TheLoneGunman

My quest for a car continues...

I was offered a '90 Geo Tracker by a car guy for about $2k (+400 for a bad new top).

It has about 129,000 miles and supposedly has been recently overhauled.

Is this a good deal? (I know it is about wholesale blue book)

I was told these don't roll over, but I am hard on curves. Anyone have experience?

Thanks in advance

pennypinch

Yikes, I'd be wary of buying ANYTHING with over 100K miles. It's probably worth the money you'd spend to have a mechanic check the entire thing out thoroughly. You can probably do better, though...

Newbiee

You can do waaaaaaay better. 130k GEO miles is really bad and not worth 2g's

Paladin

I think trackers suck but If that's all you can afford then get something that will stay running. I think I could not fit my knee under the dash board. They sound like little weedwhacker engines.

TheLoneGunman

Actually I can afford a lot better, but right now I am renting.

I figured that I could probably get about $1k for it after a year and so and then I would be "renting" for $1k + expenses which is less than about 1.5 months of regular car rental.

If it really isn't even worth that, then I guess I won't do it, but I just thought it might be an ok deal.

Thanks for your feedback so far.

pennypinch

I remember my friend rented something from Rent-A-Wreck (what an apt name that was). Something like a Ford Festiva for two months. It was much less than a grand, I'll tell you that. It's clear you're not in the market for a prestige automobile , so that might be the best way to go.
Plus, the pain-in-the-ass expense and trouble of selling the thing at the end of the month and a half...I'd rent.

att

i used to have 3 geos in my fleet of cars at a business i managed a couple years ago, after about 115,000 miles they all started to die. it didnt matter what we replaced, what mechanic did it, or what brand of parts, they just kept braking down. a major overhaul doesnt mean crap when it comes to geo, for some reason, once they go, it's all over. not to mention the fact that to get it to drive like a decent car you have to drive the snot out of it, thus imparting tons of extra wear and tear-- stay away

TheLoneGunman

Actually I meant I needed a car for more than two months, I was just saying that break even should be about then.

So far, I haven't heard much good about the Tracker. This really sucks.

Oh well, maybe you can suggest a better value.

I do have some money, but unless it is something special (like PT Cruiser or Prius) there is no point in buying new and taking depreciation hit.

Newbiee

My friend has had 2 festivas and they just keep on going. They will last a very long time but too bad they are butt ugly

pennypinch

If you can find a 1964 Impala in any sort of reasonable condition, you can sell it for absolutely top dollar in southern california. Unfortunately, all of the real deals are long gone, so you're probably looking to find something out of state...or from a relative.

jase71

Well, I'll be the lone dissenter here, and put in a plug for the Tracker.

I've got a '92 Geo Tracker with about 97K on it. I really like the little thing. It's not a sports car, and it's not a Suburban, but it's a fun little truck.

I live in Wisconsin, so with our 9 month winters, the 4 wheel drive is nice. It's a REAL four-wheel drive system, with a Hi and Lo, not the "all-wheel drive" stuff you get on a lot of suvs these days. They're built body on frame, like a regular truck... not unibody stuff. So they're pretty tough for their size.

Our other vehicle is a '96 Blazer, and for bad roads or off-road, the Tracker will flat out leave the Blazer behind.
No comparison. I can even follow my brother's 2000 Wrangler anywhere he's willing to take it. <grin> I know the Wrangler is better in the extreme, but he's not willing to risk his brand new Jeep quite yet.

The Tracker is really a suzuki sidekick in disguise. They're pretty easy to get parts for, because they're fairly common... And they're pretty easy to work on. Nothing too complex about them. Other Geos were made by other manufacturers. So a Geo Prizm has a different track record than a Geo Metro, or a Geo Tracker.

That said, if you're looking for a highway commuter, don't bother. The Tracker is a lousy highway car. Underpowered above 65. Noisy. And if it's two wheel drive, don't even bother. A two wheel drive Tracker is nothing but a Festiva convertible. DON'T get one if you're hard on curves. The Tracker isn't roll-happy, but it's NOT a sports car. It's a short-wheelbase SUV, and it can get squirrely if you push it too hard.

130K miles might be a bit high. I don't trust ANYTHING past 100K. Not to get me to work reliably.

It might not be TOO bad a deal... but I don't think it's what you're looking for. Try and find an old Civic or Accord. Something from the late 80's. They never really drop below 2K in value, regardless of age, and they run forever with a little maintenance.

Luck.

Jase

buttmunch

geo's suck

TheLoneGunman

Thanks.

Based on your input and the shakiness of the CarFax report and the look of the car, I turned it down