Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Chevrolet Cavalier

1…910121415…41

Comments

  • drwilscdrwilsc Member Posts: 140
    Now if only they would offer Saturn's fine 3.0 L V6 in a Cavalier.....
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    1. Compared to my Elantra, insurance costs are a LOT lower. Cheap American cars with readily available parts. I think Hyundai is offsetting lower initial costs with high parts costs.

    (The Elantra is a lot more pleasant to drive, though)

    2. As old as the Cav. platform is, the 1995 redesign was really a clever way of getting another eight or nine years out of the car. I also like the styling.

    As a vehicle, it's WAY ahead of my mother-in-law's 1992 Sunbird which is a most disagreeable car to drive--talk about sitting in a bathtub.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    My third vehicle is a 94 Caravan which was problem free for the first 70K and then proceeded to give me thousands of dollars of grief including the air conditioner falling apart piece by piece to the tune of $1500. The latest problem at 100K is engine mounts (I hope it's not the transmission--3 speed automatic thank goodness--talk about crude!) and like all Mitsu 3 litre engines the valve guides are leaking. Hopefully the Cavalier will age better than that beast.
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    is part of the reason I bought my 99.Used to be that if a vehicle that didn't "change for the sake of change" that was a selling point.Now if it doesn't change every 2 or three years it suddenly becomes "unrefined" "crude" or "dated". I loved the design of the 95-up since it was released in Oct.94 [or thereabouts].It still looks good to me.I think they missed the boat dropping the wagon, though.
    That model longevity will also insure a lot of inexpensive parts for a long time to come and there's not many places that won't know how to work on a 2.2.
    csandste: Think there's a difference in the Sunbird and Cavalier because of the 2.0 OHC that Pontiac used in the Sunbird instead of the 2.2 ohv?
    I tried out a 4cyl. Corsica and a v6 when out used car shopping in 96 or 97 and the feel was like night and day.Would that engine be what makes it's character so different?
    There's one thing that the Cavalier has always been [besides dated crude and unrefined ;-)]and that's essentially honest and inexpensive.You know what you're getting.I love mine and after 2 years will still take the long way home just to be able to spend more time with it.Hey,if someone doesn't like them, no matter how good it is or gets,they'll still hate it simply BECAUSE it's a Cavalier.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Well said. We have our second Cavalier (99) and although it's not super refined like a Civic, it's not all that bad either. Generally one of the better small cars for inexpensive transport. Ours is just to get back and forth to work which is about 10km away.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    My grandmother and cousin were picking me up at the airport in Charleston, WV when my cousin's months-old 2001 Cavalier encountered a problem. The car was in park in order to grab an out of reach parking stub and when the park was put into drive, it wouldn't shift. The automatic transmission's "shifting cable" "burnt out" according to the mechanics. Luckily they could fix the engine to stay in drive so that we could drive it to the dealer about 50 miles away. Has anyone experienced this? I've never thought of the Cavalier as a reliable car...especially after reading all of these posts. I knew she should have gone with a Corolla. :-)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    My neighbors Accord had a blown transmission after 7 months. Doesn't mean that Accords are bad cars. Stuff happens.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    2000 Cavalier LS 15800 mi no problems,had 2 recalls,one for generator light computer reflash & the NE fuel guage problem due to high sulfur fuel.Neither caused a problem with my car but i wanted to keep everything up to date.Best car i've ever owned.
  • occupant1occupant1 Member Posts: 412
    there are a few Cavalier taxis in Dallas, they mostly run out of Love Field. One is a 99 with the 2.2/3-spd, he has 147K on it, has replaced his head gasket three times, one water pump, one muffler, and one computer. It's pretty reliable. And his mechanic does the work cheap, he didn't say how cheap, but I can imagine he's not worried about blowing another head gasket if it's as cheap as he is inferring.

    I also know of two Metro sedan taxis. The one, a 98 with 145K the other a 97 with 190K. No major repairs on either and they still get 30-32mpg even with all the idling they do. But I'll tell you this, I see a Cavalier or a Metro in the taxi stand and I'll walk right on past to the first big car or van. I wouldn't want to squeeze into one if I'm spending $0.40 per 1/4 mile.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    3 Head gaskets in 147K now that must be a record,it could also be poor gasket change.I have owned 4 cav & i have had few problems,& when i do cheap to fix.Water pump new $20 free installation.Head gasket $14 free installation,hard to get cheaper that.
  • lyn58lyn58 Member Posts: 6
    Our daughter's 2001 Cavalier Coupe is 8 months old and has just over 4,000 miles on it. We bought it new. The TRAC OFF light has been staying on when the transmission is in drive. The manual says to take it to the service department to be checked which I really don't want to do. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    issued and I believe it says there's no fix. It's common, but it just happens apparently and has for years.But I believe it referred to a random appearance of the light, not an on all the time thing.
    What's wrong with having them check it at it's next service? I don't think your daughter will have too much "down time" that way.
  • 79377937 Member Posts: 390
    I'm reading a note here about the the Traction control indicator light staying on all the time in Consumer Guide about the Cavalier. They state that there is no problem with the system but there is no current fix for the false indication. So far my 1999 Cavalier has not had the indication. It would be interesting to hear what the dealer has to say to lyn58 about it.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    2000 Cavalier the trac stayed on a couple times after 2 nd gear down shifts,that was miles ago haven't seen it since.
  • lyn58lyn58 Member Posts: 6
    Thank you for your responses. The light finally went out after a few days. The next thing to happen is the battery went dead. We jumped it a couple of times and then took it to the local GM dealer (not the one where we bought the car. We bought the car out of town)and they installed a new battery under warranty that same day. No problems. I thought they might put us at the end of the line since we didn't buy it from them.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Anyone see the pictures of the 04 Cavalier in the new Road and Track. Very nice!

    If this is what will really come about, GM may be back in the small car game.
  • malibu99malibu99 Member Posts: 305
    What issue? this month's? I wanna see it, will stop by the book store today. My fiance wnats the 04 Cavalier when they come out, actually I think it should be out in 03.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Ya, it will be out in 2003. It's in the new issue (October). It's an Opel picture, but says 2004 Cavalier on top of it.
  • mtanner5mtanner5 Member Posts: 15
    only because it was just getting too small for us. My son just turned 14 and is 6'1" already. He is constantly fooling with the radio when riding with me and it felt like he was right up on me all of the time. Also to go over a bump was to feel like you'd lose a kidney. Such is the small car. BUT - this was a most trouble free, reliable car. NO vibrations, noises or any such thing. I bought what I could afford at the time. I found it odd, though, that even with back to school time, and 50K miles left on a 100K bumper to bumper "elite" warranty, a loaded Cavalier in great condition could NOT be sold in my area. I spend alot of money in newspapers and on the internet, etc. with pics, posted at state offices, and the for sale sign in the window - all this generated barely 3 inquiries. I was asking $8,500.00 and the warranty was no cost to transfer. I finally traded it and got $7k by the hardest. I did notice dealers selling cars like mine for around $7800.00, and so with the tax break I got on trading in, I guess I didn't do too bad. If I had a more normal size son, I probably would have kept the car for him.
  • 79377937 Member Posts: 390
    What engine did have and what transmission? I've got a 99 2.2L 4sp automatic and am very happy with it. I guess I'll drive it until it dies if that is what the resale value is.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    That's what we need-- interesting hatches. Bring it on!!!
  • mtanner5mtanner5 Member Posts: 15
    I had the regular 2.2 4 cyl automatic. NADA is the book the banks here in South Louisiana use, not Kelly. NADA stated trade value was $7,400. So, of course the salesman presented me with Kelly's web site sheet which shows $6,200 for trade value, good condition. I insisted on 7K because I pointed out to him if he went to NADA's site he would get a different amount. Since they gave me a very fair price on the car, I didn't want to push my luck beyond 7K with the trade. I know I was lucky to get that. I figure I only could have gotten around $7,800 selling it outright, and would have had to wait for that. In La. we get to take the full trade in from the sale price of the car, and only pay tax on that new figure. So, by trading, my sales tax went down by around $700.00. So by trading I came out essentially the same. BTW, I traded for an '01 Taurus SE. These, too have a low resale only because Hertz, a Ford division, dumps thousands of used rental cars on the market every year, thus lowering resale. I don't care, I got a good deal and love the car.
    If you feel that way too, keep the Cavy till the wheels fall off for sure!! It is a good reliable car for the money.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    Is this a weak point in the 2.2 engine? Dealer will cover under lifetime replacement warranty.

    Still can't complain since two alternators and an ignition switch are the only problems in 70,000. Still after driving my new Elantra GLS the Cavalier is crude, crude, crude.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Yup, its a bit crude, but it's also a 7 year old design now.

    The new 2004 Cavalier looks to be very good. I hope GM pushes to have it out next year as GM really needs to beef up the small cars. The Pontiac Vibe due out in a few months will help, but I don't think they have a lot of capacity for that car.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I priced a Cavalier LS sedan on CarsDirect.com for the 21230 (Baltimore, Md.) area, and they said a basic model LS with no options would be $12,847. That's good for a car with all the Cavalier's equipment. I was thinking of snagging one for my dad, who is going to get his license for the first time at age 55 next month. Deciding between the Cav, a Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, or Mazda Protege. Any ideas?
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    (remote locks and cruise) for $11.2 in July (St. Louis area). Obviously GM's carrying 0% interest is a major inducement to buy and stretch the financing as long as possible. Still the Elantra has much better build quality then the Cavalier and I really notice it when I move between cars.

    IMHO most Japanese cars have been severely decontented in their most recent platforms, although the new Lancer is probably better than its predecessor. The Elantra has a base 140 hp engine and this makes a big difference over the Mitsu, however.

    Looked at a Focus when I purchased the Hyundai but was deterred because owners experiences on these threads seemed much more negative. Better build quality of late, plus a no interest financing package might have made me change my mind.

    My fondness for my Korean car does not extend to the Kia. I thought their transmission feel in the five speeds to be extremely vague (obviously this doesn't apply to the Optima).

    The Accent looks like a good little car, but if you're in the market for a Cavalier I think you should move up a notch and at least look at the Elantra.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    if the new 2004 platform were available today, that car would be on my short list-- it looks better than the Elantra. Bring that sucker on!!!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I still don't trust Hyundia. Their cars were total crap just a few short years ago and although they are MUCH improved, I'd still wait and see how LT reliability goes.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Come to think of it, the Cavalier is way behind the times (the current one) with other small cars out there in crash safety. The Elantra is a nice car, and about the same price as the Cavalier is. I will definitely have to cross off the Cav from my short list, due to the crash scores on it.

    The Rio and Accent are on about the same level, but I would pick the Accent first. It's got more standards and options than the Rio does. And Hyundai is known a little better than the Kia. I like the Protege too (and have one of those already), but they are kinda expensive and underpowered in the base versions (though that will change for 2002 with the 2.0 engine becoming std. across the board). They have pretty good financing deals on those too, and me being a repeat buyer means my dealer will definitely gimme a good deal. So that leaves me with the Elantra and Protege to check out. Why buy the Accent if I can get the Elantra for a little more, and get so much more with it?
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I think both the Protege and the Sentra are better choices than the Korean cars. Cavalier is out of date, no doubt but it's a good value with all the discounting and incentives. Our 99 is leased at 0.9% for 36 months. We don't use it much, but it's reliable and feature rich. Even has ABS, traction control, and cruise control.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The most important thing to me is price. I wanna keep payments as close to $200 a month without putting a whole lot down outta pocket. With the Cavalier, I would be able to do that and get a loaded LS sedan to boot, for little more than the Rio or Accent. But I can also compare that to an Elantra, Protege (though not as well equipped), and Sentra. The Sentra is definitely too small though, so that's out. The Cavalier is probably out too, because it's not as safe or reliable as the other two are. We will see though.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    but wouldn't touch one any more because of the arrogance of the company displayed in the Engine sludge threads in maintenance and repair. Both the Corolla and Civic have regressed in their most recent platforms.

    If you check Microsoft CarPoint under owners reviews you'll find that the Elantra scores significantly higher with owners than the Corolla or Civic (apx. 8.8 to 8.2 last time I looked.)

    I compared the Focus and Elantra and chose the latter because indications were that it was far more reliable. The Focus may have solved some of the introductory problems, the Elantra seems pretty problem free for a first year platform. Both are significantly more roomy than the Cavalier or most of the Japanese competition, altho. the Civic comes close. The Elantra is considerably larger in all internal dimensions than the Olds Alero (or Grand Am, I would assume) with the exception of the trunk. Modern cars like the Focus and Elantra are designed differently. There are a ton of small annoyances when I move back to driving the Cavalier that I didn't notice before getting the new car.

    The Mazda Protege was on my short list before price knocked it out. It is significantly smaller feeling than the Elantra, however. There are some interesting Elantra GT/Pro5 comparisons in the hatchbackd threads.

    I was given a last gen. Sentra while hail damage on my Elantra was being repaired by the dealer. Not impressed, although the new ones are a lot better.

    The Mitsu. Lancer is a big improvement over the previous platform and looks more interesting style-wise than the Elantra to me, but I'd be giving up twenty horse power.

    Actually if I was going to pick a car that looks like it could stand up to and be superior to the Elantra it might be the 04 Cavalier which looks very attractive IMO. I would have some questions about reliability however, infered from the quality problems with the Saturn LS.

    I think the Accent is better all around than the Rio. The two will begin to share the same platform for the next redesign ('06?). I would still lay out the extra bucks for an Elantra, however.
  • jjpcatjjpcat Member Posts: 124
    I am new to this board. Where can I find a picture of 2004 Cavalier?
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    It's in the latest (new car) issue of Road and Track. Word is the Opel and Cavalier are going to be identical except for logo. Haven't seen a picture on the web yet. Nice looking hatch.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    When the lease on our 99 Cavalier is up this spring, I may just jump over to a base Alero (If I can get away without buying a van for a few more years). The new 2.2L Ecotec is now under the hood and it's a nice engine. The discounts on Aleros are very good so it won't be much more than another Cavalier. It will also have more space and about the same mileage. I also like the Sentra a lot.
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    are really arbitrary. Actual highway loss data from the Insurance Institute places the Cavalier at average. That is real world experience, not the contrived results of lab testing.Those "test" results are only valid among cars of similar size and weight anyway. With the mix of vehicles on the road; that exact circumstance at those exact speeds with precisely that impact will happen probably never.
    There is no way to "score" what will happen in an accident because of the infinite # of variables involved.Each accident is as individual as a set of fingerprints.All these scores can tell you is that under those particular factors this is what was observed.They cannot predict reliably what will happen on the road.If that were the case anyone who ever wrecked a full size Ford pick up should automatically be dead.
    As to the 04 Cavalier....what am I missing here? To me that vehicle is extremely dumpy and unattractive as well as dated looking....and it isn't even out yet!!! A real disappointment. I'll be keeping my 99, I think.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    keep my 2000.
  • jbadamejbadame Member Posts: 2
    Hello all Cavalier Fans

    has anyone experienced any difficulties with the Low Voltage indicator light coming on? I just got my Recall service done on my 2000 Cavalier LS. It took about a half hour for the technicians to perform the software update.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    The problem was the light would NOT come on if the generator failed,so the engine would quit leaving you stranded.The soft ware program was screwed up.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    I wanted to touch upon the earlier posts that stated that the 04 Opel based product isn't a very attractive car. Do I sense trouble here for Chevrolet? Personally I like the new car a lot, but then I like Oldsmobiles styling better than any other GM decision.

    When Oldsmobile shot the old warhorse 88's/98's and moved to the Intrigue, etc. they turned off a lot of their customer base. The old farts no longer bought Oldsmobile, while their new intended customer still wouldn't be caught dead in one. Is the same thing going to happen to Chevy if they change this platform?
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    The European designed 2004 Cavalier will be a big success, just as the European designed Ford Focus is successful. The Cavalier needs to appeal to a younger, more sophisticated crowd.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    I think it's held up well for such an old platform.

    However, when you compare the Cavalier with my other car, an Elantra, you find not only huge differences in sophistication (not noticed when I was driving the Cavalier), but huge differences in space utilization. In fact, the Elantra is considerably larger inside than the Olds Alero and almost as large as a Malibu. This in a package a couple of inches shorter than the Cavalier.

    Such dimensions (just like in the Focus) do produce cars that look a bit strange at first glance. However, you're right, few people pine for the Escort v. the Focus. After a while, the eye adjusts.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    You can't compare Chevy and Olds. Chevy is a strong brand and sells well. Olds was in trouble before the changes, and because of botched marketing was unable to attract the number of young buyers it needed to stay alive with the new cars (which are all very good). I agree with ehaase, this car will be a big success if it is built and priced right. The old Cavalier is very old and unrefined. Sales are dropping every year and only BIG incentives are keeping the car going.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    miss the old Cavalier,parts are cheap & its easy to work on.I don't what i'll buy next,I have had a lot of experience with German motor coaches, not inpressed.The most problems were electrical.
  • tennisnut2000tennisnut2000 Member Posts: 3
    I bought a base model Cavalier new and have 35,000 miles on it. Been a reliable car and nice power. Few quirky things - 1)lots of static electricity on cloth seats 2)On two door the door tends to close back on you 3)Had to replace dash board plate under warranty as it cracked (I had this problem with lots of GM cars and replaced cluster control as mileage odometer went out.

    Basically though I love it. I have five speed and fun to drive.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    My wife's 1995 Cavalier is about to go bye-bye for a Mazda Protege. No more Chevrolet or GM for us, ever. Aside from things like a new alternator, new headlight switch, new seat cushion, new a/c compressor, new a/c and heat hoses and three radios in only 54,000 miles (enough problems, right?), here's the last straw:

    March 2000 (44,000 miles): Head gasket replaced under GM recall allowing one replacement in 100,000 miles
    September 2000 (48,000 miles): Head gasket replaced again at dealer's expense; it met the dealer's 12-month/12,000 mile warranty from last time
    November 2001 (54,000 miles): Head gasket needs replacing again; dealership says "tough luck, it's been more than a year"

    THREE HEAD GASKETS IN 10,000 MILES? And a car maker that won't admit it installed a defective head in its cars? No more GM for us, thank you!

    Meade
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    Three head gaskets in 54,000 miles has to be a record,i wonder if anyone can beat that.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Sounds like you had a lemon. Too bad, but I don't blame you for buying something else.

    Our 99 has been completely trouble free. It's almost 3 years old. Just oil changes and tire rotations is all it needs.

    Good luck with the Mazda.
  • isseyvooisseyvoo Member Posts: 121
    Interesting that there was a recall for later model Cavalier head gaskets. I have a '92 I bought new, and had to replace the head gasket (despite meticulous maintenance and mostly easy highway miles) at 4 yrs. old with 45K miles. I wrote a letter of complaint to Chevrolet to no avail. The power door locks have been a problem since new, heater core went on it not long after warranty expired. Other than that it's been a reliable, if unrefined and poor-handling, car. The paint hasn't held up well, but I have 93K miles on it now and it runs great, burns no oil. I just use it as a "station car" these days, but plan to hang onto it until the wheels fall off.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Our car isn't a lemon. If it was a rarity, GM would not have issued an after-the-fact extended head gasket warranty to all owners of 1995 through 1997 Cavaliers. It covers the ORIGINAL head gasket up to 100,000 miles. Wanna see how rare this problem is? Go to any decent search engine and type "cavalier head gasket" and see what you get.

    OK, I'll save you the trouble. Here's an interesting one, and it's not me:

    http://www.hvaa.com/wwwboard/messages/2562.html

    Or how about this one? A whole page devoted to this problem! I'm so honored!

    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/gm_cavalier_gasket.html

    And here's one just for you 1992 and 1993 owners! (Didn't want you to feel left out)

    http://www.lemonaidcars.com/GM_letter.htm

    BTW, our dealer's service manager left me a voice mail yesterday saying that since the last one was replaced 14 months ago, there's nothing he can do. He recommended I call GM and gave me their toll-free phone number. That's right. Just pass your customer off to the wolves with no help at all. There's service for you in a time when they should be bending over backward to keep customers. Did he ever think of contacting GM for his customer and seeing if he could get any assistance for us?

    To add insult to injury, he had the audacity to end his message with the following -- I'm playing the voice mail again so I get the exact words:

    "It's out of my hands. I understand how you feel; I would feel the same way. It probably shouldn't be happening -- I'm sure it shouldn't be happening -- but it's strictly up to GM now."

    Throw me to the wolves, sir, and you just lost a customer for life. Nope; I'm gonna put some stop-leak in my radiator and trade this piece of crap in on a reliable car (er, not GM) before head gasket No. 5 becomes necessary.

    But not before I write a letter to the dealership's general manager to tell him what I think of the cars he sells and the service-minded attitude of his service manager.

    Meade
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles