Chevrolet Cobalt

uplanderguy · June 2008

Tom, I'd like to think that I am that kind of customer as well. I am particular about my cars, and I kid the Service Manager about what their computer has written after my name! I have a lot of confidence in my dealership's Service Department, and that is Montrose Chevy of Kent, OH. But I like them and think I treat them well and go there for all service needs, including oil changes. My Uplander has been more problematic than my other Chevys before, but they have treated me well there.

My Cobalt was only built in April '08, but since I've seen your posts I've checked for water leaks. None visible to me anywhere. I do have a wind 'rustle' or slight 'roar' at the driver's door at about 70 mph, but I'm taking it in a week from now for that.

I have the XFE model. My wife took it to Rochester, NY and back this weekend, and I set the mpg meter before she left and when I filled the tank for her. It read 35.9 average mpg when she got back. I hope it's pretty accurate. If it is, I am delighted.

I'm sold on the satellite radio, too..I'm sure I'll renew it when the three months are up!

I got ABS on mine, too, which resulted in quite a search to find one (located one five hours away). Rare option on an otherwise-strippo LS with 5-speed.

They are built only about thirty-five miles from here, and I like that too...frosting on the cake!

You mentioned you had a Vega GT Kammback built at Lordstown. I know that Vegas are the Rodney Dangerfield of small cars, but for styling, they sure beat a Pinto or Gremlin didn't they (not to mention '70's Japanese cars). When you got a GT with the Custom interior, you had a great-looking car with a luxurious, Camaro-like interior! I'd want a '75 red Kammback GT with white side striping and black Custom interior.

Bill P.

tsjay · June 2008

Bill:

Enjoyed reading your post.

I think my 72 Vega GT Kammback just might have been the prettiest car I have ever owned. This picture does not do it justice.

How did you get the build date on your car? Is there a tag on them somewhere that gives the actual date and not just the month?

Tom

uplanderguy · June 2008

That silver color with the black hood stripe still looks great by today's standards! I always thought the wagon was the best-looking Vega bodystyle. Having the GT package available on the wagon was a neat thing. I remember thinking how unusual that was when the Vega was first introduced and I saw a GT wagon in the brochure.

About my Cobalt's wind noise from the driver's door..I know it sounds unbelievable, but today for the first time, I moved the remote mirror control (manual-remote) on the driver's door around significantly to get it right where I wanted it after my wife drove the car on a trip all weekend. Amazingly, I heard no wind noise at all on my 96-mile commute this morning at speeds of up to 75mph. I think the wind noise may have been coming through the mirror or its remote!

Bill P.

uplanderguy · June 2008

I only know from the driver's door jamb sticker, that my car was built in April '08. When my dealer was searching for a 5-speed Cobalt LS sedan with ABS, they were able to determine that the car they dealer-traded for and that I bought, had only been in the original dealer's inventory eight days.

Bill P.

the_big_al · June 2008

Plastic is plastic? Yes, but like stated in other reviews there are tons of differnt types of plastic... I'll bet that the next time you get into your car take a good look at your dash and door panels. You will notice at least 2 kinds of plastic if not more. In my dash (I drive an '01 S-10 - and why am I in a Cobaly forum? - Because I am researching to help my sister decide on a Cobalt - Won't be hard considering she drive an '02 Cavalier that is ready to fall apart.) Anyway on the dash itself, there is the vinyl dash cap that is soft to the touch and that feels fairly sturdy as it has a fairly sturdy backing. This goes clear across the top of the dash and wraps down on the passenger side where the air bag is. Then under that where the glove box is located is the harder, hollow sounding stuff which I hate. It looks like Fisher Price manufactured it. The same stuff is also used to form the instrument cluster bezel. This is the piece that is most commonly taken and painted by customizors wanting to add a splash of color to their interiors. More often than not, it only make the inside look slighty less than silly. So there are two types. Than there is the clear lexan (but I doubt it's Lexan) that makes up the instrument window through which you view your gauges. Also the same hard plastic that makes up the Dash Bezel is also used on the door panels. If you have the LS models as I have there is also a vinyl that is "leather" like at the top. Cloth is also used, but if you have just the base, than hard molded plastic is the only thing making up the door panel. It is also just one piece and looks like it stepped off a Fisher Price plant. The A pillar caps also are made out of the same hard stuff that have snaps on the back of them and snap into the pillar using metal clips where if removed even just once say to run a speaker wire or XM radio antenna, you'll be lucky to get them to secure as snugly as before and be prone to constant rattling there after. This same plastic is also used on the door sills. The center consol is also made out plastic, but whether it is the same stuff as the Pillar and Dash Bezel I do not know. I do know that the center consol storage cover is made out the same soft vinyl that covers the Dash cap which make for easy cleaning, but also offers a comfortable place to rest an arm. It will also not wear thin like a cloth cover will and will stay cleaner than a cloth cover will. The steering wheel itself, if not leather covered will be covered by a type of vinyl or plastic. The air bag cover is made out of plastic most likely a kind designed or cut along the back to break and tear to let the air bag out upon deployment.

So to make my point - there is plastic everywhere you turn in your vehicle and not all of it is the same. Unfortuneatly GM in the past has chosen to use the hard stuff that looks cheap, although in the long run could be fairly durable. The interior of my '01 S-10 is almost 5 years old, has nearly 100K on it of good use and when I give it a good cleaning, looks as good as it did when I bought it new. It is no worse for wear.

The imports have long been praised for their "high" quality interiors and I have noticed it is because of the generous use of "higher" quality plastics. I was in a Honda Accord the other day and noticed it used a softer more supple material for the dash and door panels as compared to my Impala which was the same year and comparably equipped which had the hard plastic dash and door panels. It also had hard plastic covering the A and B pillars wheras the Honda had cloth covering the A and B pillars, thereby looking much better and had the whole car had a much higher quality feel to it.

GM has gotten much better at making the interiors of their cars much more livable in terms of quality and so in a sense plastic is not plastic?? It can be used to make a car's interior look high class or it can be used to make a car's interior look like it was designed and built by Fisher Price. It all depends on how it is formed and manufactured...

the_big_al · June 2008

You know - here is an interesting thought... I test drove a Cobalt the other day - both an SS Supercharged and an SS 2.4L. Both were very good cars and head and tails above the Cavalier. The reason I was there is my sister is actually looking at the Cobalt and I went with her to look. She currently has a Cavalier and even though it is only 4 years old and has yet to break the 70K barrier it sounds like it is ready to fall apart. Everything rattles, the motor sounds like it is going to throw a rod and everything is feels loose or not secured from the door panels to the seat backs. So when we got into a Cobalt, of course we were blown away by how much better it was. Then the salesman made an interesting comment. He said that most of the buyers he had were Cavalier owners and were finding out the same thing that my sister and I did. That indeed the Cobalt was indeed not just a Cavalier make-over.

But I wonder, even though the Cobalt is this good, is it because I am used to a Cavalier which is so bad?? Or is it really that good?? And is it better than the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla? It's good enough for those of us who have been laden with the sub-par Cavalier since we didn't know what we were missing, but is it good enough to woo current Civic and Corolla owners when it time to replace thier cars? The Corolla doesn't even come in coupe form, but even still does the Cobalt Coupe have enough to woo even those Toyota Corolla owners looking for a Coupe? Or will the Corolla owner head over to Scion and the Civic owner upgrade to the new Civic because the GM still can't hold a candle to Japanese imports? The Cavalier was a horrid car. The Civics and Corollas it went up against were far above it in every catagory. But now that we have a whole new field of new cars (except the Corolla, but it is still a fresh car with the current design only a couple years old), can the Cobalt measure up.... what do you think?

the_big_al · June 2008

That 03 depending on when it was manufactured might still be under 3/36 warranty?? 03-06 is 3 years, so depending on when it rolled off the assembly line would make or break the warranty. Or even if it is only a couple months out it only has 15K miles and maybe you can work a deal --- see if the dealer will cut a break. As bad a rap as the dealers get, you might be able to get them to work with you?

the_big_al · June 2008

not sure about the stain preventativness of the seats, but the Cobalt I rented a couple weeks back had only 11K on the odo and was only a few months old (it was actually badged as an '07). Every single seat had stains on it. The front passenger looked the worst like a drink of some kind had been spilled. I don't know what the drink was (it could have been just water but who knows with rentals).

Of course the experience could have been that it was a rental and so subject to much more abuse than a life as a regualr vehicle.

grosloup · July 2008

I've always owned S.U.V.'s or Vans in the past and next year I'm planning on trading my 05 Equinox for a Cobalt. But if I buy a Cobalt I'll be missing the storage space that I'm used to have. So, I was thinking of buying a utility trailer if I need to haul things like furniture, building materials, boxes or bringing things to the cottage. I see lots of Cobalt everyday on the roads and highways but never saw one towing a utility trailer.
Is a Cobalt able to tow a trailer?

poncho167 · July 2008

Yes, I believe its 1,000 lbs but it could be slightly more.

grosloup · July 2008

I found this in the G.M.'s Cobalt's brochure...

TOWING

2.2L ECOTEC I-4 454 kg (1000 lb.) maximum gross trailer weight*
2.4L ECOTEC I-4 454 kg (1000 lb.) maximum gross trailer weight*

*When properly equipped. Includes weight of trailer, cargo, passengers and equipment.

Now I'm a bit confused, all the utility trailers that I looked at are all over 1,250 lb. The lightness one that would be handy for me was a 1,250 lb 4 X 6½ foot trailer.

So I presume that the Cobalt can't pull a utility trailer at all or there's something I don't understand here.

poncho167 · July 2008

Even the smallest utility trailer is a few hundred pounds. I would call your dealers service department and talk with them.

tsjay · July 2008

I sent Chevrolet Customer Service an Email asking for the build date on my Cobalt. It took them several days, probably about two weeks, but they finally called me and told me the car was built on 11/12/07. I checked the calendar, and that was a Monday.

Is it just a myth, or are there statistics to back up the assertion that cars built on Mondays have more workmanship related quality problems than those made on other days of the week?

Tom

okko1 · July 2008

i heard it was friday

grosloup · July 2008

There's a song that Johnny Cash sang many years ago and if I can recall the tittle is "One piece at a time" and in that song he says that the best cars are made on a wednesday because it's in the middle of the week.
But it only song lyrics.
Check on the net for the lyrics, kind of a funny song.

grosloup · July 2008

Sorry tsjay. The song I was talking about is "A wednersday car" and not "One piece at a time".

Here are the lyrics... have fun.

Lyrics A Wednesday Car

The assembly line is runnin' slow on Monday
They've been livin' it up and layin' up Saturday and Sunday
On Tuesday they're about to come around
But they still feel bad and they're kinda down
And mad cause they've got four more day before the weekend rolls around

On Wednesday they're feelin' fine again
And they're workin' like a dog and diggin' in
Tryin' to do everything they should puttin' 'em cars together good
And I got me a car that was made on Wednesday on Wednesday
If you're gonna boy yourself a new car
You just better hope you're lucky enough to get one made on Wednesday

On Thursday the weekend is in sight
And they're in a hurry and they don't do nothing right
Friday is the worst day of the week that's the day they make lemons dogs and freaks
If your car was made on Friday friend you'll soon be in the creek

Cause it's payday and the loafin' has begun
Lord them Friday cars just hope you don't get one
Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Are all bad days and the only try day is Wednesday
And my car was made on Wednesday on Wednesday
If your car wasn't made on Wednesday I'd advise you not to even leave home any

Kirstie_H · July 2008

A reporter from a large newspaper is looking to speak to consumers who traded-in a larger vehicle for a small compact car to save money on gas, but spent money on options to get something more comfortable and appealing. If youre interested in speaking to the reporter, please contact Chintan Talati at ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information no later than July 9, 2008.

Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Edmunds.com
Corporate Communications

poncho167 · July 2008

That was decades ago rumors with some facts to back it up such as drinking on the job and coming in hung over. With the way things are run today with quality control that doesn't come into play.

horsey55 · July 2008

My '08 Cobalt is a Monday car. I found it to have Zero defects, everything works and it is tight as a drum with no squeaks or rattles. This is my first small car in many years, and I am very happy with it. Fun to drive and a great value.

grosloup · July 2008

This post is not about the Cobalt. But since it's an automotive forum I've got a little question. I'm thinking of joining the A.A.A. (triple A).
Is it good or I'll just be trowing my money out the window?

cmhj2000 · July 2008

We've been AAA members for about 15 years. FWIW and IMO we're not "throwing" our money out the window.

Recent case in point.

One night my nephew was screwing around and locked my Jeep doors while the engine was running. No spare keys handy! Called AAA, they had a tow truck on the scene within 30 min. Got the doors open and off I went.

That one service more than paid for the cost of our annual fee.

I've also found in my work that most of my customers with AAA generally tend to get better and faster service than if they called some random name in the phone book.

Now, with our new vehicles I have an arguement with the wife on this. Since we have road side service as part of the warranty protection I've wanted to drop AAA but she won't due to past experiences.

grosloup · July 2008

WOW! GREAT!
Thanks for the reply. That's why I was wondering if I should join AAA because my vehicule just got off the G.M. roadside assistance plan and I want to still have some kind of protection. Thanks again.

tsjay · July 2008

My insurance (State Farm) offers towing coverage for next to nothing, maybe a couple dollars per six month premium. I suppose most insurance companies have similar deals.

Also, my insurance covers locksmith charges, and I don't believe I have to pay anything extra for that feature.

Tom

dispencer2 · July 2008

Does anyone know the differences between the 2008 and 2009 Cobalt LT. They seem to be identical but there must be some difference in features, options, etc.

grosloup · July 2008

Found this... might help a bit. Looking for more.

New for 2009
The Chevrolet Cobalt gets variable valve timing on its 2.2-liter engine in an effort to improve mileage. GM's OnStar communication system becomes standard on all models, and the high-performance SS model is available as a sedan.

Exterior
All Cobalt body styles feature a horizontally split grille with a gold bowtie badge. Built on a 103.3-inch wheelbase, the Cobalt measures a bit more than 180 inches long overall, making it longer than any of its competitors. At 67.9 inches wide, it's narrower than the Civic and Corolla but wider than the Focus by more than an inch. At 57.1 inches, the Cobalt is about half an inch taller than the Civic but still shorter than the Focus and Corolla.
New wheel options in 15-, 16-, 17- and 18-inch sizes depending on model
High-performance SS model available in coupe or sedan
Sport model dropped
Available Sport appearance package with spoiler, body molding, 17-inch wheels and other items
Different rear-end designs for sedans and coupes
Interior
With front bucket seats and a 60/40-split folding rear seat, all Cobalts seat five occupants, and the trunk can be accessed from inside the car. On models with an automatic transmission, an optional remote start system allows drivers to start the engine with a key fob. Seats with heated, leather surfaces are optional on LT models, and SS models have unique interior trim bits. Bluetooth connectivity is available. Standard equipment includes:
CD player with auxiliary input jack
Air conditioning
XM Satellite Radio on all models
Driver information center
Under the Hood
LS and LT models use a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with new variable valve timing. GM says the engine will be more powerful and fuel-efficient, but it has not been tested for fuel economy. The SS model uses a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which uses direct injection. The LS and LT are available with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission, whereas the SS is only available with the manual.
155-horsepower, Ecotec 2.2-liter (150 pounds-feet of torque)
260-hp, turbo 2.0-liter (260 pounds-feet of torque)
New final drive axle ratio improves fuel economy
Four-wheel disc brakes on SS models
Standard electronic stability control on SS models
Safety
Antilock brakes are standard on 2LT and SS models and optional on LS models. Cobalts with the automatic gearbox and antilock brakes also have traction control.
Free one-year subscription to OnStar, which alerts authorities in the event of a collision and provides crash data
Side curtain airbags are standard on all models, but side-impact airbags for the front seats are not available

micweb · July 2008

Very helpful post. Thanks. This is awesome:

155-horsepower, Ecotec 2.2-liter (150 pounds-feet of torque)

That's SVT/performance car territory.

dispencer2 · July 2008

Motor Trend has a list of 2009 cars with descriptions and makes the comment that the next Cobalt will be far better. What are they talking about? Is there supposed to be a completely new and different Cobalt in 2010?

dispencer2 · July 2008

Thanks for all the information. I'll order one in January unless I hear that the 2010 will be completely different. If so I'll wait and get an old Cavalier in the meantime. Won't lose anything on it in a year with the increase in gas prices.

grosloup · July 2008

My wife has a 2005 Cobalt (new). Now I wonder when would be the best time for her to trade it in so it would be to her advantage? Some say for the first 3 years you shouldn't trade a car, you loose to much. Is it better at 3 yrs, 4... 5 or more?

tsjay · July 2008

The best time to trade it would be in about 10 to 12 years.

Hey, I'm a reformed "car trading junkie." I would LOVE to have the money in the bank right now that I have spent on trading cars over the last 35 years! I used to trade cars more often than most people change underwear. Car dealerships have named cubicles after me, and car salesmen have named children after me. There have been injuries as all the salesmen at the dealerships have tried to get out the door at the same time to greet me when I pulled up on the lot.

OK, there might be a LITTLE exaggeration there, but I really did make many, many unnecessary trades over the years. I was an "informed" buyer and got really good deals, but when you get right down to it, there is "no such thing as a good deal on something that you don't need."

If you consider the depreciation costs, trading every two or three years just does NOT make sense.

Cars are so dependable these days that you can easily get 200,000 miles out of them without spending a lot for repairs. Just keep the oil changed at reasonable intervals, and these modern cars will hang with you for many years.

Hey, Grosloup, it's all about what it's worth to you. If you are aware of the costs involved and still want a new car, then good luck in finding just the right car at a great price.

Tom

tsjay · July 2008

Our little Cobalts sure seem to be popular around here in western Kentucky. I see them everywhere I go.

Tom

tsjay · August 2008

I had less enthusiasm for my little Cobalt than for any other new car that I have ever bought. This was strictly a "practical" matter of trading-in a truck with almost 220,000 miles on it for a car that would be dependable and get great gas mileage.

When I trade cars, I am usually in a frenzy, just dying to own whatever it is that I am trading for. Trading cars has always been a "passionate" thing with me, a decision made in the heart, not in the head.

I have really warmed up to the Cobalt, and even though it is practical, it is still fun to drive. I am impressed with its looks, its quality, its ride, its handling, and its power.

It's a keeper.

Tom

aladdinsane · August 2008

tsjay:

I'm glad you dig your Cobalt. I'm considering purchasing a 2009 version of this machine. I'm not looking to impress anyone with this vehicle, and I'm sure some peeps out there will assume that I'm a loser for purchasing such an automobile, but I don't care. They say that you are the car you drive, as you are what you eat...blahblahblah...I don't play that game. I could go and purchase a preowned Bimmer 3 series, or anything in that groove (if you know what I mean), but I repeat: I'm not looking to impress anyone...living in NYC and driving an impressive vehicle is just asking for trouble, in a way. I'd rather play it safe and not have to worry if I'll find my Cobalt, safe and sound, from being ripped off. I know there are better machines from which to choose from, but I do want a simple machine with all the toys (so to speak) to run from A to B and back. Follow? Anyway, it's nice to read of someone who purchased a Cobalt and enjoys it instead of the many who put it down for being "junk"...I've read some posts here and elsewhere that put this machine down. Wotta shame! It's no BMW, for sure, but it's easy to buy and get fixed if need be with dealers from coast to coast. Not venting, mate...just sharing some observations...speaking for myself.

Good luck with your Cobalt!

Peace!<=AladdinSane-<- :shades: -

tsjay · August 2008

Aladdinsane

I don't see how you could beat a Cobalt for the money. Mine stickered at $15,530, and GM had a $2000 rebate going at the time I bought it. What could I have possibly purchased for $13,530 that would come close to that Cobalt in terms of the whole package: room, comfort, ride, handling, acceleration, looks, fuel economy?

I can see myself putting a couple hundred thousand miles on that puppy.

Tom

aladdinsane · August 2008

I'm glad for you, Tom!

Which model did you get? Color? Sedan or coupe?

Forgive all my questions, but I'm interested.

Hope to hear from you soon, when you can!

Peace!<=AladdinSane-<- :shades: -

tsjay · August 2008

I just got a stripped down LS. It doesn't even have power locks, power windows, or cruise control. It does have an auto tranny.

Tom

uplanderguy · August 2008

uplanderguy · August 2008

Just looked at an '09 Cobalt at the dealer. Spare tire and wheel are a $75 option! And we're not talking a full-size spare here, either! Sheesh!

bporter1 · August 2008

I just thought that I would update everyone on my experiences with my 2007 Cobalt LTZ. My car has 20400 miles. The gas mileage has been pretty good, but the power of this engine still impresses me. I had a few minor issues taken care of by the dealer such as loose trim in the back, and some weatherstripping that had folded over causing some wind noise. The windnoise is still prominent, but the weathersrtipping is not the issue. My front brake rotors are warped, and the dealer will resurface them under warranty. Other than those minor problems the car has been great. I would recommend it to anyone shopping for a small car. The XM radio is great on both short and long trips.

imidazol97 · August 2008

> My front brake rotors are warped, and the dealer will resurface them under warranty.

If they are warped they need to be replaced. Push for replacement no matter if teh dealer says GM won't pay. I had warped rotor on the rear of a leSabre and they turned them. But within 10K that was back. Once warped, always warped.

grosloup · August 2008

I own a 2005 Equinox. At 4,500 milles my rotors had to be resurface (warped) causing of a vibration when I applied the brakes. At 13,200 milles the same thing happened (always under warranty) the third time at 21,750 milles the dealer said that they could not resurface the rotors anymore because of the thickness and had to change the rotors and that it would not pass on warranty because it's part of the brake system and they called it "normal usage". I called G.M. 1-800 # , they contacted the service manager at the dealer and the rotors where changed under warranty. G.M. was very comprehensive in my case and told me that it wasn't normal to have the rotors resurface twice and then at 21,750 milles to change them and that I had still 75% good on my brake pads. My Equinox wasn't even 3 yrs old.
G.M. called it "premature use". Don't let your dealer get you. If you need advice call G.M.'s 1-800 #.

tsjay · August 2008

Too bad about your wind noise. I hope they can correct it. That's one of the things that I appreciate about my Cobalt: it has a very quiet ride for an ecomomy car.

I am more amazed all the time by the styling, quality, performance, and economy of a car that only stickered for $15,530 and had a $2000 rebate on it!

Tom

tcalof · August 2008

New '08 Cobalt LT, lease ended on an '05 Equinox, couldn't be happier with the Cobalt. I noticed that the engine runs quite hot in stop and go driving with the A/C off, typically starting at around 87C and then drifting upwards to 98C - 102C. That seemed too hot to me, so I removed that hideous plastic intake plenum cover. I like the look of top of the cam cover with the coil-on-plug ignition as well as the fact that removing the cover lowered my city engine temps by about 5C - 7C, which is not insignificant. I don't hear any louder operating noises in the cabin, so was wondering if there is anything detrimental about removing the cover for the summer. I plan to reinstall it for the winter, as we get -25C to -35C winter temps over several months in Manitoba.

tsjay · August 2008

"Just looked at an '09 Cobalt at the dealer. Spare tire and wheel are a $75 option! And we're not talking a full-size spare here, either! Sheesh!"

But, Uplanderguy, for only another $50 you can get the jack, too! What a deal!

Just kidding about the jack, but that really sucks that you have to pay extra for a spare tire, especially when it is not a full size spare.

Tom

tsjay · August 2008

I'm sure this comes up in the discussion for just about every make of car and truck, but what do you fellow Cobalt owners do for oil change interval?

I now have 3000 miles on my Cobalt, and the DIC says that I have only expended 25% of my oil life. This would mean that I could go to 12,000 miles before changing the oil. No way I would wait that long. What do you guys do???

I plan on going with Mobil 1 when I do change the oil, and I guess I would be willing to go 10,000 between changes, but no more than that.

I would like to hear from others in here on this subject.

Tom

grosloup · August 2008

I change my oil, filter and lube between 5,000 or 6,000 milles. I drive a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox and like the Cobalt I have a "Oil Life Monitor" but I never wait for it to make my oil changes. If I'd go by the book, it's suppose to be every 12,000 milles or once a year. I don't care what they say in the book.... The oil is dumped every 5,000 milles.

grosloup · August 2008

I also own a '05 Equinox LT and plan on bying a 2009 Cobalt LT next year. Here in Quebec we get bad winter storms and pretty cold weather too. My only consern is the "less storage space" and "winter driving" (snow, sleet and ice). How will it handle?
I've always had S.U.V.'s or Vans, ex... (Blazer, Venture, Safari, Equinox) but with the price of gas these days and the kids gone, I might as well buy something smaller and more economical. But I'm still not certain that I'm making a good move.

micweb · August 2008

Manufacturers are shifting over to inflation kits in lieu of spare tires for several reasons:

1. Most people don't know how to change a wheel or are afraid to do it. So inflation kits are better for most people than a spare tire.

2. Most punctures can be fixed by the sealant (I carry a can I bought at a parts store).

3. The manufacturer's kit includes a battery operated air pump to get you back to operating pressure.

4. The kit weighs less than a spare tire, even a compact one, and therefore saves gas.

5. Too many people don't take the warning about only using a compact spare tire to get to a tire repair shop seriously. You've seen them driving on those tiny spare tires. They put us all at danger. The traction is too different on that one axle. As a result, you have impaired handling.

6. The compact spares are limited to 50 miles an hour, but people drive much faster on them.

7. Tires chemically degrade over time without regard to use. So old (more than 5 years old) compact spares are a hazard.

8. No one checks air pressure in compact tires.

In short, compact tires take up space and are a hazard when new and worse when old. MINI and BMW have been including inflators in lieu of spare tires.

Honda's Fit is going to have more storage space due to use of an inflation kit.

In modern America tires stores are everywhere and tires are cheap. Conversely flats are rare, and many can be repaired by plugs or patches and plugs. Compact tires are about as useful as a hand crank on an electric start car.

johnwny · August 2008

So the inflation kits are the same as a can of fix-o-flat and a air pump? :confuse:

micweb · August 2008

So far as I know, yes. So those cans we sneered at all those years now have OEM blessings....

I'm more tempted to get that "string repair" kit since all my flats have been from screws and nails leading to slow leaks. Once that sealant is sprayed in, the wheel is an awful mess.

Chevrolet Cobalt

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