I am here to admit that I am a proud owner of a 1995 Geo Tracker. It’s a color that is almost aquamarine, but I like to call it “seafoam.” It used to be a ragtop, but I switched over to a hard top after five years. That’s right, I’ve had this thing for five years now. Before you think I’m one of those freaky in-a-Tracker-cult type people, let me give you some insight into why I have this ridiculous vehicle and why it’s better than you would imagine.
Five years ago in February 2004, I turned 16. Everyone excitedly waits for the day they turn 16 so that they can get their license and burn up the streets. I was no exception. Plus, I knew that my dad was getting me a vehicle so I didn’t even have to worry about scraping up the money for one. It was perfect. Until he pulled in the driveway with a seafoam-colored 1995 Geo Tracker. My jaw dropped and I was incredibly disappointed. Initially, I refused to drive it or be in it. My dad looked at me seriously and asked, “do you want to drive?” I said yes and he said, “well then here’s your car!” Knowing that I would never win with my father, I conceded to the car. All five speeds and 85 horsepower of the car.
All my high school friends knew my dad, so I didn’t have to do much explaining when it came to the car. But with everyone else, I always felt the need to justify driving a Tracker. It was embarrassing but I learned to embrace the Tracker. How could I not? It was and is my first car. It came with only 43,000 miles on it despite being nine years old when I got it. It had four wheel drive AND got awesome gas mileage. It would have been the total package had it not been a Tracker.
But hey, it was TECHNICALLY a convertible, right? The Tracker ended up being the summer ride of choice. We would drive around aimlessly with the top off. Through campus looking at all the college boys, on back dirt roads that we had never explored before and through the biggest mud puddles we could find. It didn’t hurt that we lived in a small town and were pretty “country.” We enjoyed the time in the Tracker. One time we accidentally even caught air in it over some railroad tracks. My friends and I put good miles on the car.
Did I mention that this car has had literally zero major mechanical issues? In 2006, I thought I had one. The car was sputtering and felt like it wasn’t receiving fuel. I thought the fuel injection system was having an issue. It turns out that wasn’t the case at all. I needed new spark plug wires. I changed them and my car was completely fixed. Ridiculous longevity.
Back in 2004, gas was hovering around $1.80, so we were never really concerned about fuel economy. That all changed when gas shot up to around $4.00 per gallon. Then it was incredibly convenient that my 1995 Geo Tracker got around 38 mpg city and 47 mpg highway. You read that correctly, my car is a prehistoric Prius.
One disadvantage to the Tracker has always been comfort. In the summer, there is no air conditioning so windows are the only option. Which is not very effective at all. In the winter when it’s brutally cold, heat takes around 15 minutes to generate. On top of that, it has to be on full blast the entire time because it would seep out of the rag top very quickly. Sometimes ice would form on the inside of the windshield and the doors would freeze shut. But that’s a minor inconvenience when you think about all the money I’m saving through my college education with this thing.
In an attempt to change the winter situation, my dad helped me put a hard top on the car. Winter was awesome. The heat that I worked so hard to get stayed in the car, I stayed warmer, and no ice formed on the inside of the windshield. When spring came, I realized the next challenge that I had to face. Rain was pouring in through the gaps in the hard top and filling my floor with puddles. The carpeting in the car was constantly soaked and it began to smell. I figured it was probably too late to deal with keeping the carpet. I also figured that I will be graduating college next May, and that I really only need the Tracker to last another year or two. So I came up with a solution to keep her going.
Last month, I removed all the interior carpeting. I took the seats out and then just ripped it all out and burnt it. It was nice to see it go because it was soaked and smelled like a wet dog. After pressure washing the interior of the car and letting it dry, I set to work on step two of Tracker reconditioning. I had purchased a few cans of spray on truck liner that you can buy at an auto parts store and simply sprayed the entire floor area with it. I covered it pretty thick so that now I don’t get a smell when my car leaks, there’s gritty stuff for grip, and I have access to the drain holes in the floor. Plus, it looks sweet in a way. Now my car is good to go long enough to get me through college and into a career where I can buy something newer.
For being 14 years old, I have minimal things to complain about with my Geo Tracker. If you can get past the ugly nature of the car, the lack of climate control, and some possible leaking, it’s a great car. I’ve had almost no problems with it mechanically, it gets incredible gas mileage, but it also offers the option of four wheel drive. It’s really a winner for commuting to college or work. It would save a lot of money and save wear and tear on your everyday car. You can pick up a decent one for around $1,000. So this is why I can love my Tracker without being a weird Tracker cult freak. Getting a new car will be an exciting time in my life, but it will probably be at least a little sad.
