chevrolet cavalier...

[Jack]

I'm looking to buy a car...finally. After my seizures and blindness is proven to the commonwealth that it's not an issue, I will be allowed to drive!

I've been offered, "a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2 door 4 cylinder VERY easy on gas, runs fine, was my only transportation till recently buying a Trailblazer (needed more room, we have 2 kids) it's marroon in color, has 144,000 miles but runs really good. We're asking $2,200.00"

What do you think about this?

I know *NOTHING* about cars, but this is from a woman, and she seems honest and genuine. I would rather buy a car from a woman than a man because I can't tell when men are lying to me as much as I can with women.

[fearfaoin]

Seems like a pretty good price for the year/model.
The Kelly Blue Book site gives the suggested retail
price for one in excellent condition as $3610. If
you can afford it, and the seller allows, ask around
to find a trustworthy mechanic who will look the car
over and tell you if there's anything wrong with it
that might cost you thousands to fix in a few months.
The seller might be perfectly honest, and still not
know about problems that are just about to happen.

[brewerpaul]

FWIW-- my son has a Cavalier that he likes a lot. I think it's a 1999 and he's done some pretty major mods to the suspension, shifter,exhaust system. It's a good basic car. Do check the Blue Book values though.

[gonzo914]

I would rather buy a car from a woman than a man because I can't tell when men are lying to me as much as I can with women.

A good decision. A man may tell you the truth occasionally, but not when he's fishing or recounting his sexual exploits with a barmaid, his high school civics teacher, or a dental hygienist, and definitely not when he's trying to sell you a car. With a woman, on the other hand, you can safely assume up front she's blowing smoke up your hind end and be right more often than not.

[missy]

go here with the VIN number:

http://www.carfax.com/


And get a report. It will tell you if the car's been wrecked, claimed on insurance (you don't want one that came from the Gulf after Katrina) etc.

Also ask if they have any service records. As long as the oils been changed regularly, etc. the car should be ok.

If there's been ANY issues with cooling system (leaking antifreeze, running hot, having gaskets or seals replaced) walk away. For about 5 years GMs had issues with this - I had a 1998 blow a head gasket and warp the head, and it would have cost a lot more to fix than the car was worth. I think Flydood also had that happen.

[Charlene]

I liked my little cavalier. We only got rid of it because my MIL let us use her car when she first moved out of her daughter's house, so we thought we would use a newer car and sold the cavalier. Then my MIL gave her car to one of her granddaughters "because Lisa needs a dependable car for work." (Turned out Lisa needed a dependable car because she was becoming an unwed mother. She has since brought 2 Basmatis into the world. And yes, I know people don't like that word, but she wasn't married to the father (or fathers) and basmati is the correct word to describe the kids.) So we got gypped out of the use of her car and I didn't have my nice car. I will never forgive her for that.

Back to the point - I think a cavalier is a good car. Do check everything out like the others have said.

[chas]

My wife and I got married because of her Cavalier. We lived 150 miles apart, and her car, which had about 240k miles on it, died on her way home. So we got married. I'll never breathe a bad word about a Cavalier now.

[Jack]

Thanks everybody. We're still in talks...I really appreciate everything you all can tell me.

There is somebody at C&F who knows a little something about everything!

[Walden]

I had a Cavalier station wagon. I've driven nothing but Fords since, and been very, very, happy with the Fords.

[Lambchop]

I knew someone who had a Cavalier once.

Now I have a Prius. I'm getting an average of 50 mpg when I'm not trying, and more when I am. This pleases me.

[Innocent Bystander]

My wife had a (Vauxhall) Cavalier about the time that I had a Ford Escort. They're Vauxhall in this part of the world.
They're a bit too light on the gas pedal for my taste. Great if you want to burn off the road. But that's my wife's approach to driving. They may do better in the U.S. where there seems to be a lot more expanse of ashphalt.
But at that price, I wouldn't argue.

[Wanderer]

I had a 1998 blow a head gasket and warp the head, and it would have cost a lot more to fix than the car was worth. I think Flydood also had that happen.

I had a '98 Chevy Cavalier z24 do this exact thing.

[Jack]

What's that mean?

[Thomaston]

I've had a 2002 Cavalier for about 4 years now. I've haven't had any problems with it, other than the standard flat tire stuff.

[dwest]

My wife had a Sunbird, basically the same car, that she loved until the engine caught on fire in the middle of town one day, I lost a good pair of gloves, never drove a GMC product again.