1999 Chevrolet Cavalier Compact Car Reviews & Ratings

If there is a disappointment to the car's visual appeal, it arrives when looking from the inside out. The Rally Sport comes with attractive, cloth-covered seats, which include embroidered RS identification in the headrests. But that's where the visual appeal of an otherwise Spartan interior ends. The cloth motif extends to a small center section of the doors, but otherwise the interior is unrelieved composite.

The functional dash has a small speedometer and tachometer. Except for the door lock and light switch, all the operating switches are stalk-mounted. The center console offers a large tray under the dash, a cup holder, plus storage box, which also includes a second cup holder (when open) and a clever third cup holder for the rear seat when the top is flipped back. The heater/AC unit and radio with minimal functional controls occupy the center of the dash.

The cloth seats are comfortable, resilient and supportive with firm foam contours. But what becomes most quickly apparent is what the exterior gains in design appearance is given back when it comes to front and rear visibility. When compared to the more upright Civic, Escort or Neon greenhouses, the view is not nearly as open. The narrow doors offer excellent side visibility. But they also come with a noticeable trade-off. The long doors are quite heavy; they require some effort to operate and some care in tight parking areas.

The long doors combined with sliding front seats make it easy to get in and out of the back seat. As in the front, the rear passengers will feel as if they are sitting quite low, necessitated to accommodate enough headroom. While there is ample head and shoulder room, legs have to be folded up with knees closer to one's chin than some would deem comfortable. Only a child could handle the center seat in the back, which is too small for an adult. The rear passengers do have the convenience of heat ducts.

In the trunk, the Rally Sport offers excellent cargo space for the class, with 13.2 cubic feet of storage area and a standard cargo net. Rear seats fold down to expand the rear storage area.

The Cavalier is a fun car to drive, one that enjoys being tossed around. Its light weight adds to the fun. The front suspension uses McPherson struts and coil springs. In the rear, trailing tubular control arms locate wheels along with a twist beam axle. The suspension is taut and gives the driver a good feel for the road, yet the Cavalier RS handles road bumps with aplomb. Not untypical of compact cars, the higher the speeds the more noticeable the bumps become.

The 2.2-liter, inline-4 produces 115 horsepower and 135 foot-pounds of torque, which are not necessarily numbers to brag about when compared to the more powerful engines offered in the sport categories of other compacts. With a low first gear, the 5-speed gearbox does not offer comparable close ratios, either. But they're close enough. Combined with sequential fuel injection, overhead valves, hydraulic lifters and roller cams, the drivetrain encourages high revving and quick getaways.

The engine tends to be heard in compacts. In the case of the Cavalier, the noise level was acceptable, and, perhaps more important, the little four-banger sounds sweet.

The rack-and-pinion power steering makes this a rapid response vehicle. The excellent turn-in as well as precision in the steering adds a lot to the enjoyment of the Cavalier, although the body roll was sometimes excessive in cornering. The gear shift clicked predictably into place, adding to the desire to run quickly through the gearbox, not to mention through corners.

The anti-lock braking system comes with disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear. The system worked well under extreme braking conditions. But under normal braking, the brakes grabbed slightly in the rear and one had to pay attention to applying pedal pressure smoothly.