2000 Cavalier possible purchase

[TilliamWe]

In an effort to reduce costs, I am considering "downgrading" from my current 2004 Impala to a 2000 Cavalier coupe with a 5 speed manual transmission and 85,000 miles.
I have owned/driven several Cavaliers in the past, just none newer than a 1993, and most were 3.1V6's. I owned two 1986's (in 1992 and 1993 respectively) with the 2.0 4 cyl engine. One was an auto one was a manual. One had over 105k when we sold it, the other had just under 100k when I sold it. Both ran rock solid.
The 2.2l 4cyl looks just like the 2.0, so I'll assume it's direct descendent. Are there any inherent fatal flaws with those motors?
With a manual transmission, I'll have to assume that it'll need a clutch, and soon. How difficult is it to put a clutch in those cars? I'll assume the axle shafts have to come out in order to drop the transaxle, right? Special tools needed? Available to "borrow" from AutoZone? Any other bad things in relation to those cars? Rear drum brake issue? Electrical problems out of the norm?

Thanks for reading.

 

[jimr]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

If the impala is paid for I would not bother to change. The impala is a better car than the cavilier. I do not for see a big enough gain in fuel mileage to make it worth it and the impala rides better.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

Well, in my past experience the 5sp Cavalier I had got over 25mpg city. My Impala dips below 20 quite regularly in the summertime. True on the highway, the 5sp Cavalier got 35, where my Impala will get 33.
It's not really fuel cost savings, as much as it is the lower cost of the Cavalier. Ride isn't that important to me, as I drive an armored truck all day long that rides like a Hobby Horse. Also, a manual transmissioned car is just more fun to drive than my boring Impala.

 

[javsam]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

As JIMR said the Impala is a much better car than the Cavailier.I think it would be really foolish move.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

....My Impala dips below 20 quite regularly in the summertime.....

That's really quite interesting as GM so tout's their mileage. Mrs WO's 2005 Lincoln LS, a dandy little hotrod, gets a consistant 18.5 mpg around town and that is a 3.9 liter V8.

On the subject of the Cavalier, I do not like them. My son had an '87 Pontiac Sunbird with the 2.2 ohc and it was a horridly made little pretense of a car and it only had 100K on it. They had weak cylinder heads prone to blowing head gaskets and if any of the short coolant hoses between the engine and tranny went out, you had no access to them and they cost an arm and a leg to replace.

Also in this brave new economy you probably couldn't do well selling your Impala. You just ought to keep it and take care of it so that it will last you for a long time.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

OHC motor in the Sunbirds is nothing like the OHV motor in the Cavaliers.

19mpg in city driving with the AC on is pretty typical. And I don't try to baby it either, and neither does my wife. (Who is a terrible driver!) 33mpg on the highway is pretty nice, though. What's your LS get there?
But my highway mileage has been drastically reduced as I don't use the Impala for work any more.
Part of the reason I am considering a Cavalier, is that it's one of the few GM cars in which you can get a manual transmission. That doesn't cost an arm and a leg (Corvette). Plus then I would not have to drive our minivan, with a girlish personalized plate, around town. As it is, I am not getting to drive thw Impala anyway, my wife is. I'd much rather have her back in the Montana, but she doesn't want to give up the Impala. She can't drive a manual transmission car, but I would love to teach her on something that isn't so fancy, like a Cavalier!

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

...
Also in this brave new economy you probably couldn't do well selling your Impala.

You are right about that. Especially a 2004 with 123,000 miles on it!

 

[WizeOne]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

19mpg in city driving with the AC on is pretty typical. And I don't try to baby it either, and neither does my wife. (Who is a terrible driver!) 33mpg on the highway is pretty nice, though. What's your LS get there?

Only 26-27, but the car weighs a couple of tons too! And I promise not to tell Mrs TW your opinion of her driving.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

I think the 2.2 was generally a reliable mill, I dont think it shares anything with older GM 4 banger's, it replaced the iron duke as was about as good.
Few headgasket problems here and there but that may be more do to dexcool than the engine design. The things are a breeze to work on and of course GM interchangeability and mass production ensure a good low cost supply of parts.

A 2000 will hopefully have economical 14" tires still, nowemdays you buy an economy car and it has 55 series 16" tyres made only by 2 manufactures and the tires are $140 each and Z-Rated.

I do love most anything 3.8 powered (hope the Impala is 3.8) but all bets are off if a femmy vanity plate is involved.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

I would not surrender the impala for a cavalier..... even though there are different maintenance problems. I miss my impala and would not hesitate to get another.

Be kinder to yourself and look for a malibu or a renamed version of the classic with the same engine..... better ride than the cavalier and more room too

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

Bob, thanks for the suggestion, but nah. Those Malibu's are not much less expensive than an Impala, and no more efficient, so they aren't even an option.

I totally realize the Cavalier is a step down from an Impala, but it would be a way to realize about $3000 in cash, have a more economical car, and one that is more fun to drive. I have driven Impalas for a total of about 300,000 miles since 2000, and I am kinda bored with them!

Windsor, I noticed the tire thing as well. But that is almost a wash, as Impalas are extremely easy on tires. When I say extremely easy, I mean that I have 50% useable tread left on my tires that now have 60,000 miles on them! So yeah, while they are more expensive 225/60R16 compared to cheaper 195/70R14s, they last twice as long. I never had a Cavalier go more than 65,000 miles on a set of tires.

Well, it's just a thought. It's one of those things were the "cheap" ones have a lot of miles, which is useless to me, I already have a lot of miles on a 2004 model car. There is one particular car locally, that has on 85k miles, but it's been dirty inside. They are asking $2800 and I was thinking if I could steal it from them, it might be a decent buy. I actually can't believe it's on this nice Ford dealer's lot, and not on some "buy here pay here" lot. I thought if I could swoop in just before they went to auction, I might get it bought for $1800. Cause if they have more than $1500 real money in it, they are insane!

 

[dolluper]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

Picked a 2002 at auction 2 months ago for 700 can bones...drove it home and had to use a can opener to get out of the thing ..way to small for me being over six foot...very uncomfortable and feeling every pebble ....forget about it the price is way to high

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

I am only 5'8" I fit into every car ever made! Yeah, I know the price is way too high, especially for its cosmetic condition. I gotta make friends with a guy who has a dealer's license, so I can go to the auction. I drive by it all the time and have been there a couple of times to inspect damaged cars. Just not allowed to buy anything there!

 

[v1_0]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

Based on these posts, I don't see how you are saving that much money.

Maybe you get an extra 5mpg in the city. Have you actually sat down and figured out how much that will save you? Using the figuring point of about 15K per year, you are talking about 150 gallons of gas. Over the year. So, maybe $400 if gas prices go up, or about $33 per month. Less if gas prices stay where they are.

You did mention that you can 'realize $3000' on the Impala. How much of that do you get when you figure in the purchase cost of the Cavalier? I am assuming you are not going to be making any monthly car payments (except maintenance) in either case...

I'm not sure that you will gain on the maintenance. The Impala has more mileage on it - but the Cavalier is older. A lot depends on the driving and maintenance habits of the owners. Age also seems to count for as much as mileage, if not more, in some components. So, you will need to consider the driving/maintenance habits on both cars...

Then, there's the issue of parts. It seems to me that about a 10 year life span is engineered into most cars. At one time, I had a Ford Probe that I planned on keeping 'forever' - I would maintain it well, replace what broke, and when the time came rebuild the engine. Well, at the 12 year mark one of the motor mounts broke - and finding a replacement was an arduous task. I found one, then about a year later one of the other mounts broke - after looking around a bit, I saw the writing on the wall. Sure, I could get the parts custom manufactured..... For a price.
As the car gets older, the common parts may remain at the same cost but the less common ones go up in price and may even become unavailable. At any rate, the Cavalier is closer to this point than the Impala.


Now, if you are emotionally attached to the Cavalier, then that is a different decision point.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Cavalier possible purchase

The $3000 figure is an estimate of the difference in the selling price of the Impala and the purchase price of the Cavalier.
You are correct on the lifespan of some parts. I also have an intimate knowledge of everything ever done to the Impala, considering it was my company car from April 2004 until August 2005, was parked until I bought it in December of 05. One "little" issue I have with the Impala is that the transmission will shift very hard, every once in a while. It first did it in 2006, when it had just under 100k on it. My wife has been driving the car since October, and I have no idea if it does it a lot now, or just every once in a blue moon. I wouldn't fault the transmission one bit if it failed, cause 123k miles and a Bunch of idling time, is a lot to ask.
In a way, I am sort of just "wanting" something different. Like I said, 5 different Impalas since 2000 and 300k miles behind their wheels is a little boring! But I don't have any real money to spend, so what I buy would have to be either much older, or a much smaller car. I just happened to notice that this older Cavalier has relatively low miles. I may go by the dealership and drive the car. Who knows, it may rattle to beat all and I'll hate it?!