Used 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier Consumer Reviews
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cavalier is a nightmare
carv -a-lier horribly built car..no power.no quality.if u have it get rid of it before the warranty runs out..if it lasts that long.everything breaks.transmission rattles (charactaristic, not a defect)..rides like @#%$, For performance leave car at the dealer for warranty services
Decent Wheels - better than a lot
Great Initial Price, Good Seats, Good Handling, Great Air conditioning, good stereo. I'm pleased and will buy another when this one dies... I can't really think of one complaint. When you read the reviews of this car, you think it was terrible, but those people must be driving Mercedes normally or something...
- Base SedanMSRP: $990394 mi away
- Base SedanMSRP: $14,6751,202 mi away
- Base SedanMSRP: $3,5001,440 mi away
I owned 3 cavaliers
The door locks rusted out twice (what's with that?) No rust anywhere else on the car. It runs great. Does not burn oil. The battery died after 8 years. I replace the blower motor at 80kkm. It slowly lost its speed until it only had high speed. I still have the car and will probably have it for many years to come.
Perfect for a first car
Great buy as a first car. Very simple efficient interior and great exterior looks. Aftermarket stereo's are very easy to install as well, no need to keep the factory deck in the car. needs some more performance that's the omly complaint. very easy to work on the car.
A big mistake
This car was a big mistake. It's been back to the dealer 9 times & is in need of another svc call. The check engine light was the reason for the trips to the shop & there were a variety of problems - 1 part was replaced twice because the replacement was defective. Now there's a brake problem, the engine makes odd noises & my Dad said the film that's always on the inside of my windshield is due to a heater core problem. This car's a lemon & the dealership keeps stringing me along. I regret the day I bought it & if I can ever get rid of it, I'll never own another Chevy again! Don't make the mistake of buying this car!
Good Value
This is a nice car with a great price.
Very Pleased
Much better handling than Cav's of the past. Very stylish lines, and the factory body kit is just enough. Surprisingly peppy for a four banger.
I love my car!
I love my car!
pretty good car
Other than the fact that I had to replace the motor in the window after the first month of owning it and a couple other minor things early on, I'd say the Cavalier is a pretty good buy. It's been running great for a year and a half and doesn't look like a cheap car.
Still Runs like new
Bought my cavalier new in december 1995, drove it over 130,000 and it runs like the day i bought it!!!! Dependable and FUN to drive
Real world...
Haven't owned it long enough for eval, but had one for 10 years and 140,000 trouble free miles, and this one is much better in initial quality. This is a great day-to-day commuter car, does a better job of providing real-world transportation than my last car, which cost $10,000 more. Outstanding deal with rebate, lots of car for the money, great looks.
Great Little Car!
Bought a stripped 2000 Cavalier - loved it but wanted more options so I traded up to a 2002 LS Sedan with power everything. Love it! Great gas mileage, cute little car, in Sanddrift color, hardly shows winter road grime or spring pollen! Upgraded my tires and curves are MUCH better now. Great handling ... I can hit country roads at 70-80 and rarely have to hit my brakes. Holds the road great in foul weather. Good leg room, my 6 ft husband can sit in the back seat comfortably! (Can't say that about most smaller cars!) The few times I have had to take it to the dealer, they fixed minor probs and I was back on the road in no time.
commuter car
Poor brakes. I've only got 19K on this thing and the front rotors have already been replaced. When the antilock engages it makes a terrible noise and it feels like it's just rolling with no brakes. Dealer says it's normal. I can't believe brakes that sound like that are normal. Average fuel economy. Interior looks cheap, but car was cheap. Awful resale. Only one year old and it's lost half it's value
The Car
This is a good car for one or two children and two adults for longer rides, fits car seats great, it's very easy to drive and very comfortable to ride in and i'll probably keep buying these cars for a long time.
Great car for the money
I have over 130,000 miles on my Cavalier. Overall it's a really good car. I have had to replace driver side window motor twice but other than brake pad replacements and routine oil changes and a new gas cap, no other repairs have been required.
02 Cavy base coupe
I love this car so much. It's got a little power to it (110 hp base model). It's not so good when accelerating with the AC on it puts a drag on the engine. I took it back to a Chevy dealership twice. The first time I took it back because I got tired of the base engine and ordered a LS sport engine which was much needed for power (140 hp engine). Well my engine light came after I had the car for about 2 or 3 weeks. Turns out someone put some of the parts in wrong. Well that's it. It's a great car.
Sad To Let Her Go!
I have had my cavalier for 8 years now it is my sec. My 1st one I was in a very bad crash with and rolled the car and I am still alive that is why I had gotten the sec one. It has been a great car for the past 8 years but after haveing 88,500 miles on her she is ready to die! I only wish gm made them last a lil longer I am sad to let her go and its very hard to find another car like this
Cavalier "The Best"
Great performance, very comfortable, lots of leg room
Love My Cav
I no I'm not alone in saying that I love my Cavalier...there are so many on the road, that I simply can't be the only fan! Affordable, reliable, and full of standard features that are pricey options on similiar-class autos, the Cavalier is built for both power and budget. Choose the LS trim for better cloth seats and power features.
Fun to drive, very reliable.
I bought my Cavalier new in March 2002. Still gets great gas mileage even after eight years. Smooth and quite. Handles nicely. Lots of storage. Back seat folds down so you can store long items through the trunk and along the back seat. Only problem have been the power windows. Replaced the front driver side window motor after three years. It has been working fine for the last five years. Now the two back windows are now starting stick. Which is strange, since I don't open them much. Still a great car!
good bang for the buck
I bought this car about a year ago. It's actually a 2001 Z24. At first I was a little upset that I bought this car instead of a Honda Civic. If it wasn't for this car's poor resale value it would be ideal. If you plan on keeping this car to its end then it's perfect. The acceleration and performance is much better than a Civic. The Civic I found hardly had any pep to it. The ride quality is a litte noisier than a Civic. My wife's corolla seems like a better ride than this, but I got the stick in the Z24 and it sure if fun. I had test drove both the automatic and the manual and I would recommend the manual over the automatic.
nive entry level sport sedan
just bought this car and seem to be happy with it so far.This is not my first experience with the cavalier,I traded a 1991 cavaleir in for this and never had to do anything other than routine maintanance.The ecotec engine is certainly a nice improvement and the accelleration is certainly there when you need it in this little car.
Very Crude
I bought this car about a month ago and have put 2000Km on it in that time, it had 64,000Km on it when I bought it. In that time, it sounds like a wheel is loose when I use the brakes, the trans seems way too low geared as well. Road and intake noise is really bad, the muffler broke apart inside, and the stock sound system is junk. The power isn't bad (2200 OHC 5 speed) I personally think my Lada Nivas are better built and more reliable vehicles, fun to drive factor is better as well. The Cobalt is definitely a better car but also with them the handling gose out the window at highway speeds.
great car
i've had no problems with this car at all. I love the style and everything about it.
cavy
i love the car
Great Vehicle
A near perfect car with outstanding handling, good fuel ecomomy (30+), and very comfortable. I am very satisfied with my Z24. Your web site is incorrect when it states that all of these have 5-speed manual transmissions. Mine has a four-speed automatic transmission with traction control. That is not available with the 5-speed manual and does make a substantial difference in value. I am a professional used car and truck buyer that attends auto auctions weekly. I am very familiar with the actual wholesale and retail values. Your site is does not contain realistic values for many of the vehicles I researched on it.
Lucky Cav Owner
I've had this car for a year and 32,000 miles and absolutely no problems. You can't expect much from this car other than taking you from point A to B and it does it quite well. Don't expect great 0-60 times or cornering or anything to do with performance; this is strictly a commuter car and those who complain about it should be looking at other models. Great as a your first car, then move on to bigger and better things. Keep the car for as long as you have it financed because the resale value is crap, you will be loosing a lot of money if you want to get rid of it before time.
meltdowns z24 review
Along with the Z24's attractive appierance, it's power and handling capabilities are above average for a car in it's price range. I have only had the car less than a year now and have had a fun time driving it around the town.
I Love My Car
I enjoy driving my car. It handles the curves real well. I get awsome gas mileage both in town and on the highway. It is a spprty looking car, but is big enough to ride comfortably in it. This car as a lot of get up and go. It's great!
I love it!!
This car is a great choice for new drivers. It was/is my first car and I absolutely love it!
Happy, So far.
I purchased an 02 LS Sport with a 5- speed in May and haven't had to take it to the shop yet. The new ecotec engine pulls pretty good for a 4 banger in 1st and 2nd gear, but after that it loses its pep. I wouldn't recommend racing any si civic's unless you're only going to race to 50mph. I did find the paint job to be quite poor. I can feel some rough spots where it feels like they didn't spray enough clearcoat. Other than that, the car has been good so far. Oh yeah and the rear drum brakes are just ridiculous. I thought i was buying a sport coupe?
my black chevy cavalier
This cavalier is a great on road handling and is a pretty fast car. It has a lot of power for a small car, and is great on mileage. The car also has a great sunroof, tinted windows, and sporty chrome rally wheels. It looks like a little black corvette, except it is not as expensive. It rides more quiet than a vet, and is certainly better on fuel. The smoothe road handling and body style is what really impressed me.
Great Buy For What You Get
This is a very nice little car with more interior room than I would have thought. It is fun to drive and I have had no problems whatsoever with it. I would not recommend this car to a person who is looking at Cadillacs or more expensive vehicles, but would for someone looking for a nice, inexpensive new car.
it's a friday car
The car has already had some problems after a week of owning it. I had paint bumps on the trunk that I need to get fixed they are willing to do this but they cant get me in until next week. The gears are really close together so I feel like I have to shift way to quickly, it wants me to go to fifth gear at about 32 mph. The preformace leaves something to be desired. I hope to add a K&N cold air system as soon as it comes out. Also the power window control pannel is comming out already.
Stick to the LS Sport
For the price, the LS Sport is the best deal going. Don't waste your time with the base model when for just a few more dollars you can get a lot more car. The ECOTEC is an excellent engine that is far sturdier than the regular 2.2L found in the base model. The only problem so far has been trying to find aftermarket parts for it since it is so new.
Not a bad little car
This is our 3rd Cavalier. After drivivng it for 3 years, so far so good. The only problem is the AC stopped working 800 miles past the warranty. The dealer covered the parts, but we paid for labor- wasn't happy about that. Drove it to Florida 1300 miles, and it was very noisy on concrete highways, and in one instance the car would not start until I jiggled the shifter. I liked our '86 the best, and drove it 109,000 miles with no repairs.
Mixed Feelings on the 2002 Z24
Went from a '98 Ford Contour Sport to a '02 Z24 Sedan. Right away the poor quality of the interior was appearant. It is really plain. Road noise is pretty bad. Have had the car in the shop 4 times in 6 months. 1st time was the second week of ownership. The car is peppy compared to the contour, but the ride and handling pale in comparison. Not sure how the car will hold up over the long haul. Got the ext warranty to 75,000 just in case. The car has a nice sporty look from the outside. Also, the gas milage stinks for a 4 cyl!!! About 16-20 city & 23-26 hwy. I think the brakes will need to be replaced soon, after only 10k, they are getting soft.
I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!
Got my cavalier in Oct 03. I handles wonderfully. My only complaint is it gets a little sluggish after 2nd gear.
2002 Cavalier LS
So far so good. I've had 2 oil changes so far, one at the dealer and another at a local place in town, and both have overfilled my oil by at least 1/2 a quart.
Way better then expected
I first had a 1995 Ford Escort LX, then went to the '02 Z24. I've had the car for about 7 months now. I love this car! I'm getting the same fuel economy or better then the escort. This is WAAAY more reliable than the Ford. I had to take the my Ford to the shop way too many times to count. I have had no problems with the car. My only complaint are the interior is not as big as expected, but still plenty for me and 3 other people.
Good Car!
I was worried that my car would be a poor choice with all of the poor reviews from consumer reports, but the price was affordable so I got it. This car has been great! Good gas mileage 34mpg avg., never has given me a single problem. Other than styling, I would recommend this car to anyone.
Great car!
I'm more than satisfied with this car. It's just a car, without any unnecessary think.
best damn car for the money
Shopped long and hard for a new car. Searched for good used car, finally for the money, the Cavalier came on top. Noone gives you as much car for the money.
cav review
ITs is just awesome
Great gas mileage!
I was driving our SUV to work everyday and got the Cavalier to save on gas. I love this car. It's cute, reliable and definitely performs in the mileage-saving area. On the open road I've gotten 40-mpg! I've driven this car solo across the country a number of times and have had no problems. It has about 80,000 miles on it but the interior and exterior still look new after a wash & wax. Had a clogged fuel line that caused problems last year but that has been fixed. A strut bearing needs attention, apparently that's a typical problem, annoying but not critical.
Junk the rolls
1994 cheapest model. 115K now. Survive all that time with only tires and brake changes (& oil / filter / air filter / car wash / once a year with inspection). Now it has a starting issue; some electronic module; hell, if it costs <400, that's a gamble of 1 months payment of a $20K car. It's not sporty, but it rolls.
Great Value
My last two vehicles were a Honda and Nissan. This time when shopping for a car the best value was a Cavalier. Nothing can compete for the price with traction control, ABS, cruise, power windows, CD. Mine drives great and I expect good dependability like my Cavalier I bought 10 years ago with less options for about the same price as the 02 I just bought. You can't beat it for value.
Should've Bought 99' Acura Integra GS-R
The first thing that comes to mind when i think about my cavalier is, clutch....the clutch in my ls sport grabs so high and feels like its already starting to go (and i know how to drive a stick).The other thing that comes to mind is brakes. I just rolled 3000 mi and my front rotors feel like they need to be cut. I will give Chevy a hand for the new ecotec engine though, because it is a lot smoother and quieter than my old 2.2L. And good luck if you change your oil at home, b/c you have to take the intake tube and air box cover off to get to the filter! But the filter is very nice , b/c you only have to drop into a cylinder.
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport
I recently purchased the cavalier LS Sport Sedan. I must say that for the buck, this is a best buy! It has all the custom features most people want, available in factory make. The sound system is excellent, and puts a little bump in your ride. Considering it only has a 4 cylinder, the car has quite an amount of pickup too.
WOW!!!
Went from a 1997 Grand AM Se with a 2.4 to a 02 Cavalier LS Sport Coupe WOW!! Really like the new Ecotec Engine, Only prob I have is, I bought black, and its a pretty color when its clean, but man is it a pain to KEEP clean lol Sweeet Car LOVE IT!!