2001 Chevrolet Prizm Base review from North America
"Nothing fancy except reliability !"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I have only had car for 3000. Nothing has gone wrong yet. I will update in comments as needed.
General comments?
Great little car. We all know the Chevy/Toyota/NUMMI gammut...
The OE strut dampers are WAY too soft. Power is adequate. And I changed-out the "Delco" radio for a Sony w/o any trouble.
It appears the previous owner did NOTHING to this car... because they didn't have to!!!
When I got it, the front brake pads were at about 4/32", so I installed new pads & turned the rotors. Rear brakes are still fine. I did a coolant flush with fresh mixed Dex-Cool, as the OE Dex-Cool only tested to -15F. I also put a new serpentine belt on. The tensioner pulley is a little noisy... might need a new tensioner in the future. When I changed the oil, I also installed a new PCV valve, due to some Toyota engines sludging. This engine has no sludge & the new valve should keep it that way.
Total spent to re-fresh the mechanicals has been under $100 & the Prizm get about 42MPG on the open road.
This car replaces a 2001 Jetta I bought new, that became a big headache, and even bigger repair expense.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 4/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 73000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 78000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Jetta |
| Date of Entry | 29th October, 2007 |