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My fiance and I want to buy a 3rd small car to commute to work and we think the new Cavy will be a great choice. I'm wiling to wait :-)
The Echotech should be smooth, I think I'll test drive one just for the heck of it :-)
Those sites referenced in the posts above were interesting, but I expected to find several dozen posts, not the 3 or 4 on the site.
It's funny but on the Neon site you'll find a history of head gasket failures not isolated to a run of one or two years but every year up to 2000/2001.The defenders are just as passionate and those who were burned just as angry. It's also interesting to note that the service departments and corporate responses are just as arrogant and destructive of customer good will.
In the maintenance forum I haven't seen any 2.2 problem topics.It seems the bulk of those gasket problems were confined to certain years only.
As for C/Reports: The current Used Car Special Edition lists the 97,98,00,as average in their need for repairs having improved to average.
Now before anyone mistakes me for a partisan booster, the 99 has dropped to worse than average, and I own one of those. 25,000 miles and no problem. The rattles Cavaliers are famous for yes, but the 2.2 has gotten smoother as it's broken in. Never stranded me,just got back from a 2000 mile round trip with no unscheduled stops.
Have to take it in for inspection and rear brake clunk. But I'm not real concerned, the dealer service dept. is pretty good.
Concerns me to see another all aluminum wonder from GM. Part of the reason I bought the Cavalier was for it's old fashioned cast iron block and push rod yester-tech engine.Given the Vega 4 and the Cadillac 4.1 and all it's leaks and problems, well....
I tell you guys this just to help put it in perspective. Were I having problems I wouldn't hide it. No one likes to admit they were mistaken about a car they put their money [and sometimes heart] into getting. I love mine regardless of C/R's reliability data and the general dismissal of the Cavalier because "Everyone KNOWS they're "junk".My experience and that of others does not bear that out.BUT if someone has been let down by that same brand, no amount of discussion is going to change their mind.It does help to be made aware of potential problems though. THX, Dave
dweezil/ joe : Ecotech is actually a GM Europe engine and has proven to be very good. It's smoother and more powerful than the old 2.2L with same mileage. I've driven both and would definitely go Ecotech next time.
Dindak: thanks for the info.I got the brochure for the 2002 models. I almost flipped when I saw the new "avacado green" color. I MAY have to trade: soooo 70's.Would be interested in trying out the Eco-Tech at least
Another aluminum piece I failed to mention was the Saturn "S" engine, which, again if you go onto other Edmund's sites, you discover it starts eating oil at about 30,000 miles. I may be weird; but I am fascinated by that, because no one seems to know where it goes!!!I don't really see that as a problem perhaps because I have owned so many beaters in my time - besides; if it needs to eat you have to feed it.
I keep forgetting that the Chevette was one of GM's most long lived and popular designs and it too was based on an Opel/World design.It would be full circle for the Cavalier as initially the J body was to be built around the world and had plenty of input from GM Europe. Hence: the Vauxhall Cavalier and the Opel version.
Hopefully there will be a positive result for the next gen. Cavalier.Those little Chevettes ran forever and were wonderfully simple.
I'm with 7937; though: cast iron block, push rods, OHVs. I don't think they'd have many problems at all if the HEAD was CAST IRON as well.
Sometimes cutting edge technology is NOT progress:-}!
PS: Should have gotten a Protegé. HAHA!
I know you guys will get back at me, but seriously, look around at other cars before buying a design that's out of date.
I've had a few relatives who have owned Cavaliers and Berettas with that old GM 2.2. No way in hell I woulda put up with the problems they had.
I have driven the Saturn L many times with that new DOHC Lotus Ecotech motor. FAR SUPERIOR. Where do I begin? Smoother, quieter, better gas mileage, better quality. Its a welcome step forward for GM. 20 years ahead on the auto evolution scale compared to the pushrod motor.
Do they sell the Z24 sedan in the U.S.? Noticed it wasn't listed on the Cavalier web page.
How does he/she like it? Does it have the 2.4L or the Ecotec?
Kicker is when she got her trade back her speakers that she had just had installed in it were missing. Then after she took the car home she tried calling the dealer and saying that the speakers were gone. I told her it was tough luck. She should've noticed that before she took the car home.
She had the 2.4L if I am not mistaken. It was black with power everything, alloys, fog lights, and a rear spoiler. No sunroof though, but I don't think that's even an option in the sedan.
but I did own a Cavalier that I suspected of the head gasket leakage problem...
the car I owned (1994 Cavalier sedan, 2.2L/automatic, about 85K) never had a bad enough head gasket to cause overheating...
a Chevrolet dealer confirmed that this problem that I had, with the external coolant leakage, was similar to what happens with covered 92-93 and other year cars, and told me this car would not be covered for 2 reasons, it was a 94, not covered, and because the car was not overheating or losing "a significant amount" of coolant...
so count me out on having replaced the head gasket, it never happened that way, the lady I sold it to just turned 105K on it and hasn't replaced it yet, her Jiffy Lube does have to top off the coolant every change, but never more than a quart or so...
Glad the car is fixed.
It proves my point: people just drop into a topic to dump.Why;everyone KNOWS the 220,000 to 300,000 Cavaliers that have been sold every year since the 95s came out are ALL bad!!Everyone KNOWS that a clapped out 10 year old 600 dollar car is a reliable gauge of a brand new model of the same line. GET REAL."Why, my friend bought a 94 with only 98,000 miles on it and the radio didn't work. It was real junk!"
"Most people" and "everyone knows": not useful or constructive.
It doesn't improve the level of discussion nor does it provide any help or enlightenment on the topic.
People love Corollas, but Chevy Prisms "aren't as well made". "Most people" will tell you THAT too.
I don't think that "being a Chevy" damns a vehicle... after all... the Corvette is Chevy, is't it. I think the fact that the Cav chassis design is older than I am has more to do with its negative, or apathetic, reception.
Hell, the current Corolla is coming under fire for being a design that dates back to 93, nevermind 82.
just my opinion,
alpha
I'm not really gonna diss the Cavalier though. Had the Cavalier been equipped back in 99 with the Ecotec that is now available today....it may have swayed me to buy the Cav as the Cav was a bit cheaper and little bit more roomy. But I really prefer free revving DOHC motors and that was a big factor with the base Cavalier only having the OHV. I have driven the Ecotec in the Saturn L and its a sweetie and I can surmise it would change the driving experience of the Cavalier greatly.
A friend had a Sunfire to 80k miles and it served him quite well so I don't think the Cavalier is lemon or anything like that.
Ultimately, another big factor in my choosing the Prizm over the Cavalier was that I felt the Prizm interior was less cheap looking and had better seats and controls. The Cavalier is no Kia, but the Prizm seemed nicer....that and its steering and ride were better.
But I'm totally ok with the car having a chevy badge vs. a Toyota. I don't really get hung up on that. Let the idiots waste their time worrying about whether they have the Toyota vs. Chevy. I'll just smile cause I got a solid car for a decent price.
Would make a great commuter hack for a couple of years, you probably wouldn't get cheaper cost per mile numbers.
I am a 2000 Neon owner being tempted by the current Cavelier deals and 2.2 engine. I thought I would read some current posts by owners and imagine my surprise when I saw his name here too.
Just remind Vocus that there are constant rumers that Masda's parent company, Ford, is seriously considering cancelling the currently slow selling Protege platform in favor of the award winning Focus platform.
Imagine, rebadged Focus's being sold as Proteges!
However, I know several people who have gotten good service out of their Cavaliers and are very pleased with them.
Edswords: You can believe I have had all these cars or not (a total of 5 in 4 years, along with the borrowed Neon which was my roommate's). I don't really care. This forum is to tell one's opinion of something, and that's what I did. Those who do not like it don't have to read it.