2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Review: Simply One of the Best Deals on the Used Car Market Today

JJ on October 22, 2022

I love this car so much I’ve had for a year and it was totaled a month after I bought it and it’s still going strong. I put struts and brakes on it and it’s a beast! Best $2300 purchase I’ve ever made.

Chip on May 8, 2022

Honestly the best car I have ever owned. The only thing it cost me was, oil changes, tires and a battery. I had it for 16 years. When I sold it, my wife said she'd miss the car more than she'd miss me.

G11354 on January 19, 2021

The 2004 Cavalier has been my primary vehicle for over 15 years and I cannot recommend it enough!!! In 15 years it has only left me stranded once, only 1 time and that was a few weeks ago when a break line burst. Handles snow and ice extremely well for a vehicle of its size and weight. Gas mileage is good and basic maintenance is simple so no need to take to a specialist for an oil change or to replace a battery. Phenomenal vehicle for the price and outstandingly reliable.

Jay on December 14, 2020

Me and my wife own a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier with 401,000 miles and counting. Car keeps going and doesn’t quit. Something about that 2.2 motor that just keeps starting. We drive it out of town a lot still pretty smooth ride and low gas mileage.

Minter66 on December 27, 2019

The only Chevrolet to ever be sold as a Toyota (look it up) was the Toyota Cavalier in Japan. This is a very reliable car. Very inexpensive to repair/maintain. I've owned two. a 1996 that went to 266,000 miles and then sold for $1000 and now my 2004 that is at 200,000 miles. They are not pretty, they are not comfortable, they are not cool, the plastic dash falls apart on every one of them, but they just go and do not die. Excellent first car for student. Get the manual, they do not break. 34 MPG is hard to beat when gas goes nuclear on price.

Miguel Olivarez on July 23, 2019

I’ve had this car for 14 years and got it brand new as soon as it reached Chevy dealership. I haven’t had any bad problems with this car, the only things that have happened is that the A/C has gone out but I’ve fixed that and replaced the spark plugs. When I was in a wreck the whole back of the car was bashed and it was put as total lost but that didn’t make me give up on it so I fixed it for 2,000 dollars. I use this car every day and go everywhere. The car currently has 67,854 miles on it. If you want a really reliable car get this one it will be the best pushes you have made even if used. (I now have a Nissan Frontier but still rather use the car).

Simply the best on July 21, 2019

This car broke down on me several times.Spent a lot of money repairing it.It rusted so badly that There was a hole in the floorboard on the driver's side.

Sandstorm on June 3, 2019

I bought a coup from a private buyer and I’ve had my car for about three years. The previous owner took incredible care of the car but there a lot of issues. Some are my fault but others are just cavaliers in general (that’s what I’ll get into). On every cavalier that I’ve seen, including mine, the body tends to rust on the corner of the doors and towards the front. Frame can rust pretty easily, especially if you live in Ohio or other places where there’s a lot of snow/ice and the roads are frequently salted in the winter. The paint also peels on the hood and I’ve never seen a cavalier where this didn’t happen. Other than those main issues anyone purchasing this vehicle might face, this car is extremely reliable. It’s well built and for an older car it will most certainly last if you keep it well maintained. The seats are very comfortable although the back seat isn’t very spacious if you seat three people (which mine is a coup so not exactly uncommon). There’s not a lot of blind spots, either, but the main thing to watch out for is the length of the hood. It’s a little harder than many other cars to squeeze into tight spaces as it’s very long. Cavaliers also have great gas mileage so that’s something to keep in mind. As for a sound system, the stock radios and speakers are horrible, I won’t lie about that. However, they are fairly easy to replace (back speakers are visible when the trunk is open and the back seats can be pushed down. Front speakers are a little more difficult as you have to remove the door first). I absolutely love my car but as with a lot of older cars, there may be a lot of pros but you should still be careful and make sure it’s in good condition before you buy.

EgyptianMAU on March 19, 2019

Potholes in Omaha are insane and unfortunately, I lost her. She was a great little first car. I named her Dorthy. She got me everywhere I needed to go. I got a flat tire once, and power steering did need repair at 180k (?) Miles. About 700 to fix. Her and I went to Missouri and back in one day! I'm hoping to buy another very soon.

Annie and Roger B. on February 8, 2019

This car has met all of our needs while we needed it. It pretty much was used in running small errands to visiting family occasionally. Was never driven long distances, but mostly driven in town or the longest drive was 60 miles sometimes. We loved this car, but it's time to move on to something newer eventually.