2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Review: Simply One of the Best Deals on the Used Car Market Today

The 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier is comfortable, reliable, efficient, fun to drive, and most importantly, priced to move. This might not be anybody’s dream car, but it delivers a lot more than you likely expect for something that typically lists in the low three thousand dollar range.

Is the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier a Good Used Car?

• Overall Rating 7/10 – The 2004 Cavalier is a good car at any price, but it’s a great car if you can find one for under three grand.
• Interior, Comfort & Cargo 7/10 – Comfortable for a compact, but it’s definitely a compact. The suspension has held up well, but passengers will want a lot of pit stops to stretch their legs.
• Reliability 8/10 – Drivers are reporting mileage as high as 300,000 on the original transmission. Expect 250,000 if you’re buying used.
• Safety 6/10 – No major safety concerns, but the safety tech is dated and the crash test scores aren’t great.
• Gas Mileage 8/10 – The Cavalier is about as efficient a car as you’re going to find from 2004.
• Value 9/10 – One of those cars that’s not so much great as it is a great deal. It’s not exactly a Honda Civic, but it’s nearly as good for half the cost.

What Do Critics Say About the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?

Edmunds praised the 2004 Cavalier for its accessible price and torque i4 engine, but had a generally low opinion of the car overall. Red marks were handed out for the “ancient” interior and exterior design, cheap-feeling interior, shaky build quality, and underwhelming crash test results.

Kelley Blue Book users were relatively kind to the compact, praising the car’s reliable powertrain and fuel efficient engine, but admitting that the interior quality could be better, and the backseat is pretty tight.

What Common Problems Does the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Have?

Electrical issues make up nearly two thirds of the 2004 Cavalier’s total complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, comprising 185 out of 329. Most common among these problems: The instrument cluster may just stop working. Sometimes it’s just the speedometer, other times the whole thing blinks out.

A handful of drivers have reported that the accelerator can get stuck after they take their foot off the gas pedal. At present there are not enough reports available to diagnose a likely cause. This is something that frequently happens with aftermarket floor mats, but there is no recall to indicate that this is specifically the case this time.

Engine and powertrain issues are scarce, at just 7 and 23, respectively, which means that most of the issues you have under the hood will come down to simple wear and tear.

The 2004 Cavalier has just 2 recalls on file with the NHTSA and zero investigations, which is excellent for a twenty year old car.

How Long Will the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Last?

Drivers have reported the Cavalier going as far as 300,000 miles on the original transmission before the repairs get to be a little too costly to keep up with. If you’re buying used, this seems like a longshot. Expect to see the odometer hit around 250,000 miles before it’s time to start shopping for a replacement.

RepairPal estimate an annual maintenance cost in the area of $362, with the most expensive common fix being a new timing chain tensioner starting at around $674.

How Is the Technology?

Entertainment technology is pretty good for a compact car of this age. The higher trim levels come with CD players and six speakers, including some beefy rear woofers.

Safety technology is adequate. You’ve got full airbags and 3-point seatbelts up front, a LATCH system for the kids, and the higher trim levels feature anti-lock brakes. Hardly cutting edge, but fine for 2004.

Is the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier a Good Value?

The 2004 Cavalier is a very good value. The fair market range no a Base sedan starts as low as $1,461. Typical listing prices can be around twice that, but you should be able to negotiate your way down to to the low $2,000 range on a model with under 150,000 miles on the odometer.

For the price, it does feel like a budget car. But if you’re not picky, if you just need something that “gets you from point A to point B,” a 2004 Cavalier is one of the more practical, safe, and reliable used cars on the road today.

What are the Different Models of the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?

The 2004 Cavalier is offered in three trims with a stripped down Base, and two LS models.

The entry-level Base offers:

• Manual air conditioning
• Cloth seat trim
• PASSLock theft-deterrent
• AM/FM stereo

The mid-range LS adds:

• Premium cloth seating
• Remote keyless entry
• CD player with six speakers
• Cruise control

The top-of-the-line LS Sport features:

• Fog lights
• Sport cloth bucket seats
• Power windows and door locks
• Leather wrapped shift lever
• Anti-lock brakes

What Engines Come In the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?

• The 2004 Chevy Cavalier is powered by an 2.2L Ecotec inline-four. This is paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission and configured in front wheel drive. It can produce 140 horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque, and it averages 26/37 miles to the gallon with a 14 gallon tank.

What Colors Does the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Come In?

How Comfortable Is the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?

The 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier offers a smooth, comfortable ride, as long as you’re realistic about what you can expect of a compact. The back row is a bit tight at just fifty inches across at the seat, but the suspension is nice and soft and the seating is comfy.

You always want to test drive before you buy, but there have been a scant six complaints registered with the NHTSA for issues involving the suspension. So, with more of these cars than not, the struts and shocks have held up just fine after twenty years of service.

How Much Storage Space Does the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Have?

The Cavalier offers about 13.2 cubic feet of trunk space. Even by compact standards that’s a bit tight, but you won’t have any issue making grocery trips or packing everything you need for overnight stays.

Inside the cabin you’ll find a few cupholders and enough cargo nets, pockets, and slots to store your wallet, phone, and coffee while you’re out and about, but you’ll probably be making a weekly habit of decluttering the car. There’s not a lot of extra space beyond what you absolutely need to stay comfortable on the road.

What Are the Differences Between Years?

The 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier was the second to last of the nameplate’s 3rd Generation, running from 1995 to 2005.

2002: Chevy added CD players to the LS and Z24 models for 2002.

2003: The Cavalier was brought up to date with a more modern appearance in 2003, featuring new fascias and headlights, and redesigned mirrors and handles.

2004: A new Chevy emblem, replacing the old silver crossbar with the gold bowtie, was the biggest change for 2004.

2005: No big changes for the Cavalier in 2005. This would be the final year for the car before being replaced by the Cobalt in 2006.

How Does the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Compare to the Competition?

If you’re looking at budget cars, the Cavalier’s main competition will be the Ford Focus and the Hyundai Elantra. Going on price alone, they’re pretty evenly matched. All three typically list in the low $3,000s for a mid-range model with the same mileage.

The Elantra is the most fuel-efficient of the three, averaging up to 27/34 miles to the gallon, city/highway. The Focus is the sportiest, with neither the Elantra nor the Cavalier offering anything to compete with the Ford’s 170 horsepower SVT model, and the Cavalier may be the most well rounded of the three, being a little more efficient than a base Focus, and a little more powerful than a base Elantra.

But, this is splitting hairs. All three are great cars for the price, and your best bet is going to be to put all three on your shopping list, keep an eye out for the best possible deal, and give them each a test drive and see what you think.

Do Owners Recommend the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?