Conforming - Buying A Cavalier

[Twerp]

well after 4 years of driving a sunflower, i have decided to join the dark side. i want a cavi! they look so much better than sunfires IN MY OPINION. i have seen pics of the drifter kit on a cavi and it looks awesome. but one thing i am wondering before i buy, and have been reading a lot about is the eco 2.2 vs the twin cam 2.4 -- i currently own a sunflower 2.4 and it has SOME nuts, where pre-eco 2.2 sunfires and cavis i have driven feel like they have no scrotum. so what i am asking is (if you have driven one plz reply, no one who just reads up) which engine would be a better bang for my buck? and are there any years in which trannies or engines presented a problem? i remember i bought my 97 sunfire over a 00 four years ago because i heard about tranny probs in the 2k. anyway this will soon be a novel, so:

people who have driven both 2.2L ecos and 2.4L twin cams only!!!

which engine would be better to go with in an 02+ cavi??

[Twerp]

oh i failed to mention my car will have a very subtle clean exterior, maybe a small stereo, but i really wanna start racing it down at the tracks in my area. i am gonna keep the sunflower to drive in the winter, but i am still not sure whether i want a 2.2eco or a 2.4tc... i have seen some very fast cars from each category, but i am seeking info from actual experience here!!

[-Jayson-]

id go with a 2.4. Both engines will perform about the same in the 1/4 mile stock. But the 2.4 already has a supercharger out for it thats pretty cheap. The ecotec is coming out with one, but its gonna be ablout a 1,000 bucks or more, than the 2.4 supercharger. But remember if you get a 2.4 get a 2000+ Model ONLY! those are the only ones that work with the supercharger, you can get them to work on earlier cars, but it needs a few other parts and theirs no reflash. Also in my opinion the 03-05 look ugly with that rear end and the front end. And the 2.4 sounds a hell of alot better than the ecotec. As well as having much better torque off the line. Ive driven both types of cars, and the 2.4L i by far my favorite.

[Twerp]

cool man! thanks for the input ;D i hear a lot of ppl going the path of the supercharger now, what ever happened to the turbocharger?? i always thought the turbo was reserved for cars with smaller engines hehe.. but i guess not! thanks again dude appreciate it

[LD9Grandam]

It really doesnt matter. The 2.2 ecotec is nothing like the older 2.2's they are OHV motors and the ecotec is a DOHC setup. But depending on how much you want to spend i would wait awhile maybe till the end of the year, and jump on a new cavi. The dealerships will probably start dumping them to make room for the colbat. So you might be able to pick up a nice cavi with little miles and warranty for next to nothing.