Chevrolet Cobalt

micweb · June 2005

You said:

I wish you good luck with your Neons automatic being that Chrysler has had a lot of problems their automatics not lasting long.

Almost all reported Chrysler automatic transmission problems have been related to using non-spec tranny fluid. I got in a fight with a lube shop that wanted to sell my mom a transmission flush (at 15,000 miles!) using a Chevy spec fluid with an additive designed to convert it to Chrsyler spec. Needless to say Mopar fans are dubious of using an additive to completely rework the basic functioning of the fluid.

Unfortunately once the wrong fluid goes in, the lock up cycles on and off in millisecond bursts (because the friction coefficient of non-Mopar spec fluid is wrong) and the transmission can burn itself out in a few thousand miles. If you catch it soon, using the correct fluid will correct it.

Since the fluid is designed to last 100,000 miles, and the lube shop was trying to replace it, with the wrong one that would destroy the tranny, at only 15,000 miles, you can see why I was upset.

poncho167 · June 2005

That is pretty bad that a quick lube shop can't put the correct fluid in at a change. That's why there is Dexron for GM, Chrysler, Ford, etc. They all need specific ingredients.

npgmbr · June 2005

Even starting to see coupes now. I most recently saw a coupe in that sunburt orange. Very nice color for the coupe.

poncho167 · June 2005

I have seen the orange one as well, but the other day I saw a yellow one.

evhead · June 2005

Hey,
I've had my Cobalt for almost 3 months. The styling on this car is great and it gets decent mileage (22-23 intercity). I really wanted a Malibu, but the price and sporty style of this car won me over. BUT I got the power sunroof on mine and it rattles like crazy. It's in the shop now for 3 days and they even pulled in a GM tech to try and solve it. It turns out they went to 3 other brand new Cobalts on the lot with sunroofs and found the same problem. They don't have the kinks worked out of the track on the sunroof yet. They haven't recalled it, but think twice about a sunroof. I really do enjoy the car other than that.
Last note-some knucklehead rear ended the car last weekend, but the good news is the car held up great on impact. Minimal bumper damage.
Anyone else with sunroof issues?

micweb · June 2005

You said, regarding your brand new, 3 month old Cobalt:

Last note-some knucklehead rear ended the car last weekend, but the good news is the car held up great on impact. Minimal bumper damage.

I usually seem to pick up a windshield ding in my first month or so of ownership (why not the last month or so?) but your story trumps mine.

ron_m · June 2005

I'm starting to see quite a few Cobalt sedans on the road in our area now. They are most definitely eye catching little sedans--that's for sure.

I finally took the time to test drive one the other day. Overall, I think that GM did a really, really good job with this particular sedan. Obviously the initial build quality and downstream reliability are still to be determined, but I believe that I would take a chance on a Cobalt sedan after the test drive. Most things appear to be well thought out, with two exceptions being the cloth-covered armrests and the parking brake handle being positioned directly underneath the center armrest. That was poor design engineering there. One thing that really impressed me though, was the solid feel and sound you get when shutting the doors of the vehicle. Also, the cabin is very quiet for a compact sedan when traveling at highway speeds. The dust covers over the engine components are neat too. The oil filler cap and dipstick really stand out due to these covers being present under the hood. Acceleration was adequate and the transmission shifted very smoothly. XM radio sounded incredible with the upgraded Pioneer sound system.

Personally, I believe that the Cobalt sedan is going to be a true contender in its market segment. The car has a whole lot of positives going for it from what I could tell. If the build quality and downstream reliability proves to be there for the first two model years, then GM may have a winner with this one.

Ron M.

bigdaddycoats · June 2005

Coupe and sedan SS start at $18,790. Seems pretty competitive with the Mazda3s.

m1miata · June 2005

Well it is better than $21,500 anyway. I wouldn't pay that for either one though.
For something between $14k to $17K, would likely go with the Mazda3, and in
the $12k to $14K range, Cobalt seems like a fair deal, yet Mazda3 looks better,
and more expensive than does the Cobalt. I bet Mazda will win every road test,
with the exception of the SS, which with that turbo is simply going to have more
ponies under the hood. I don't care for turbo or supercharged versions of any car.
In the base form, Cobalt is the best contender. For $18,790, I could now buy a
Mazda6 or Altima, or a G6 and have spare change. Why would I buy an econo
car for that much money. Current ad, here locally, has the Mazda6 for $16,999.
Loren

johnclineii · June 2005

Mazda6 advertised at $16,999? Probably ONE, and already sold or equipped in such a way most buyers would not want it. Bait, I say. Pure bait. Get them on the lot and sell them something else....Mazda6's do NOT regularly sell for anything close to $16,999; at least not around here.

m1miata · June 2005

But they sell for $16,995 often here on the Left Coast. Mazda6 is a pretty fair deal. And they had the Mazda3 for $13,999, or something like that. A Tribute for $15,999 right now, and about three months ago, they had one, I sat in for $14,999. Maybe Chevy just needs to adjust the prices on downward. An Employee Price for All, pricing could become the standard pricing. Since the new HHR starts at $15K, and the Solstice at $20K before air conditioning, my guess is that more pricing changes are to come. The G6 may never be over $20K starting again, but more like $18.5K starting for the V6 and $17,500 for the inline4. I would expect to pay between $12K and $14K for the Cobalt. The larger, as in taller, HHR/Cobalt starts at $15K with air, and ABS, I think - not sure on that. Anyway, it does have more standard than the PT, which is interesting. They tend to really discount the PT though. I have seen them for $10,999, but no air. Who buys a car without air? I think they had one for say $12,500 with air, which is pretty low. The 2006 PT may have some serious competition with the Cobalt based HHR being longer, possibly safer, most standard equipment, and well lets say newer. The 2006 PT has a new front, and easier access to the engine bay. But will that hurt the looks? The PT has a certain charm. The Cobalt Coupe looks like pretty good competition to the Civic. No one knows what the basic Civic for 2006 will look like. There was an Si at shows, which looked kinda cool. One serious contender for those buying a Cobalt Coupe will be the New-New Beetle for 2006, which has the inline 5 engine with 150HP. It is suppose to start at under $17K. It has anti-roll, like ESP system of some sort, and traction control, ABS and a ton of stuff. They could lose the flower vase though :surprise:
Loren

ron_m · June 2005

Which GM plant are the Cobalts being made in?

johnclineii · June 2005

Lordstown.

szerfas · June 2005

Hi All,

I have seen others on here that have looked but just one more time in case GM is listening. Why don't the dealers stock and Cobalt's with manual trans? Saves $800 bucks for us, more fun to drive and I know many people that prefer to row the gears themselves especially in a 4cyl car. Many will not buy and auto. If GM don't honestly intend to sell them why do they ever advertise they make them? I am sure they would say no one buys them...of course they don't, there are none on the lots.

I was concerned there was no temp gage in the Cobalt but someone else here posted that it is part of the driver information center. A gage would have been nicer but I found it interesting since we have an 04 Malibu and it uses a temp gage instead of making it part of the driver info center.

Unfortunatly with this increased use of the stereo combined with driver info center the option for aftermarket stereo systems is disappearing. Just the way of the future but aftermarket is great for when the factory stereo dies like in my Grand Am.

Thanks for listening.
Stephen

poncho167 · June 2005

I too prefer manual transmissions. My last three vehicles have been manual (including my 1967 goat). The fact of the matter is most people don't know how, or don't want a to drive a stick shift. Figures show that only about 5% of cars in the U.S. come with stick shift now-a-days. In Europe it is above 70%.

I used to upgrade my vehicles stereo systems over the factories, but I have felt for at least 10-years now that the factory set-up, like the Cobalts Pioneer system, is more than enough and quite good. My Chevy truck has an Alpine system like all my past vehicles. I still have the brand new universal AM/FM cassette in the closet. You can likely find a replacement for your Grand Am at a bone yard, or online for under $25.

purduealum91 · June 2005

speed that is. I hate automatics. Hey guys/gals, have you seen the deals on the Saab 9-2X? $19,425 + tax for the base model Aero with 5 speed. 227hp, AWD, 2 yrs free maintenance, 4yr/50,000 mile warranty. Essentially its a redesinged Subaru WRX wagon. An unreal deal for a car of this caliber.

Just wanting to inform others that there are alternatives. Unlike the Cobalt, the Aero can be had with 5 speed.

lngtonge18 · June 2005

I saw a manual Cobalt sedan at my local dealer. It was a very basic base model with no options that I could see. But at least they had one available for test drives. I will say the shifter looks very cheap; the plastics were very low grade. It needs a leather shiftknob bad!

poncho167 · July 2005

The larger Chevy dealers usually have a few with manuals, at least in my area (Northern Illinois). The standard shifter does indeed look plain, but it is no big deal to me. The upgrade LS (coupe or sedan) with the optional sport package comes standard with the leather shifter as well as the SS model.

frustrated8 · July 2005

This has nothing to do w/your posting. I couldn't find anything that related to my problems and the host made my posting a read only so no one can reply. I just want to know if anyone is having the same problems I am. I posted the following.

have 3,500 miles on my Chevy Cobalt and will be taking it in to the shop for the fifth time on Tuesday. I have had a variety of problems. Mostly with the AC and the radio. But now that its the rainy season here in Florida, I have a major problem with water flooding my floorboard on the drivers side. It seems to be coming from under the door! Doesn't make any sense to me. My friends claim it is an evil car so I've named it Christine.

They have had to replace the radio and reprogram it. The AC has had a few problems. It was making my check engine light come. The radio keeps reading out "LOCKED" which the book says is due to the anti theft system which I don't have on my car. The gas gauge was not working properly. The car hesitates when I pull out on the road.

I am beginning to believe that it is evil!!! Anyone out there having similar problems? What has your dealship done for you? Mine just lies to me but thats another story! HELP!!
:lemon:

pat · July 2005

You are posting in the right place now. Here is where folks are talking about Cobalts, so if folks can help you with this, this is where you will find them. You don't have to "reply" to anyone, you can just add a new post, but what you did to get your message posted is fine. I hope we can help.

micweb · July 2005

See if there is a lemon law in your state. You situation is unusual - you may have gotten a lemon. My mom's 2004 Cavalier has been rock solid, and the Cobalt is much better made.

ron_m · July 2005

I really do not understand what the problem was with starting a forum that explicitly pertains to Cobalt-related issues--since many other vehicle forums on Edmunds have these.

At any rate, I can identify with what you're going through with your Cobalt. I purchased a new Chevy TrailBlazer LTZ back in June of 2001 as a 2002 model. That SUV turned out to be the biggest lemon that I had ever witnessed. A/C problems, stereo head unit getting dangerously hot on trips, transmission failure at 9,000 miles of operation, water flooding the driver's side floorboard during heavy rainstorms, noisy relays, noise from the instrument panel, squeaking suspension components, excessive wind noise at highway speeds, rear door weather stripping wouldn't stay attached, bad piston slap at startup, really loud roar from the fan clutch resulting in temporary horsepower loss, flimsy front bumper fascia, etc., etc.

Dealing with a problematic vehicle such as yours can be unbelievably frustrating. Especially if your dealer is either incompotent, dishonest, or both!

I wish you the best of luck in getting your problems resolved. And thanks for letting us know about your problems. Posts such as yours will help the rest of us decide on whether or not we should even remotely consider buying one of these vehicles.

Ron M.

pat · July 2005

Regarding your not understanding the reason a topic was closed, the issues the person wanted to discuss are being discussed here in this topic, so there was no need for the duplicate conversation. Additionally, it was created on the News & Views board, which is not where we talk about individual vehicle problems.

If you have other questions or comments about discussion management, please feel free to email me, or the host who closed the discussion that you are questioning.

Thanks!

ron_m · July 2005

Understood. Thanks for the clarification Pat--and keep up the good work!

Regards,

Ron M.

frustrated8 · July 2005

Did you Lemon Law it? How did you resolve the problems? In Florida, you have to have it in the shop three times for the same problem then contact the manufacturer and if the problem happens for a fourth time GM steps in and tries to fix it. Or it has to be in the shop for 15 days then you can start the process. I have already reported the problems to GM and they have been very good about staying in touch to find out what is going on.

My car now has some warning ligths flashing but nothing that is consistant. A huge variety of piddly things that I think will eventually drive me insane! Did GM take care of you? I asked the dealer where I purchased the car what I can do to get rid of it and he said the best thing that I could do is wait it out and Lemon Law it. Not very comforting.

I paid cash for my car so I only have the minimum insurance on it so every time I take it to the dealer they give me a "loaner" which cost me 10.00 a day for the additional insurance.

What did you do? Thank you for your feed back. Its very reassuring.

sleukem · July 2005

I was talking to my local Chevy dealer about purchasing a SS Cobalt. I expressed my concern about winter driving. They told me it wouldn't be a problem to put 17" snow tires on the factory 18" rims. I questioned this and they told me it would work.

Is this right??????? If they are full of it, can I get snow tires for this car??? Many thanks for any responses

tazereli · July 2005

To even suggest such a thing is plain stupid on their part. No way will 17" tires fit 18" rims. That dealer must have Forrest Gump for a service manager. I'd advise you to avoid this dealer in the future unless you have no other choice. You should be able to get 18" snow tires for your stock rims. Or maybe a tire/wheel combo in 17" size. Try www.tirerack.com for possibilites. Great site with good research. Or find a local tire shop to do the work.

Regards,
Kyle

sleukem · July 2005

Thanks Kyle!!!

I tried telling them it wouldn't work but they "assured" me it would!!! :mad:

I checked tirerack. Would you recommend the 17" or 16" rim and snow tire??? They have both combinations and I was wondering what would work better.

pat · July 2005

You might want to stop by and Ask Connor at the Tire Rack, which is a discussion featuring a Tire Rack rep on our Aftermarket & Accessories board.

poncho167 · July 2005

Bridgestone Blizzak are supposed to be the best. I saw on their website that they have 17 and 18" tires available for cars. I read in a tire test once that they have an expected life of about 10,000 miles, which for the average driver is about two seasons. Continental also has winter tires.

tazereli · July 2005

I wasn't telling anything that you already didn't know. I dont have much experience with GM FWD products in the snow other than my brother in law's '96 Sunfire. I dont recall him having many problems.

If I had my druthers, I'd seek out a 16" wheel combo. Narrower tires usually do better in the snow since they cut through rather than ride on top of the with a wider tire. Barring that, follow Pat's advice and post in the other forum that was mentioned. I have some experience after 4 years of installing/selling tires for Sears Auto back in my college days but haven't been up to speed much since 1998 when it comes to tires. Other than what I've ordered from the tire rack over the past 6 years. Good Luck!

Regards,
Kyle

ron_m · July 2005

frustrated8,

Actually, no, I did not attempt to enforce the Lemon Law. I probably should have though. The regional GM rep was a hard nut to crack regarding a buyback. About the best I could get out of him without hiring an attorney was a "free 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty". Which to me wasn't a satisfactory solution, because I would still have had to spend way too much time taking the vehicle to the dealership--leading to lost time from work, having to drive crappy rental cars, etc. The whole experience was a major drain! This particular SUV did meet my state's Lemon Law criteria, because I had to take it in three different times for a faulty rear pinion seal that lead to fluid leaking on my then new, concrete driveway. And I am the one that had to end up diagnosing the problem, because the dealership said that they "positively cannot spot any leaks". :mad:

Admittedly, part of the problems that I experienced were due to a lame dealership. I ended up taking it to a different dealership that was much more courteous in nature regarding the average employee's attitude towards customer service. However, their service techs' expertise wasn't really that much better than the first dealership's. If they corrected one issue, they would screw something else up in the process.

For me, the ultimate resolution was that I traded it in on another brand of vehicle. It has been three years now since I traded, and I have yet to experience a single problem with the replacement vehicle. In fact, nothing even remotely resembling a mechanical, electrical or trim/finish issue has occurred thus far. I'd better knock on wood, but so far, so good!

I'd start out by discussing your vehicle with the regional rep. Make sure you have formal, detailed documentation of all the problems that you have encountered thus far--dates included. Some states provide free Lemon Law legal representation. I'd pursue that through your home state and see what they can do for you there. I believe that you can also pursue a Lemon Law or buyback case through your attorney general's office. It's that way in my home state.

Once again, best of luck to you. Please let us know how you come out on this deal.

Regards,

Ron M.

sleukem · July 2005

The dealership I was negotiating the deal with refused to sell me the car!!! :mad:

I was all set to buy it when they told me I HAD to finance it through them or they couldn't sell me the car! I told them I already had financing. They said they would match the rate from my bank. I told them they would have to do better than that to make me give up my prearranged financing. They told me that they couldn't. They told me those were the terms and if I didn't like them I could buy the car somewhere else. I told them I would give my business to a dealership that wanted to sell cars!!!

I know they wanted to make money on the financing since they aren't making anything on the car due to the employee discount. But NO ONE tells me where I have to finance my money!!!! :mad:

micweb · July 2005

You said, in part:

I know they wanted to make money on the financing since they aren't making anything on the car due to the employee discount.

Not true - GM slipped another 5% discount to the dealer to make up for the below invoice pricing.

Sometimes the F&I (finance and insurance) people are a separate department from sales. I would take the issue back to the sales manager next time. The last time I bought a car they offered to give me 5 days to refinance through my own company. Sometimes they want you to fill out a credit information in case your financing falls through. That much is reasonable. I have heard of people having to fill out finance applications when they were paying cash (certified check) for the same reason, in case the check didn't clear!

sleukem · July 2005

Not true - GM slipped another 5% discount to the dealer to make up for the below invoice pricing.

I was not aware of this. Thank you for the information. I was going on what the sales manager told me. He told me the car was being sold at cost. The sales manager also told me that the dealership would not make anything on the car unless I financed through them. I had already filled out credit information the day before I went to buy the car but told them I was talking to my own bank. There was nothing said at that time about how I had to finance through them.

It wasn't until I actually went to the dealership to buy the car that they said I had to finance through them or buy the car elsewhere. :mad:

richards38 · July 2005

I'd go elsewhere--the dealer is a pig.

Unless there's a special financing rate that beats your bank, it's best to deal with the people at the bank where you're known and where your auto loan might qualify you for better or less costly banking services generally.

The Cobalt is so new that extra discounts at such an early stage show how hard it is to convince buyers that GM is making a competitive compact car now.

The Cavalier stayed around so long and became so awful relative to competitors that GM has to undo the damage it did........Richard

poncho167 · July 2005

What was so awful about the Cavalier? I have never owned one but have known many who have and they swear by them, not at them.

Other than it's long between styling changes, the cars drive train was mechanically sound.

sleukem · July 2005

I am not trying to put words in richards38's mouth but I don't think he is saying the Cavalier is mechanically unsound. I think what he is trying to say is that GM did not keep the Cavalier within the same caliber as the competition.

I can definitely attest to the Cavalier's mechanical soundness. I currently own a 2001 Cavalier with 123,000 miles. I bought it privately in 2001 with 4,000 miles on it. Outside of normal oil changes, I have put new tires, front brakes and replaced the thermostat. The car is still driving strong!

richards38 · July 2005

Sleukem:
You are correct and I didn't question the Cavalier's reliability at all. The last Cavalier I drove was a rented 2001 sedan that was less than a year old. It was decidedly inferior to the '91 Mazda Protege DX I owned at that time and didn't compare with a Toyota Corolla I'd rented back in '96, either.

The Cavalier felt old and loose--maybe it was a good car for the money if priced low enough.

I had a '85 Pontiac Sunbird when it was new, and it was similar to the Chevy Cavalier. I liked it except that when the air conditioning was turned on, it felt like it was heading straight uphill; that car was REALLY slow when using the A/C. It was adequately powered with the A/C off, but there was no passing power--just adequate acceleration.

The newer Cavlier seemed to be improved in that respect but it lacked the solid feel of its competitors. The Cobalt (it's the same car as the Opel Astra) is a much better car from everything I've read about it. I haven't yet driven one.............Richard

montecobaltfan · July 2005

im so upste that the cobalt didnt but more into it, i likw how exterior looks, and i like how it comes with the new accessories, however,

it still doesnt compete that much, I can think of one car in particular that is better than the cobalt, that is the Dodge SRT-4 why would someone pay an extra couple thousand for a car that doesnt beat out a car that is a couple thousand less
srt- HP kills, its Liters And when u hear a SRT-4 comming down the road, u knnow it, it is loud like a muscle car,, the cobalt is just a pretty little girl, i am very upset because i would rather have the cobalt but knowing that chevy had a chance to make it better than a Car that already existed b4 the cobalt is upsetting.

now i want to feats my eyes on the 2006 Monte, or hell, even the SS malibu looks tight with a atpup/tap down shifter the only upside to the Cobalt is Looks handling, but the truth is, how r gonna really tell a difference in handling when u spend most of ur car life in traffic, cutting people off, your not going to be spinning in circles and going through cones, uggggg
SS Malibu or SS monte cobalt ur hott but nothing there
JJ

montecobaltfan · July 2005

sorry for the spelling

pat · July 2005

Just so you know for another time, you have 30 minutes to edit your post after posting - during that time you'll see an Edit link either to the right of or just below the post's title.

Also, if you want to, you could use Check Spelling feature which is just to the right of the Post My Message box. (You don't have to, of course - perfect spelling is not required!!)

:shades:

montecobaltfan · July 2005

im so upset that the cobalt didn't but more into it, i like how exterior looks, and i like how it comes with the new accessories, however,

it still doesn't compete that much, I can think of one car in particular that is better than the cobalt, that is the Dodge SRT-4 why would someone pay an extra couple thousand for a car that doesn't beat out a car that is a couple thousand less
srt- HP kills, its Liters And when u hear a SRT-4 coming down the road, u know it, it is loud like a muscle car,, the cobalt is just a pretty little girl, i am very upset because i would rather have the cobalt but knowing that chevy had a chance to make it better than a Car that already existed b4 the cobalt is upsetting.

now i want to feats my eyes on the 2006 Monte, or hell, even the SS malibu looks tight with a tap up/tap down shifter the only upside to the Cobalt is Looks handling, but the truth is, how r gonna really tell a difference in handling when u spend most of ur car life in traffic, cutting people off, your not going to be spinning in circles and going through cones, uggggg
SS Malibu or SS monte

cobalt ur hott but nothing there
JJ

muffin_man · July 2005

How are you going to tell a half second difference in acceleration times when you're spending most of your car life in traffic? When will you have time to burn out your clutch for a few top speed runs?

montecobaltfan · July 2005

muffin man, you are right, there is really no point in buying these type of cars if u live in the washington dc area, new york, detroit, san fran, LA and wereever ele a big city lies.
if you are smart you just go buy a powerful automatic, like the monte carlo, or wait for the SS malibu, or impala.

also let me tel you all, there is no better company than chevy, u can match any car up with a chevy,, chevy has everything to high power to aveo. no company has put more out to satisfy.

i cant stand the european vehicles, like the biggest rip is the Audi's, well anyway, off topic, point is ifur a city or suburb of city, the cobalt SS isnt that good of an idea. and personaly, i dont understand why you wouldnt just go for the SS in a cobalt if you bought one.
also highway cars, i think the cobalt will have a tuff time on the highway, the best highway car is prob the monte and impala, i also have a 97 lumina LS and i am having trouble getting rid of that car for a cobalt i dont think it is better, i think the cobalt will loose its value like a hamburger on a grill

vanman1 · July 2005

While Cobalt will not hold value like a Civic, it will be better than the Cavalier and may turn out to surprise you given it's a very good car. Assuming there are no major issues with Cobalt, I can see the demand in the used market being quite good for this car.

poncho167 · July 2005

In the July MotorTrend magazine, according to Intellichoice, the Cobalt is projected to be one of the top cars in resale value when grooped with 5 other cars in this class. The # 1 in depreciation was the Audi A4 1.8T, followed by Toyota Corolla XRS, Mazda 3S, Focus ZX4 ST, Cobalt LS, and surprisingly the Kia Spectra SX. All cars except the Kia were at least $19,000, with the Audi closer to $20,000. The Cobalt was also beat the Corolla, though slightly, in mpg.

mdaffron · July 2005

My 2005 Mazda3S hatch was about $2,000 cheaper than that. And mine was a hatch -- the sedans are cheaper.

Meade

montecobaltfan · July 2005

there is no power to this car or any type of car of its kind.

why would people buy cars of this kind, i get that it is cool to suup them up and all, but it still is a small economic car. Hp does nothin with front whell drive right?

Hp benifits the back wheel, so when it says 205 Hp everyone gets up about it, when really that is drag Hp as opposed to being pushed from the back.. i just dont understand why they have to be front wheel drive, why cant american cars be different and put everything like it used to be, fast.

i have another issues with trucks, why are these forighn vehicle people making these fancy trucks, a true truck person would get a truck for it heavy dutiness or its speed such as srt 10 for dodge and extreme, whats with all this titan heated seats and gps crap,
but anyway, im not bashing the cobalt i am just a little angry it didnt have more, i really wanted one of these a couple months ago, but it didnt boom like i thought it would, i thought it would be front cover motor trend or consumer report,
they just say thank god for the optional side air bags or it would be crap at saftey test..
but would people in this chat seriously get a SS cobalt over A SS monte carlo, im just wondering,? thats the only pickle i am in

Im looking at rge SRT-4 the cobalt, or monte carlo ,

also one more thing, is there a big diff in stick and auto as far as acc and speed, im guessing stick is twice as good with these small car.
and if someone knows, whats the 0 to 60 for monte carlo SS

poncho167 · July 2005

As you have probably seen young people like small cars, unlike the heavy Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo is no doubt a sporty car with good ride, handling, comfort, and above average performance, but it is a large car. I too was looking at the Monte Carlo over a-year-ago, very nice. Though it gets 20 mpg city, and 30 mpg hwy, I want something that does a little better now. It's 0-60 is around 8 seconds from what I recall. The 2006 face lift is not enough in my opinion, though they upgraded the interior. 2007 supposedly will go back to rear-wheel-drive.

The Cobalt SS and Neon SRT battled it out in Motor Trend magazine a couple of months ago. Because of their size, weight, these cars are much quicker than the Monte Carlo, base Mustang, and others. Both had quarter mile times of 14.2 seconds, which is flying, with respectable 0-60 as well. The Cobalt edged the Neon overall.

Import/domestic sub-compact and compact cars are hot, especially out West. Honda has been the leader in this segment because of all the aftermarket parts available for bolt-on. It is not uncommon for people to spend $10,000-15,000 to soup-up their 4-cylinder engines. Why you ask? Because its their choice, and they think its cool. The Cobalts coming on strong with many companies starting to produce after market parts including GM, which has a special parts catalog for dress-up, and performance.

As far as the foreign trucks go that is also a choice that people make. Marketing/commercials is what creates interest in these vehicles. Most people don't buy pickup trucks to carry things, or pull loads. It is a way of expressing themselves, trendy. People want trucks with the comfort of cars, go figure..

As far as the Titan, you can have it. I personally only buy domestic, especially trucks. The Titan is having a hard time selling in the Midwest from where im from. I have only seen 5 on the road thus far since its release. I counted 5, and I am very observant. From what I hear, the Titan is not a very good truck and is falling apart or becoming a rattle trap very early into ownership.

Chevrolet Cobalt

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