2005 Chevy Cavalier Review
Price Estimate: $520 - $865





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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Low price, torquey four-cylinder engine, optional satellite radio and OnStar.
Cons
- Ancient design inside and out, cheap interior materials, poor build quality, low resale value, poor side-impact and front-offset crash test results, ABS no longer standard.
What’s new
No major changes as the Chevy Cavalier gallops into the automotive sunset.
Edmunds says
Despite various revisions, there's no hiding the fact that the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier was engineered more than a decade ago, leaving it hopelessly outclassed by nearly every other car on the market.
For sale nearby
3 listings
- 184,000 miles
- 1 accident, 6 owners, rental vehicle
- 23 City / 33 Hwy MPG
- Big Man Motors (233 mi away)
- Alarm
- Rear Bench Seats
Close
Located in Farmington, MN
2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER ===== 2.2L I4 ENGINE FRONT-WHEEL DRIVETRAIN AUTOMATIC 4-SPEED TRANSMISSION 26 MPG COMBINED MILEAGE----- 184,000 TIRE SIZ...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (23 City/33 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 1G1JC52F257192636
Stock: 192636
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 09-21-2023- 67,076 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 4cyl automatic
- 24/7 Cars (682 mi away)
- Rear Bench Seats
Close
Located in Larwill, IN
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (23 City/33 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 1G1JC12F157188053
Stock: 57188053
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 06-05-2025
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota
$145/mo for Cavalier Special Value
Cavalier Special Value
vs
$165/mo
Avg. Compact Car
Chevrolet Cavalier Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Great little car
4.5 out of 5 starsNan, 02/18/2010
2005 Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
Bought this due to divorce and great choice. Gas mileage is terrific especially when gas was over $3/gal, so little spent on that. Normal wear. Just oil changes and new tires and brake pads in year 5. Easy to park in those tight places. No one wants to steal it cuz its plain-I like that!
the car is a Beast
4.38 out of 5 starsbeebopboo, 10/04/2011
2005 Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
i couldnt have asked for a better first car, the cavelier gets a crappy rap but its really a decent, reliable car. mine has just gotten over the 100,000 mile mark and it hasent given me any problems. just like any car if you treat it right and take good care of it youll get the maximum preformance. so all you people who talk down on the cavelier, maybe its not the car at all maybe its … just the way you run it..
Best Chevy
5 out of 5 starsvictor, 01/25/2007
2005 Chevrolet Cavalier 4dr Sedan (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
I am a car ASE mechanic of over 20 years. This is a good family car.The best Chevy sedan I have seen in years. Good reliability, good quality. I dont care what JD Power says, it's the best sedan yet.
Great little car
4 out of 5 starsKristen, 02/29/2016
2005 Chevrolet Cavalier 2dr Coupe (2.2L 4cyl 5M)
Second owner of car. Bought in 2011 with 60k miles. I now have 167k. All guages were broke(VERY common and they never recalled it). Don't spend the $500 for the new assembly it will just break again. Buy individual motors on Amazon ($25 for 6) and sodder them on, and set guages. They've been working perfectly since. Due to those being broken I had to replace the fuel pump. Normal wear … and tear: tires, battery, brakes. Regular oil changes. The drivers seat has broken. No longer stays up. Easy junkyard fix. The dashboard cracks in numerous spots. Another common problem with the Cavaliers though.
In the past year I've put over 8,000 miles on it traveling all over the US with my boyfriend. My biggest problem: getting rear ended while turning, 1000 miles from home. Totalled it out. Airbags DID NOT deploy.
2005 Cavalier Highlights
Coupe
Special Value
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $10,325 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 26 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $145/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 13.2 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Cavalier include:
- Alarm
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver1 / 5Passenger2 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalPoor
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintPoor
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