1994 Geo Tracker 4x4 Convertible By Professional Test Driver, New Car Test Drive .com

There's a lot more than just fun in the latest edition of Chevrolet's suburban machine. It has new features to meet all passenger car safety standards. These include side door guard beams and rollover roof standards. Other '94 improvements include colorful new interiors and a center console with cup holders.

Produced for Chevrolet by Suzuki, the Tracker is sold by Chevrolet to compete with 4x4s such as the Suzuki Samurai. Yes, somehow this makes sense in a marketing sort of way. After all, there are many more Chevrolet dealers than Suzuki dealers. Like any good auto manufacturer, Suzuki didn't agonize over the logic of competing with itself. It just made more money on what is basically the same product.

The base sticker price for the Tracker 4x4 Convertible we drove was $12,135. Options such as air conditioning, 15inch alloy wheels and a package that included power steering and a premium sound system brought the total to $14,294, plus destination charges, prep and taxes. While this makes the Geo Tracker 4x4 Convertible substantially more expensive than many well-equipped compact cars, it is a fairly low price for a 4WD vehicle. Four-wheel-drive power trains do not come cheap. Neither does meeting safety standards for an off-road-capable convertible.