- #15 of 24
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Another option...
by 79customd
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Mar 18, 2006 (4:19 pm)
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Try looking at the 06 PT Cruisers. Great cars from what it sounds. Talked to some of the mechanics around town and it sounds as though these cars are "bullet proof". The 2.4L is a bigger displacement engine than the 2.0L of the Neon or the 2.2L of the Cavelier, and with Chryslers new autostik tranny on GT models the car is more attractive than ever. Put 230 horses to whatever the base Neon or Cavailer can do. The GT is not bad on price neither. Seen em for $19500 around town. Spread out of the months for payment, the PT will pay for itself in performane, capability( hatch instead of smaller sedan body ) and the mileage is dead even( providing you drive it right ) Clearly if you want a sporty car with good mileage and capability "that you want to last awhile" go with the PT. 
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- #16 of 24
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Re: Neon VS Cavalier [shymerm8]
by whiskerrat
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May 09, 2006 (8:40 pm)
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Replying to: shymerm8 (Aug 28, 2005 4:23 pm)
I guess there are a number of factors that determine what kind of experience a person gets in owning a certain vehicle (where it was purchased, how well it is maintained, how it is driven, etc.). A good friend of mine owned a 1st generation Neon and it was very reliable for many years before it started having radiator problems (I suspect he didn't flush it once a year). In 2001, two other friends got 2nd gen Neons and they were reliable, even though they didn't always follow the recommended maintenance. I ended up with one of those cars for a little over a year and only had to have some work done on the car because of the previous driver's poor maintenance and suspected sloppy driving on bumpy roads. I eventually traded it in for a 2005 model because a dealership offered me a deal that was almost impossible to refuse. The offer was so good, I told someone else about it and he bought one too. So far, his car is working perfectly. The only problems I had with the new Neon was the trunk was misaligned and a strange noise was eminating from the engine bay. I took the car to a different dealership (as a matter of convenience) and they "repaired" the problems with no hassle and in a timely manner - the warranty covered both. The trunk repair was fine, but the noise was still present. I spoke to one of the mechanics on the phone and he suggested that I continue to drive the car as normal and if the problem persisted after awhile, I should bring it back in. After about a month the noise is gone and the car is still working perfectly. I am currently averaging about 31 mpg, with use of air conditioning.
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- #17 of 24
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wonder
by randydriver
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May 25, 2006 (8:11 pm)
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I wonder if the kid that asked the original question last year had got one or the other car by now. 
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- #18 of 24
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Re: Neon VS Cavalier [whiskerrat]
by whiskerrat
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Jun 06, 2006 (8:11 pm)
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Replying to: whiskerrat (May 09, 2006 8:40 pm)
Just an update!! In late April I hit an all-time high for my Neon! 406 miles on 12.5 gallons of gas. This was a mix if city and highway driving which included a few bad traffic jams and the use of AIR CONDITIONING! Can a Cavalier do that?
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- #19 of 24
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Re: Neon VS Cavalier [matchgame1974]
by joe602
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Jun 07, 2006 (10:53 am)
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Replying to: matchgame1974 (Aug 20, 2005 7:22 pm)
My mom owned a 2000 Chevy Cavalier and until it was .... heh repo'd she constantly was not able to drive it because of problems.....It was a convertable and the first month when she was putting the top down the back window busted and started coming off.....Chevy said they couldnt do anything about that.....the next month the ignition switch broke.....my mom went to a mechanic who had said that the switch was on recall....when my mom went to Chevy they said it wasnt it and that it did not need replacing. They told her it was the battery and then attempted to sell her a 100 dollar battery....she (for some reason) got the battery and 3 days later she was having the same problems. She went back the dealer and then they replaced the ignition switch. For about 3 months the car ran great until it started overheating because the thermostat broke. I myself have a 2005 Dodge Neon SXT. It runs great but I am not to sure how it will run in the future since ive had it for less then a month....from what i can see though I have way better gas mileage then she ever did and I also have better acceleration...even though we had the same size engine. I would try going with a Dodge neon if I were you.
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- #20 of 24
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Re: Neon VS Cavalier [joe602]
by whiskerrat
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Jun 25, 2006 (5:57 pm)
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Replying to: joe602 (Jun 07, 2006 10:53 am)
The Cavalier has a slightly larger engine and is considered a compact while the Neon is a subcompact, so the Neon's gas mileage will be better. Later Cavalier models got a more powerful engine, so the excelleration should actually be about the same as the Neon, if not a little bit stronger. I think both cars has a trail of horror stories, but those are the exceptions, not the rule (at least for second generation Neon's).
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- #21 of 24
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Re: Neon VS Cavalier [streetneon]
by crimsonreign67
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Oct 30, 2006 (2:46 pm)
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Replying to: streetneon (Sep 03, 2005 10:29 pm)
well im happy that you were able to beat that cavalier but i think your boat is full of holes. like the other cognisent person said, unless you do some major racing mods to a cavalier you cannot get the cavy to do more than 107 in any situation without disabling the speedometer, and if you know so much about the car then why did you mistake a radiator for an inter cooler? besides that an engine that places 132hp vs a 150hp car to the wheels with mods seems a little bit far fetched i have a blue 2005 chevy cavalier with intake and exhaust mods its up to 189 hp and i have beaten a hell of a lot of cars including a lexus is300 215 hp by a fender and ive definitely beaten a 95 neon by i dunno 10 lengths ive had this car for a year and have raced the hell out of it and the only problem ive ever had was a slave cylinder break in below freezing weather (im in the rockies)besides that ive gotten awesome fuel economy 450 miles on 13 gallons (city highway and a couple of outrun races) in denver traffic ive been a mechanic for 2 1/2 years and all ive ever done on cavaliers that come in to the shop are basic jobs, brakes tune ups and the occasional head gasket from neglecting oil changes but neons are always in for everything from thrown rods to frozen thermostats and of course timing belts and transmissions ive driven them and have worked on them as well as pt cruisers and they are terrible cars on par with early hondas and geos id take a cavy over those cars any day and if you wanna race your neon head to denver ill probably see you broken down on i25 if your car can make it.  
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- #22 of 24
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1995 cavalier spark plugs
by 95cavalier
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Nov 17, 2006 (7:59 am)
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Hi there, I am changing the plugs on my 95 2.2L Cavalier. I want to check the gap, does anyone have the correct spark plug gap? I think its .050", is that correct?
Thanks
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- #23 of 24
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Re: Neon VS Cavalier [keddie]
by neonmoder
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Sep 14, 2007 (11:39 pm)
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Replying to: keddie (Aug 25, 2005 12:32 am)
No offence or anything but, just because you have a bigger engine in your Cav. doesn't mean anything. Your son could have a lead foot. I know I do. but anyway, in my eyes, the Neon is a more reliable car, if you take care of it. I know that there are more mods that are cheaper and easier to install on the Neons then the Cavs. IDK. Thats just what I think. Im not trying to put down the Cavs. but I'm all for the Neons.
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- #24 of 24
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ratings
by blue88z24cav
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Oct 26, 2007 (7:42 pm)
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the 1990 cavi z24 is rated at a 7.4 for consumer rating and the 1995 conv cavi is rated at 7.2 while the 1995 neon is rated at 6.7 consumer reviews beats urs any day. and one more thing. the older gen 1 cavi z24s have a 2.8l v6 MPEFI motor without a speed censer i highly doubt your neon will beat that. watch this video it is of a older cavi
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