Overview & Reviews
The Cavalier gets a refresh this year that adds new front and rear fascias, revised headlights and taillights, redesigned ground effects, body-colored mirrors and door handles and a new hood. LS Sport models also get integrated foglights and new rocker moldings. The 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder is now the only engine offered, as the Z24 model has been dropped from the lineup. Base model Cavs no longer come with standard ABS brakes, but it remains an available option. Inside, the Cavalier now features a center rear three-point seatbelt, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift lever, a rear 60/40-split bench seat, new child-seat anchors and optional side airbags. Finally, you can get XM Satellite Radio on all cars, and LS and LS Sport trims are available with the OnStar communications system.
- Low price, torquey four-cylinder engine, optional satellite radio and OnStar.
- Ancient design inside and out, cheap interior materials, poor build quality, low resale value, poor side-impact and front-offset crash test results.
User Reviews:
Showing 51 through 60 of 167.00-
Fun and Carefree - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By Trixi - August 18 - 7:25 pmI bought my Cavalier immediately following ABS problems in a previous car (a much larger and less fuel efficient Cadillac). I bought it from a rental car sales lot and since then I have put 1 qt and a half of oil in it (exc oil changes), no coolant, 2 air filters, one set of brakes, and put air in the tires twice. Coming from an extreme nickel and diming situation, this car provided me with an oasis of carefree driving. I love to drive it its agile and quick, makes almost no noise, and never runs hot. This car is definitely my "little buddy". I plan on doing several aftermarket changes to update it a little, but it doesnt need much.
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Economy doesnt meet comfort - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By Bri - August 2 - 4:48 pmI owned this car for 3 years, and Im just now trading it in. My husband is in the military, so it was easy to put 60k on it in that amount of time. This car gave me no trouble for 2 1/2 years, until the fuel pump went out. I wasnt surprised, as GM is noted for recalls. With an aftermarket air filter, I got 39 miles to the gallon in this car. The only reason Im trading in is because were expecting a baby, and theres no way a car seat will comfortably fit in this back seat. Moderate comfort for 2 people, but dont bother if you have a child or any friends to drive around. The front controls are horribly placed, and its small. But all in all I loved this car. Very reliable.
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2003 Chevy Cavalier - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By cslav - July 16 - 10:00 amManual 5sp.transmission is smooth, 2.2L/140hp engine has adequate pick up and acceleration. Very smooth and quiet ride. Suspension and handling are excellent. Would like to see how it performs in the snow. Braking is excellent. Overall a great performer, for a basic car. Exterior design is beautiful. Paint appears of excellent quality. Interior design is lacking a bit, though. Its definitely NO FRILLS, and driver seat comfort isnt that great. Its functional, to say the least. Definitely a good car, overall; and I always find Chevy engines to be very reliable. With the $5000 rebates offered on 2003 models, this car is a great deal.
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Chevy Owner - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By CHEVYOWNR - June 21 - 11:36 am1st Chevy I ever owned. Absolutely love the sporty look, but definitely was impressed with its overall performance. Great deal for the money!
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Cheaply made lemon - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By Washingtonian - May 21 - 9:08 amAt 4 yrs. old this car has developed a number of problems that a car its age should not have. The entire serpentine belt has slipped off and the car periodically stalls when stopped. The trunk latch also broke, a problem the dealership tells me is very common in in the Cavalier. Weve also had smaller annoying problems -- a buzz in the ventilation system, a CD player that skips incessantly, and a fuse issue that causes lights to burn out quickly. Aside from the reliability issue, the car is poorly designed. Sun visors droop low across the windshield over time, the seats are uncomfortable, the cup holders block the climate control, and the roof pillars are in the drivers line of sight.
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disappointed - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By Sweetpea - April 27 - 10:00 amI traded in my 1997 2-door cavalier & bought a blue LS sport coupe 2003 cavi about 2 mths ago. I have had it in the shop already for this cracking noise in the front. It ended up being a recall part (something that they "forgot" to put in). My part has yet to come in (2 weeks now). Then 3 days ago I noticed that my fuel gage is acting up. It is tellimg me that I have 3/4 a tank of gas. I know that I should have under a 1/2 (went 185 miles since last filled). So its going back again. Everytime I drive that car I get bounced around. I know it is a sports model but when I hit a bump in the road forget it. One last thing-it is TERRIBLE in the snow.
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This is a crapalier - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By Crapalier - April 4 - 11:16 pmI bought this brand new. Had 3 transmission replacements, which never got totallly fixed, cd player eats cds, engine stalls, wheel bearing broke, inspection fails every time, very ugly interior, the cup holder is in the way, major oil leakage, and so many other problems. This car all around stinks!
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ultimate bargin, buying American only - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By sam1zak - March 3 - 10:00 amExcelent bargin, This was my fisrt American car and I love. I have always bought imports in the past . But that has changed to American only now since after this car. I feel imports are overpriced and overrated. I cant wait for the colbolt in 2005
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Great Price/performance - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By JohnEP - January 20 - 10:00 amThe Cavalier is nothing fancy, a basic car, but as a commuter car it gets consistently 30 mpg and has had zippo defects. Nice mileage, with various rebates and payments I ended up at less the $10k for a new vehicle, which is unheard of. (Thank you, GM MasterCard.) This car seems to get knocked in trade rags; I dont understand why. I test drove about six-seven models in the $15- $20k price range, and all have similar plusses/minusses. Most seemed noisy, and handled adequately but not great. Cavalier in this price range really seems to be near the top. And its fully debugged, in my opinion. Traded in an 87 Corolla, am quite happy I did.
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2003 Cavalier - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
By tracy - January 5 - 11:38 amThis car as been fun to own and drive. It is comfortable for long trips and really good on gas. It runs great and the only issue Ive had is the rear turn signal lights which I believe was fixed with new circuit boards.
