The pre 2000 Cavaliers were not all that good. However, around 2000-2001 their quality improved substantially and by the 2003 model year until the few 2005 models built they were a very good car. because by then, the bugs were all worked out of the design.
I bought my daughter a 2005 Cavalier last year with 58,000 miles on it and now with 78,000 on it, so far it has been a perfect car needing nothing more than oil changes. She lives in West Virginia and her Chevy just started right up in the zero degree weather while her friends with Jettas and Audi's could not start their cars.
I drove the car myself from here in LA to West Virginia and while it is no speed demon, it is quite fast enough to cruise all day on the freeway through Arizona at the posted 75 MPH speed limit. And then some.