1995 Vauxhall Cavalier LS 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Value for money defined!
Faults:
Lots, but mostly wear and tear expected over the near 20 years I had it.
Suspension, pretty much entirely.
Brakes.
Alternator.
Exhaust.
Replaced stone chipped/faded bonnet.
Various electrical vaults, such as central locking was useless near end of its life.
Did do oil changes changes and belt changes regularly on time.
Etc.
General Comments:
What can I say, a car I bought only 2 years old back in 1997 for a good price that lasted me nearly 20 years. All of the above were cheap to fix and I had no major disasters with this car. Looking back, the day I scrapped it in 2015 was a sad one - was hard to see it go. Was just uneconomical to keep at the age and mileage.
If you are reading this review you are probably familiar with Cavaliers. Not a car to get excited about, but I would have reliability over anything else always! It's funny they are such a rare sight on the roads now, and when they were everywhere no one seemed to care much for them. Now mint examples are asking thousands when they come up on eBay and other auction sites. Mostly sought after SRi/GSi models though, but a standard Cavalier in good condition will always find a buyer.
My bog standard LS model was still comfortable enough to be in, and the 1.8 petrol engines managed a good 40 MPG if you took it slow. Most were boring solid colors with wheel trims - get a nice set of alloy wheels to brighten things up.
A genuinely good all round car I still miss today, that paid for itself many times over! Since replaced with a Vauxhall Insignia, hope it lasts as long as the Cavalier did, but I doubt it!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th July, 2020