dependable, reliable, can count on. It made me forget my mechanic's name.

interior is cheap. i guess could have been better.

Purchased it at 88k and now 120k. paid $3900. so far, thanks God, no problems. i just had to replace brake pads. dependable, reliable, good on gas. good deal, i give 5 out of 5.

Definately the gas mileage. I drive 65 miles round trip to work daily, not to mention countless errand trips, and only fill up once a week. Stereo system/CD player is good, even plays CD-Rs i burn at home, even my home stereo wont play many of them. I like the flip out hidden cupholders, not a alot to brag about there but my previous vehicles had none!! Great car for the price.

A/C and heat switch, engine light and seat belt light defect. Not a good car if u are tall. I am fine at 5"4, but the husband is 6'4 and feels cramped in it.

I got this car after i totaled my 98 nissan sentra. It was comparable in size and style, and the dependability of it sold me. Im not really into flashy fancy cars, and i dont care that my little prizm is basically a Metro on steroids. Its great on gas...took it out west to yellowstone on my honeymoon and spent hardly anything on gas. Lately ive been having a few minor probs, engine light comes on when the diagnostics say its nothing, and sometimes the seat belt light will come on while im wearing my belt...and i have heard this from other prizm drivers. Ive gotten over the panicked feeling of seeing the engine light on, but sometimes worry about ignoring it if it develops a more major problem. Also...the heat and a/c only work on the highest fan switch, but havent had time or $$$ to get that checked out yet.

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1986 chevy nova (totaled in 97) it was a great first car, kinda weak and nerdy though! 1993 pontiac grand prix- this car sucked big time. Bad on gas, engine block cracked in 98 and cost me a fortune

Engine/Tranny/steering reliability Mileage Overall smoothness of performance

Cheap plastic crappy parts on interior. Prizms have notoriously bad interior handles and plastics.

I got rid of my high school mustang for a more sensible Prizm in late 1997. I had been waiting for this model to come out. It gets great mileage. It is mechanically sound. I've never done anything more major than change the sparkplugs. This car is exactly what I was hoping for. The interior plastics are a bunch of trash. What broke: Dome Light swith Dash is not seated right Cig lighter assembly (3 times) Radio (burned up twice) Interior Brake light (melted own housing) (most of this stuff was warranty work) The major parts of the car have been rock solid. I drive very conservatively though.

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Rented neons and focus. Prizm is tops.

Reliability Gas Mileage

Plain appearance Backseat can be small for people over 6ft. Chevrolet discontinued for some reason

I bought this car right out of college because I was looking for a car that was dependable(It shares many under the hood components with the very reliable Toyota Corolla) and because I limited myself to GM cars (my father offered to give me the $1,000 he had earned on his GM credit card). I have not had any problems with the car at all - its reliablity has been first rate, and all I have done is put gas in the car and changed the oil. It isn't a speed demon on the highway but it is faster then alot of the cars I have driven and it is enough to merge you onto a busy highway and it can cruise comfortably at 80 mph (you may want more speed then this but you really don't need it). The interior is comfortable and the controls are easy to use. The car certainly isn't going to knock anyones socks off with coolness and style with its plain design but I think it still looks nice enough. Furthermore, if your Prizm is reliable (and it should be) you will learn to like its appearance no matter what. Finally, I found it to be a tough little car too - I rearended someone and suffered no damage to my front bummer. I think it is an excellent choice for someone on a budget such as a recent graduate. Unfortunately, I think Chevrolet may have discontinued making new ones, so if you are reading this you are probably looking at one that is used. If you are in the market for a new Prizm just buy yourself a Toyota Corolla - they are all but identical.

A work horse that just refuses to quit. Great on gas milage.

Engine could use a couple of extra ponies (1.6 liter engine) slow on overtaking traffic and merging. But once it's rolling, it's fine.

I'm not much of a writer - so I'll be brief. This is one of the moooooooost reliable cars I have ever owned - Period. I have 90,000 miles, drive it just about every day - (90% of the time is city driving) without a single mechanical problem - Let me repeat "NOT A SINGLE MECHANICAL PROBLEM". This car is like those old timex commercials "it takes a licking and keeps on ticking". One of better purchases I've made. Absolutely no regrets.

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All types

A work horse that just refuses to quit. Great on gas milage.

Engine could use a couple of extra ponies (1.6 liter engine) slow on overtaking traffic and merging. But once it's rolling, it's fine.

I'm not much of a writer - so I'll be brief. This is one of the moooooooost reliable cars I have ever owned - Period. I have 90,000 miles, drive it just about every day - (90% of the time is city driving) without a single mechanical problem - Let me repeat "NOT A SINGLE MECHANICAL PROBLEM". The car like those old timex commercials "it takes a licking and keeps on ticking". One of better purchases I've made. Absolutely no regrets.

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All types

Fuel economy, low maintenance, VERY smooth ride

No tachometer, not very stylish, and apparently Chevy is discontinuing the model.

I was looking for a good commuter car, and it is definitely that! With the 5-speed I've been getting 35-40mpg on the highway - great since I drive 100+ miles/day. Low maintenance, comfy interior (even if it does look exactly like the interior of my '87 Toyota Tercel). Have nearly 75k miles on it already, but no mechanical problems. I've had amazing bad luck with this car, but it keeps right on running! What I thought would be an expensive electrical problem turned out to be merely a blown fuse (yes, that was my first thought, but I replaced the blown fuse with the spare GM kindly included with the car, and still no juice - the spare fuse was a dud!) I was rear-ended, and suffered no damage (unlike the car that hit me and had to be towed away!) It was stolen, but recovered undamaged (the joy-rider had a habit of totaling the cars he stole, but he got nervous when he saw the police behind him and stalled out) During a recent inspection, the mechanic forgot to set the emergency brake and it drifted off into a pole (if it missed the pole, it would have ended up in a busy intersection. The body work was taken care of by the garage, so again no $$ out of my pocket.) It's definitely one of the best cars I've ever owned.

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Plymouth Neon (95), Toyota Tercel (90, 87), Mazda Protege (01)

Great gas mileage Dependable

Could use more horsepower and more stylish

This is a great car! Its excellent on gas and accerlates pretty quickly, it has no trouble with a heavy footer like me. Never has this car left be stranded, its always dependable. I have had the car for 9 years and have gone through some maintenance work, but nothing too major. Sad part is , my car has been hit by a side-swiped deer so sadly I may have to part with my beloved dependale Prizm. THis was my first car.

Reliable Great looking Very good deal for the money Safe Great handling

The engine could be beefed up. When trying to merge into traffic uphill after a toll booth, I would have to turn off the A/C as a sort of "overdrive."

I loved my Prizm! Not only was it great looking, but it was totally reliable. In four years I was never once stranded because of this car (only once because of a lousy Firestone tire, but that was not the car's fault!). I drove it to 100,000 miles and did have to make repairs, but they were basically routine maintenance that any car would need. It handled like a little sports car, and was very comfortable and roomy. Unfortunately, I totalled it last week. But my Prizm was reliable to the end -- it was a horrible accident, and the hood was shoved almost to my windshield, but the engine compartment did not encroach into the cabin of the car at all, the airbags deployed but did not hit me in the face, and I walked away basically unharmed, just sore. I was so sad when they were towing it away! I would definitely recommend this car.

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None. Drove a Tercel previously, and the Prizm is an upgrade from the Tercel. However, they both have Toyota motors, and both were extremely reliable.

Reliability (my number one priority) Economy Build Quality Handling Surprisingly roomy (I'm 6'4 and I fit fine in the driver's seat, although I could't wear a hat in there) Excellent deal from Clifford...list price was $8000, I paid $4200 I like fast/cool/flashy cars as well as anyone, but I felt I owed it to myself and my passengers to buy something that is unlikely to leave us stranded...When I want a second car, perhaps I'll get something a little "cooler".

These aren't really weaknesses, due to the nature of the Prizm, but... Could use 20 more horses, but so what? It's an economy car. Rear seat is cramped with front seats shoved all the way back...understandable, since it's a compact.

This has been a wonderful car for me. I researched used cars for almost a year, looking for the best bang for my buck, and there's no doubt in my mind I got the best available local deal. I've owned this car for almost a year and a half, and have spent exactly nothing on maintenance or repairs, except for oil changes and an air filter. It starts up every time, handles well, cruises comfortably at 80 mph, and gets good gas mileage. People compliment me on how smoothly it runs, and have asked me if it's brand new (not bad for a 7-year-old car). I've got the 1.6L, 100 HP, 105 lb. ft. LSI version, and I'm even happy with the performance--bearing in mind that this is an economy car, not meant to be particularly fast.

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'99 Mercury Mystique: A little larger and more powerful tahn the Prizm, and handles beautifully, but has proved to be somewhat less reliable than the Prizm. Prizm gets much better gas mileage too, alt