Is a Chevrolet Cavalier a good car? - The DIS Discussion Forums

EllenFrasier · 10-22-2011, 09:18 PM

My son saw a car in a used car lot that we have dealt with before. It's a Chevrolet Cavalier LS. It was night time so he could not really get a good look at it or test drive. It's got 66,000 miles on it and he said it didn't say the year but I'm thinking it's about a 2002.
Anybody ever drive one? Are they good in the snow? Any repairs?
Thanks.

NYEmomma · 10-22-2011, 09:34 PM

My second car was a 1996 Cavalier. It was my moms, bought brand new, then I started driving it 1998 after blowing out my knee and not being able to drive my manual transmission Geo Storm anymore.

The transmission fell out of it (not literally, lol, but you know what I mean) in 2000. The car was 4 years old & had less than 10k miles per year on it. The A/C also died the same year.

I know 1996 is MUCH different from the year of car you're looking at so I can't say whether my experience really has any relevance. But for me personally, I'd never buy another one.

TNT21 · 10-22-2011, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EllenFrasier

My son saw a car in a used car lot that we have dealt with before. It's a Chevrolet Cavalier LS. It was night time so he could not really get a good look at it or test drive. It's got 66,000 miles on it and he said it didn't say the year but I'm thinking it's about a 2002.
Anybody ever drive one? Are they good in the snow? Any repairs?
Thanks.

I have a 2002 Cavalier with 82,000 miles on it. So far I have only had to put on new tires and brakes, new battery, minor stuff. I love my car, it's basic, reliable, and easy to work on if something does go wrong. I will be passing it on to my daughter when she gets her license in a few months, and I am thinking about a Cavalier again.

momof1princess · 10-22-2011, 10:35 PM

my DMIL drives a 2000 chevrolet cavalier, and it has been a GREAT car-she bought it new. it's been on long trips, short trips, tooled around town in, and so far, the only thing to go wrong was with the A/C, but it was minor and DH and DFIL got it fixed quickly. otherwise, only tires and routine maintenance has kept it going strong!

AnjieNet · 10-22-2011, 10:43 PM

I had a 1996 Cavalier, purchased new. Traded it in a couple of years ago with over 200,000 miles on it. The only thing I had to do outside of regular maintenance was to have the A/C charged a couple of times. If I'd kept it, I probably would have had to replace as the coolant had a slow leak, getting worse over time. Was a great car and didn't do too badly in the snow considering it's size and weight.

mjantz · 10-22-2011, 11:27 PM

I had a 1992 Cavalier bought new. I finally got rid of it after 13 years because we were going to have to replace the engine. I drove it to college, to GA & back at one point & lots of trips between TX & OK as well as lots of city driving. It was a great car & I'd buy another one if I needed that kind of car again (a 2 door car doesn't really work for our lifestyle).

smokeyblue · 10-22-2011, 11:32 PM

I personally wouldn't choose this car for safety reasons. They don't fare well in crashes.

herdtoDisney · 10-23-2011, 05:11 AM

I drive a 1997 Cavalier 4 door. I got it 4 years ago. I love this car! My oldest DS drove it till he went to college. It's been reliable (no major repairs) and is really good on gas. It will driven by my next teen driver (he's 15 yet).

I feel it is 'pretty' good in the snow-it's front wheel drive. Last winter was so terrible here, the trouble I ran into was the DEPTH of the snow LOL. The Cavalier did fine in regular snow but when it got soooo deep I had a hard time. But I drove it all winter except the day of the blizzard-I got a ride in a truck that day. With good tires, it is decent in the snow.

Poohforyou · 10-23-2011, 06:46 AM

If your son is looking for an older used car I'd recommend he go with a basic model Honda, Toyota or Subaru. IMO no American car can hold a candle to their performance track record.

BridgetBordeaux · 10-23-2011, 06:48 AM

I had to go back to a 2009 publication to get info on a 2002 model. At that time, the car scored somewhat average overall. Neither stellar, nor the pits either. Make sure to have the car gone over my an independent mechanic. It appears that the brake system and the heat/ac have had a few glitches in the past.

Shleedogg · 10-23-2011, 07:39 AM

My 93 yr old grandma drives a 2003 and hasn't had any problems at all. However, she has only about 15,000 miles on it. She bought it brand new and only uses it to drive around town once a week. I drove her in it to my aunt's a couple of holidays 2.5 hrs away. Sorry, just remembered it just needed a new battery this summer.

My DH had a 97 that he bought in 2002 and he drove until 2007. It was a hunk of junk. The electrical ended up being completely shot. He kept having it fixed and it just kept breaking. The driver side door wouldn't stay shut/open so once DH got it closed properly, you had to climb in through the passenger side. It was just one problem after another. Eventually we donated it to some animal organization for the tax write off. They normally sell them and use the money for the charity. It was so bad they said they were just selling it for parts/scrap; it wasn't worth anything.

I think generally, Chevys aren't good cars. If you're looking for something that's 10 yrs or more, I'd look into Hondas. They're a bit more expensive, but worth it. When DH was driving his 97 Cavalier, I was driving my 1991 Honda Civic and it looked like crap, but mechanically was sound. He had way more money put into repairs than /I did.

ETA: The Cavalier was definitely better in the snow than my Civic, it was just heavier and more solid. I think a late 90s Civic would avoid this problem though.

EllenFrasier · 10-23-2011, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BridgetBordeaux

I had to go back to a 2009 publication to get info on a 2002 model. At that time, the car scored somewhat average overall. Neither stellar, nor the pits either. Make sure to have the car gone over my an independent mechanic. It appears that the brake system and the heat/ac have had a few glitches in the past.

Thanks, we'll do that!

Darcy03231 · 10-23-2011, 09:02 AM

DD's first car was a 2000 Chevy Cavalier (we bought it in 2007). She had it for four years without any issues (just needed two new tires). She sold it this year and upgraded to something newer.

ccstrickler · 10-23-2011, 09:07 AM

DS had a 98 when he was in college. He rear-ended a Bronco at about 10 mph-no damage to the bronco-totaled the Cavalier although he wasn't hurt. Would not buy another one after I saw what his car looked like!

familyoffive · 10-23-2011, 09:21 AM

Don't buy it. Costly, and very unreliable. Much better and safer autos out there. Our 2001 needed a new engine at 36,000 miles(long out of warranty), had electrical issues, interior didn't hold up, new drivers seat motor at 40,000. We ended up selling this dog.

10-22-2011, 09:18 PM	#1
EllenFrasier DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,455	Is a Chevrolet Cavalier a good car? My son saw a car in a used car lot that we have dealt with before. It's a Chevrolet Cavalier LS. It was night time so he could not really get a good look at it or test drive. It's got 66,000 miles on it and he said it didn't say the year but I'm thinking it's about a 2002. Anybody ever drive one? Are they good in the snow? Any repairs? Thanks.

10-22-2011, 09:34 PM	#2
NYEmomma DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 1,595	My second car was a 1996 Cavalier. It was my moms, bought brand new, then I started driving it 1998 after blowing out my knee and not being able to drive my manual transmission Geo Storm anymore. The transmission fell out of it (not literally, lol, but you know what I mean) in 2000. The car was 4 years old & had less than 10k miles per year on it. The A/C also died the same year. I know 1996 is MUCH different from the year of car you're looking at so I can't say whether my experience really has any relevance. But for me personally, I'd never buy another one. __________________ Me , DH , DD 4 , DD 8 mo , DD 8 mo 8/82 off-site :: 12/88 off-site :: 2/93 POFQ :: 12/98 off-site :: 10/02 POFQ :: 10/11 POFQ :: waiting for 2/15 to get here!

10-22-2011, 10:35 PM	#4
momof1princess i feel like i'm going to explode if i don't get it out right that second! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,044	my DMIL drives a 2000 chevrolet cavalier, and it has been a GREAT car-she bought it new. it's been on long trips, short trips, tooled around town in, and so far, the only thing to go wrong was with the A/C, but it was minor and DH and DFIL got it fixed quickly. otherwise, only tires and routine maintenance has kept it going strong! __________________

10-22-2011, 11:32 PM	#7
smokeyblue Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 363	I personally wouldn't choose this car for safety reasons. They don't fare well in crashes. __________________

10-23-2011, 06:48 AM	#10
BridgetBordeaux DIS Veteran Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,709	I had to go back to a 2009 publication to get info on a 2002 model. At that time, the car scored somewhat average overall. Neither stellar, nor the pits either. Make sure to have the car gone over my an independent mechanic. It appears that the brake system and the heat/ac have had a few glitches in the past. __________________ Fort Wilderness 1972, 1978 Honeymoon 1993 offsite Shades of Green Sept 2000, April 2006, June 2008, Sept 2008, June 2009 POP Dec 2009, June/Sept 2010, June/Sept 2011, May/Sept 2012, May/Sept 2013

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10-22-2011, 10:43 PM	#5
AnjieNet DIS Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mizzou-rah! Posts: 1,006	I had a 1996 Cavalier, purchased new. Traded it in a couple of years ago with over 200,000 miles on it. The only thing I had to do outside of regular maintenance was to have the A/C charged a couple of times. If I'd kept it, I probably would have had to replace as the coolant had a slow leak, getting worse over time. Was a great car and didn't do too badly in the snow considering it's size and weight.

10-22-2011, 11:27 PM	#6
mjantz DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2,301	I had a 1992 Cavalier bought new. I finally got rid of it after 13 years because we were going to have to replace the engine. I drove it to college, to GA & back at one point & lots of trips between TX & OK as well as lots of city driving. It was a great car & I'd buy another one if I needed that kind of car again (a 2 door car doesn't really work for our lifestyle).

10-23-2011, 05:11 AM	#8
herdtoDisney DIS Veteran Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 999	I drive a 1997 Cavalier 4 door. I got it 4 years ago. I love this car! My oldest DS drove it till he went to college. It's been reliable (no major repairs) and is really good on gas. It will driven by my next teen driver (he's 15 yet). I feel it is 'pretty' good in the snow-it's front wheel drive. Last winter was so terrible here, the trouble I ran into was the DEPTH of the snow LOL. The Cavalier did fine in regular snow but when it got soooo deep I had a hard time. But I drove it all winter except the day of the blizzard-I got a ride in a truck that day. With good tires, it is decent in the snow.

10-23-2011, 06:46 AM	#9
Poohforyou DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 1,939	If your son is looking for an older used car I'd recommend he go with a basic model Honda, Toyota or Subaru. IMO no American car can hold a candle to their performance track record.

10-23-2011, 07:39 AM	#11
Shleedogg DIS Veteran Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,132	My 93 yr old grandma drives a 2003 and hasn't had any problems at all. However, she has only about 15,000 miles on it. She bought it brand new and only uses it to drive around town once a week. I drove her in it to my aunt's a couple of holidays 2.5 hrs away. Sorry, just remembered it just needed a new battery this summer. My DH had a 97 that he bought in 2002 and he drove until 2007. It was a hunk of junk. The electrical ended up being completely shot. He kept having it fixed and it just kept breaking. The driver side door wouldn't stay shut/open so once DH got it closed properly, you had to climb in through the passenger side. It was just one problem after another. Eventually we donated it to some animal organization for the tax write off. They normally sell them and use the money for the charity. It was so bad they said they were just selling it for parts/scrap; it wasn't worth anything. I think generally, Chevys aren't good cars. If you're looking for something that's 10 yrs or more, I'd look into Hondas. They're a bit more expensive, but worth it. When DH was driving his 97 Cavalier, I was driving my 1991 Honda Civic and it looked like crap, but mechanically was sound. He had way more money put into repairs than /I did. ETA: The Cavalier was definitely better in the snow than my Civic, it was just heavier and more solid. I think a late 90s Civic would avoid this problem though. __________________ Off-site 91, 98, 07, Engaged PORFQ 2004 :, ASSp Jan 09, POR July 09, AKV Nov 09, March 10, BLT/AKV Sept 10, AKV Feb 10, BCV/AKV Halloween '11 Me (28) DH (28) DD (2.5) DD (2 mos) :

10-23-2011, 09:02 AM	#13
Darcy03231 DIS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,294	DD's first car was a 2000 Chevy Cavalier (we bought it in 2007). She had it for four years without any issues (just needed two new tires). She sold it this year and upgraded to something newer.

10-23-2011, 09:07 AM	#14
ccstrickler livin' on the OBX Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: OBX, NC Posts: 122	DS had a 98 when he was in college. He rear-ended a Bronco at about 10 mph-no damage to the bronco-totaled the Cavalier although he wasn't hurt. Would not buy another one after I saw what his car looked like!

10-23-2011, 09:21 AM	#15
familyoffive DIS Veteran Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: CA Posts: 2,747	Don't buy it. Costly, and very unreliable. Much better and safer autos out there. Our 2001 needed a new engine at 36,000 miles(long out of warranty), had electrical issues, interior didn't hold up, new drivers seat motor at 40,000. We ended up selling this dog.

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