My car (a 1993 Saturn) has been having so many problems lately that it’s just not worth the money we’re putting into it anymore. Mr. Jeannie and I went to do some car shopping today. We looked at a few different dealerships. The car that really stood out to us as being a good deal was the Chevy Cavalier. We didn’t test drive one, but we are pretty sure that, of everything we saw today in our price range, this will be our next car. However, we don’t really know many people who have a Chevy Cavalier. (My dad is a big fan of Chevy, but he hasn’t had a Cavalier in years).
So, does anyone here have a Cavalier? Do you like it? Is it a good family car? (We don’t have kids right now, but it never hurts to consider the future). Are there many maintenance issues? Does the transmission fall out the day after the warranty expires?
You get the idea. I am looking for any and all advice about getting a car. My dad will be coming with us when we do the final haggling, so I’m not too worried about that. But as far as the car itself, I’d like some advice.
One more thing: If you’re so inclined, we will happily accept any donations to the “We Need A New Car Fund.” Email me for info
My grandfather had two Cavaliers. The first one, a '95, lost its transmission at 48,000 miles and fatally blew its head gasket at 64,000. The second is a 1999 that has had two engine control modules, three alternators, and a steering box in its first 17,500 miles. He’s currently trying to get GM to buy it back.
Do yourself a favor; before you put dead presidents down for a Cavalier, drive a Ford Focus. It’s roomier, more powerful, and offers more value for the buck.
I have a 2000 Cavalier 4 door sedan. I hate it. I’ll give you mine, as is, for $2500 less than the dealership you went to is going to charge. It’s red. Deal?
I had a Cavalier for 5 years(96-01) and had a multitude of problems with it. Of course, I treated it like shit. On the plus side, a friend of mine had one, rolled it going 60mph, and walked away without a scratch. I guess that’s not bad, the car was totaled though
I’ve never driven a Cavalier, but they are popular with police departments. There are a lot of Cavaliers being used as taxis as well. (I have a feeling they buy worn-out police cruisers.) While they may seem good because police departments use them (BTW the CHP uses Ford Crown Victorias), I’ll bet they have “interceptor” packages that make them more durable. Not sure what that is, but I suspect a V-8 engine and heavy-duty cooling systems. I’m sure you could get the interceptor package, but at probably a hefty cost.
I rented a Ford Focus four-door for a few days while my Cherokee was in the shop being repaired from when it was rear-ended. I found the Focus to be a fairly good car to drive. It was comfortable and handled well, but I think it would have been much better with a standard transmission. It just didn’t perform as well as I would like with the automatic transmission.
The car that rear-ended me whilst I was stopped in traffic was a Grand Am, so I’m not keen on those.
Question: Isn’t Saturn a GM product? If so, wouldn’t a Cavalier have the same problems as the Saturn? Although I drive a Jeep and I like it, I think the Japanese cars are the best value for the money. Have you considered a Honda? A friend of mine has one with 370,000 miles and it’s still running. True, it’s recently had some problems; but it was great up to 300,000 miles.
Wow. I was expecting some negative reviews (not every car can be perfect), but…wow. They all sound like my Saturn (I hate my car). I will definitely take the advice into consideration.
And a Ford Focus is out of the question. My husband has one for work (they provide it) and we hate the damn thing. It’s a sedan, but it feels like I’m in a shoebox when I’m in it. The Cavalier was much roomier. Plus, my dad may disown us if we buy a Ford (it’s a long story, but he is vehemently anti-Ford).
Oh, I just saw Johnny L.A.'s reply. The main reason I hate Saturn (aside from mechanical problems) is the service. The people at the dealership are rude and horrible. I had a Pit thread on it a while back, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now.
I have a 1993 Cavalier RS with a 3.1 six in it and my car was hit at school. So in return we had a rental car. It was a 2001 Cavalier. Wow has the quality gone down. No power. Little Room. Handling is not even to be talked about. I have driven a Focus and love it. I am thinking about getting a ZX2.
BTW, I don’t hate my car because it’s a piece of shit, I’d just rather have something else. Cavaliers are actually pretty nice cars. If you treat them well they will run well past 200,000 miles easily.
I looked at Cavaliers before buying a Hyundai Elantra GT. Check them out–they have more equipment, a better warranty, and are just as roomy as a Cavalier for less money. I used to mock foreign (especially Korean) cars, but until Detroit gives a 100,000 mile warranty, screw 'em.
I drive a 97 Sunfire. It’s a Cavalier with prettier metal panels on it. It’s been a good car. I’ve hit 76,000 miles on it with no problems. A few key points:
-Front impact rating is very good.
-Side impact rating is very mediocre. Don’t get tee-boned.
-Handles well in the wet and snow.
-Good gas mileage.
-A random number of Cavaliers are built so well that they will never die, an equal number will fall apart faster than you can duct tape them together.
-If you get a 4 cylinder, get a manual. With a manual, the car is fairly peppy. A four cylinder automatic requires you to turn off the air conditioner before you can accelerate.
-I prefer the looks and handling of the Cav over the Kia, but the Kia has a very nice warrenty.
Do they still make the Chrysler Cirrus? If they do, you may want to check that out. It may be just a little above the cavalier price range but it is a great car.
That sound you hear? That’s my husband lying on the ground writhing and tearing his clothes and screaming as he tries to get the strength to fight through his agony to get to my keyboard to type “NO! NO! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, NO!”
I wish I could go through the problems he had with his Cavalier, but I cannot bear it and neither could he.
But some summary figures he suggested he share with you, to give you some idea of how his Cavalier held up:
Seven years after buying it brand-new and fully loaded, he sold his Cavalier (at 70,000 miles) for $240.
Seven years after buying it brand-new and fully loaded, he sold his Honda Civic (at 70,000 miles) for $6000
Oh yeah. If you want reliability, seriously consider a Honda Civic. Please. They hold their value well, you’ll have no problem selling it in 10 years if you so wish, and it’ll probably still be running 30 years from now if you so wish.
I really don’t think that a Cavalier is the best car for the money - If you are looking for a new ride in that price range, I think you have to begin with the Nissan Altima, Honda Civic, VW Jetta or even a stripped down Camry or Accord (a little bigger). Each one of these cars can be had at under $20,000. Even Mazda makes an affordable new car that will be very dependable.
Notice one thing - none are made by American car companies. I’ve been researching cars for the past couple months. Consumer Reports gives good marks to the Nissans & Hondas & Toyotas for reliabilty, customer satisfaction, safety & gen’l performance. American car companies are too busy worrying about how to build cars for less money to care enough to design cars that people actually want to drive.
Better yet, buy a gently used Audi or Volvo or Nissan Maxima with 25,000 or 35,000 miles on it & you can still get into one for under $20,000.
Just a few suggestions - good luck. Since you seem to be type that will buy a car and really get your money’s worth out of it, make sure you do yourself a favor and get something you like and that won’t crap out on you in 3 or 4 years. This has always been my strategy.
I rented a Cavalier a couple years ago. It was junk.
If you’re in the market for a compact car, I would suggest either a Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, or the Toyota Corolla/Chevy Prism. All these cars are recommended by Consumer Reports magazine. If you buy the Cavalier to save a few buck, you will probably regret it.
By the way, if anyone out there is considering a minivan purchase, I just bought a Toyota Sienna last month. This van is the best auto I ever owned.
I’ve had four cars. For reliability, there is Honda. Very well worth the price if it has been maintained. You need to replace the original radiator on older ones before it goes bad. You need to change the timing belt every 50,000 miles. They are great cars. No, I don’t own stock.
We just traded my fiances 1999 Cavalier Z24 for a brand new 2001 Accord today. She had paid around 15,500 for the Cavalier new and we received 10,000 (after much bickering and general jumping through flaming hoops on my part) for it on trade. The problem with the Cavalier is that it wont hold its value. When it comes time to trade it in or sell it outright you really notice the difference! Check out http://www.kbb.com or http://www.nada.com and run your car a few years back… you can really tell a good one if it holds its value.
