1997 Chevrolet Cavalier

In the 1960s, Chevrolet's big, smooth, popular Impala was dubbed ``America's sweetheart.'' But the smaller Chevy Cavalier took the Impala's place after debuting in early 1981 as a 1982 model.

Yes, the Cavalier has been around that long. And it's been quite a romance between consumers and the first-generation 1982-94 Cavalier, as more than 3 million of those Cavaliers were sold.

That volume made it the best-selling Chevy auto in modern history, and it was the top-selling U.S. car in 1984. The 1960s were ancient history when the Cavalier arrived. Americans had been through two gasoline crises, and were looking for something more sensible than a fuel-swilling Impala.

While far plainer than the Impala ever was, the first-generation Cavalier still had a certain flair that endeared it to many first-time car buyers. You would see many new and used Cavaliers in modest neighborhoods and in school parking lots.

Of course, it helped that the car was inexpensive and sold by Chevrolet's huge dealer network. Also, the Cavalier was reliable and offered in a wide variety of models, from convertibles to station wagons.

But the bottom line with the car was that it was cheap to buy and run. So what if it didn't even have air bags as the 1990s began unrolling? After all, it had never been anything but an entry-level sweetheart.

It thus came as a big surprise when a totally redesigned Cavalier arrived for the 1995 model year. The car still had front-wheel drive. But it also had a rakish body, new interior and key standard items such as air bags and anti-lock brakes.

A longer wheelbase assured a roomier interior and a better ride. And a wider stance helped the car handle better. Construction was a lot more rigid, and the interior was much quieter.

The Cavalier had moved uptown. But the best part was that it remained affordable. It wasn't as refined as some Japanese rivals, but it didn't cost as much as they did, either.

For 1996, the car got a sophisticated, 150-horsepower four-cylinder, called the Twin Cam. This engine seemed as if it could have come from a high-priced foreign job; it had items such as double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and twin balance shafts to smooth out a four-cylinder motor's characteristic roughness.

This year, the Cavalier line gets a new, $12,225 RS (Rally Sport) coupe. The RS has the Cavalier's base, 120-horsepower four-cylinder. But it offers the looks of the hot-rod Cavalier Z24 model, with items such as color-keyed fascias and bodyside moldings, rear spoiler and fairly wide 65-series tires--not to mention what Chevy calls ``a special three-dimensional decal'' on rear fenders.

The RS fits between the base $10,980 Cavalier coupe and the $14,465 Z24, which has the 2.4-liter Twin Cam, sports suspension and wide 55-series tires.

The 2.2-liter RS engine is a dated pushrod unit, but is fairly quiet and offers surprisingly solid performance--at least when hooked to the somewhat notchy standard five-speed manual transmission that was in my test car.

The engine also delivers remarkably good fuel economy: an EPA-estimated 25 m.p.g. in the city and 37 on highways with the manual.

You can get an RS with a $550 three-speed automatic. But that's an old-fashioned unit. You're better off with the more efficient, $795 four-speed automatic. As a bonus, you get traction control for better grip on slippery roads at no added cost when ordering the four-speed.

Four 6-footers comfortably fit in the Cavalier, although the heads of rear occupants will touch the back window if they lean back too far. And getting in and out of the back of a Cavalier coupe is a hassle because the front safety belts get in the way--a situation that doesn't exist with Cavalier four-door models.

No matter how many doors, the rear seat is not the place for fairly long trips because the rear seatback is too upright.

A larger opening is needed to allow better loading of the roomy trunk, but the rear seatback folds forward to significantly increase cargo space.

Another annoyance: The power window switches are awkwardly located on the center console.

However, the front seats are comfortable and the nicely designed dashboard has controls that work smoothly.

There no longer is a station wagon in the Cavalier lineup, but you can get two- and four-door models in various trim levels. And there is a convertible. At $17,765, it's the costliest Cavalier. But even the tiny Mazda Miata two-seat convertible lists at $19,125.

Cavaliers always have been nimble in heavy traffic and easy to park. The latest-generation model has a supple ride and decent steering, handling and braking.

But the Cavalier basically still is an economy car, so even the hot Z24 model isn't a thrill to drive. However, it's hard not to like the Cavalier. It remains a sweetheart.