost along the way.
What's up OLDS! Hey, I appreciate the read for this week, always a good one:) I know you had some trouble finding the community tab so I'll just let you know that there won't be a video this week since I've been and am sick! I'm feeling a lot better now, just thought I would let you know since you've been so supportive for some time now!
@@GreenHawkDrive I am sorry you have been so ill. I hope your recovery is quick and you will be in full health soon. Thank you for sharing there will not be a video. I completely understand. Please take care and be well soon.
Disagree. That 90s Skylark was an incredibly nice riding car with distinctive styling that made it look more bird-like. My pastor had one with the V6, and it was torquey, powerful, and that DynaRide suspension made it float over the rode.
Ahh, you forget the skylark came with the 3.3 for 2 years… my bro got this skylark with 180k, drove it for 15 and parked it in his field because of rusted brake lines. Here I come months later with $300, pick it up and put new brake lines on it, drove it for a year and 2 months of pure abuse with just oil changes… my grandpa put a hole in the block taking out the front main just resealing the motor, due to blowing the head gaskets from overheating (it was either super cold or super hot for about 2 months before it blew). That’s only the start. That car had quite the story.
I've actually owned a couple cars from this list and one of them is still something I currently own lol...I had a 92 storm hatchback that was a decent economy car... Looked a little sporty...16 year old me approved lol.... And I still currently own a 99 Monte Carlo that I did what GM refused to do till 2004 and I put the 3.8 liter supercharged V6 in it in place of the lazy and dead 3.1 that it came with and I've enjoyed driving it for years and it handles good for what it is... Sure it had some GM quality control quirks... But overall it and the lumina I had for almost a decade were great as far as I'm concerned 🙂 and your 💯 percent right on the catera! As a service tech for 15 years I still groan when I see one! And I guess I'm a bit of a masochist because I actually enjoy the look of the fwd Skylark with the pointed front end...I guess I'm an 80s child and don't mind odd angles on my cars lol... Keep up the good work on the videos...I enjoy watching them!😊
Good old Geo tracker fun but super flimsy. Some of them had 4 wheel drive and even an optional front axle locker. Because of there low price they were the original side by side the gator or Razer before those were even thought up. Great video its very enjoyable to watch.
One of my most terrifying times driving was trying to merge onto a highway with a 3-cyl Metro with no 3rd gear and a logging truck bearing down like the movie Duel
The Lumina Z34 was one of Chevys best 80s cars. I had a hand me down z28 when I turned 17 in 1994. I would have loved a Z34 instead with a practical-ish back seat and with about $200 I'm early 90s mo ey ypu could bump the horsepower up to best Vettes and it had the classic 80s/90s styling. The interior was pure GM plastic with the horrid din and a half stereo. Once Puoneer and Ke wood fixed the size issue it was a perfect car fir its time
This brings back so many memories for me! I was a teenager/young adult during this time and literally obsessed with cars lol. GM in particular, I knew their products very well. This was a time when American car makers were really trying to do their best but just didn't get it quite right. Lots of quality and reliability issues. But despite all that I have to say they (and most auto makers back then) made some pretty interesting vehicles. I miss those days when you had umpteen cars to chose from. Tons more personality. Now everything is crossovers and trucks. Boring AF if you ask me. I love your videos BTW!
My mom had a gold 95 Geo Prizm when I was growing up after having a 91 Pontiac Grand Prix and that Prizm ran for so long and when my mom sold it and bought an 08 Cobalt coupe (she still has the cobalt) the Prizm had over 200,000 miles and still going.
I was one of the first people in San Diego to get a Skylark aquamarine grand sport 4 door. I absolutely loved The Thing. Especially the the adjustable suspension, but the Buick dealer network was designed for people who were in their 50s and 60s, and I was 24. They didn't know how to market the car to me. And when it had problems and it did, they didn't really put much effort into trying to fix it. The car road well and drove great but interior bits of plastic were not durable for younger fingers. I used to say the car was designed for someone with arthritis because you couldn't manhandle anything inside without ir breaking or coming loose. But it sure did drive great! And I personally, thought it looked better than the grand am or the achieva. Even with that big beak out there.
Great vid Hawk! Small correction..The Ford Festiva was a Mazda design, but KIA built them under licsence. The local Ford dealer when I graduated High School donated one to my class....I had a one in 172 chance of winning it! I think of your list the Caterra would have been the worst. Was expensive and had reliabilty issues. The Buick version of a Grand Am wasn't bad.....It was just UGLY IMO.
my grandparents had a 1993 Skylark, and the car stayed in the family for another 30 years or so before it was retired, definitely got their moneys worth out of it, drove across canada dozens of times.
I had a Grand Am -97 for about 2 years, I loved the engine and transmission, it suited me excellent, fuel consumption was good for me, 9L/100KM / 26 MPG but I was aware of the 3.1 intake gasket problems so I sold it while it still worked.
My mom had this cutlass Supreme for a while when I was little. Iirc the door handles were vertical rectangles along the left hand side of the door pillars. First car I ever saw with a digital dash, all the way back in the 90s! Don't remember it being all that slow either. Was kinda weird, growing up and remembering that CS as the exact opposite of what olds is generally known for. think it was the same gen as the white one they show briefly during the monte segment.
I bought a Metro with 108,000 miles as a work work car for $500.00. Sold it to a co-worker for $800.00 5 years later for $900.00. The whole time I had it the only actual repair it needed was a rear wheel bearing.
Whoa, hang on a sec about Geo. The reputation was that they were cheap, but they didn’t have any cost-cutting measures done to them. That means the Prizm was as reliable as any Corolla, the Metro as any Swift, etc. GM did right to have these specific models come under their umbrella, as they were all quite reliable. The problem is, because they were all economy cars - and this was the 90s - the reputation of “cheap” based on MSRP and options meant they got treated with disdain and lack of maintenance, which then fueled a communal belief that Geo’s were also unreliable. That was objectively never true - what happened was human nature and culture. Had GM tried Geo 1:1 as they did in the 90s, but instead in the late 70s, they would’ve been regarded far more highly, and treated with better care - at least until they made it down to their second, third, fourth owners. tl;dr Geo is a tale of culture taking something that was one thing, branding it as another, and thus rewriting history.
I work at a Chevrolet dealer when the Citation came out. It was just awful. And the customers hated them too. I worked in the parts department and we cleaned out all the old stock for these new vehicles over a three year period. We threw away so many now considered classic car parts it was a crying shame. I manage to snag a short block Z28 302 new in the crate for cost but most everything else went into a dumpster. I had no place to store them otherwise I would have bought everything.
I learned to drive in a 92 Grand Am; it was fun and sporty. Those Catera’s were great. They felt sporty and peppy and not like and old man car. The GEO Storm’s were pretty awesome too. Not super fast but handling was great and they felt fun and tossible
Maybe it’s just me, but that Skylark Grand Sport coupe looks kinda cool. The only real complaint I have is that the front end - in particular the grille and headlights - really needed a redesign.
I can’t believe that typo😂😂😂
Pubic opinion 😂
@@automotiveaffairsshorts0:29
Hair raising 😅
Subliminal messageing
It happens.
The Buick Skylark looks like someone designed a snow shovel without ever seeing snow.
I've read reviews of the '92 Skylark that claim it's a good-looking car, but in my opinion, it's unbelievably nauseating. If that "bird beak" on the front wasn't bad enough, Buick felt the need to partially enclose the rear wheels with those hideous built-in "fender skirts". The 4-door version was really bad, but the 2-door gave a whole new meaning to the word "grotesque". IMO, it's those built-in skirts that ruined the design of the Oldsmobile 98 during the nineties, and they certainly didn't help the design of the '91 Caprice. But, hey, to each his own, right?
I had a rental skylark in 95' and that thing would do 90mph on gravel roads with potholes. They weren't all bad. 😂
@@bobcarlino7280 I recall GM saying those skirts aided in fuel economy as the wheel wells weren't open to resistance. I also hated them because, like many people, felt it made the Caprice look booty-heavy. But now, seeing the two side-by-side with my own eyes, I'd take an early 90's skirt Caprice. The open wells just aren't attractive to me anymore. Btw, my neighbor had a 90's Olds 98 Regency, blue. I was truly sorry when its engine died like 5 years ago. I got used to looking at it everyday.
Excellent description. Easily one of the ugliest cars ever.
In typical GM fashion they took a decent concept car and ruined it for production.
Owned a 92 Geo Prizm 5-speed 4 door sedan. Very economical, it was an excellent car in many ways with well over 200k miles whenever it was finally sold
That's because it was a rebadged Toyota Corolla :D
@@littlesquirtthefireengine5478that doesn't explain how my '92 Geo Metro LSi was the best car I've ever had
Believe it or not, you'll still see some Geo Prizms on the road today, particularly the '93-'99 model years.
I had a storm at 18, but it was basically an Isuzu Impulse. I liked it but liked my older 87 celica I traded in better.
That's because they rebadge Toyota Corollas
@@alslimshady7215 Toyota and GM had created a partnership back then. You'll ALSO see a LOT of Pontiac Vibes on the road today too given they share the same mechanics as the Toyota Matrix.
I see Geos everywhere in my area. my buddy has a 4wd manual Geo tracker and that thing is awesome!
My mom had a 1997 Catera. To make a long story short it was a huge pile of poo. It broke down left us stranded so often it was comical. By 2003 the timing belt was replaced twice. Electrical issues galore. And it over heated a lot too. It was traded in on a Accord asap 😂
They did not learn from the Cadillac Cimarron, did they?
And that Honda Accord is probably still running I sold my 02 with 209k miles 5 years ago.. & the guy is still driving it 😊
Right? Cimmaron was a rebadged Cavalier for double the price. Worst badge engineering ever. @@fadedjate7230
@@larkt6693 the 2003 ones were notorious for transmission issues, the previous gen was more solid in that regard
@@engineer_alvthe manuals were great
Cindy Crawford was (and still is) amazing
Weirdly enough, her sister who is similar in age looks super plain compared to Cindy.
Her daughter looks like her.
@@FWDSUXARSE Just looked her up. You're not wrong, spitting image!
@@RPI79 yeah very attractive for sure! Just way too young for me (like I would have a chance in hell lol) but I'm closer to Cindy's age and she aged like a fine wine to me! And I'm 43!
Lol she old asf
When i was a teenager, i could tell the monte carlo LS was just a lumina with two doors. It was plainly obvious.
Same thing with the Beretta, it was a 2 door corsica lol.
I’m 51 and remember all these cars in my young adult years. As a college kid that came from a blue collar buy American family it was frustrating watching GM churn out junk from the late 70s into the 2000s. The 1990s: if you wanted a reliable sedan Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. If you want a reliable compact then Corolla or Civic. If you wanted something fun to drive a Celica, Supra, or Eclipse (all the cars came five a five speed manual). GM sealed their fate in the 1990s.
so the 3800 series I, II, and III werent reliable? a small block chevy wasnt reliable? the 2.2 cavalier engine wasnt reliable (ok, head gaskets fail but you can fix them yourself, i had well over 200K on one of those engines)? the 3800 was one of, and still is one of the most reliable engines you can buy from any manufacture. the supercharged versions can be allot of fun with a little tweaking (they had very conservative factory tunes and pulley configurations).
i still have 2 decent 3800 cars i do not drive in the winter, my daily driver vehicle i use in all seasons is a 2022 subaru crosstrek 6 speed manual
GM had some great products from this era, and some not so great. fast forward today and GM doesnt currently offer much good. allot of junk made in korea.
Gms issue is they wanted to globalize all their platforms and even went a step further in some cases and simply badge engineered cars across 3-4 brands.
If they forked out the dough and gave each brand its own identity (as Pontiac did being their excitement division)and let them be unique in their own way, things probably would have ended differently, but they were all micromanaged.
The corvette was the reason for the death of the fiero.
I am also 51 and this is exactly how I remember it as well. Absolutely nothing GM interested me in my teens and 20s. The sporty GMs that theoretically should have interested me were nothing but crude, cheaply made rattle traps.
@@ezrashonori like anything with a 3800 series II engine, espcially the supercharged versions. those cars are old now, but that engine is just so smooth, torquey and reliable. fairly decent gas mileage and easy to work on.
@@andrewdonohue1853 You aren’t alone, I’ve heard plenty bragging on the 3800s.
I have to admit I got a tear in my eye when I seen the red Lumina Z34😢👍🇨🇦
I wouldn't mind scooping up a red 3.1 EuroSport 4 door either.
@@landonbenford8369 it was only a 2 door. But ya I'd certainly take another one. The worst part of that car was doing an alternator. It was an ignorant job let me tell you and they were known for them because of the heat and location. Heat kills alot under the hood. Ty for the response 👍 🇨🇦
@@nvragn One of my bff's from high school; his parents only bought Chevys. They had a Nova, Corsica, and bought a 1990 Lumina 4 door brand new! It was the base model but with air conditioning. A car with a/c was a VERY Big deal back then. I remember the 2.5 being lethargic but my 1980 Cutlass Brougham with the Buick 110 hp 3.8 wasn't much better. I always wanted a 3.4 LQ1 4-door but the sales were only around 10,000. Plus up here in the rust-bucket of Chicago...well...I haven't seen ANY Luminas in a Very long time.😟😥😥
@@landonbenford8369 that list sure brings me back had at least one of each. Too funny my uncle had me look at his escape for a trans leak. Ya that's the least of his problems. Engine cradle is dam near on the ground. True story. Ty for the response 👍 🇨🇦
I got a 97 ltz I love it and wish I was around when they were first made
The Geo Tracker (also known as Chevrolet Tracker, Asuna Sunrunner) was actually a Suzuki Sidekick or in other parts of the world, a Suzuki Vitara. Yes it was a bit tinny, but quite a capable off roader even in stock form due to its short wheelbase and good approach and departure angles.
Didn't those have a 4AGE? Had the same motor in my AW11 MR2. That car was only 2350 lbs so it moved for only having 115hp 😂
A friend had one, and we used to drive it fishing. The only bad thing about it was it rode worse than a pre 60s farm tractor!
Still sold as a Jimny in some parts of the world.
I work on cars for a living, and I've worked on one Chevy Tracker from that era about 2 years ago. It was the first car I had to condemn. It was a death trap waiting to happen. It barely had 150k miles on it
Back in the day I remember seeing an newspaper ad for a Geo Metro which pretty much summed up these cars: Geo Metro. It’s better than taking the bus.
I had a 97 Monte Carlo LS. I definitely saw it as a big touring coup. It was quiet, had soft suspension, and roomy. I liked how it looked and drove. I wish I still had it, really.
That’s why I’m surprised that it’s on this list. Every other car in the parking lot of the company I worked at had a Monte Carlo. Granted it was a lot of soccer moms reliving their high school days, but they sold a ton of them. Add in the Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt editions for the men that followed NASCAR and it was even more popular.
That was a great platform especially with the 3.8
“Get to know Geo”. I owned at least one model of every Geo including 3 metros. They are a great car for around town but not the best for long-distance highway use. The Toyota made Prizm was probably the best one to get.
Oh you mean the Corolla? 😁
I drove Prizms longer than they made them. Great car
Yeah the prizm was the only geo that could last, because it was just a corolla with chevy badges on it. It was a corolla for like $800 less.
The metros with the 4 cylinder instead of the 3 cyl, and with a 5 Speed manual we're actually pretty decent on the interstate.
@@CGJ7755The later metros with the 4 cylinder engine we're pretty decent too.
This migt be a wildly unpopular sentiment, but 90's GM has to be one of my favorite car manufacturers ever. Every single car they put out just looks like the 90s. Curvy, round, unique grills, tailights that ran accross the back, bubbly plastic interiors, two tone paints, big bulky wheels, etc. Truly a beautiful time for them. Great video btw!
And terrible engineering be damned them boys could build an AC unit
All my 90s GMs were bullet proof…I feel the same.
Idk my 91 Grand Prix SE was the opposite of curvy or round and came with enki wheels stock. It did have unique tail lights. It was a great car could hold it on the governor at 111 for hours at a time. It was also awesome in the snow with studded tires. I literally drove right by my buddies stuck 4x4 f-150 on a steep hill with 4-5 inches of snow.
I had a '99 Monte LS. As a Monte Carlo, it's certainly the odd-man out appearance (and performance) wise. I loved that car though. It was comfortable and reliable. I wish I still had it.
Great videos. Love watching these while I’m fried out of my mind. Also teaching the new generation about older cars and stuff like that.
It is the kind of video for stoner car guys for sure, doing the same right now! Have a good one bud
Same here bro. I'm baked working OT and watching car vids lol
I appreciate that man, thank you!
Just sparked up.
@Nickburnham-wv2yl Appreciate that buddy!
I had a 96 Monte Carlo Z34 and it was awesome!!
I liked your inclusion of the Catera, the “ Caddy that Zigs”. I had the pleasure of driving a few of these when I worked at a Chevy, Olds, Cadillac dealership in the late 90’s. To me, at the time, these seemed like the best cars on the lot and frankly way better in terms of interior quality that other Cadillac cars. They were way, way stiffer and better handling too and probably quicker than most of Cadillac’s line as well. Not really a bad car, but one that missed the in terms of mission a market. It probably would have sold better as a Buick.
They were aiming at the BMW 3 series but missed the mark. Didn't even hit the wall next to the target.
A friend of mine who worked at a Cadillac dealership at the time said the crew there called it the Cater-rible.
Still own a 1997 Geo Metro. 5 on the floor 3 cylinder. About 38-40 a gallon. It’s my go to for traveling an hour on the highway by myself.
Everything you said about GEOs is correct except for the Prizm. Since it’s a Toyota in GEO clothing it’s a dependable car without the “Toyota tax”.
The metro was a solid car, I bought one with 400k miles on it as a project learning car.
I never thought I’d say it, but I miss 1990’s GM and wish we could have it back. While I’d still probably be a Honda and Toyota driver the automotive landscape is far less interesting without GM cars on the road. Thank goodness Cadillac is still selling proper cars, I just wish some of that would at least trickle down to Buick.
We need a video on 80s 90s hatchback era. The CRX, Golf, Metro, ect
The first new car I bought was a 94 Pontiac Grand Am coupe. It was the biggest piece of junk. They didn't put a inner gasket on the back window and it flooded the trunk. That was at 2 days old. The ac would stop every once in a while. The transmission would not downshift and I fought them to replace it. The car creaked and was very loose. A few months later the transmission was defective again. This time they refused to fix it, even though GM had released a bulletin saying it was bad. I took the car over and traded it in on a new 97 honda civic.
Ah, sounds like you got the real GM experience.
@@jaapaap123 Yep. Honda and Toyota guy now
Sounds like me with my Chevy Malibu, bought a 2000 Camry, to this day amazes me at the quality and reliability difference@@wurly164
I think the Pontiac trans sport minivan deserves to be here because I thought it was ludicrous for Pontiac to have a minivan.
Yeah. Pontiac should have just been sports and muscle car derivatives. GM didn't need a whole trim level in-between Chevy and Buick
Now if they had dropped a 3800 supercharger in there that could drift, Then they might've been on to something. Can you imagine a minivan doing burnouts?!?!?
Or how about the Pontiac Montana? The minivan GM tried to market as an SUV.
@@landonbenford8369while i love the 3800 and superchaged variants, i have a 2003 SSEi that i only drive in the summer..... i do NOT do burnouts because the engine is tougher then nails..... the transmission will break if you abuse it.
@donohue1853 That SSEi only runs on premium, right? I Seriously thought about buying one in mint condition until I found that out. Maybe I'll scope out the SSE instead.😎
I only watched because I like the channel. By the time I became an adult in n the late 90s I stopped caring about new cars. When you do a video n GM blunders of 80s it will be two hours long. 😁
Great Video. As a GM guy all my life, I agree with almost everything you bring up. Glad you never included the fourth Gen Camaro. I own a mint mint mint 94 Z28 and absolutely love it. VERY 90's and all in a good way!
I love the shark nose Camaros man! Thank your for watching😎
Just pray the water pump doesn't leak and mess up the opti spark lol
The thing I liked about GM pre-mid 2000's is that their engine bays were roomy enough to fix things yourself and even if they weren't the most reliable they were the easiest to fix since parts were numerous and mostly interchangeable with the exception of brand specific engines and seat mechanisms.
Monte carlo in 06-07 ss had a V8 LS4 option
My mom had one. She couldn't take on any of my cars because it would just spin out like an idiot and go nowhere lol
Did you say that Geos were not made all that well?? Particularly with the Prism, storm and even the metro, they were actually known for being pretty bulletproof in terms of reliability. If anything, a lot of them haven't been around anymore because it's 30 years later, and people did not take good care of those cars. But they weren't necessarily performance cars, which I'm assuming is what you mean. Performance isn't everything to everyone...
Good Lord... The Caterosphe was a nightmare whenever they rolled into the dealership.
I had one of those Monte Carlos. Bought it new and it was a nice, comfortable reliable car. A month after I paid it off a girl playing with her radio smashed into it while it was parked and totaled it.
The Skylark is so funky looking with the pointed front end.
most gm cars had balls chiller in the 90's so my pubic opinion is good
The Geo tracker was amazing to be fair. Puerto Rico is full of them still to this day
I think I drove one in Cozumel. 😮
This is a quote from Doug Demuro's Review of Mitsubishi Mirage :
"It made the Honda Fit looks like a muscle car"
If the Mirage made Honda Fit looks like a Muscle car
then the 1.0L Geo Metro made the Civic looks like a Dodge Demon... And the Metro also made the Terminator Cobra looks like a Top Fuel Dragster
Metro wasn't that bad was it sounds at all, yes they where slow but they weren't meant to be fast at all why the small engine they where reliable what I know everyone says else
@@BIGGIEDEVIL yeah, I know the whole point of Geo Metro is to be as cheap and as reliable as possible while also get pretty good gas mileage, LOL :P
but compare it to literally any other cars on the road... Yeah... It looks kinda pathetic...
I saw a Geo Storm the other day, loved those.
I had a 93 when I was 18. I liked the 87 celica I traded it in for better though lol
I loved my geo metro. Great littlle econobox
This channel is a gem. Keep 'em coming brother!
More to come! Thank you man😎
That Tracker, you take that to the mountains, you'll always have people make offers to buy it. It's truly an off-road beast, one of the best off-road vehicles we ever owned, and was great in snow.
Quite honestly the 2 best GM cars to come from the 1990s are the 1991-1996 Buick Park Avenue and Ultra and the 1988-1996 Buick Regal coupe. I had the Regal in high-school with the series 1 3800. What a nice, decently sized sporty looking vehicle. And it never really gave me any issues.
in 1986, I knew a guy from school who had borrowed $12,000 from a bank to buy a brand new red coloured Holden Camira. By the time we caught up a year later, he was still servicing the loan. But what shocked me was the state the car was in. It was literally falling apart, all kinds of things broken or not functioning, ceiling hanging down, etc. There's no doubt the car didn't even last through the life of his loan. I haven't seen a Camira on the roads for decades. Definitely a bad investment.
The Cadillac in video 1, I remember them as the Vauxhall /
Opel Omega over here. Such a weird advertising campaign with Cindy Crawford and that cartoon bird. I quite like the look of the Buick Skylark Coupe 👌🏻
the aging opel omega B leftovers were recycled and repurposed here in Australia as an 'all brand new 100% Aussie' design in the late 90's and it was a big success. a win for the marketing team
Nothing outrageous about an entry level base model Cadillac with cloth seats. It was the norm in the Cimarron until 1988 and even the Deville and Fleetwood had them until 1994. The Catera was a new Cimarron for those of us familiar with the brand and cloth made sense.
The Catera name lived on, as CTS at least originally stood for Catera Touring Sedan
A series on trunk monkeys would be cool as I only recently learned of that ad campaign.
Trunk Monkey ads were so funny!
I loved Trunk Monkey!
My first car was an 89’ Buick Skylark, and I always thought it was a good looking car (at least in a boxy 80’s way) but I thought (and still think) it’s a masterpiece compared to the 90’s skylarks
Monte Carlo doesn't belong on this "worst list" imo but i enjoyed watching. Keep em coming 👌🏽
I'd say it belongs not because it was a bad car, but because it was a case of GM misusing a nameplate on a product that doesn't deserve it. Kind of like what they're doing with the current Blazer.
Yeah the blind spot was bad but it www was a nice car that drove well, reliable and roomy.
They should have kept a RWD performance Monte Carlo. Maybe even used a Holden chassis as the basis for it.
Ive got an 98' Isuzu Hombre LS, its probably the cheapest but most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned. I just wish it was the space cab model for more room. I know its not a car or mentioned but GM's sub set vehicles werent all bad..
Cadillac Catera: the commercials were jokes. Good thing my aunt didn't lease one.
The 90's Monte Carlo...it's just a two-door Lumina, nothing else. 3800 V6 for life!
Geo vehicles made sense because they were affordable transportation and got impressive gas mileage. At least Chevrolet sold them when Geo went away.
1992-1998 Buick Skylark...I could've sworn my aunt leased one back in the day, no idea. The 3.3L V6 has to be a reliable engine just like the 3.8.
Dad saw a guy putting on his seat belt in a new Metro once and said "it must suck to have to strap on your car every morning and wear it to work!" We drove souped up big block 4 door Chryslers then. You could get them real cheap, hotrod them with 4.10 gears a big cam, headers and 2x4 bbls on long ram intakes, or a Six Pack and I still got 21 highway mpg out of a 440 that would lift the front tires on a newport! I gave $300 for mine. I still have our 1968 Dodge monaco 4 door race car with long rams. 2500 passes at the dragstrip, 150,000 street miles and no breakages. When I could buy a car with the same basic drivetrain as a cuda or charger etc from the junkyard for a few hundred dollars I couldn't justify spending money on a loan for a new tin can Metro etc. Those payments buy ALOT of gas. 440s don't loose value! I told one guy after his new Geo Storm got totally blown off the road by a rusted out 4800lb land yacht with 6 smiling, waving guys in it, that my drive train alone had more metal in it than their whole car! And it was true! My friends car broke down once and I towed it home with my newport i decided to have a little fun and dumped the 8 bbls on that 440 for a few seconds. after the tire smoke cleared he got out of his car shaking and say "holy s**t man! My car NEVER went that fast before!" He would tell people the fastest way to make their s**t box move was to chain it to my car!
I love the all red GM cars of the 90’s
I own 2 Oldsmobile cutlass supremes, 1992/1996 currently. 3.1 multiport/ 3100. Ive owned for 24 years They both still run. 1996 is clean. 1992 has 250,000 miles and still running having no major issues. Also my first car was a 1986 Olds Cutlass supreme G bod❤❤❤ They were and are still better than most cars today.
Im with ya in all of them. GM is my favorite car maker, but all these were awful. Espcially the Monte. You may not hate Luminas but i sure do. All of them.
The Catera was an unreliable car with bad quality materials, even though its exterior design was an eye-catcher. The late 90s was a very bad time for GM, as they were losing money and making unreliable vehicles with bad quality materials.
The last gen Skylark was a hideous car. Very ugly exterior. I would easily go for the Grand Am or 2-door Achieva instead.
Geos were all over the place for their first few years of production before sales began to drop quickly.
Let alone that the Catera was a rebagded of an Opel which is not even close to being a Buick more like a Chevrolet anyway.
@@dustin_4501 Yeah, plus, the Catera's quality and interior were too similar to the Malibu of the same era.
@@michaelsimko7694 It was truly one of those GM's lazy moves, they not try re-stylized the Catera, but interesting that this happened around the same as the Chevrolet Alero.
@@dustin_4501 And GM had already gone too far with rebadging and using parts from cheaper vehicles in more expensive vehicles
The best thing about the Catera is donating it's door handles to the 04-06 Pontiac GTO. They are a direct fit (with very little modification to the actuator rods) and replace the plastic handles that came on the GTO with nice tough metal ones.
Had a good experience in the 1995 Regal Grand Sport my Dad bought new and sold me ten years later. My Dad could get 30mpg highway out of it.
Yes, I had a 96 Riviera and a 2000 Park Ave. Both of them would get about 20 mpg on Socal freeways. Each would run about 60 dollars a week to fill them. I sold the Park Ave in 2010 and traded the Riviera in 2016. They both had over 100k miles on them. The Riviera had 206k lol and was still going 😅
My grandmother had a 94 regal custom
My friends mom traded in an 83' Monte Carlo SS for a Catera back in the day. We never let her live that down for years.
monte carlo had a special trim level called the eliminator in honor of dale earnhardt. it was gray and black came with a 350 cid v-8 to cash in on the popularity of the nascar driver dale earnhardt who drove a monte carlo bodied car in the nascar races during that time period.
On the topic of Geo's, I just figured it be interesting to share that my grandpa actually has 3 geo trackers in his backyard. Two purple, and a red one with a manual. Sadly, none have been on the road in years and one of the people ones has practically rotted away. They are cool to look at though, and the better condition purple one runs!!
I owned a 96 chevy cavalier and that thing was such a massive piece of junk that I changed brands and bought my first Ford. I'm on my 4th Ford product now and I'll never go back to Chevy.
Am driving a ‘05 sunfire that I got for $100. Is a cavalier with a butt ugly Pontiac snout. Still runs @ 232K and can’t complain. It’s reliable roller skate transportation.
Thank you for the video. You are right about the Catera. The one good thing it did was paved the way for the CTS or CT5 today. You covered it well. It was a Opel/Vauxhall Omega. There were issues with the car. It was a missed opportunity marketing and quality wise. It also was the basis for the Holden Commodore/Calais which were different and modified. All the GM brands at the time wanted the Opel Omega. I know Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick all wanted it. Buick had a concept car in the 1990's based off the Holden version that they wanted to bring to production. It would have fit in Regal's slot in the brand. It was called XP 2000. The 3300 V6 was a great engine. It was derived from the 3800 V6. The engine was good. I was shocked to see Monte Carlo on the list. That car started out a concept car and then it went into production. If you got one with a 3800 V6, then it was fine. They did improve the styling in 2000. They brought back those styling cues. I cannot justify the Skylark front end styling. That was a mistake, They changed it by 1997. The Geo Prism was a Toyota Corolla. It was not a bad car as it was built in the same factory as the Corolla. In Canada they had a brand called Asuna which was the Geo of Canada sold at Pontiac dealers. In Canada the roles for Chevrolet and Pontiac were reversed. I like seeing the parade of GM cars and I saw the Ninety Eight too. Thank you for the video and effort. I will look forward to your Skylark video.
Im Europe the Omega was an excellent car. Its most strange that they managed to mess it up for America.
I never understood that either as Opel/Vauxhall Omega had a great reputation there, but the Cadillac version had issues. It was messed up with marketing and quality issues. Something got lost along the way.
What's up OLDS! Hey, I appreciate the read for this week, always a good one:) I know you had some trouble finding the community tab so I'll just let you know that there won't be a video this week since I've been and am sick! I'm feeling a lot better now, just thought I would let you know since you've been so supportive for some time now!
@@GreenHawkDrive I am sorry you have been so ill. I hope your recovery is quick and you will be in full health soon. Thank you for sharing there will not be a video. I completely understand. Please take care and be well soon.
I’m really enjoying this channel. Keep up the great videos.
I appreciate that man, thank you!
Disagree.
That 90s Skylark was an incredibly nice riding car with distinctive styling that made it look more bird-like. My pastor had one with the V6, and it was torquey, powerful, and that DynaRide suspension made it float over the rode.
Ahh, you forget the skylark came with the 3.3 for 2 years… my bro got this skylark with 180k, drove it for 15 and parked it in his field because of rusted brake lines. Here I come months later with $300, pick it up and put new brake lines on it, drove it for a year and 2 months of pure abuse with just oil changes… my grandpa put a hole in the block taking out the front main just resealing the motor, due to blowing the head gaskets from overheating (it was either super cold or super hot for about 2 months before it blew). That’s only the start. That car had quite the story.
I've actually owned a couple cars from this list and one of them is still something I currently own lol...I had a 92 storm hatchback that was a decent economy car... Looked a little sporty...16 year old me approved lol.... And I still currently own a 99 Monte Carlo that I did what GM refused to do till 2004 and I put the 3.8 liter supercharged V6 in it in place of the lazy and dead 3.1 that it came with and I've enjoyed driving it for years and it handles good for what it is... Sure it had some GM quality control quirks... But overall it and the lumina I had for almost a decade were great as far as I'm concerned 🙂 and your 💯 percent right on the catera! As a service tech for 15 years I still groan when I see one! And I guess I'm a bit of a masochist because I actually enjoy the look of the fwd Skylark with the pointed front end...I guess I'm an 80s child and don't mind odd angles on my cars lol... Keep up the good work on the videos...I enjoy watching them!😊
Good old Geo tracker fun but super flimsy. Some of them had 4 wheel drive and even an optional front axle locker. Because of there low price they were the original side by side the gator or Razer before those were even thought up. Great video its very enjoyable to watch.
You should do a best or worst muscle cars of the 80s or 90s. Either would be awesome
Had new 1993 Buick Skylark. Two door..By far the worse car I recall.
My 6 ft tall grandpa had a geo tracker. Loved it but not at high speeds.
Early 80's Geo Trackers were indestructible. Fun too.
One of my most terrifying times driving was trying to merge onto a highway with a 3-cyl Metro with no 3rd gear and a logging truck bearing down like the movie Duel
I had a 1995 Monte Carlo Z34. I bought it used with only 40K on it in 2001. I actually loved it, but Chevy went cheap inside of it.
The Lumina Z34 was one of Chevys best 80s cars. I had a hand me down z28 when I turned 17 in 1994. I would have loved a Z34 instead with a practical-ish back seat and with about $200 I'm early 90s mo ey ypu could bump the horsepower up to best Vettes and it had the classic 80s/90s styling. The interior was pure GM plastic with the horrid din and a half stereo. Once Puoneer and Ke wood fixed the size issue it was a perfect car fir its time
Brings back memories of my teen years and being a young adult
One of the randos that lives in my town converted a geo metro into a Ute.
It’s the cutest lil I’ve seen.
That's the most redneck thing I have ever heard, and I want one
Awwww! i remember my 01 monte carlo SS. it was a fun car. ❤
"Zero to sixty was.... eventually" 🤣🤣🤣
This brings back so many memories for me! I was a teenager/young adult during this time and literally obsessed with cars lol. GM in particular, I knew their products very well. This was a time when American car makers were really trying to do their best but just didn't get it quite right. Lots of quality and reliability issues. But despite all that I have to say they (and most auto makers back then) made some pretty interesting vehicles. I miss those days when you had umpteen cars to chose from. Tons more personality. Now everything is crossovers and trucks. Boring AF if you ask me. I love your videos BTW!
My mom had a gold 95 Geo Prizm when I was growing up after having a 91 Pontiac Grand Prix and that Prizm ran for so long and when my mom sold it and bought an 08 Cobalt coupe (she still has the cobalt) the Prizm had over 200,000 miles and still going.
Another deadly sin of the Catera was that it looked just like the much cheaper Chevy Lumina!
Or Malibu
My grandparents had a Skylark. I never thought of it as a bad car.
I remember when I was a kid the 6th gen skylark coup looked interesting to me, I would love a full video on it!
I was one of the first people in San Diego to get a Skylark aquamarine grand sport 4 door. I absolutely loved The Thing. Especially the the adjustable suspension, but the Buick dealer network was designed for people who were in their 50s and 60s, and I was 24. They didn't know how to market the car to me. And when it had problems and it did, they didn't really put much effort into trying to fix it. The car road well and drove great but interior bits of plastic were not durable for younger fingers. I used to say the car was designed for someone with arthritis because you couldn't manhandle anything inside without ir breaking or coming loose. But it sure did drive great! And I personally, thought it looked better than the grand am or the achieva. Even with that big beak out there.
Great vid Hawk! Small correction..The Ford Festiva was a Mazda design, but KIA built them under licsence. The local Ford dealer when I graduated High School donated one to my class....I had a one in 172 chance of winning it! I think of your list the Caterra would have been the worst. Was expensive and had reliabilty issues. The Buick version of a Grand Am wasn't bad.....It was just UGLY IMO.
catera was my first car, once it runs, its a very nice car but reliability is so bad and parts were hard to find back then in 2005
@@retrocompaq5212 I worked at a GM store around that time. When one came in, the Technicians would run.
Yeah, you're right my mistake! That is an awesome little story man, how long did you have it?
The quad 4 dohc was an awesome motor. They made 160-180 hp. Had one in my Grand am. That thing was awesome. I loved it.
my grandparents had a 1993 Skylark, and the car stayed in the family for another 30 years or so before it was retired, definitely got their moneys worth out of it, drove across canada dozens of times.
I had a Grand Am -97 for about 2 years, I loved the engine and transmission, it suited me excellent, fuel consumption was good for me, 9L/100KM / 26 MPG but I was aware of the 3.1 intake gasket problems so I sold it while it still worked.
My mom had this cutlass Supreme for a while when I was little. Iirc the door handles were vertical rectangles along the left hand side of the door pillars. First car I ever saw with a digital dash, all the way back in the 90s! Don't remember it being all that slow either. Was kinda weird, growing up and remembering that CS as the exact opposite of what olds is generally known for. think it was the same gen as the white one they show briefly during the monte segment.
I own a 91 Cutlass International Series coupe. Love it ! Very reliable, quick, and so 90's!
I bought a Metro with 108,000 miles as a work work car for $500.00.
Sold it to a co-worker for $800.00 5 years later for $900.00.
The whole time I had it the only actual repair it needed was a rear wheel bearing.
Whoa, hang on a sec about Geo. The reputation was that they were cheap, but they didn’t have any cost-cutting measures done to them. That means the Prizm was as reliable as any Corolla, the Metro as any Swift, etc. GM did right to have these specific models come under their umbrella, as they were all quite reliable. The problem is, because they were all economy cars - and this was the 90s - the reputation of “cheap” based on MSRP and options meant they got treated with disdain and lack of maintenance, which then fueled a communal belief that Geo’s were also unreliable. That was objectively never true - what happened was human nature and culture. Had GM tried Geo 1:1 as they did in the 90s, but instead in the late 70s, they would’ve been regarded far more highly, and treated with better care - at least until they made it down to their second, third, fourth owners.
tl;dr Geo is a tale of culture taking something that was one thing, branding it as another, and thus rewriting history.
I work at a Chevrolet dealer when the Citation came out. It was just awful. And the customers hated them too. I worked in the parts department and we cleaned out all the old stock for these new vehicles over a three year period. We threw away so many now considered classic car parts it was a crying shame. I manage to snag a short block Z28 302 new in the crate for cost but most everything else went into a dumpster. I had no place to store them otherwise I would have bought everything.
This video could go on forever!
My sister had a 1997 Geo Prizm LSI. She owned it from 1999-2007, and it was probably the most reliable car she's ever owned.
I learned to drive in a 92 Grand Am; it was fun and sporty. Those Catera’s were great. They felt sporty and peppy and not like and old man car. The GEO Storm’s were pretty awesome too. Not super fast but handling was great and they felt fun and tossible
I once did a head job on a Metro in under 2 hours. Super proud of that lol.
Owned an 88 N Body Grand Am. Ironically i liked the looks of the Skylark compared to the Achieva. But the Grand Am will always be my favorite one.
Maybe it’s just me, but that Skylark Grand Sport coupe looks kinda cool.
The only real complaint I have is that the front end - in particular the grille and headlights - really needed a redesign.