2004 cavalier question..

Im planning on buying a new car (first purchased one) within the next week and well the 2004 cavalier is atop of my list as it is really cheap and it looks half decent.

Im from canada and over here we have the stock 2004 cavalier coupe 5 speed with an option of a Z-type package which is: (straight from the offical brochure)
It includes sporty front and rear fascias with fog lights, body-color rocker mouldings and spoiler, chromed stainless steel exhaust tip, 15 in. styled machine-faced aluminum wheels and P195/65R12 touring tires.

Also they have a deal right now where if you buy the Ztype it comes with a free sunroof. One thing with the Z-type is that i cant custom order any more right now so i have to get the stock stereo. This is most likely the car i will be getting in sunburst orange color (i havent seen any this color before i dont want silver or black everyone has that color..).

First i was wondering if theres anything i should know about cavaliers or the 2004 model. Ive heard that the engine is really loud and that you can hear wind coming through the windows, can any owners verify this?

Also theres no air conditioning in the package so i was wondering how good the sunroof is and whether it would do a suffice job to keep me cool in the summer.

My last question would be in its price range is the cavalier the best car to buy in terms of reliability and comfort? Performance isnt a major issue with myself i would rather a reliable car that isnt as fast then a fast car taht will break down all the time.

If anyone knows any answers to my questions please get back to me ASAP as im planning on purchasing soon. Ive heard from a friend the Dodge sx 2.0 stock is better then the cavalier (thats a dodge 2004 neon in the states). Is that just a matter of opinion or a realistic fact? Sorry if im asking so many questions i just want to know as much about 2004 cavaliers before i buy one so if anyone has a good webpage where i can read up on one or information please let me know.

Thanks for reading this and responding.

if yu get a 2004 a stick is a must, the autos are just crap. No AC is really gonna hurt on those 80-90 degree days. No ones really sure how reliable the car is because that model has only been out for a year or two. It seems reliable. Yes the engine is loud, sounds like a lawn mower on steroids if you ask me. The stock stereo is crapola. I dont now if the Neon 2.0 is better or not, both about the same car really. BUt the cavalier is a good reliable line of cars.

i dont know but cananda is wierd. my dad owns a 04 cavy and first off its a great car. your first questions is wrong, i drive his car all the time and the engine is a tid bit loud but nothing to worry about..4 cylinder thing. and about hte wind, no its all quite inside his car...and about the sunroof...since i have a monte carlo with a sun roof, it doesnt really let wind in as the side windows do. now if you open both your side windows AND your sunroof then it will pass through a lot of wind, without the sun roof then hardly any wind will come in...the cavalier is an all round good car.it has its weak and strong points..and it should last you a long time...hope that helps

there are alot of 04 cavy's in lots know, i suggest you go find one at a local dealer and test drive it, try to get as close as you can to what you'd be purchasing.

I don't know about the new neons, but before i bought my cav i test drove a few neons and in my opnion they just felt cheap. The door's and seats felt like plastic not a good feeling doin 70 on the freeway. Maybe the new ones are better i dont know.

Check my cardomain for the orange color, BTW I love it!!!!

http://members.cardomain.com/marchi_1

Thanks to everyone who replied makes me feel a little more confident about my purchase when other people that arent from the dealership are telling me its a good car. I dont like dealerships you go to dodge and they say chevy is junk and u go to chevy and they say dodge is junk... glad i came here thanks alot and if anyone has any more information about the 2004 cavalier please let me know!

Oh and cool pics same color im getting i love it as well!

I am from Regina, Sask. Canada and I purchased an 04 Cavalier sedan 5 speed about 3 months ago. I purchased it because of the very attractive pricing. It is the base model with air, cruise and CD stereo.
The Ecotec 2.2 motor has more power than I expected it have and I find it to be a fairly quiet very smooth running engine. The transmission shifts very smoothly.There is no wind coming in at the windows, but mine is the 4 door sedan. Since this car was so reasonable price wise I expected that I would have quite a few annoying problems to deal with, but so far it is performing beyond my expectations, everything works as it should and I haven't had to take it back to the dealer yet. I have about 3,500 KM on it now and so far am completely satisfied with it. The heater seems excellent and the AC works well too. Gas mileage in the city is usually 32 to 34 MPG and I had one longer trip to Winnipeg, Man with a headwind both ways and I averaged just over 44 MPG, so I believe the highway mileage in normal conditions will be at least 47MPG or even a little better than that. I cannot comment if the Cavalier is better than the Neon. My previous car was a 90 Dodge Spirit and it was a really good car and gave me excellent service (I wish I could say the same for the Dodge dealer here in Regina). The dealer was the reason why I did not consider purchasing another Chrysler product.
Hope some of this is a help to you.

Hey thanks for all your guys help it made me more confident with my desicion and i went ahead and got the car and so far im more then happy with it! Only 40 k's though so we'll see how it is when it gets up to 10,000 but thanks alot everyone!

woooo hooooo proud owner of a brand new sunburst orange Z-Type 2004 Cavalier!