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I really wanted to like this car.  Honest, I did.  As the former owner of a 1989 Cavalier VL coupe -- and the son-in-law of the owner of a 1997 Z24 -- I figured that the 2004 model would be improved over those models.

I figured wrong.

In walking around the car, I took note of the smooth, clean lines of the grille, head and tail lights, bumpers, etc.  All of these styling touches, updated in the early part of this decade, met my approval.

What did not meet my approval were the plastic side skirts, rear spoiler and miniscule driving lights included in the LS Sport package with which my test vehicle was equipped.  Also part of the package were chromed 16" aluminum wheels wrapped in low-profile P205/55R16 Goodyear Eagle RS-A rubber.  I'm not fond of "add-on" appearance features, nor am I particularly fond of low-profile tires.  You'll see why later.

The car I tested came with, in addition to the LS Sport package, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, power sunroof, AM-FM-CD stereo, remote keyless entry, and other various and sundry options all there to make one's life a little easier.

UNDER THE HOOD
Under the Cavalier's hood resides GM's 2.2L Ecotec four-cylinder engine.  It's relatively quiet in around-town driving, but not at interstate speeds or when you have to wind it up to pass a slower vehicle.  Fortunately, unlike its 2.4L ex-Quad-4 predecessor, all the noise is not accompanied by large amounts of vibration.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that the Ecotec engine, at least when teamed with the smooth-shifting four-speed automatic (which I liked), is not terribly fuel-efficient.  In over 500 miles of driving, it averaged a mere 21 MPG in city driving and only 28 MPG on an interstate trip.  A much more suitable choice would be the hard-to-find five-speed manual transmission, which I've tested in a more-basic LS coupe.  Made by Getrag, the five-speed is a perfect match for the Ecotec, and would easily deliver at least a 3-5 MPG improvement.

THE INTERIOR
Stepping into a 2004 Cavalier will be familiar territory to anyone who's driven any Cav built since 1995.  There have not been many changes.  It does seem that the seats have been improved somewhat, because they are more comfortable for longer periods than those in my mother-in-law's '97 Z24.  The upholstery is virtually identical, so it has to be in the padding.

Gauges are large, easy to read and well-lit, with the exception of the digital odometer, which had an electrical short, causing the digits to flicker nervously.  It was distracting.  I ended up covering the odometer with a piece of electrician's tape if I was going to drive it after dark.

Commonly-used controls are easy to reach, with the exception of the driving light and panel dimmer switches, which are hidden by the turn signal/cruise/light stalk, and the HVAC controls, which require you to reach awkwardly around the shift lever.  And if you have drinks in the cup holders, they have to be moved.  More on the HVAC controls in a minute.

PASSENGER SPACE
The Cavalier would have been a much better car if GM had simply ditched any pretense of it being a five-passenger car.  Unless you're carting children -- and I mean SMALL children -- it's a four-seater.

And, if you're like me -- I'm 5'11" tall -- anyone who sits behind you will have to tuck their feet into their pockets, or stick them through the sunroof.

RIDE AND HANDLING
For a small, American-designed-and-built FWD car, the Cavalier with the LS Sport package handles like a much sportier machine.  For that, I give the 16" wheels and tires much credit, because a broader contact area means you get better road feel.

However, if you like a smoother ride, you'll want to pass on the 16s, because it's anything but smooth.  It's not "run over a quarter and you can tell which side's heads or tails" rough, but it is harsh.

Cavaliers equipped with the standard 14" wheels and tires ride much more smoothly, yet they still have agile handling, even if they aren't quite as sporty.

ANNOYANCES, TROUBLES AND WOES
This particular Cavalier came standard with the usual Cavalier squeaks and rattles, poorly-fitted interior plastic trim, and added to that the indignities of electrical and body woes:

#1.  Whomever installed the rear glass in the factory did not seal it properly.  The car's owner informed me that it had leaked since the car was new, and by the time I got it, I could bathe my two-year-old in the spare tire well after a good, heavy rain.  Three body shops later, we think we solved the problem, but until it rains again, no one can be sure.

#2.  The electric windows and sunroof all began having issues with opening and closing.

#3.  The HVAC controls don't actually control anything on this car except fan speed; no matter which mode you select, air comes only through the dash vents.  I've checked two other Cavaliers of similar vintage (one was a 2005) and they all had the same problem -- the controls simply no longer work.  I'd hate to think what fixing that would cost.

#4.  Minor issue:  The excellent sound system's knobs and buttons are coated in a black finish that chips and rubs off far too easily, giving the whole head unit a tacky, old-before-its-time appearance.

#5.  Not a minor issue:  If your driveway is like mine, and you have to drive over a curb to get there, an LS Sport is definitely NOT for you.  Those plastic add-ons (particularly the lower front bumper) will scrape loudly if you approach such a driveway at anything faster than a crawl.  Gravel roads will knock the paint right off of the side cladding, too.  Taken as a whole, all the added "sportiness" doesn't look so good after a little while in the real world of everyday driving.

#6.  "Why bother?"  The driving lights, which are perhaps 2.5" in diameter, barely throw enough light ahead of the car to make them worthwhile.  They have to be turned on each time you turn the headlamps on, too, which is a pain.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I like smaller cars.  I've owned several, including, as I mentioned, a 1989 Cavalier coupe that was one of the best older cars I've had.  It regularly got 30 MPG, rode well, and handled anything I threw at it, from going back and forth to work to hauling bags of mulch to ... well, anything.

But I don't like this one.

Sure, it's small, sporty and equipped very well, but GM should have been able to exorcise the demons of poor quality LONG before this car was built.

I can only hope -- and no, I've not driven one personally -- that the Cobalt, which replaced the Cavalier, and the Cruze, which will replace the Cobalt (unless GM goes under) will turn out to be much better, but only time will tell if they hold up as they should, or if they follow in the "Lordstown Lemon" footsteps of their Vega and Cavalier predecessors.

One certainly hopes not.