2003 Chevrolet Cavalier User Reviews

I'm Gonna Hate To See This Car Go! — not too shabby! acceleration is decent for a 4 cylinder. and upon quick acceleration the transmission is smooth (and i have 195,000 miles on the original motor and transmission!) the only repairs i've needed was a timing chain tensioner and an alternator. the appearance is cute. good for a young girl (such as myself). i love the black interior! the cost of ownership is quite low! i get about a combined 26 mpg's (340-ish per tank), not exactly hybrid status, but certainly not bad. this car is somewhat fun to drive. not the worst, but like i said it's just a four cylinder..

Primary Use: Commuting to work

A Knighted Vehicle — Performance: very good for entry level vehicle. most impressed. Build Quality: few repairs, still wearing in the vehicle after more than a year Appearance: Sharp and distinguished Cost: fairly inexpensive. good on gas Fun: what vehicle that runs isn't fun? overall: wouldn't give this car up for just anything. It's got a personality all it's own and it deserves more respect than most people give to a chevy. This car is definitely a good choice for anyone who is looking for a vehicle that is sturdy and manageable.

Cavalier Simplicity: A Very Nice Economical Sedan To Drive — I inherited this 2003 Chevy Cavalier "base" as it's call. I never owned a Cavalier before, but I've always been overly interested in the 1994 convertible Z24 model, in green or purple. This one I have, is Racing Red with the gray cloth interior. Believe it or not, it's the SAME color and interior I had on my 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme SL many moons ago. When you do the walkaround, you'll see that this Cavalier is put together very well. All body parts seem to fit together well. No gaps, no looking at parts that doesn't line up or match. When you shut the door, it's heavy enough not to have that tin can sound. Not that such a thing ever bothered me. It sounds rigid, solid. It had the aerodynamic doors (like the Cutlass did) that went from the top of the car all the way to the bottom, not just open at the glass/door frame. Only a convertible or a extremely well built car can get away without having that option. In looking at the front, it has a small, aggressive demeanor, sort of like my Del Sol, although it doesn't sit that low. Actually, the Cavalier sits amazing high for a car of its size. P195/60R14 tires seems to be quite accommodating, not like those little tires that you find on the smaller cars nowadays. They match the aggressiveness that the car portrays. The back of the car, nicely made. The trunk opens all the way up so you can get things in/out with ease. You can see out of the rear window and the factory made-into-the-seat small headrests. The exterior of the car overall; well it won't win any awards but it's comfortable and pleasant to look at. I will say this...there's nothing choppy about how the car looks. I like how the Chevy engineers made the lines of the car "fluid". The interior is nicely put together, minus a few awkward things. The dashboard has the general layout you'd expect to find in a late model car: speedometer, tachometer, oil/fuel/battery/temperature gauges. Weird thing though, when you run low on gas, there is no "low fuel" light. Instead there's a light that says "check gauges". Never had a car that did that. Nothing wrong with it, it's just different. I do not understand HOW this car was put together, in terms of options. The previous owner before me opted to not have the anti-lock brakes (should be standard in a 2003), nor did they opt for power mirrors/seats/windows/door locks. Yet my car has a an awesome sound systems with a CD player (factory), power trunk release, cruise control, tilt steering wheel , childproof locks and theatre lighting. I haven't owned a car in 500 years that had those crank let-me-down windows!!! With 4 of them being crank, it'll take some getting used to in the summertime, until I can get a toy that'll make them all power windows. For the sound system, I'm adding a Sony 10 disc cd changer in the trunk. You'll find that it'll be worth it to add some after market cd changer. Unless you like listening to the same songs over and over and don't mind changing a cd often. There is something to be said about the location of the air/heat system. It sits lower at the bottom of the whole dashboard, yet there are 2 built in cup holders there. So if you put something in the cup holders, you'll have to be creative to where you can use the climate control gig. I don't think Chevy engineers thought that one all the way through. When you hit the ignition, this bad boy does not hesitate in starting. That 2.2 liter Ecotec (I like saying that word with an echo effect) comes alive and when you put it in drive, that car is not a force to be reckoned with!! It has pep in its step, and it will move out when you hit the pedal. With front wheel drive, it's your typical general fare for everyday driving. But don't get me wrong...the 2003 Cavalier is NOT a boring car to drive (at least not to me). It can go boy!! I've driven it on the highway. Set the precision cruise control at about 60 and you're actually "floating". You sometimes may think you're going a tad bit faster. I do not know about the horsepower but it seems like it has a lot of it for an engine like the 2.2 liter 4 cylinder. My Grandfather used to say you can take a screwdriver and fix a Chevy. I won't go so far as to say that now, but I will say they are not all that hard to fix, and can lean towards the cheap side. I once owned a brand new 92 Corsica, and an used 84 Celebrity; didn't take a lot to fix them when stuff went awry. With regular maintenance, do not expect a high repair bills. This is one of those cars that you'll just go through the general components; brakes, battery, oil etc. I just realized it also has an accessory power outlet in addition to the cigarette lighter, which I found out was optional on the car too. Apparently the previous owner didn't smoke because the interior is in pristine condition. Now this is just something I've noticed in owning 4 GM cars in the past. When you turn the selector knob to the floor to heat your feet, you still get air thru the dashboard vents. Not sure about that set up, but it's not a concern to be dealt with. Now the uncommon stuff: 1) The headrests are really useless when you're driving. The seat backs provide a lot of comfort and support to your middle back. It looks like the headrest is designed for you to lean the seat back and sleep on it. I've tried to lean back on it while driving; doesn't work. It actually hurts my neck. Not like the other headrests in the two cars I own. They are in balance with the seat. But it's not an issue because Chevy designed the seat to keep you sitting upright and locked in your seat. 2) That trunk lock. I have to do a 180 degree turn to unlock the trunk. Don't know what that's all about. Never had a car ever that did that. Thank goodness for the power trunk release. But oh well, it's just something I took notice to. Even without anti-lock brakes, the Cavalier does a fairly nice job of stopping on the dime. Yes the brakes can lock up, but if you are an experienced driver it won't bother you any. It does pretty well in the ice/snow. There was 6 inches of snow and the car was snowed in the parking spot. I shifted into 2 and the front wheel drive quickly pulled me out of the parking spot. Nice job actually. This isn't one of those cars you have to rock back and forth to get out of a spot...well I don't have to, I'll say. I have the original AC Delco battery in there from 2003. Surprisingly enough, it's still good. I will post a pictures of it once I've gotten it decked out the way I want (first weekend in May). The one thing I can say about this Cavalier, is that is looks kind of nice as it is without any exterior/interior customizations/decals. But I like to personalize every car I own. I say if you come across a nice Cavalier that hasn't been dogged out or overly customized, and the price is right, then get it. It's a great in-between car when you don't need the big boy, and you're not in the mood for the convertible. It's "just right". I personally love mine, now that I actually experienced the ownership of having a Cavalier. Don't just look at it as a car to go from point A to point B. Look at it as a car that you can create your own fun adventure with. Don't let it make you think it's a "bleh" car. It's not. It's really not.

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

Fun To Cruise Around Town In! — I like how reliable it is, it gets good gas mileage, and is very cheap to fix up to look nice. I hate how cheap the interior is, and that it tops out at 108 mph. Has great acceleration, good handling, and with the right exhaust it can sound amazing. Ecotec 2.2 is easy to work on and easy to access.

Good Handling, Good Fuel Economy — The sportier tires I put on it make it more than competent in the twisties. Fuel economy never dips below 28.5 mi/gallon, and I drive A LOT