1990 Vauxhall Cavalier L 1.6 from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Good, reliable, cheap and spacious family car
Faults:
Bought with an apparent ignition fault which turned out to be false. The problem was a botched cylinder head gasket replacement where silicone gasket had been used liberally and blocked the oil way to the camshaft and valve lifters. The head was stripped down, cleaned and rebuilt with new lifters. Perfect.
Clutch went at 100000 miles.
Automatic choke stayed on. Bi-metallic coil in choke bell housing rotated in its mounting instead of operating the choke. Took 8 weeks to find problem.
General Comments:
28mpg around town, 38mpg on a run.
The ride is a bit harsh and it handles averagely.
Spares are very cheap and you can just about service this car yourself.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th November, 2002
20th Nov 2009, 21:37
I wrote this review several years ago now and can say I do miss that Cavalier the most out of my cars. I have to take issue with several motor magazines that claim the Vectra that followed was more comfortable. POPPYCOCK! I used to drive a Vectra for a living before driving home in my cavalier, and can say without any doubt that the Vectras hard seats and slab like dash were a big let down.