1991 Vauxhall Cavalier GL 1.6 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Good for the time
Faults:
Squeak when coming off clutch, never an issue however. Lots of interior rattles. Analogue clock intermittently worked. Locks felt very flimsy.
Small oil leak, nothing serious. Mechanically the usual stuff was replaced: CV joints, driveshafts, exhaust, brakes, etc. Cam-belt was replaced.
General Comments:
One of my first cars. And I've noticed more older car reviews being posted on CarSurvey, must be a lot of people bored and getting nostalgic, myself included, so here is my review of a Cavalier I had a long time ago.
Summer 1995 passed my test and happened to find this car locally up for sale, in very good condition. Bought after a test drive as I liked the car. The 1.6 was very boring and basic, performance was not great, also struggled for 40 miles per gallon. Mid 30's was more likely on average. To be honest you are better off with the 1.8 or 2.0, they do the same MPG with better performance. This 1.6 unit was just as reliable as those other engines however. Gear-change felt satisfying and was the only fun part about driving this car. Get an SRi or GSi if you want fun.
GL model is only slightly better than the base models, very little interior features. Seats were comfortable enough though and the ride was smooth and quiet, was a great motorway car. Very spacious.
When it was over 10 years old and approaching the infamous 100K mark I decided to sell it; from what I heard the next owner had it to 150K miles and a good few years before it got scrapped. An excellent car for its time, I have good memories of this car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st March, 2021