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(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.
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.
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.
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.
If this is what will really come about, GM may be back in the small car game.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Basically though I love it. I have five speed and fun to drive.
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
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.
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