Is a Chevrolet Cavalier a good car?

[tink2dw]

this thread is now 3 years old. In that time we have purchased a 1998 Cavalier. That runs like a dream! Only needs general maintenance.

Our DD loved the car so much she bought it from us to use for college.

All Cavaliers have problem with the paint disappearing from the hood of the car. It has something to do with the protective coating they put on paint. And if paint gets dinged down to the metal it rusts.

They may be ugly cars, but they alway start, and you never have to worry, about them being stolen!! lol !

 

[denise5374]

My husband drove a 1999 Cavalier, bought new for 9 years. When we got rid of it, it had 217k miles on it. Never had any problems with it.

 

[reneaterry]

I had a 96 cavalier, bought new, that I drove to college. The only issue I ever had was the catalytic converter had to be replaced twice. I drove it for 5 years, then my sister drove it for a couple of years, then dh after that. We sold it with 125000 miles on it and it was still in good running condition.

 

[MichaelaF]

I know this is an old thread, but since it's come back up....

I sell cars all over the U.S. and internationally. (If any of you needs one, let me know! )

Any answer to a question like this is going to be generalized. Some folks will get a Cavalier and it will last them for 9 years. Some folks will get a Honda and it will last them for a year. Cars - especially buying used - are always gonna be dependent on a ton of variables, plus chance. Those variables include: miles, whether it was mostly city or highway miles, how well it was taken care of by previous owners, whether it has been in any accidents, how well the repair work was done if it was in an accident, the climate (cold vs. hot, humid vs. dry, salty air, etc), and much much more. So no one can say for sure whether a certain make or model is going to work for you long-term.

BUT there are tons of reliable resources out there on the internet that will help you determine whether a make, model, and year is GENERALLY reliable. As some PPs have said, I will always recommend a Honda or Toyota because they tend to last longer, but that doesn't mean there aren't other great vehicles out there (there are). I wouldn't ever personally buy a Chevy, for reliability reasons. I'm not super keen on Fords either, but at least those are easier to fix. Buicks actually hold up very well over the years, even though they have the rep of being granny cars.

And above all remember - the older the car, the more miles, the less reliable. If I saw an old car (more than 8-10 years) with low miles (less than 80k) for cheap sale somewhere like Craigslist, I would get EXTREMELY suspicious that that odometer has been turned back. Obviously, some legit ones exist, but they are rare.

All that said, I have access to a VIN number search, so if you would like me to look into any car, you can just give me the VIN and I can give you the history on it.

 

[njmom47]

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