Chevrolet Cavalier Pontiac Sunfire

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Chevrolet Cavalier / Pontiac Sunfire Review

Many an automotive journalist has argued that If ever there was an automobile that should have been left in iron-oxide form (that is, never been built) the Chevrolet Cavalier / Pontiac Sunfire was it.

The Cavalier was hammered in the press pretty much every year from its birth to retirement. Sure, there were some valid reasons for this: it was a hodge-podge of GM spare parts and severe under-design. The looks were dated the minute it was assembled, and the performance and handling left many golf cart drivers feeling proud.

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Nonetheless, it was one of the best selling cars in North America for many years for two simple reasons: it was dirt cheap and pretty darn reliable.

For all it's flaws, the Chevrolet Cavalier / Pontiac Sunfire was a decent little car that harked back to Chev’s golden age (when they built simple, cheap, and reliable cars for the masses). They took a licking and kept on ticking (and how those engines ticked).

Prone to suffering the abuses of the typical North American driver's often complete lack of maintenance combined with a tendency to "drive 'em hard and put 'em away wet" the Chevrolet Cavalier / Pontiac Sunfire / probably suffered more than its fair share of abuse.

So when looking for a used Cavalier, knowing the maintenance history really helps. And be sure to shop hard for a bargain as they are quite literally everywhere (in North America at least).

Dealers will price them about 40% too high, but don't let that deter you. Private sales are often the way to go anyway as you'll pay less tax and a lower asking price.

But because the Cavalier was so cheap to begin with, many suffered from a lack of maintenance as those who bought them often didn’t take the best care of them. So beware.

When it comes to the Chevrolet Cavalier, it wasn’t be best car ever built by GM, not was it the cheapest, but for all around basic transportation, a good used Cavalier is pretty hard to beat.

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