View Full Version : Thoughts on Car
My van has died and I am looking. I went to view a 2002 Cavalier with a 2.2L engine, 56,000k, 5-speed, no A/C. Price is $5700 (dealer). Any thoughts on the make and engine. Thanks.
mander
06-30-2006, 06:14 PM
You might find this a useful read. Cant offer a personal opinion though as I have never owned one. http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2010/
Thank you mander for the link. Very informative. Looks like this dealer is right in the ballpark and the car doesn't appear to suffer from many defects. Thanks again.
Dr.Dan
06-30-2006, 09:39 PM
As far as I know, a 2002 Cavalier with a 2.2L engine shouldn't have too many problems.
Just remember, no matter how good it looks to you, take the car for an inspection by a mechanic you trust.
Carz n Compz
07-01-2006, 12:12 AM
As far as I know, a 2002 Cavalier with a 2.2L engine shouldn't have too many problems.
Just remember, no matter how good it looks to you, take the car for an inspection by a mechanic you trust.
With today's Certified used cars from a brand dealer is it really nessesary?
Dr.Dan
07-01-2006, 12:23 AM
Certified only means it meet minimum provincal standards for safety, and has nothing to do with the overall condition of the vehicle...
So in short, yes, it IS necessary if you want to make sure there's no 'unseen' problems ;)
is it really nessesary?
BTW, check your spell checker... I think it's broke ;)
JohnPB
07-01-2006, 04:24 AM
My van has died and I am looking. I went to view a 2002 Cavalier with a 2.2L engine, 56,000k, 5-speed, no A/C. Price is $5700 (dealer). Any thoughts on the make and engine. Thanks.
Check your local libary for the Used Car Lemonade Book. Also, never ever trust a used car dealer, make sure you get it checked by a mechanic you trust, if the dealer doesnt agree, walk away
I had an older Cav, it wasnt bad, not a great car, I preferred my used Honda, the motor lasted forever
hbk2k1
07-02-2006, 10:54 AM
So my sister went to a dealership looking for a car.....found an 2002 Cavalier with 60000km....they want 10000 for it...I think that's ridiculous considering the age of the car as most cars today(new ones) sell for a just over ten...
Any thoughts if that's a reasonable price....?
I was thinking it should be going for roughly 5-7G's...
Dr.Dan
07-02-2006, 11:27 AM
So my sister went to a dealership looking for a car.....found an 2002 Cavalier with 60000km....they want 10000 for it...I think that's ridiculous considering the age of the car as most cars today(new ones) sell for a just over ten...
Any thoughts if that's a reasonable price....?
I was thinking it should be going for roughly 5-7G's...
I know someone that just bought an '02 Cav with 57K on it for $5500.
That's a great deal... 65 to 7000 is more the area it should sell for.
freddy here
07-03-2006, 08:28 AM
With all the Lemon Guide's and other advisory guides out there, it is still
the most important thing to know who owned/drove the car for the first
50,000+ Ks. You may be lucky to get a good deal and maybe 5 or 10 k's
down the road it conks on you. No Lemon Guide or any other publication
can tell you that. They only tell you the average price for a certain model
in a certain condition and what their most common complain's from present
and past owner are.As Dr. Dan said,get it inspected by a reputable mech.
AND as alway's Caveat Emptor.
..............................:tws: .............................
.
Dr.Dan
07-03-2006, 08:46 AM
Right Freddy... but that's still no guarranty that it won't break down... but it does put the odds in your favour ;)
The Computer Guy
07-03-2006, 02:21 PM
Dont forget that the cav's are supposed to be bad on heater cores and head gaskets. I owned a 1995 and the both of those went, fixed and then went 6 months later. Hence why I am now driving a honda civic.
Marsher
07-03-2006, 03:17 PM
Check this out...
http://autos.yahoo.com/consumerreports/article/ways_dealers_make_you_pay_extra.html
Dr.Dan
07-03-2006, 04:51 PM
Dont forget that the cav's are supposed to be bad on heater cores and head gaskets. I owned a 1995 and the both of those went, fixed and then went 6 months later. Hence why I am now driving a honda civic.
Big difference between a 95 and an 02 Cav... most of the earlier problems were fixed over the years.
95 was the first year of the new Sunfire / Cavilier... and was known for many problems.
There is no question that the Civic, or any other compact Japanese car is better... but that's not the question here ;)
JohnPB
07-03-2006, 05:15 PM
My neighbour has an 02, brakes are the major problem, shes in all the time with them. Few oil leaks, mostly small problems with cheap body plastic, inside and out
peavyjay
07-04-2006, 09:45 PM
My expeirence is, it doesn't matter what you buy, just make sure you buy the after market warrenty. It will cost you about $1500 for a five year bumber to bumber, but I have always cashed in on mine.
Good luck
T_Totler
07-04-2006, 09:49 PM
My expeirence is, it doesn't matter what you buy, just make sure you buy the after market warrenty. It will cost you about $1500 for a five year bumber to bumber, but I have always cashed in on mine.
Good luck
That's all well and good, but you also don't want a car that breaks down all the time and creates inconvenience for you.
Whoa! Lots of stuff. Thanks for the replies everyone. I am still looking. That Cav is not a bad deal but not a great deal.
I have a 04 sunfire with the 2.2 in it. I have never had any problems with the motor at all, and I find I get terrific gas mileage. As far as the brakes go, the car now has about 45000KM original brakes and pads. And if anything this car is most of the time in stop and go traffic being in the city. The body is strong and seems to resist rust allot better then my Honda prelude.
The only thing I would do is as stated before. Take the car to your mechanic to check it over. Get him to check the wear on the struts, and the strut bars. Also check the wheel barring. Those are the things that usual wear on these cars. I have been lucky with the wheel barring, but under warranty I had to replace the struts. They started to squeak when driving over speed bumps, and or potholes. If they are warn out on this car, you can always work that into the price that they are to be fixed before you buy.
Mischief007
07-08-2006, 12:00 PM
Does it have the Ecotec engine?? My Olds has the 2.2 L Ecotec engine and I have 88,000 km on it now with no major issues. The Ecotec is a pretty solid engine.
BillD
07-08-2006, 12:34 PM
You can squeeze 1,000 HP out of the Ecotec engine, which makes it pretty much bulletproof in it's stock configuration, of around 145 HP.
Dr.Dan
07-08-2006, 12:56 PM
You can squeeze 1,000 HP out of the Ecotec engine, which makes it pretty much bulletproof in it's stock configuration, of around 145 HP.
LoL... they do some pretty huge internal mods for it to handle that HP... ;)
But yes, it is a pretty stout engine... one of the best GM has made in a long time.. :)
BillD
07-08-2006, 01:55 PM
The mods are huge, indeed, but you can get all the parts from the GM parts counter. My point, as you obviously gathered, is that the engine has to be fairly strong to even consider that type of increase. The 2 litre version, in the Solstice, and Skye is pushing 135 HP per litre. That is pretty substantial for a stock street machine, right from the factory.
T_Totler
07-08-2006, 01:59 PM
The 2 litre version, in the Solstice, and Skye is pushing 135 HP per litre. That is pretty substantial for a stock street machine, right from the factory.
Too bad that a lot of folks who drive these things shouldn't be allowed to drive anything faster than a 10 HP lawn tractor on their own property.
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