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Anyone have a Chevy Cobalt? Thoughts?

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I've not driven a Cobalt, but one thing to consider is safety features. My gf's sister (17) is getting her first car and her Dad made a big deal over safety features, so we've researched this a lot. Side impact airbags apparently make a huge difference in safety according to all the tests. To my knowledge, but I haven't checked, no GM cars feature the side impact airbags and overall less safety features than the 06 Civic. The Civic gets top marks in all safety tests, I think the Subaru Legacy is one of the only other cars to get the same top marks.

Check out http://www.iihs.org for more information on the safety tests.
 
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
I've not driven a Cobalt, but one thing to consider is safety features. My gf's sister (17) is getting her first car and her Dad made a big deal over safety features, so we've researched this a lot. Side impact airbags apparently make a huge difference in safety according to all the tests. To my knowledge, but I haven't checked, no GM cars feature the side impact airbags and overall less safety features than the 06 Civic. The Civic gets top marks in all safety tests, I think the Subaru Legacy is one of the only other cars to get the same top marks.

Check out http://www.iihs.org for more information on the safety tests.
Click to expand...

Crash Test Ratings for a Chevy Malibu with Side Impact Air bags

Ratings for a Chevrolet Cobalt with Side Curtain airbags

consider yourself Pwned.
 
The Cobalt also has optional side airbags and is rated "acceptable" when equipped with them.

The Honda Civic is rated higher, and deserves respect for that.



 
Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Pretty cheap at around 13-15k...just wondering if anyone would buy this car, if you have one if you like it...

What's a better choice, Scion XB or Cobalt?
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Cobalt is cheaper... GM's small cars aren't exciting and you won't be able to stroke the dash, but they're cheap, reliable, and when they finally break down, they're cheap to repair. The Cobalt is also a lot quicker than the xB.
 
Originally posted by: funboy42
XB made by Toyota so will last for ever and will be ugly for ever too.
Cobalt made by Chevy to rplace the caviler which was nothing more then a cheap car that you can easily get finacing for.

Reliability and ugly and will rust away to nothing before the engine gives out or Cute and breaks down right after the warranty expires.
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Fanboy42, your username says it all. 😉
 
Originally posted by: LeiZaK
Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Pretty cheap at around 13-15k...just wondering if anyone would buy this car, if you have one if you like it...

What's a better choice, Scion XB or Cobalt?
Click to expand...

Anything is a better choice than a xB.
Click to expand...

 
My mom bought a Cobalt last year and she's fairly happy with it. However, I think it needs to go back to the minors for seasoning.

Chiefly, the car has about as much power as a moped. It seemed to take eons to get up to freeway speed. Passing gear was a joke... even after the downshift the car still failed to pick up speed. Other than that... the rest of it was acceptable for the price... in other words, you get what you pay for I guess, and the Cobalt is a cheaply priced car so you do the math.

 
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
My mom bought a Cobalt last year and she's fairly happy with it. However, I think it needs to go back to the minors for seasoning.

Chiefly, the car has about as much power as a moped. It seemed to take eons to get up to freeway speed. Passing gear was a joke... even after the downshift the car still failed to pick up speed. Other than that... the rest of it was acceptable for the price... in other words, you get what you pay for I guess, and the Cobalt is a cheaply priced car so you do the math.
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She should have gotten the Cobalt SS. 🙂 That has decent pickup!
 
Originally posted by: EatSpam
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
My mom bought a Cobalt last year and she's fairly happy with it. However, I think it needs to go back to the minors for seasoning.

Chiefly, the car has about as much power as a moped. It seemed to take eons to get up to freeway speed. Passing gear was a joke... even after the downshift the car still failed to pick up speed. Other than that... the rest of it was acceptable for the price... in other words, you get what you pay for I guess, and the Cobalt is a cheaply priced car so you do the math.
Click to expand...

She should have gotten the Cobalt SS. 🙂 That has decent pickup!
Click to expand...

The base engine still shouldn't be giving problems. It has more Hp and Torque than the Civic, but also weighs more.
 
I rented a Cobalt LS for a week. It sucked. Bad. Steering was horribly over-assisted, the interior was horrible, and the gas mileage wasn't even that good.

Get a used (or new if she can afford) Civic or Corolla instead.
 
Originally posted by: EatSpam
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
My mom bought a Cobalt last year and she's fairly happy with it. However, I think it needs to go back to the minors for seasoning.

Chiefly, the car has about as much power as a moped. It seemed to take eons to get up to freeway speed. Passing gear was a joke... even after the downshift the car still failed to pick up speed. Other than that... the rest of it was acceptable for the price... in other words, you get what you pay for I guess, and the Cobalt is a cheaply priced car so you do the math.
Click to expand...

She should have gotten the Cobalt SS. 🙂 That has decent pickup!
Click to expand...


I didn't know they had an SS model... in any case, my mom doesn't care about anything as much as price. She'd rather spend 13K and bitch about the car the entire time she has it than spend 15K and have no gripes. She would only ever consider the base model of anything. But she seems happy with the Cobalt she has.
 
The cobalt SS is the WORST car i have EVER driven. I went to Chevy's SS event and they compared it to the 06 civic Si (which were similarly priced). Funny how they compared a Forced Induction car to a Naturally Aspirated car. Anyway, The cobalt, sure awesome power, but when it got beyond 70MPH, the car started to loose control. So much body roll it'll make a boat feel stable. The suspension and the handling department are a joke. What were they thinking when they released this car? That this car was only made to go straight? AWFUL! F-!!!!
 
my roommates mom won one in a contest and gave it to him. It's decent, nothing to brag about, but it gets the job done.
 
Originally posted by: finbarqs
The cobalt SS is the WORST car i have EVER driven. I went to Chevy's SS event and they compared it to the 06 civic Si (which were similarly priced). Funny how they compared a Forced Induction car to a Naturally Aspirated car. Anyway, The cobalt, sure awesome power, but when it got beyond 70MPH, the car started to loose control. So much body roll it'll make a boat feel stable. The suspension and the handling department are a joke. What were they thinking when they released this car? That this car was only made to go straight? AWFUL! F-!!!!
Click to expand...

So I guess this was all luck right?
 
Originally posted by: finbarqs
The cobalt SS is the WORST car i have EVER driven. I went to Chevy's SS event and they compared it to the 06 civic Si (which were similarly priced). Funny how they compared a Forced Induction car to a Naturally Aspirated car. Anyway, The cobalt, sure awesome power, but when it got beyond 70MPH, the car started to loose control. So much body roll it'll make a boat feel stable. The suspension and the handling department are a joke. What were they thinking when they released this car? That this car was only made to go straight? AWFUL! F-!!!!
Click to expand...

Could have been something wrong with the car. I have an Ion Redline, same engine, different transmission, and I have no problems with the car at higher speeds. I average 90-95mph on most long highway trips and the car has never given me cause for concern - very steady. True, I don't drive it on the track, so if the Redline is less on the track, I wouldn't know the difference.

I've driven a few Hondas, too. Nice cars, but not nice enough for me to spend more money on them.
 
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Originally posted by: finbarqs
The cobalt SS is the WORST car i have EVER driven. I went to Chevy's SS event and they compared it to the 06 civic Si (which were similarly priced). Funny how they compared a Forced Induction car to a Naturally Aspirated car. Anyway, The cobalt, sure awesome power, but when it got beyond 70MPH, the car started to loose control. So much body roll it'll make a boat feel stable. The suspension and the handling department are a joke. What were they thinking when they released this car? That this car was only made to go straight? AWFUL! F-!!!!
Click to expand...

So I guess this was all luck right?
Click to expand...


why would GM put a "negative" review about their cobalt SS? besides, the first turn, it feels like turning a boat. I'm just giving my input. Sure they could've done something such as put on some sways and some struts, probably gave a bit stiffer suspension and came up with something, but as of right now, the cobalt ss is a pretty bad car.
 
I was watching the races at Mid-Ohio today on tv, and the Cobalt smoked the other cars it was racing, Acuras, Mazda RX-8s, etc.

This despite the fact the Cobalt has been handicapped by the sanctioning body, and that Mid Ohio is definately a handling race track.


 
Originally posted by: Tom
I was watching the races at Mid-Ohio today on tv, and the Cobalt smoked the other cars it was racing, Acuras, Mazda RX-8s, etc.

This despite the fact the Cobalt has been handicapped by the sanctioning body, and that Mid Ohio is definately a handling race track.
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yeah because race cars are perfect indications of how good the road cars are, i picked the ford mustang GT over the BMW M3 and Porsche Carerra as my prize car on "The Price is Right"

and man you bumped a thread older than johnny cash
 
Originally posted by: Tom
I was watching the races at Mid-Ohio today on tv, and the Cobalt smoked the other cars it was racing, Acuras, Mazda RX-8s, etc.

This despite the fact the Cobalt has been handicapped by the sanctioning body, and that Mid Ohio is definately a handling race track.
Click to expand...

Doesn't change the fact that the Cobalt is still a piece of shti.
 
Originally posted by: finbarqs
The cobalt SS is the WORST car i have EVER driven. I went to Chevy's SS event and they compared it to the 06 civic Si (which were similarly priced). Funny how they compared a Forced Induction car to a Naturally Aspirated car. Anyway, The cobalt, sure awesome power, but when it got beyond 70MPH, the car started to loose control. So much body roll it'll make a boat feel stable. The suspension and the handling department are a joke. What were they thinking when they released this car? That this car was only made to go straight? AWFUL! F-!!!!
Click to expand...

Man oh man. I have a 2005 Cobalt SS/SC. This car rides so fricken rough, I don't know where in the world you were seeing body roll around turns. The stock suspension is pretty darn good for stock. The suspension on my previous car, a 2003 Eclipse GT, was absolutely horrible. Now that car had some body roll issues.

For a supercharged coupe, which I picked up for $21k under the employee deal, has been an absolutely awesome car. I will be driving this car for a long time, unlike my $30k Eclipse which I kept for 3 years.

And BTW, with electronic steering, the ECU automatically compensates for speed. When you thought you were "loosing control", the ECU is merely adjusting for a person's tendancy to oversteer at higher speeds. Once the car is up to highway speed, the ECU looses out the steering.
 
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