2002 Chevrolet Cavalier VL review from North America
"Wish I had spent my money on something older but better"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I bought this used from a Nissan dealership and opted to not extend the one year left on the warranty. Nothing seemed to need fixing right away.
Towards the end of the first year, the drive shaft started clunking during turns. Not a CV boot or joint, though. After some research, it turned out to be a "kind of" warranty issue with the steering knuckle needing lubrication. My mechanic suggested I just let it be until it got too annoying, as it would be quite pricey to fix. Still making the noise, but louder now.
Tires seem to wear quickly, not sure why.
Interior dash vent fan starting clicking last year. Not worth fixing.
New rattles seem to appear regularly. The dash in particular is very creaky.
The CD player stereo is a weird oval shape, so is not easily upgradeable to something better.
General comments?
Really wishing this car would run itself into the ground. It's a pig to drive and has terrible body roll going around the mildest corners at the slowest speeds. Despite having a 2.2L engine, the pickup is awful. The transmission is clunky at best and feels like a tractor's or an old pickup truck's. The seatbelts cut into my neck (I'm 5'5" tall) and never seem to fit right. The stock floor mats shifted easily and frequently ended up under the clutch pedal, blocking it. Had to replace them with heavier rubber mats.
Good points:
The paint is quite pretty once polished by a pro detailer, and the clear coat is very hard, so it doesn't scratch easily.
The back seat is large enough for adults in a pinch.
The trunk is quite large. Big enough for two full sized suitcases side by side.
Only give this car oil changes and brake jobs, hoping it will disappear one day, as there is absolutely no resale value on it.
Way, way overpaid for this piece of crap. But it's reliable enough that I can't justify getting rid of it yet.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L gas Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 18000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 115000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 10th April, 2009 |