Tough call..
I've owned both, and both were brief ownerships
Neon is better on gas, but less reliable
Cavalier is reliable, but fucking gutless..
The neon is a rocket compared to the cav .. yes I see the irony in calling the neon a rocket, but they're fast little cars.
Both will be useless if the milage is over 100k , but the cav will likely go to 200k .. a neon past 150k is a rare thing IMO.
I would consider a civic, the aftermarket parts are dirt cheap, engine swaps, rebuilts and most work in general is cheaper and easier.
Out of all three, I loved my neon the most, sporty little car.. but I totalled it, after replacing just about every part on it
