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Comments
Nice.
Also good to see they are using side mounted struts on the trunk so you can get more in. Another very good report on this car!
gsemike : I don't even own a Chevy but I do want to see the Cobalt succeed. GM deserves a hit with the effort they have put in. Frankly it's sad that so many of my friends won't even consider a domestic brand anymore, hopefully Cobalt can help turn the tide.
The Cobalt isn't in that short of a supply around here.
PS- I really like the Cobalt. I have a 2004 Cavalier LS that I am totally satisfied with, and I know the Cobalt is even better.
I don't think I will now buy something so poorly built, or is this just a fluke?
I've seen some lower end GM products lately where the paint is not acceptable. Someone on my block has an Equinox in a redish color. It has the worst paint that I've seen on a new car in years.
If it's true that a Cobalt has been in the shop since December 22, if I were the owner of the car, I'd be researching the lemon law in my state. Most likely the car qualifies, having been out-of-service for more than 30 days in the first year.
At the least, the owner should have called Chevrolet and opened a file - sometimes that can expedite things (GM may not know what this dealer is doing). At least demand to speak with Executive Relations. If they do fix the car soon, you may get an extended warranty for free out of this.
Hope this helps,
--Robert
who is very familiar with this process, having purchased a lemon GTO from a dealer with a questionable service department, only to watch the whole situation spiral down (GM eventually replaced the car)...
I'm not the tallest guy (5'7") but when I have backseat passengers in my Altima, people comment on how much room they have in the back. When I drive my Mom's Impala or Dad's Century, the backseat passengers are cramped.
Being that the Altima is about the same length (maybe smaller) why can Nissan put a real backseat in and the General can't?
Also, the always put the backseat 2 inches off of the floor so that they can brag about headroom but you can't even sit with your legs flat on the seat.
Don't be an apologist for the General. They can do wrong.
I'm comparing the Altima to the Impala and Century. Both of those cars are at least the same saze as my Alt and have cramped back seats just like most GM cars. Even in their generally good review of the STS, C & D chided it for having a cramped backseat. That car is $62,000 and probably at least 3,7oo pounds.
Maybe all GM cars have crappy backseats, but I don't think that 3/4 of all cars have poor backseats.
If you want to talk midsize cars, I have sat in an Impala and I found the back seat to have lots of space. My parents have a LeSabre and it has a huge back space. My Intrigue also has very nice space in the back seat, our adult passengers are always comfortable.
Do you spend a lot of time in back seats? If you want big back seat you need to get a mid-size car. Compact cars just do not have big back seats. Laws of physics.
Sad really, I need to buy a car soon and I guess I'll have no choice but to go with an Elantra because I can't even test drive a Cobalt Coupe auto.
Sad really, I need to buy a car soon and I guess I'll have no choice but to go with an Elantra because I can't even test drive a Cobalt Coupe auto. " -end quote-
Hey, why not get a Mazda3, which is really cool to drive and has telescopic steering wheel, and good gas mileage.
And there is the Honda Civic HX 36/44 MPG gas mileage.
If you want a basic car, and can find one in a Honda Accord, those are actually around $17K, not sure it includes air, and it gets around 34MPG. Heck, if the Mazda dealer has '04 Mazda6 left in stock, those are starting at $15,999. And '05 Mazda3 for $14,999
By the time I add AC, ABS and Side Airbags to the auto Mazda3 we are talking over $17k. Mazda makes you take 16" alloy wheels if you want ABS. I can get a Loaded Elantra GLS 5-Door for $14k.
~alpha
With those features the Cobalt auto is ~$15k.
The Mazda3 doesn't even come with AC, which costs $850 extra.
I really hope the gov't forces manufacturers to make side-airbags standard. Hyundai is pretty much the only one who does this.
I also have the GM Family discount, so when all is said and done, the Cobalt will be pretty much the same price as the Elantra. I just won't have power-windows, which I'll get with the Elantra. For $14k I really don't care.
It comes down to overall driving experience, and I can't find an automatic Cobalt Coupe to test drive.
I had thought GM had learned how to make head gaskets that lasted more than 10,000 miles, especially when it costs more than $500 in parts and labor to replace one.
Good luck! My wife's enjoying her 2002 Mazda Protege5 with 42,000 trouble-free miles on the odometer.
I just noticed one of my local Chevy dealers got in a few automatic base Cobalt Coupes today. So off I go!:)
How was your test drive?
;-)
If I ever have the money to buy a summer fun sports car, it will be a standard though.
I have yet to see a coupe (outside the autoshow last year). My local dealer has 3-4 sedans though.
Maybe on the weekend.
Also, we're expecting snow, so I'm not going to test-drive in that. I'll wait for the roads to clear a little.
Of course none of the models shipped to dealers have ABS or side-airbags. Lame.
gsemike : I would love an old MG but I think the repair costs would kill me. I am hoping to get a used base Solstice in a few years. All I need is a stick, a CD player and the roof down for summer fun.
Other than that the Cobalt and Elantra come with everything I need. AC is the big one that's standard on both cars.
I'm trying to keep the price to $15k or under.
annalilly : Hopefully with this competitive car, GM can lure back some market share squandered over the years to the Japanese companies.
eric : I can see why ABS is optional on a car like this. GM had standard ABS on the Cavalier before but no one else did so they dropped it so they could sell cheaper.
I couldn't agree more. My wife's 2002 Protege5 may "only" have 42,000 trouble-free miles on it, but my car, a 2000 Protege ES has 88,500 miles on it right now. It also has had zero problems.
Show me a couple of Cavs or Cobalts that'll do that and I'll be surprised.
Meade
Wrt others (including SSR, Malibu Maxx, Escalade, Mercedes) the Cobalt came off very well. The interior seemed well finished for its price class, the seats pretty comfy, ride and handling decent, and noise levels reasonable.
By comparison, the Saturn ION felt cheap.
Also, your example of spinning your car and heading backwards is a little out there. Most braking situations where ABS is activated are not when a car is completely out of control (spinning), but when a driver is braking hard and ABS kicks in to gain control.
If you are driving in deep snow ABS can INCREASE your stopping distance. In this situation you can stop better if your wheels are locked up - the snow builds up in front of your tires and slows you down.
Today many cars have an additional braking system - what it does is - if you quickly slam on the brakes it assumes you want to stop the car as fast as possible - so even though you may only be pushing down on the brake hard enough to apply 75% of the maximum braking power - the car automatically applies the brakes at 100%.
If you combine both ABS and this new system - then you have the best combo -