1996 Geo Tracker Review

Escalating prices of mid-size and large sport/utility vehicles make it almost seem as if you must be wealthy to own one.

But that's not the case with the much-improved new Geo Tracker. Sold by Chevrolet/Geo dealers, the Tracker is among the growing group of smaller, lower-priced sport/utilities--often driven by people who look like they're having more fun than surrounding motorists.

Tracker prices range from $12,970 for the base two-door, two-wheel-drive convertible to $15,710 for the top-of-the-line four-wheel-drive LSi four-door hardtop.

The Tracker basically is a rebadged Suzuki Sidekick. Both are made in a Canadian plant that General Motors shares with Japan's Suzuki, which it partly owns.

For 1996, the Tracker comes as a longer, quieter four-door hardtop model--a body style Suzuki has had all to itself since 1991--to the chagrin of Chevy/Geo dealers.

The two-door hardtop model has been dropped. But a short-wheelbase two-door convertible still is offered. Both convertible and longer-wheelbase four-door models are sold in base and upscale LSi versions, with a choice of two-wheel or part-time four-wheel drive, which isn't for use on dry pavement.

All Trackers have a center console with dual cup holders and reclining bucket seats that offer decent support. A rear folding bench seat is standard for most models.

The four-door hardtop, which I tested in $14,570 base two-wheel-drive form, makes the two-door soft top look like a shrimp. The hardtop's 97.6-inch wheelbase is 11 inches longer than that of the two-door, and it's 15 inches longer overall--at 158.7 inches.

The added length gives the Tracker four-door a more comfortable ride, good rear seat space for two tall adults, generous cargo area and more stable handling. But both models are rather narrow at 64 inches, so it's hard to seat three adults across in the rear. And rear doors that are narrow at the bottom make entering or leaving the back seat an athletic exercise.

The new Trackers have daytime running lights and feature new front styling and a new instrument panel with dual air bags. Instrumentation is good, and controls are within easy reach. But the climate control levers are notchy and the steering wheel's back end has a few rough spots. It's easy to accidentally activate the headlight high beams when working the turn signal lever, and the outside-mounted spare tire blocks rear visibility.

Also new are optional, $565 anti-lock brakes, which operate on all wheels in both two- and four-wheel drive modes. Gone are the rear-wheel anti-lock brakes that worked only with two-wheel drive.

Parents should feel better about kids in the simple, rugged 1996 Tracker because of its new safety items. It steers, handles and brakes decently for a tall sport/utility, and four-wheel-drive models are sure-footed during off-road motoring.

Also gone is the 80-horsepower four-cylinder engine. All Trackers now have a 1.6-liter, overhead-camshaft four-cylinder with four valves per cylinder. It generates 95 horsepower and delivers from 22 to 23 m.p.g. in the city and from 24 to 26 on highways, depending on what transmission is installed.

Larger sport/utilities generally deliver in the low teens in the city and about 20 m.p.g. on highways.

New for 1996 Trackers is an $800 four-speed automatic for the four-door model. Continuing is a $595 three-speed automatic for the two-door.

Standard is a five-speed manual transmission, which I found works with an easy clutch and shifts crisply, despite long throws between gears.

The Tracker hardtop weighs a fairly heavy 2,434 pounds--or 188 pounds more than the convertible. Thus, its small 1.6-liter engine provides just so-so acceleration for passing on highways. The high-revving engine feels strong, but is noisy when revved hard and requires lots of gear shifting for the best performance. Even with the overdrive fifth gear, the engine is turning over at high revs on highways because of its small size.

Still, the Tracker is lively in town, and you won't get run over if you put it in the right gear and floor the accelerator a lot. Acceleration with either automatic transmission is noisier and slower, but the new four-speed, which has power/economy settings, is the better of the two.

Despite drawbacks, the Tracker is a fun vehicle, and the addition of the four-door model finally makes it a very practical one as well.