2000 Chevrolet Prizm - Are the RPMs too high?
Asked by DeadPixelJim Sep 14, 2013 at 07:25 PM about the 2000 Chevrolet Prizm FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Hello. I'm looking to buy a 2000 Chevy Prizm off of Craigslist. I just took it for a test drive and have a question about the RPMs. I'm no car expert, and have driven the same car (2000 Chevy Cavalier) for many years. When driving the Prizm, the RPMs when driving 60-70mph ran about 3000-3500RPM, where my Cavalier will shift, bringing it down to around 2400 or so. Does this seem high, or am I just comparing apples to oranges since they are different vehicles.
Thanks for any advice!
Jim
5 Answers
That RPM range at 60-70 mph in a 4 cylinder Prizm is a little high, IMO...Being a 12+ year old car, it might need a tune-up, which MIGHT help it to return to a lower RPM at that speed...maybe. I'd advise against buying a car off of Craiglist...too many Private Party Scam artists trying to sell their lemons, flood/salvage/accident cars. I tried it once awhile ago on a used Miata and the engine ran really loud and raw, like it was gonna explode...No thanks. Plus, here in my area (Philly PA Metro area), some unfortunate guy was killed when he went to look at a car recently (some psychopath purposely lured him there for that purpose)..Sooo Craigslist is a no-go for me!
sounds a bit high. drive it under light acceleration and count the shifts. first to second, second to third, third to fourth, after this shift you should see one more drop in rpm's when the torque converter locks.
3 speed versus 4 speed, prizm had both,depending on options, you were driving a 3 speed no doubt
Avoid any thing on Craigslist. It's a breeding ground for liars, cheats scam artists and space shots. Run, do not walk away from this.
No the car does not have overdrive and that is normal it is not good for long high speed trips but is a good dependable car and fine for around town or short trips at high speed
