Geo Prizm

Model years: 19842010,The Geo Prizm is one of a number of vehicles that have at their core one of the most reliable cars ever: the Toyota Corolla. The Corollas longevity generally goes unremarked, however. This Corolla clone (marketed as a Chevrolet at one point) also appeared as the Chevy Nova (19841988) and the Pontiac Vibe (20022010). Many of these cars are still out there on the open road, sometimes causing headscratching as they soldier on into their second or even third decade. What is that thing? How? Why? All of these cars were the product of a ToyotaGM joint venture called NUMMI, a Fremont, Calif. factory that built nearly 8 million vehicles of Toyotas basic design before it closed down in 2010. These were the first Toyotas assembled in the U.S., and the story of how this locations jaded United Auto Workers workforce learned the Toyota Way and turned out cars just as good as the ones built in Japan is a fascinating one (you can listen to it in an episode of the public radio show This American Life). These cars get highway mileage in the 35 mpg range, which has made them Old Gold during eras of high gas prices. A shrewd shopper looking for a used Corolla might consider one of these instead. The seller might not realize what hes letting go.