I looked up "cavalier" in my Webster's New Collegiate (which is so "new" it's falling apart) and learned that a cavalier is: "A gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship" . . . "debonair and disdainful" . . . "Given to offhand dismissal of important matters."
Hmmmmm. Did the people in Chevrolet's Department of Model Monickers know about this before they first named the Cavalier? A little research might have convinced them to dub their little subcompact after something more positive and upbeat. Personally, I like the sound of Chevrolet Don Quixote.These are things only dedicated journalists ever think to ask, of course, and it's likely one of the reasons we are held in such questionable esteem by the public. But somebody has to do it.
It is arguable that past Cavaliers - the marque has been prancing around Chevy's stable since 1982 - really were given to offhand dismissal of important matters, such as styling, handling and power, to name three.
It didn't seem to matter though; Chevy has sold 3 million of the debonair and disdainful Cavs, enough to rank it among the top 10 best-selling cars in America after a dozen years in production.
For the 1995 edition, that high placement is justified as never before. The "Cayenne Red Metallic" Cavalier Coupe I've been driving this past week is a much better car than its predecessor and should do well against the Dodge/Plymouth Neon, Ford Escort, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra,, Honda Civic, Mazda Protege, Mitsubishi Mirage, Hyundai Sonata and others in the hotly competitive subcompact market, a niche that represents about a quarter of all car sales.
The most obvious improvement in the '95 Cavalier is its styling. Its aerodynamic "jelly bean" look doesn't break any new ground, but it brings the car up to the current standard for the class. Buyers in this price segment don't expect to be blown away with cutting-edge design and probably don't even want to be.
The Cav is offered in three body styles: the coupe, a four-door sedan and a convertible. All have a nearly 2-inch wider track and a 3-inch longer wheelbase than the '94 Cavs, yet the body is 2 inches shorter, making the car easier to maneuver in traffic and more fun to drive. Must be magic . . . or, more likely, computer assisted design.
Along with stretching the anchor points, Chevy stiffened the entire structure, minimizing flex and making the Cav feel more firm and responsive while also improving ride quality. It's the kind of driving experience that caused millions of American motorists to forsake Detroit's offerings for those of Yokohama and Munich, but Chevy got it right this time.
Chevy eliminated more than 28 percent of the parts numbers in the new Cav to help simplify assembly. The dividend is a much tighter body assembly that lacks the uneven gaps, rattles and perception of poor quality control that have also fueled the migration to imports. The Cav appears to be as well screwed together as any Honda.
Motivating the package is GM's 2.2 liter, 120 horsepower four-cylinder engine that doesn't sound like much on paper but is surprisingly potent in the Cavalier, especially when the power gets to the wheels through the standard five-speed manual transmission.
An automatic tranny is optional, of course, but I've always felt that buyers of cars in this class are much better served by shifting forthemselves. They save several hundred dollars in extra cost for the automatic, gas mileage is improved, the car is more fun to drive, maintenance is lower and the five-speed makes much better use of the four-banger's power. How many more reasons does one need?
Bottom line time: Base price for my tester coupe was $10,060 but "Preferred Equipment Group No. 2 bumped that $580, AC was another $785, the CD sound system added $728, power door locks $210, a rear window defogger cost $170 and destination charges were $485. Total price as tested: $13,218.
Did someone mutter the word "value?" If so, thanks. The Cavalier really is a good value in an age where the average price of a new car has mushed north of $20,000. Even the coupe has an adequately roomy back seat, and the trunk is larger than I expected.
The options package on my tester was an odd mix. While the car has electronic cruise control and power door locks, it didn't have a way to adjust the exterior right hand mirror other than getting out, walking around and adjusting it by hand and hoping you got it right before getting back in the driver's seat. I'd rather manually lock the two doors and be able to adjust the mirror from inside than "cruise." With traffic what it is on our freeways, there is never a chance to set an automatic speed anyway . . . unless its 20 mph.
Also, my test Cavalier came equipped with vanity mirrors and compact disc player (no tape cassette) but no power windows. I'd rather not look at my face in the visor and listen to "All Things Considered" on KUER radio and not have to crank down the windows by hand.
But 50-somethings like me aren't the target market for this car so my options preferences will likely fall on deaf ears. I can hear the guys at Chevy: "Hey, Mr. Stodgy, you want power windows and mirrors, buy a Monte Carlo. Our buyers want vanity mirrors and CD players." Sixty-five to 70 percent of Cavalier buyers are women.
On the inside, the ergonomics are good, with the possible exception of the seat position; it seemed low and tilted back, making it a bit hard to find an ideal position to operate the floor pedals. The tilt steering wheel helped, though. Dash controls were nicely placed, easy to decipher and precise to the touch. Can't ask for much more.
Random musings:
- Fuel mileage for the coupe with manual transmission is rated at 25 mpg city and 37 highway vs. 23 city and 33 highway for the sedan with automatic. The tank holds 15.2 gallons.
- The theater style dome light that dims down rather than abruptly blinking off is a nice touch of class.
- The single cup holder in the console is not deep enough to hold a medium-size soft drink, and the cup gets bumped when you shift.
- Dual airbags, ABS brakes and seat belts designed to hold child safety seats are all standard equipment.
- The engine's platinum-tipped spark plugs are good for 100,000 miles, says Chevy.
- The Dexron III fluid in the (optional) automatic transmission is said to be good for the life of the car.
- A Quad 4 150-horsepower engine with balance shafts and a new four-speed electronic automatic transmission should be available soon as options in the LS sedan and convertible. There is no V6 available.