1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Base review from North America
"Great winter basher - slap on snows and let 'er rot!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket blew at 78,000 miles, without any prior warning. Head warped as a result. These gaskets can go at any time on 4-cyl GM compacts, replace it as soon as you buy the car with any mileage or you have a big risk of getting stranded....
Had mysterious and intermittent stalling problems, only once in a while.
General comments?
Drove a Nissan Sentra until I got carried away and wrecked it.
In comparison, the Cavalier felt a lot heavier, much less responsive, and rolled a whole hell of a lot. The steering is light.
Acceleration with the droning 2.0L/ 3-speed auto combo was very bad, expect Neon R/Ts to smoke you. But still has better torque in comparison to most economy cars including the next-gen Cavalier!
Acceleration greatly improved with shifting it manually.
Brakes were very good. Loved them.
Handling was horrible, but you knew that.
Comfort and ergonomics very good, much better than the next-gen Cavalier.
Takes lots of abuse, and that's saying a lot considering I was 17 and pretty immature when I drove it!
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| 1989 - Cavalier Baseline Wagon 2.0 Litre OHV inline four A truly phenomenal car; cheap too! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L TBI OHC Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 76000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 78000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 9th August, 2001 |