1989 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 review from North America
"Unreliable, but good for a few months of fun"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission totally blown out. Had it fixed twice at a cost of $2000.
Original 2.8 Liter engine replaced with a 3.1 Liter after two weeks of driving.
Power Locks very faulty.
Keyless entry basically useless.
Faulty alarm woke up neighbors 3 times.
Electrical System totally fried twice.
Oil gauge and Temperature gauge malfunction.
An internal wire was crushed and is connected to the body causing the battery to lose power very quickly.
On an average I needed a jump start once every week.
General comments?
When this car ran it could beat anything. I raced a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse and a 2000 Camaro and they both ate my dust.
Great acceleration.
Very hot interior.
Took long for A/C to kick in.
Torque was high enough to spin tires.
Horsepower was immense. Although the exact amount is not known to me (due to the 3.1 liter engine) I can estimate it is in the mid 200's.
The trouble was just making sure it started. If it did then you had no problems until the transmission blew and had to use the 2 gear manual transmission.
Not reliable at all, but a blast to drive.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 FI Multi Port Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 2/10 |
| Comfort marks | 5/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 160380 miles |
| Most recent distance | 160738 miles |
| Date of Entry | 5th May, 2002 |