[JellyBeanDriver]

We're original owners of a 2001. Bought it when it first came out - had to wait 2 months to get it as they were not making stick shift ones yet and we heard the automatic was a dog. With the stick it's bearable but you have to wind out the gears.

Gas mileage has never been great, 16 city, 25 highway. It does 'cruise' very well on the freeway. Will do 80 MPH all day pretty comfortably and handles pretty well. Stop and go sucks.

Fit and finish is going downhill rapidly. Dashboard is cracked all over, exterior trim broke off, windshield had to be replaced from stress cracks from the edges.

Drivetrain has been very reliable, nothing replaced yet with 92K miles though it's burning oil, much more than my Geo Metro with 411K miles on the original engine.

BTW, the cruiser is NOT an interference engine, the valves will not hit the pistons. Being DOHC, the valves can hit each other (so I've read).