Overall economically good
Nothing really at all... lately the car has been sputtering or dieing right after fuel up, and we are still trying to solve this mystery.
Good car...generally.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 24th July, 2009
The average American car
The 3 speed automatic transmission, which is nuts for this type of car, struggles a lot most often when going up hill. I would recommend the 5 speed M.
The motor can be very loud at times, like when pulling out fast.
The car itself is pretty much what you are going to get for the price "cheap".
Overall I love the car for the reasonable comfort it gives when going long distances.
It is great for first time buyers.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd January, 2009
Good looks, fuel efficient, and versatile
Have replaced front upper strut mounts.
Have replaced rear upper strut mounts.
Replaced passenger side front wheel bearing.
The perfect car for long trips, grocery getting, work, whatever!
Obviously interior quality is lacking.
I get 550km to a tank.
Other than the mentioned, I have kept up on my regular routine maintenance. Plus I have taken this car in the most rugged trails you would ever put a Cavalier in.. I get a kick out of off roading with my 4-door grocery getter.
After everything I have put this car through, the fact that I have only replaced those few items proves to me that this is a very very tough and rugged car.
It handles snow amazingly, and has good clearance to get through a lot of it! So if you're not into off roading in your 4-doors, this car will last you FOREVER if you keep up on oil changes and general maintenance!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th October, 2008
The Z24 is fun, but other Cavaliers are more reliable
The GM Quad 4 family has never been known for its stellar reliability. The original (I'm going to assume) motor went at 94,000 miles. The replacement from a 2001 Grand Am, which had 58,000 miles, went last January.
Wheel bearings needed replacing a few months after I bought it, but J-bodies are known for them going.
I also had a fuel pump go out, which is really just wear and tear, but the dealer replaced it, which meant a jaw-dropping cost of $500.
Besides the reliability issues listed above, I absolutely loved this car.
The exterior looks quite nice, especially since mine was black.
The engine's performance had to have been the best of the best when it was new. Cars like the Cobalt SS, Impreza WRC, and the like have definitely put an end to that, but you can get a Z24 for far cheaper. It also handles a lot better versus lesser Cavaliers.
Fuel economy was not a strong point, however. It only got on average 24 MPG, which really isn't that great for a small car. In comparison, my old V6 powered Cavalier got 30 MPG on average.
While I'm not necessarily in love with the look of the interior (the Cobalt's is nicer), it was definitely packed full of features. Power everything and keyless entry was a plus. The stereo for a stock setup was also really good. It included a six-speaker setup, which included two subwoofers. The stereo itself had nice features like RDS, auto volume, and depending on which key fob that you used, there were personalized presets.
The only feature the car didn't have was a sunroof. I have not found another Z24 besides mine without one.
While I recommend the car for its power, handling, feature content and relatively low price (mine was $5600), I don't recommend it because of the motor's reliability. If you're willing to take the risk, you will buy a what really boils down to a mini sports car. Just look out for non-Z24's with Z24 badging. There are a lot of those "impersonators" so check the engine bay.
For those of you who don't really care about performance, but reliability and economy come first, look at a base or LS Cavalier... up to 2002 they have the somewhat slow but economical and bullet proof 2.2 liter OHV engine. Starting with 2002 LS Sports and standard on all 2003-2005 Cavaliers is the 2.2 liter DOHC Ecotec, which is also used in the Cobalt. It is good middle ground between the 2.2 OHV and the 2.4 engine. It is also known to be reliable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd July, 2008
Hello, re the 2002 Cavalier Z24. Well here in Ontario, Canada, I bought a 2002 Z24, and it did not have a sunroof, and, re the Z24 badges, on the registrations here, states it a Z24, after having it now for 6 years. I must say it has the ponies to get the job done. It's a 4 door model, which I wanted. And have only replaced one drivers door power window motor, and the drive belt, with one of those Goodyear gator belts. It has the high end radio, CD player and cassette player, with automatic radio volume, all in all, I'll drive it into the ground, and then think strongly about a Cobalt. If it has better front seats.
What I've done with this car was take, the front buckets out, and put in a piece of 2 inch, foam on the seat part. which, really made a difference. And the handling, is far better than other small cars. Of course the z24 has a bigger sway bar, springs etc. Which I like.
Well, hope you all like your Z24s, and buddy, without the sunroof, don't feel alone as there is at least one more without it. So there are a pair, ha ha.
Sincerely Ralph Smith, Mississauga Ontario Canada, Merry Xmas to all.
I am thinking about buying this type of Chevy, but is the price of 3000,00 for this 2001 too much from Richmond BC, or is it worth the repairs that are forthcoming?
The fuel pump is probably located inside the tank, and therefore they have to drain and drop the tank to get at it, hence the $500 price tag.
I know the Quad 4 is a horrendous engine in many aspects like head gaskets and such, but so many people swear they get super high performance out of modded ones. Not sure how long they run when you wring more power out of them if the stock versions were so fragile.
24th Jan 2009, 20:18
I know what you are saying about the tranny; mine is the same way.