Faults:

Faulty fuel pump, also replaced water pump when I changed the timing belt.

I kept the car serviced on time, and did not have any problems beyond normal wear and tear (tyres, brakes, exhaust, etc).

The locks were very weak though and disintegrated. Very hard to get into in winter, but this was typical of older cars.

General Comments:

What a brilliant car I had a long time ago. I have good memories of this Cavalier. Dark blue GLS model looked good when I put aftermarket alloys on it.

The car was a common sight up and down UK motorways in the 1990s. As basic and boring as it was, I respect how simple and easy to own cars like this were back in the day.

The 1.8 was fast enough for daily driving. You could get close to 40 mpg as well on a long cruise. Very comfortable interior and quiet and smooth. Was a sad day in 2005 when I sold it and bought a Vectra. Not a bad car, but gave me more problems in the long run than my Cavalier ever did.

Faults:

Radiator fell apart, coolant leak, also seemed to go through brake discs and pads like crazy. I never had much mechanical problems other than wear and tear to the suspension. Kept it serviced on time; was generally reliable. Interior plastics felt cheap and there were some cracks here and there. Faulty relay on indicators.

General Comments:

As one of my first decent cars bought in 1997, I have great memories of this car. White Cavalier SRi in white; alloy wheels and the red SRi badges really looked the part. Body-kit was subtle but made the car stand out from your average Cavalier.

SRi is not the top model however; GSi was faster with a V6 from what I remember. This 2.0 16v petrol was not slow, but not exactly very sporty. I believe it was the same or a slightly more powerful version of the standard 1.8/2.0 found in lower spec models. It did do over 30 miles per gallon though, respectable for its time. The car handled OK and the gear change felt slick.

Interior had sporty seats but again like lower spec models, looked much same with black and grey plastic everywhere. Was comfortable though, if a little firm ride.

I love the look of the car and this is cliched to say, but they really do not make them like they used to. Maybe I am blinded by nostalgia, but this car never gave me any major problems. Compare it to cars today and it is obviously outclassed in every way, but the car has character and simplicity, and the general reliability was great - something that for me has not been replicated in more recent cars.

I sold it in 2005 at 11 years old with over 110K on it, fearing it would get unreliable and it was looking a little rough. But the next owner who I knew kept it for a good few years and it soldiered on. Wish I had kept it - mint Cavaliers are selling for thousands now as they are so rare, especially the sportier ones.