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Chevrolet Cavalier

by Wayne Paterson

The Cavalier is a good vehicle that doesn't get the respect it deserves. To be fair, critics tend to review a large number of very different vehicles, and may go from a Lexus one week to a Cavalier the next, which doesn't bode well for the Cavalier. Still, we think it unfair of reviewers to constantly harp on the Cavalier's age, when in fact it has aged quite well - and there are any number of old import platforms which are politely overlooked. Likewise, a redesign can sometimes be unfortunate - the new Civic comes to mind. Finally, we can point out that, dollar for dollar, the Cavalier offers a value that's hard to beat. What's more, it's the only truly American small car left. The Neon is now sold by a German outfit, while the Focus was designed in Asia. The Cavalier was designed in the United States by an American company, and is assembled in Lordstown, Ohio.

A variety of Cavaliers are available, with suspensions ranging from relatively soft to sporty. Handling is competent but not terrific with any of them. The Pontiac Sunfire, which is closely related to the Cavalier, has the best ride/handling combination, but it also comes with bright red backlighting at night and lots of plastic on the side panels. Our test car, an LS Sport Coupe, had a fairly stiff suspension which provided all the road feel we could want, while still soaking up major nasties such as speed bumps. It was, in short, sporty but not unpleasant, and unlike many imports, we could easily handle steep driveways.

One reason why the LS Sport has good handling is the tires and wheels. 16 inch wheels are quite large for a vehicle of this size and weight, and the low-profile Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires are a great help for wet or dry traction. While the RS-A is an excellent tire, wet or dry, which should last a long time, it is also quite expensive.

The LS Sport comes with a new 2.2 liter "Ecotec" 16-valve four-cylinder engine, which produces a respectable 140 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque on regular gasoline. That's considerably more power than you can get in a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, and there's a 150 horsepower (155 lb-ft of torque) 2.4 liter twin-cam engine option, as well. We recommend the 2.2 Ecotec, though, since its balance of power to economy is far superior (gas mileage for the 2.2 Ecotec is 25/33 with a manual shift, and 24/32 with the standard four-speed automatic. The 2.4 engine only achieves 21 city, 28 highway. The base Cavalier engine, not available on the LS Sport, is a 115 horsepower 2.2 which actually gets lower mileage than the new Ecotec.)

While the Ecotec engine can be raucaus under acceleration, we've never minded reasonable engine noise as long as the wind noise isn't too bad - and it isn't. The powerful little engine provides very good acceleration, especially with the manual shift, and likes to rev. It has plenty of pep at highway speeds, even in high gear, though a quick downshift is easy and rewarding.

The Getrag manual transmission feels very mechanical, the opposite of the "velvet coating" feel of the Corolla, making shifting more enjoyable. The end result is a very sporty feeling car, a far cry from what some reviews would have you think is a very pedestrian vehicle indeed. (Of course, those renting an automatic-transmission 115-horsepower Cavalier probably get a much different taste of the car.)

The Ecotec engine is generally free from vibration, even at idle, thanks to twin balance shafts, a die-cast lower crankcase, structural cast-aluminum oil pan, and isolated cam cover.

To clarify matters, the base Cavalier is only available with the 115 horsepower engine (135 lb-ft of torque), which compares favorably to the base engine on the Honda Civic, but not to the LS' Ecotec 2.2. To step up to the Ecotec, you need to get an LS Sport (not just an LS!), and to move all the way to the 2.4, you need to get a Z24. Fortunately, each is available as both a coupe and a sedan, so you can get a practical, easy-to-live-with four-door with a powerful engine and manual transmission. Likewise, the four speed automatic and five speed manual are across the board options.

As with all General Motors vehicles, the Cavalier has a good deal of gadgetry. Our LS Sport comes with platinum tipped spark plugs, four wheel antilock brakes, remote keyless entry with theft deterrence built into the key, battery rundown protection, electronic speed control, all-around power, and a rather good audio system. A Getrag manual transmission is a no-cost option on the LS Sport, and we heartily recommend it for its additions to power, economy, and enjoyment. Other standard features include air conditioning, a rear window defogger, folding rear seat, and (on cars with automatic transmissions) traction control.

Interior room is standard for the class, which is to say larger than you might think if you haven't been in a small car for a while. We carried a family of four in the Cavalier in comfort, taking advantage of the good leg room in both front and back seats, and were surprised by the ease of access to rear seats. The front seats easily tilt and slide forward, and slide back to their original positions. The rear seat may be a bit cramped with three people, though.

The trunk is surprisingly spacious and deep, with easy access. The spare tire can be accessed without emptying out the entire trunk, thanks to a convenient cutout.

Controls are generally clear and easy to use, with the usual GM exception of the cruise control. The cruise is mounted on the same stalk as the turn signal and headlights, and is somewhat awkward to use when compared with on-wheel or, better, separate-stalk cruise controls. Other controls were sensible and easily to figure out and use. We liked the availability of a mist function on the windshield wipers - by pushing the stalk down instead of up, you get a single wipe. There's a good variable-interval wiper delay feature, as well.

The instrument panel is well designed and easy to read, though small, with pleasant and unobtrusive (yet clear) backlighting at night. We did miss a light to tell us when the cruise control was activated, and were, as always, puzzled by the GM "headlights off" light which remains lit whenever the vehicle is running and the headlights are off. Presumably it is there to tell us that the car is busy annoying other people with its daytime running lights - the Cavalier still uses a system where the brights are left on all the time, on low but still annoying intensity.

The stereo on our test car, unlike most GM systems, had an import-style system of pressing a button and then twisting a knob to get to bass, treble, and other audio controls. We much prefer GM's usually system of using knobs and sliders.

A covered center console has a well-designed coin holder, designed for nickels, dimes, and quarters (presumably pennies will be phased out to please automakers), which requires little effort to use. It also contains a lift-out cupholder and room for a few knicknacks. There is also room under the center stack of odds and ends, which is, unlike other GM models, not cushioned to avoid rattles. The cigarette lighter is unaccountably placed close to the steering wheel, an inconvenient spot. We also had problems getting the key out of the ignition, thanks to a poorly designed button-interlock system. We've never understood these systems, and this one is harder to use than most.

Overall, the interior is pleasant and well designed, though clearly not lifted from a luxury car. The the entire rear seat folds back to create more trunk space, which means you cannot have three people and something long in the trunk, or for that matter that you have to take out any car seats you have to fold the rear seat back. Most cars now use a 2/3 split.

Overall, we found the Cavalier to be a very well equipped, nicely designed car whose eager drivetrain is thoroughly up to date and enjoyable. Even base models come with lots of standard equipment, and an absurdly low price (if you include rebates and such) that should be noted by anyone thinking of buying from Hyundai or Kia. You can get far more from Chevrolet than Honda, especially with the new Civic's less-than-stellar handling. Give the Cavalier and its stablemate, the Pontiac Sunfire, a spin before buying another car. You may be glad you did.

Best alternatives: Toyota Corolla, with legendary quality, an incredibly efficient engine, and a more spacious new design for 2003; Dodge Neon, with new low prices, 132 standard horses, nimble handling, and a surprisingly large interior, coupled with greatly increased quality; Subaru Impreza, with all wheel drive performance.

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