2003 Chevrolet Cavalier VL review from North America
"A low cost, fuel efficient commuter car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
No major faults.
General comments?
Given the cost of this vehicle, $12600 (+tax) it has been well worth the money.
The brakes were very noisy from new, they sounded like they already had 40000km on them. The dealer agreed to machine them 1 month after purchase at about 5000km. After this was done there was no difference in the noise from the brakes and the dealer later indicated this was normal on this car. Rotors only lasted 75000km and since they were replaced by premium after market rotors the noise problem is gone.
The location of the emergency brake and cup holders make the drivers side cup holder almost unusable, any cup with a handle ends up getting caught on the emergency brake. The location of the heater controls means that cups in the cup holder block access making it difficult to adjust the inside temperature. The drivers side manual remote wing mirror control is very flimsy and makes adjusting the mirror difficult.
The engine has gotten a lot louder, now sounding a bit like a diesel, but gas mileage and power are still fine.
Wind and tire noise at highway speeds are rather loud, making it necessary to speak loudly in order to have a conversation with a passenger.
Having said all this I have driven 85000km (all highway) in 18 months and the only money I have spent is on oil changes, gas and brakes.
This car is very good value.
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  | Beautiful design combined with the worst engineering imaginable |
| It has its goods and its bads |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2 Ecotech Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 15 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 85000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Saturn LS |
| Date of Entry | 5th July, 2004 |