Used 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M) Consumer Reviews
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First New Car
rdaub, Clinton Township, MI, 03/27/2013
Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 13 people found this review helpful
2004 Cavalier was my first NEW car purchase {had purchased used cars prior}. After 180,000+ miles can not really complain. It did what it was purchased to do - used as a commuter car, averaging over 400+ miles per week. After all of those miles, still getting 30+ mpg. Yes road-noisy ride, cd no longer works, replaced clutch after 175,000+ miles, shifter needs replaced [hard to get into 1st or 2nd, really loose]. But for a "basic $10,000.00 car" in 2004, it has been a worthy vehicle.
My First Car
SoCalMal, 07/25/2010
Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought this car brand new in '04 and I'll be the first to admit I didn't know how to take care of a vehicle. Every oil change was late and a cracked transmission pan later, 88,000+ miles later this gem is still running. The dashboard is weak, but the rest of the interior is decent. It's a bit of a noisy ride esp. if you're on the phone. I've encounter no problems w/ the electrical components, but the transmission is starting to slip.
2 years for 1800! Not bad
Yaboy Chaz, Brookhaven, NY, 02/26/2020
Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This car for what it was got me to work back and forth after I blew the head gasket on my Saturn. It drove me everywhere I needed to go. Work was about 5 to 8 miles and that was in the morning til evening and then I'd drive practically anywhere I felt without issue. Car had pretty good pickup and despite the 2 door style, yellow sun thining paint and rust on both lower sides, this car was my trusty steed. Normally driving it over 75 mph, occasionally I would hit 85 to 90 and it kept up with traffic fairly well. "Now for the good, bad and ugly": What was GOOD was it had typical maintenance like any car, when I took the muffler off and put a spoiler on it, it had the sporty feel I needed. The brakes worked like a breeze before and after upgraded drilled rotors. Gas mileage for me was still over 21 mpg driving as far as Maryland and back once a week when I switched jobs. And I had driven in the snow for over (about a 4 to 7 inches on a back road, unplowed) to rescue my girlfriend who was stranded in her top safety rated Chevy Cruze, and after spinning out one time, I managed to not hit anything and still get to her and bring her home (While doing donuts in the parking lot where she was). This car can handle well if you have good struts too. Had someone hit my back side after they ran the stop sign but their front end was messed up but it was night so it looked like my car was fine but the next day it had a small dent so despite the cheap plastic, it held somewhat firm. The hit was about 35 mph with me trying to avoid the incident too. BAD, was it had a few rust spots on crucial components like the brake line's (Replaced two, one in the front and one in the back, about a half hour for both) Replaced the fuel line after a minor leak, probably due to heavy acceleration because I decided to drive it in its manual gears. It was automatic but the car preformed better when you shifted up from 1st to 2nd then 3rd, I'd switch to drive sometimes if I was at high speeds for long periods of time. Then lastly it had a wheel hub bearing replaced but that was an easy fix with power tools. The interior was pretty cheap a easily broken but if you dont mess with it, you can prolong its inevitable demise. Lastly the rust and paint, not to crazy or in important spots but it would break off small pieces of the car, seems common for these vehicles too but for 2004 you can't expect a F1 racecar. The UGLY, there isn't really much ugly about this car. It held quite fair, parts were pretty cheap and if you can find someone to do the repairs then labor will be cheap too or DIY. I beat the heck out if this car and it probably would have lasted another 100k miles. Got the car with 94k and lost it at 136k due to me sitting to high in the rpms maxing out at 110. Dropped down to 90 and the switched to Drive. A few more accelerations and boom. Car blew a gasket, scrapped it and got a truck. I drove the car like a manual for about a year without much issue though so it wasn't for me revving to high, I probably would still have it, still very reliable and good on gas. Hope my experience helps you make a good choice. Whether you're in high school looking for a dapper first car, or an employed fellow looking to get to and from then this car will do that. I've also heard ppl with these cars reach 300k so if you take care of it,it'll take care of you. Happy hunting.
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completely recommend this car
natemorris925, 03/25/2009
Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought this car to commute to school/work with. Averaging a little over 100 miles a day I bought it with the sole purpose of racking up a ton of miles, no extras. This is an extremely reliable car. The cartridge oil filter is Nice since im usually due for an oil change about every month. I changed the transmission filter and spark plugs at 60k. Fuel pump went out at 68k. I like that it has a timing chain instead of a belt. More maintenance free. Avg 34 mpg. With good tires this car is excellent in snow. Bottom line, this car is nearly as good as a civic, and for about half the price you cant go wrong as long as you take care of it. Mines at 90k it runs like new, no leaks or noises.
bought a LEMON yellow
twtybrdrn, 06/11/2004
Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
the car stalls suddenly without warning while shifting, the spare tire is a joke, it blew out on a major highway, leaving me no choice but to have the car towed on a flatbed, the back seats are very narrow and hard. poor exceleration and loose gears
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