1997 Chevrolet Cavalier LS Convertible review from North America
"Want a nice convertible without breaking the bank? This is your ride"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Top needs to be replaced.
Seats were broken and wouldn't come out of the reclined position when I bought it.
General comments?
This very well may be the perfect young person's sports car. It does have more body roll than I would like, but for $2400 it has been a wonderful car, and that could be fixed with better sway bars.
The seats were reclined too far back when I purchased the car and were broken (stuck in that position). I'm 6'5", so I was planning on replacing the seats for more space. I installed some leather seats and now it is much better.
The car is smooth, with gobs of usable torque from the 150HP 4 cylinder. If you really want to feel the grunt this engine can put down, buy the 5 speed.
It consistently gets 25 MPG in the city, and between 30 and 34 on the highway. 65MPH nets real good mileage while 75MPH drops it significantly. I have been getting 24-28 MPG average in mixed driving.
The car is capable of pushing past 100MPH even with the top down.
I found one which had been probably been owned originally by a girl, as it is purple with pink pinstripes. It doesn't bother me because I know it wasn't beaten on by a ricer-boy racer, and I don't have anything to compensate for.
I love this car, and it gets a lot of looks from people.
Recommended reviews
| I love it, I would never ask for a different first car |
|
| A dependable, good-looking car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 I4 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 60000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 70000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford F150 |
| Date of Entry | 9th March, 2007 |