Faults:

The water pump developed a leak causing overheating and was replaced at 130,000 miles.

New rear silencer at 130,000 miles and mid section at 133,000 miles.

Fault in standard alarm system at 132,000 miles so I am unable to use it or the deadlock from the drivers door. Dealer wanted £50 just to take a look, so I may just buy an after market alarm instead.

Drivers electric mirror is tempremental.

The display on the standard radio is not working.

Rear shocks replaced at 131,000.

General Comments:

My Sri saloon has been owned from new by a Vauxhall Mastercare Mechanic and has been nurtured and pampered from the word go! I am shocked that I have picked up a car such as this for just over a grand. The interior is mint and although it has covered 133,000 miles is not showing any wear. The engine is sweet and has a nice smooth power delivery. Handling is good and predictable having pushed it as far as it will go on the tyres! The Sri is a great car on the motorway and although the interior is quite sporty, it feels comfortable on long trips. The bodywork is generally good although the rear arches may need work in the next month or so. Brake and tyre wear are excellent considering my hard driving style and the car hardly burns any oil!

Fuel economy seems better than my old 1.4 Volvo (which was not exactly in excellent mechanical order). I have kept the car in standard form as I think the standard lines of the Cavalier are spoiled by body kits and outrageous alloys. The Sri is an excellent all rounder with the potential to deliver enough power to keep up with most hot hatches on twisty back roads and hold it's own on long-haul motorway driving.

Faults:

Wiper blades needed replacing. Fitted Bosch blades as the standard Halfords ones are reported to be rubbish.

Radio aerial is stuck in the up position. I plan to fit a replacement soon.

Steering needs slight attention to correct a pull to left.

General Comments:

My first car and up to now I've been more than satisfied.

With the rear seats down, there's loads of room which has come in handy recently.

Performance is fine as long as you keep the revs up. Overtaking on the motorway can be a struggle as the car seems to get bogged down at low revs.

Economy is not bad considering it's a 1.6 and it's a big car. Far better than the old 1.6 1988 Ford Escort my dad used to have.

For a 10 year old car, the comfort and road noise are more than acceptable.

Faults:

No problems other than routine servicing and maintenance.

Exhaust back box replaced at 95k.

4 shocks replaced at 105k.

Bulkhead welding (for MOT - £50 worth).

Fuel pump mountings replaced.

Hand brake cable replaced.

General Comments:

Whilst not glamorous or particularly fast, this Cavalier has proved to be the most reliable car I've owned.

It's comfortable over long distances and has most of the equipment you need (power steering, central locking, etc.) Air con would be nice though.

The 2.0 litre engine is powerful enough for easy and prolonged 3 figure motorway cruising, but it is mainly geared for the motorways.

Last year I ran this car through Europe for 3 months covering 7,000 miles of varied terrain. It performed exceptionally, no problems and fast motorway cruising (whilst well laden with camping gear and with bikes on the back), with an mpg of 30+.

Overtaking on single lane roads was a little more testing, but still fairly impressive considering the weight being carried.

In future I would probably opt for an 'SRi' model with closer gear ratios and firmer suspension, but I'll certainly be considering another Vauxhall when the time comes.