Cavalier

[supton]

My understanding is that they are low end etc. Apart from being bottom of the barrel, any reason to truly avoid? Like, nasty repairs etc.

Best I can tell:
-the 2.2 OHV is a decent motor, no real trouble spots
-but the 2.2 has issues with oil filter removal--lousy spot
-the Ecotec can have issues with timing chains
-the 5spd manual is the way to go, but qualifies for unicorn status
-the 4sd auto is next best, but is "sealed" (aka, harder to change ATF)
-the 3spd auto is buzzy on highway, costs a bit of mpg, but has a dipstick
-lousy side impact reviews
-usually panned for road noise, handling, cheap feeling, low mpg for class
-but parts are cheap!

Did I miss anything? I realize it's all about condition when it comes to this age of vehicle. Locally there is one which, in the photos seems decent, low mileage, but 3AT, no options, and IMO priced a pinch high.

 

[SteveSRT8]

we had three of these in both Pontiac and Chevy guise.

Pretty boring cars. Seemed tough and drove well, sure beats walking.

 

[Mr Nice]

Buy a Corolla if you need an econobox, maybe a Civic coupe.

 

[Silverado12]

I've owned 3 j-bodies over the years. Aside from the 1984 Buick Skyhawk having a bad power steering rack, they have been maintenance items only. My last Cavalier was a 2002 (still on the road; my sister has it now) with a 5 speed manual and it's been the most dependable car I have ever owned. There are no inherent issues with these cars and if well maintained will go 300+K miles. For better side impact protection, get the 4 door.

I have to add that I bought the 2002 new, my son learned to drive on it and it still has the original clutch. Pretty impressive considering he also took the car to 4 years at Radford University in the south/western part of Virginia and there are a lot of hills that can make short life out of a clutch.

 

[cptbarkey]

they are good and reliable. crash tests are horrific and devastating.

 

[mjoekingz28]

You are in a rust state.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Buy a Corolla if you need an econobox, maybe a Civic coupe.


I would avoid the Hondas if you want an automatic. While the Accords have the most issues, the Civics seem to have a fair amount also.

 

[bigt61]

My son's 2003 Cavalier Cpe is running fine and he loves it. I got it for him in 2006 as a college car and had no idea he'd still be driving it 10 years later. He can easily afford a new car and will eventually get one, but just loves the way the Cavalier drives and the fact that it's cheap to own and operate. Other than tires, brakes and spark plugs, he replaced the fuel pump at 120k. The car now has 147k and runs Maxlife Blend.

 

[CourierDriver]

Nice ride and he has saved a ton on car payments, interest and so on as most of us are into car-payments and being upside down in car trades. Your son should write a book on being frugal with money...

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Buy a Corolla if you need an econobox, maybe a Civic coupe.


IMO the Cavalier is better than both, and much better than the Honda.

 

[Jarlaxle]

The J-body is dreadful.

 

[IndyIan]

You should try a 2008+ Focus, a cheaper KISS car that seems to get good mileage with the manual. Mine since I've put the summer tires seems to track amazing well with no wandering or steering inputs needed for fairly long stretches.

 

[barkingspider]

They are cheap to own, insure and maintain, but I'm not a fan of the 3 speed trans.

 

[JasonC]

My wife bought her 2002 Cav 2.2OHV 5-speed new and kept it 10 years. It had roughly 120k on it when we sold it and the only thing we ever replaced was a fuel pump and the ECU died a few months before we sold it. Other than that it was a great little car that was fun to drive and got excellent gas mileage.

 

[440Magnum]

They built it for a LOT of years, so in some ways its hard to compare an early production one to the last few years. The chassis never changed much, but the whole drivetrain was completely different by the end.

My wife bought an 84 Cavalier (3-speed auto) brand new when she was in college, and had it when we got married in 1990. The 3-speed hydramatic transaxle blew at 80k miles, the AC compressor was locked by 120k miles and the steering rack was dumping fluid about as fast as you could pour it in by 150,000 miles. The engine was bulletproof, never had any trouble with the chassis... but as others have said its a pretty crude first- or maybe second-generation front-drive. The '93 Vision TSi we replaced it with got 5 mpg better mileage and had more than twice the horsepower. And that was only 9 years newer.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: barkingspider
They are cheap to own, insure and maintain, but I'm not a fan of the 3 speed trans.

I had a 3spd in my 95 Neon and it was fine for 55mph roads, ~2600rpm at 60mph, but it got old on faster roads. The Neon had 136hp though and it had enough jam to do most passing in 3rd and I never found a hill on a highway that had it thinking of running in 2nd.
For pure highway commuting, you really just have to look at the top gear ratio and often the 5spd manual and the 3spd auto are pretty close.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
they are good and reliable. crash tests are horrific and devastating.

my sis-in-law had one in the chevy sunfire form (stickshift/manual - second owner, northen salty car always garaged, amazing condition given location).
tired (FL to Mass.) + hot + just taken the safety belt off (because of too hot) = little car meets semi tires + semi body (at 70MPH+)
+ somebody really loves her
= sis-in-law is still alive and just 2 scratches + little car totaled

P.S. ironically i had a thread couple years ago titled "missed a date with a semi"

 

[pandus13]

OP/Supton,

did you check insurance rates in your state?

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
You should try a 2008+ Focus, a cheaper KISS car that seems to get good mileage with the manual.


+1

 

[JTK]

Supton, what model year Cavalier? Did you get a peek underneath, under the doors, etc?

Like others have stated, my family also has had many J-body variants over the years. The only real issue was rust. Figure parts and knowledge base are abundant and plentiful given this same basic chassis was around from the early 1980s to 2005. That's got to be pretty much a record breaking run.

I too would prefer a 4-dr over the two and IIRC, insurance was never cheap for them, but liability only should be fine.