That extra room we mentioned shows up where it's really needed: in the cavalier's completely redesigned interior. The look is far more fluid than that of the previous Cavalier. Stylists like to use the word organic to describe the way it all flows together. The steering wheel is one of the car's more pleasant surprises: It looks and feels much more expensive than you'd expect. Some other interior elements, however, are carried out less successfully.
In terms of user-friendliness, the passenger's mirror is hard to position. The radio placement is the biggest drawback. You have to stretch to change stations or volume. But in general, ergonomics are adequate.
You'll find plenty of leg-room up front, and those seats are quite comfortable. Maybe It's a sign of our advancing age, but it seemed as if the seats in our tester could use a little more padding. And the rear seats were barely adequate: The bench was hard and unyielding and wouldn't be much fun on a long ride.
On the positive side, the rear seatback folds down with ease to create a roomy, cavernous storage compartment. There's more rear legroom than in the old Cavalier, but still not nearly as much as there is in the Plymouth Neon.
Incidentally, the Neon is a car lots of shoppers will choose to compare the Cavalier with. The Neon is a friendlier-looking vehicle, with a much more comforting, familiar-feeling interior. It seems to say welcome, while Cavalier has a more officious, yet efficient, feel to it.
That's not to say the Cavalier doesn't come with a few pleasant surprises. There are cupholders, lots of storage pockets, standard anti-lock brakes and dual airbags. Plus a novel rear defroster that starts by melting a rectangular patch in the center of the window, and a feature that turns off the interior lights if they're left on long enough to start draining the battery.
This car's sporty look is matched by a genuinely sporty feel, at least when you compare the new Cavalier with the old one. Acceleration is respectable, running under 9 seconds in the 0-to-60 mph test. that's all the more surprising when you consider this is the familiar GM 4-cylinder engine that's been under the Cavalier hood for quite some time. The optional 3-speed automatic transmission is adequate, and Neon has chosen the same powertrain combination. Still, you'd be hard-pressed to find an Asian import falling back on a 3-speed package.
Handling is competent and predictable. GM engineers are quick to point out that the new cavalier's body has been markedly stiffened. That added rigidity means less body flexing, particularly when you're bouncing along a pothole-filled highway. It not only translates into crisper steering but a quieter ride.
Yes, you'll find the new Cavalier a notably more quiet car. Wind noise has been sharply reduced due the steeper rake of the windshield and a better job by the factory of sealing the pillars. Road noise is still a problem, especially when compared with cars such as the Toyota Corolla. Under full acceleration, the engine sounds like a hive of angry bees, though it's more tolerable under normal driving conditions.
Braking is one of cavalier's weak points. The brakes require far more pressure than one might feel comfortable applying, at least in an emergency. They also have a tendency to fade if you use them repeatedly.