Quote:
Originally Posted by backpacker3
Cavaliers and sunfires have pretty good reliability though so was really that much better? I might be biased but I think cavaliers and sunfires just get a bad rap because of the drivers who own them. Think about it, the majority of people who have them use them as beaters and do t really take care of them but they continue to run. Kids just getting there licenses get them as first cars and you all know how well they care for there cars. My sunfire was originally owned by a friend who sold it to my aunt it was driven all around as a commuter car but properly maintained and cared for and now that I have it there aren't any issues with it. Considering the original cost it's worked out to be a pretty good deal and it hasn't needed any repairs or anything other than just regular maintenance. So if you experience was that bad with the cobalt then I'll stick to my crappy old sunfire any day at least everything works.
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Cavaliers and Sunfires were essentially late 1970's designed compact cars. That J-body platform was ancient and not all that great to begin with (although to its credit my '83 J2000 was still kickin' way beyond it's sell-by date), and it performed as such:
Vehicle details
It wasn't a particularly good ride, either. Drive that early '00s Cavalier back to back with a Neon, Focus, Civic, or what have you. They were all better. The Cobalt's ride and handling was a night and day difference compared to the Cavalier/Sunfire.
Understanding just how long GM had kept the J-body going in the US, were they necessarily bad cars by the time they were put to pasture? Probably not. Cheap, fairly reliable, basic cars. That said, having them around well after everyone else had gotten something far newer was a poor business decision (especially with the rather damning crash test ratings). Bad for GM's image, bad for American-based car manufacturer's image.
I will admit, I did like the late-model Cavalier styling. GM went a little too toned down with the Cobalt. Though that said, J2000 > All.
Same model and wheels as mine, though mine had far more rust and most certainly did not attract the ladies