1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Reviews

Alternator required replacement (causing rev counter to fail and warning lights on dash to light up) £75 + VAT.

Dashboard bulbs needed replacing (less than an hour to do myself) £2 + VAT.

Accident damage rust (i.e. bumps and scrapes left untreated by previous owners)

Odd problem with central locking activating when passenger door electric window activated (possible dodgy earth or frayed wiring - but then it is 15 years old...)

Fuel tank has a small leak due to being stood for so long (71k in 15 years - 3500 miles a year, on average!)

There's not many left and was lucky to get this one for £550 with 71k on the clock. No history, but the condition of car bears this out.

Comfortable, economical (45mpg+) and so easy to maintain. Yes, OK, it's boring, but for commuting backwards and forwards to work it's ideal, can't beat it!

Don't ignore the oil changes at every 4,500 miles (easily done yourself though) and treat it with normal mechanical respect - I'm looking at 600k out of this one!

When I bought the car for £250, the alternator and starter had just been replaced by the previous owner.

I had to replace the battery, as the old alternator had fried it.

The only other thing was the radiator was leaking, and a new one was only £50 delivered from off the Internet.

Had to replace a few dash bulbs, but could not get to the one behind the heater control panel.

The only annoying thing is that the car has a very heavy vibration on idling, this makes the steering column rattle and gives me a massage through my seat! This does seem to get worse when the car is put in Drive and I am stopped at junctions etc. I am putting it down to perished engine mounts, as I have cleaned the idle valve and changed plugs and leads.

Considering it's now 14 years old, its remarkably rust free.

I also have a Manual 1998 Mondeo V6 2.5L 24v and the Cav is nicer to drive than this; the Mondy rattles and squeaks whereas the Cav seems better put together - its quiet and smooth, and a real pleasure just to cruise along at 70 MPH in.

It is not the fastest car I have driven by any means, it manages just over 100MPH flat out, but If I want to go fast, I drive the Mondeo - and pay through the nose for the fuel economy!

The automatic transmission is wonderful and smooth, but does show the 1.8 8 valve's limitations - acceleration is not the best. The 1.8 is a little too small an engine to have the automatic transmission on - if you want performance go for the 2.5L V6 or the 2.0 16V.

I like to use the Cav around town, it's much easier on the left leg when stuck in traffic, and not bad on fuel. It's a shame they are getting rare now in automatic form, I would never go for a Ford automatic, they are dreadfully unreliable. The Vauxhall automatic unit is made in Japan, and seems very reliable.

Cavs go for peanuts now as the newest models are at least 13 years old, but they are more reliable than Vectras, and if you can still find a good one, buy it, they are a cheap reliable run about.

Avoid the 1995 16Valve Ecotec engine variants - they are a dog of an engine - riddled with design faults - they are the first of the 1995 Vectra engines and they started out in the very last Cavaliers to be made from about Jan 1995 onwards.