Orlando Sentinel's view

In January when I first saw the Geo Metro convertible at the Detroit auto show, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Why would GM take a nice little hatchback and have the roof chopped off? Who would buy it, I wondered.

After recently spending a week behind the wheel of a pre-production prototype, I have two more questions concerning the Metro convertible: How are they going to build them fast enough? And how is it possible to have so much fun for so little money?

The most you can spend on a loaded Metro convertible with air conditioning and a nice radio is about $10,500, making it one of the most inexpensive convertibles on the market.

For that money you get a car that delivers 46 miles per gallon on the highway and 40 mpg in the city, provided you leave the air conditioner switched off. You also get a car that is equipped with a driver’s side air bag, independent suspension on all four wheels, power brakes, intermittent wipers, rack-and-pinion steering and a host of other items that usually drive up the cost on other small imported cars.

Until now, there’s never been a car quite like the Metro convertible. The only thing even remotely like the Metro convertible – in spirit, at least – is British Leyland’s old MG Midget, a tiny convertible that delivered excellent gas mileage but had a tendency to fall apart. That car has been dead for more than a decade and there hasn’t been a convertible as small since.

Unless you drive a go-cart, there’s no ”topless” car this side of the planet that can squeeze more miles out of a gallon of gas. A $10 bill is enough to fill the tank – that’s the car’s No. 1 attribute.

Second on the list is its looks. With the top down and stowed neatly underneath the plastic tonneau cover, the Metro convertible is really cute.

The Metro convertible seats two. There’s plenty of legroom and some space behind the seats. You might be able to squeeze in a grocery bag or two back there, but not much else. The trunk also is somewhat small. A laundry basket is about the widest item you can fit into it. The lack of space is not necessarily a bad thing, if you understand the car’s mission.

For one thing, it is not a sports car. Even though the roof comes down and it has a five-speed transmission, there’s no way the Metro can be considered a sports car, or anything like one. The 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine – about the size of a sewing machine – is just adequate. The engine does a credible job of cruising at a steady 55 mph or even 65 mph. But getting there takes time, especially if you are running the air conditioner. It also does not run as smooth as a four-cylinder.

For another thing, the Metro convertible cannot be considered serious transportation.

It’s the perfect high school graduation gift. It’s excellent to take to the beach on weekends. It’s a nifty commuter car for city dwellers. However, it’s not a car you’d want to load up with luggage and take on a long trip. As the name implies, the car is in its element snaking through traffic on congested city streets.

Because the Metro is about the size of a roller skate, parallel parking is a breeze. The steering, handling and braking make it an excellent car for quick, tight maneuvers, such as jockeying for a parking space at a mall.

Lowering the top takes all of three minutes. You get out, flip the seats forward, lift off the center section of the three-piece tonneau cover, push forward the two side sections, unlatch the roof from the windshield and fold the top back. The top drops into a deep well behind the seats and the tonneau fits over it neatly without obstructing rear vision.

With the top down, the gawkers start appearing. No fewer than half a dozen people rolled down their windows at stop lights and asked me about the car.

The Metro is built by Suzuki in Japan. It is one of a horde of Japanese microcars that are that country’s main staple of transportatio .

Although it did not rain while I had the Metro, I di d determine that the top is not 100 percent leakproof. While washing it, I blasted the window area with a hose. Both seats had a few drips of water on their outer edges. Bear in mind the test car was a pre-production prototype, and production versions may be leakproof. Prototypes aren’t usually put together as well as production vehicles.

On the other hand, with the top up and cruising at 65 mph, very little wind noise finds its way into the interior.

As with most convertibles, there is a bit of cowl shake, that is, the area around the windshield frame tends to vibrate as you drive over rough terrain.

The Metro convertible’s cute looks, excellent fuel economy and low admission price are sure to make the car a hot item when it goes on sale in July.

Only 3,000 will be imported in the 1990 model year for a marketing test run in 10 states before GM launches the car nationally in October. GM plans to sell between 10,000 and 12,000 Metro convertibles in the 1991 model year. For about $11,000, the Metro convertible just may be the most fun you can have under the sun for the money.