Several months ago I acquired enough money to make my first car purchase. I didn't have a lot of money to spend, my choices were very much limited, but the sum was enough that I could find something fairly recent and reliable. After test driving several cars, including several various Cavaliers, I decided upon a black 1999 Cavalier coupe. At the time of purchase, there was a shade under 33,000 miles on the car. It ran well, and there were only a few minor problems that needed to be taken care of (i.e. a reverse light was out).

In the past several months, my car hasn't disappointed me. It's a fairly basic model, with no power windows or locks. Neither of these has proven to be a problem. I absolutely adore driving the car around town as well. However, if you consistently travel long distances, be warned. As a college student, I have to drive three hours to get back home. The car does well on the trips to and from home, but after a few hours I'm more than ready to get out. The seats aren't particularly comfortable for extended periods of time, and on the open road I'm painfully aware of the fact that my car lacks cruise control. The backseat is also small, to be expected in any two-door car. However, recently I rode in the backseat of my Cavalier and found it to be surprisingly more spacious than the backseats of other two-door cars I've been in (a good example would be a '95 Mustang).

I was very impressed with trunk space. Thanks to the backseat that very easily folds down (I LOVE that!), I was able to pack up my whole college dorm room into my tiny little car. The sound system has also impressed me. Considering the fact that I was buying an economy car, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised with it. The car came with a factory CD player, and the speaker system is pretty decent. Of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't need everyone within a one-mile radius feeling the bass. I'm fine with music loud and clear enough to drown out my own singing. And as with many Chevys, the heat and air conditioning kick in fairly quickly, regardless of outside temperature and how long the car hasn't been used.

Since purchasing the car a little over four months ago, I have encountered several problems. Luckily they've only been minor. The first two problems I was aware of when I bought the car--a loose wire that caused a light to go on in the dash, and a burned out light. Both got fixed with no problem. About a month and a half after purchase, I had some problems such as the engine would miss a bit. The end result of this incident was a bad spark plug wire. Since that got fixed, I've had no problems with the engine.

My biggest complaint about my car would be the way it handles rain and snow. My car has been known to hydroplane (largely due to how lightweight it is), and I thought I had it fixed by replacing the rear tires (the previous owner had three different brands on the car, thus resulting in severe uneven wear). However, I recently discovered that while replacing the tires helped tremendously, it by no means solved the problem. I try to avoid driving in wet conditions if at all possible, especially on the highway.

So overall, I do recommend this car, especially to first-time buyers, college students, and anyone who needs a fairly inexpensive vehicle to just get around in. However, if you're looking for a car to take you far distances, I would probably look past the Cavalier.
Amount Paid (US$): 7300
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: Coupe, automatic