1983 Chevrolet Citation 2.8L V6 (carbureted) from North America

Summary:

The resale value given to this car is a few thousand dollars less than what it should be

Faults:

Brake pads, shoes, & wheel cylinders needed replacing/rebuilding.

Drive axle, and 2 front wheel hubs also needed replacing.

Shocks, struts, coil springs, & sway bar had to be replaced.

Rear main oil seal is leaking a bit.

General Comments:

I was expecting to have to do some work to the car. I knew the owner was not properly maintaining the vehicle.

For how small the car is on the outside, the interior has more room and cargo space than anything else I've seen.

I like this model so much, this is the 3rd Citation I've had out of the 4 cars I've ever owned.

After installing quality suspension parts, and good tires, this car handles extremely well. Steering can be done with a single fingertip, and it grips the corners as good as any sports car, which is impressive in that this is a 4 door compact/mid-size family car.

The carburetted 2.8L V6, for its mileage runs very smooth, accelerates well, and has more than enough power than what I need for hauling heavy equipment. Aside from the oil seal, there are no engine problems whatsoever.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th August, 2001

13th Aug 2001, 14:06

Citations are not reliable, that's why the resale is so low.

5th Oct 2002, 19:12

Citations are not reliable, that's why the resale is so low?

Do you really think that this makes a car sell for cheap? If you do you know nothing about why cars sell cheaper then other. If there is lots of recalls for any car their price drops very quickly. The Chevy citation was recalled too many times that's why the resale it so low. GM and many other dealers were too rushed back then. There were many cars that were unsafe at the time of there release. After the dealer has fixed all the recall problems then the vehicle is safe, but really worthless to them at this point. I have owned many cars in my time including a citation I know there not the best car out there, but it never let me by the side of the road.

10th Jun 2003, 20:34

I agree with the post about the recall. We owned a 4 cylinder auto Citation. It never left us stranded and for a 4 cylinder its highway performance was really good. It would pick up speed and coast with no problem. I wish we would have kept it instead of getting a Mercury Lynx.

18th Nov 2004, 16:18

The resale value is a few thousand dollars less than what it should be??

Even though this review was written over three years ago, even then Citations were worth a few hundred dollars at most, same as now.

23rd Oct 2005, 11:39

I have an 83 X-11 and it is nothing as you describe them. Mine runs aw-some, is fast, and all stock and no problems in 22 years. I guess it's how you take care of them huh?

17th Mar 2014, 09:55

The resale value on the X-body cars was so low because they had a brake problem that was easily and inexpensively resolved by a proportioning valve. It's just too bad that GM didn't resolve it in an expeditious manner.

1983 Chevrolet Citation Hatchback 2.5 Liter 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

This car fits right in with trailer trash

Faults:

Roof and door seals leaked.

Transmission, engine, power steering, master cylinder, all leaked.

Ugly.

Exhaust had a horrible stink (smelled like rotten eggs, puke, and hot diesel).

Many, many wiring problems.

Alternator went out twice when I had it.

Poorly designed brakes (wore out a lot).

Stalling occasionally.

Overheating (thermostat and radiator were clogged)

Wipers came on by themselves.

Dimmer switch didn't work.

Rust, rust, rust.

General Comments:

Not too bad a car, I've heard worse stories from Citation owners. I got an OK deal, paying only $350 for it. It lasted quite a while, considering it was one of GM's worst cars ever, and the old witch I bought it from didn't really believe in maintenance.

This car wasn't as slow as you'd expect, quite quick off the line. I had it doing nearly 120 MPH one day (my friend followed in his dad's BMW 7 Series.) I was kind of happy the night a drunkard in a Blazer smacked it at nearly 80 MPH while it was parked. I got nearly twice what I paid for it from the insurance company.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th April, 2001

21st Apr 2001, 20:30

This is what Happens when you do not take care of your car, or don't care about it period. The Citation was a very reliable car, especially 1983 and up.

-CK.

22nd May 2001, 10:53

Citations are NOT reliable, They are HORRIBLE cars, GM's worst!! I wouldn't recommend one to my worst enemy!!!

25th Jun 2001, 13:33

I special ordered my 1983 Citation CL Hatchback 18 years ago and with over 120,000 miles am still driving it daily. Most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. Sure it has rust on it now but it still drives, accelerates, and handles well.