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Malibu99 ... Just give up and buy a new car, huh? Sorry, I don't play like that. I shouldn't be tucking MY tail and running when the car's got less than 50,000 miles on it, and I'm going to fight GM until I get a satisfactory repair on this car. There's a difference between "whining" and standing up for yourself. Tell me ... do you accept other people's mistakes that affect you this easily in other aspects of life, or do you just have a lower standard when it comes to vehicles?
BTW, I've never insulted you ... until now, in response to your insults. All I've done is criticize a car that has been a maintenance nightmare at WAY too young an age.
Meade
And as far as giving you someone's best shot, you aren't worth it. Some people are just very small minded in their thinking and you can't change it.
vocus: I agree with you, the Protege is a slightly better car. It ain't close to perfect though and our local Mazda dealer is a nightmare.
1. It's "and" -- not "amd."
2. "Whinny" is what a horse does. You meant "whiny."
3. It's "change," not "chnage."
4. "Masoquist" is spelled "Masochist."
5. Your second sentence is a run-on sentence.
Try proofreading your work before you spout off next time.
I am not keeping the car because I am a masochist. I guess I'm not as rich as you are and don't have the luxury of being able to throw thousands of dollars out the window when my whims dictate. The bottom line is we cannot afford a new car right now, and we expected more than 50,000 miles out of this one. If you have any sense of rationality in you, I think you'll agree that an average person should expect more than 50,000 miles out of a car, especially when he's performing all of the recommended maintenance on a timely schedule. I'm not being unreasonable.
For goodness' sake, do you really think I believe all Cavaliers and Chevys are bad cars because I got a lemon? No, I don't. But I've had my bad experience, and I don't feel like taking a chance again. So yes, the next car we buy for her -- which will be as soon as we can, believe me -- will NOT be a Cavalier, or a GM-built product. And nothing you can say here is going to change our minds on that. This is a forum to share experiences. I shared mine. So YOU stop whining about my decision, OK?
Joe and dindak: Joe, your '94 was a completely different car. The '95 was the first year for the new design. If I'd been married to my wife then, I would've steered her away from it. And that's not just a Chevy comment -- I wouldn't buy ANY car in the first year of a new design. Dindak, ditto to you. And likewise, your '99 is the fifth year of this new design. Chevy has had more time to work out the bugs. And you only have 25K on that car, and I would hope any car with only 25K on the odometer wouldn't have any problems yet. Then again, I thought 42K was too young too. Oh well. According to your buddy Malibu, I guess 50K is about all I should expect out of a GM product. We need cars that are more durable, so we're looking to other makes for our next car.
Meade
Not true at all. My sister's ex-boyfriend had a 88 Cavalier for 300K before it died. My mother in laws 90 Cutlass had 288K when she traded it in. GM cars are generally good these days, but like I said before the Cavalier is a weak spot.It's not a bad car, but it's not near the top either. The optional 2.4L is a better engine choice also.
Do I drive a Cavalier? Nope. I have driven a few as rentals, and they got me where I was going. Nothing fancy, but also not very refined. It's an economy car you say? True, but so are a lot of others in this price range that offer refinement as part of the deal for very similar money.
Stop whining and sell the car? Easy to say if you like to lose a lot of money doing this over and over again. I prefer to spend my money once and get value for my money.
What do I consider a good value? It should include the following (not necessarily in this order):
1. Reliability (okay this is my person #1)
2. Good features (creature comforts)
3. Good looks
4. Decent performance
5. Safety
6. Good dealer experience (not ALWAYS a brand thing...)
7. Fair price
8. Flexibility of design/configuration
9. Refinement (subjective measure)
If any of these attributes are below average, it will SERIOUSLY lower the car's standing with the resurgence in small cars lately. There are many good choices lately in small cars.
I personally think the Cavalier is lagging behind the others in reliability, refinement and to a lesser degree, features. Protege, Sentra, Focus, Elantra, Corolla, Civic and Esteem are all cars I would choose ahead of the Cavalier based on all of the qualities listed above. Ones I would NOT choose ahead of the Cavalier are Nubria, Sephia, and Neon (all in that order). REMEMBER, these are my opinions based on my own experiences, reading and obervations. So I voted with my money for the Protege. In my opinion, it captured and mastered most of the qualities I consider as part of the "value" equation.
If you choose to buy a Cavalier after comparing (including driving) all of it's competition...then you should feel comfortable that it was your best choice. Not everyone is going to agree with you no matter which car you choose. Try to use all sources (print, government agencies, personal and friends experiences, dealership experiences, etc...) when making your decision, and fairly compare ALL sources.
Good luck with your Cavliers, and I hope you wish me the same good fortune with my Protege.
Regards (and sorry for the long-winded post),
Pete
I first started driving Cavalier rental cars when I travel and I was immediately impressed with what makes it unique among ALL small cars.... It doesn't feel like one!
I have driven almost all of the economy to mid-size cars on the road since the early 90's and the Cavalier's frame and body and steering are VERY close to the ride and feel of a mid-size Malibu or Stratus, etc. To me, the Escort, Focus , Civic, etc. "feel" like small economy cars.
Plus, at the moment with a $2000 rebate, you can get a 2000 Cavalier LS with Air, 4-speed Auto, 15 inch tires, tilt, AM/FM CD player, etc for a street price of about $11,300 (excluding delivery, tax and title). An equivalent mid-size sedan, though it may have a V-6, will cost $15,000 to $18,000.
Has anyone else experienced this trait?
So, question. Who has the better motor car?
It isn't the greatest car in the world but for us it's mostly used for short trips around town. We use our full size car for big trips. I recommend the car all the time.
are you good at crying and complaining but you are
a great spell checker. Oh I'm so hurt by yourattack, please please stop.
The Protege also does not feel like a small car. It's ride, feel and handling feel very much like my boss's Audi A4 (not to mention it looks very much the same!). I agree that the ride in the Cavalier was very smooth, it just wasn't as sporty feeling as I liked. The ride on my Protege is a little stiffer, but the handling is absolutely terriffic! The other car that "feels" bigger than it is just happens to be my last pick, the Neon. It rides like a full-size car, many reviewers even mention this.
THanks for the good (and fair) discussion!
Regards,
Pete
P.S. I know this is a Cavalier topic, so I'll stop talking about my Protege! :-)
The Cavalier does not corner as well as some of the other compacts however that is (likely) because of its additional weight and its body/suspension tuning for a generally comfort ride.
My particular tastes run towards the isolation department. I lIKE less road feel in the steering wheel and the suspension and there is always a trade-off there -- especially with an economy car.
I also have driven the Neon and was impressed at how the front wheels seem to be much farther "out there" than they are...it's a weird feeling. It also takes off faster and corners a little better (in my opinion) than the Cavalier and Escort/Tracer. But, the front end is so close to the driver that it seemed...dangerous?
Also, the Neon's ride is a little choppy compared to the Cavalier and the windows do not have a frame around them making it easier for "screwdriver" break-ins.
Plus the Cavalier's dash looks great. It seems that most dashboards look the same these days. Compare a Corolla, Camry, Sentra, Maxima, Civic, Accord, etc.
Well I dunno so I'm off to sleep now. Maybe I can dream up the answer!
underneath and it appears to be fine. I tested the shocks by pressing down on each part of the body and the car returned to the up position without bouncing up and down. I like it but I have had such bad luck in the past with cars. I can't afford to buy new so it has to be used. If anyone has any advice I would be so grateful.
by the Secretary of State Of Illinois through inspection. I had this posted on another area of this site and two responders came up with good points. One said that the first thing to go would be the paint job. But he said that it would probably show up in a few months or more. THis would still be covered by the warranty. I am so conflicted about the entire thing. I don't know whether to run to it or away from it.
What year is your Cavalier?
As for the model itself, I don't know what to say. Presumably all the stuff other than powertrain and suspension will be the same as other Cavaliers. My GT has been good; no poor build quality and only a few squeaks from my seat when going over rough roads (I would think this is normal for a car with a stiffer suspension). I'd just say that if he decides on the Z24, to do an inspection on the car and check for build quality. If it is bad, I'd advise him to look at another Z24, as generally one bad thing is a sign of other bad things.
Pity about the Neon. I drove one and it has great handling. It was a good compromise between a nice ride and good handling. What would really make it nice is if Chrysler put the 150 hp engine back in. Also they could get rid of the dinosaur 3-speed auto.
And Chrysler's customer service is IMPOSSIBLE! They won't even pay for a rental car overnight when the car's in the shop.
See, I used to have a Cavalier and a bunch of my friends had them as well. But we all had 2.2s with the 3-speed automatic. Mine was a 1996 with 31K when bought. It was in the shop 8 times in 6 weeks for fuel pump, front strut, bad brakes, and other things. That's what worries me, getting another lemon. But anything would be better than this Neon is.
Thanks again!
I don't think $3500 for a 1991 Corolla is a good deal no matter the miles or condition. It is a ten year old car in a few months and they feel old. The Corolla was redesignedin 1993 and that model is much more refined. $3500 can buy a 1993 or 1994 model, still in nice condition.
$4000 is a good amount of money to spend on a car. It will also buy a larger car like an Accord, Camry, Corsica, Contour or anything else compact or even midsize. Heck, you could always get a 1998 Ford Crown Vic NYC taxi if you don't mind yellow.
dindak...the suspension on the Cavalier convertibles are identical from four to V6. The only difference is if the car is ordered with the F41 suspension. The transmission, clutch, and axles are also the same. Tires are tires. If you buy cheap tires they will suck whether you keep the four or drop in a Northstar V8 and a THM440 automatic. Whcih of course would cost a fortune and you would have to cut your engine compartment all up to make it fit.