Comments on: Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged Review

By: Time to vote « Greg Prince’s Blog

Time to vote « Greg Prince’s Blog — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:14:20 +0000

[...] Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X (GMT-360)* ** Chevy Aveo* ** Chevy Cobalt/Pontiac G5 Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon Chrysler Aspen / Dodge Durango* ** Chrysler Sebring / Dodge [...]

By: rudiger

rudiger — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:14:39 +0000

Just another iteration of what Detroit calls a ‘kid-car’. They’ve been making them ever since the original (and best), the 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, was an unmitigated hit.

By: niky

niky — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:38:59 +0000

posted by Humourless

The upgraded Neon SRT-4 came with smaller diameter wheels (16″ versus 17″), a nod to the fact that on sport compacts bigger is rarely better past a certain point.

Not to mention the fact that you can get better 0-60 times with taller tires… :D

RE: MP3… when this car finally rots away into rust, I’m going to have this steering wheel mounted to my wall and framed. It’s ruined just about everything else for me.

posted by carlisimo

FWD cars with decent or good steering feel:

Integra
RSX
‘06+ Civic
Prelude
Celica (not all though)
Paseo & manual steering Tercels
Protege
Mazda3
Mazda6
Sentra SE-R (’91-’94)
Focus
Rabbit/GTI (the really old ones)
Mini Cooper (old and new)
Clio (previous generation)
207
and I’m sure there are more

The Focus, yes, even more so with the new one. The Protege yes, the Sentra SE-R… maybe it’s just wishful thinking… I’d like to say yes, but in recent drives, mhmmmm…. The Mazda3 has decent steering response, but it doesn’t have much in terms of steering feel compared to the Mazda6.

Strangely… I think the Accord has pretty good steering feedback… that rack feels like it’s rolling in massage oil. :)

And… no… I can’t say that there’s any steering “feel” with the new Civics or Fits… really artificially floaty. They’re okay for electrics, though.

By: Terry Parkhurst

Terry Parkhurst — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:37:15 +0000

Name one frontw-wheel drive car with proper feedback? I say “Audi.” But of course, it required substantially reworking how the front wheel’s suspension worked and, just as importantly, the cost of an Audi A4 is a good ten grand more (or so) than the Cobalt SS.

Still the General really needs something like this car, so I hope the first person’s post about a “top secret Aveo SS” is accurate. After driving a Cobalt SS in 2005, I told a few of the people who’d be in the target demographic about it and almost always got the response back of “What’s a Cobalt?” And when I offered my explanation that it was GM’s competitor to the Honda Civic, was usually just met with a laugh of incredulity.

By: Jonathon

Jonathon — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:37:42 +0000

jurisb: You know that GM has owned Opel since 1929, right?

By: jurisb

jurisb — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:10:26 +0000

wake up ! you comment on GM here as if gm did the engineering sweat here. the job was done in germany by german engineers in german company called opel. there comes the ecotec engine, there comes the tranny, opel astra platform,etc. even the radio has nothing to do with gm. the only thing is gm steering wheel ripped off the trucks and licked up coupe design on the old body. this car is based on prev gen astra body. Why instead of pretending having engineering muscles , not really pump those engineering muscles yourself by ACTUALLY BUILDING a GM PRODUCT within the company.why should gm deserve a credit for a good steering or engine if no single gm enginner had anything to do with it? stop stealing hardware, if you are born to be softies. gm ,admit- we are not worthy, we are not worthy, we can only , rename and use global parts bin.

By: carlisimo

carlisimo — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 06:43:55 +0000

FWD cars with decent or good steering feel:

By: theflyersfan

theflyersfan — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:10:16 +0000

Well…good-bye to what could have been the soulmate of the cheap (in more than one way) but fire-breathing Dodge SRT-4. Haven’t we loved our cheap speed? When I really started following cars in the late-80s, we all drooled over other cheap-speed mobiles like the Laser/Eclipse/Talon turbo models, turbo Probes, and even the light but quick and understated Sentra SE-R.
I agree with others on this site – this car is so close! Dodge left the SRT-4 very unrefined and there is zero to no chance the replacement can ever carry the brand again. I know we all scream the same thing – GM…do something about the interiors (you know, the place where we spend all of our driving time!) I wonder if even 500 bucks spent in the right places can get us a Cobalt with a few extra bits of soft-touch plastics, less shine, and better materials in the dash and seats.
I know the interiors of all cars seems to have declined over the years. I remember sitting in family member’s early-1990’s Nissan Maximas which were loaded with decent materials, comfortable seats, and no rattles. It was amazing when the cars were sold over the years that the interiors still looked and felt new. Now, even BMW and Mercedes are overloaded with rattles and hard, high-shine plastics. I do commend GM for the interiors of some of their newer cars for looking more modern, but the feel of the materials is lacking.
So…what’s next for cheap speed? Nissan seems hell-bent on never making a decent SE-R again. The Probe-twins are long gone. The Eclipse has turned into a bloated boat and whoever approved the Orange Push-Up interior should be canned ASAP. SRT-4 = gone. Mustang GT? Maybe but crude and without cash on the hood, it can get expensive. Mazdaspeed3? Oh yeah – no kidding with this one – this is probably the torchbearer now. Mazda? Don’t give up with this one!
Huge request. Can we let “bling” die a quick and sudden death? Thank you.

By: Sanman111

Sanman111 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:06:07 +0000

Well, that all depends on what your definition of kicking ass on a budget is. I don’t think anyone is arguing that it isn’t a fast car, the question is whether it is worth the money. It also depends on the track. The point being that all such a test proves is that a professional driver is slightly faster on a specific track. Thats great, but:

1. If the car doesn’t feel as solid and easy to drive, a non-pro driver (read: me and you) aren’t going to push it as far. Thus, in reality, the car you feel comfortable pushing 9/10ths will be faster that the 7/10ths car

2. I wouldn’t track my new car (that often) anyway. I’d rather have the nicer daily driver and environment for rush hour than a car that is a few tenths quicker.

3. And this isn’t a knock solely on the Chevy, but many of the new cars in the segment. Having a blown or turbo’d engine leads to too much torque steer and expensive bills in the long run.

This isn’t to say that the chevy isn’t a good car. You may not car about anything other than having the fastest stoplight car for the money. If so, go for it. I,personally,want a quick car that let’s enjoy the back roads I prefer taking to work. So, I’ll take the civic or the se-r spec v. If I want to win at the stoplights, I’ll buy an old cavalier or civic for $500 and slap a blower on it or boost it till it blows up. At least then I won’t care if it does.

By: labrat

labrat — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:02:29 +0000

Now that the Cobalt has taken the typical GM scourging, I figured I’d throw this out there-

In the November ‘06 and August ‘07 issues of C/D, the editors took a number of cars out to Virginia International Raceway to record the fastest lap times over a 4.2 mile road course. The Cobalt SS didn’t do all that badly. Results for the LL1 class (under $30,000 base):

Nissan 350Z Track 3:12.5
Mitsubishi EVO MR 3:13.5
Pontiac Solstice GXP 3:15.7
Mazdaspeed 3 3:16.0
Mazda RX-8 3:19.0
Cobalt SS-S 3:20.6
Mustang GT 3:20.9
Mini Cooper S 3:22.9
VW GTI 3:25.1
Honda Civic Si 3:26.5
Mazda MX-5 3:29.3

All of the cars that finished ahead of the Cobalt are substantially more expensive, especially considering the GM cash back offers. Say what you will about panel gaps and material quality, this car does a good job of kicking ass on a budget.

By: noley

noley — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:59:14 +0000

The bone stock Cobalt is such a lousy excuse for a car that I can’t imagine one with enough power to appeal to testosterone poisoned teenage boys. This car was a joke when launched and it’s good to see it go.

By: quiksilver180

quiksilver180 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:53:26 +0000

In other words… buy a new Impreza ;-)

By: Humourless

Humourless — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:42:27 +0000

I’d concur with that/ Not only the Integra, but also the Mini Cooper and the Mazda MP3 are good examples of well-sorted FWD cars with good or even excellent steering feel and feedback.

Conversely, I’ve driver some absolutely atrocious RWD cars (mostly older ones, I’ll admit) that give no inclination of which way the wheels are pointed.

By: dolo54

dolo54 — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 23:33:55 +0000

ktm I suspect you are trolling… but I’ll bite. I’ve driven plenty of rwd rack-and-pinion vehicles. I can’t say many (any?) of them allowed me to feel where the wheels were in relation to the body like an integra. For instance, I was driving my friend’s sl300 last week. Great car, but not even close.

By: ktm

ktm — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:45:13 +0000

Many of you are confusing steering feedback with steering response. Steering feedback is nigh on impossible with a FWD car given that the wheels are the drive wheels as well as provide steering control.

Go and drive a RWD, manual rack-and-pinion equiped vehicle if you want an unfiltered sense of steering feedback.

By: Areitu

Areitu — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:07:23 +0000

nmcheese:
July 11th, 2007 at 10:03 am

If I recall correctly they benchmarked the 4th gen Volkswagen Golf/Jetta when designing this platform. As a current gen 4 GTI owner and someone that drove a G5 Coupe (Same car minus the supercharger) for a week as a rental I have the following observations:

I had a Cobalt rental for two weeks and noticed the schizophrenic steering and the tuggy-tug-tug of torque steer. I was in the snow, so I ended up flooring it a lot.

On my particular vehicle, the plastic on the turn signal stalk had cracks and was splitting open horizontally starting from the headlight toggle switch itself.

I thought the interior was decent, but it was an obvious facsimile of the VW MK4 interior (though lower quality), down to the shutter vents and the shape of the dash.

The movement of the tachometer seemed a bit damped and a split second behind…not a big deal, but unaccecptable in a car that is supposed to be sporty.

By: Bunter1

Bunter1 — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:30:25 +0000

dzSS-Wow! An owner who doesn’t have an irrational need to plant the flag and defend the truf. Kinda’ freaked me out.

GM’s approach is what I call “playing for the bronze”. It’s to hard to go for the gold so let’s just try to get on the podium.
What they do not get is that those guys NEVER get on the podium. Why? Because five or six others are fighting hard for the gold and anyone going for less is doomed to the middle of the pack.
Playing to win guarentees you nothing, but it is the only way you will even come close.
“Alternate Reality Bob” is always whining about the public “giving us a chance”.
I suggest getting your chance the way Toyota and Honda did Bob…earn it.

Easy Bunter, think calm relaxing thoughts.
OK, I feel better.

By: bill h.

bill h. — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:56:07 +0000

“Its a chevy.”

dzSS: I hope that doesn’t presage what we’ll say about the new Malibu in a few months! Let’s hope that one turns out more Aura-ish than Cobalt-y.

By: socsndaisy

socsndaisy — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:13:33 +0000

Im reminded of the movie “Vacation” where Eugene Levy says, “…you think you hate it now….wait ’til you DRIVE it.”

This car (cobalt, in any form) makes me appreciate the Ford Focus (especially the SVT). The Focus makes me appreciate the Mazda 3. Notice I didnt mention the Neon? Yeah, that was on purpose.

There is an upside to all of this though: for under 18K, you can buy a VERY decent and durable car in 2007. You gotta love capitalism!

By: dzSS

dzSS — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:15:41 +0000

I actually drive a black 06 SS-S (the only colour that doesn’t appear completely cartoonish in my opinion). The review is spot on.

It does turn a few heads, even without the ‘upgraded’ for 07 chrome wheels, and provokes the occasional ‘Nice ride’ comment. But I always have the same answer when asked how it drives.

Its a chevy.

It shakes and rattles (from the day I drove it off the lot), the fit and finish isn’t as good as its competitors, and as others have already stated, it feels like a ‘close enough’ effort. They also should have put in a 6-speed. For me, it could only compete and win on price. It was thousands of dollars less than a comparably equipped Civic Si or GTI, and it is pretty fun to drive if you can look past the shortcomings.

This is the car GM should have updated the Cavalier with back in 2000. Instead, they let the Cavalier (along with the Sunfire) rot to the point that their only option was to replace it (too late) to overcome the tarnished image.

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:59:40 +0000

I suspect that those who are attracted to this kind of car (fast, cheap) are the late-teens early twenties type.

They can’t stretch their budget to GTI or MS3 territory, but they still want something fast. Finesse is far down the list.

To that extent, I think that the SS-S was a honest attempt to appeal to this market. If the emissions issue is true, then how about Gm putting the turbo 4 that they use in the Sky/Solstice in the next SS-S. They could detune it to about 220 HP if they felt the SS-S is too downmarket for the full 260HP. Even at 220, it would have few competitors.

To the extent that eventually the SS-S buyer will be shopping for a Camry/malibu type car, a bit more effort to make the SS-S a “gateway drug” to the rest of the GM lineup is a good idea. A bit nicer interior, a bit more refined. But with minimal impact on the bling and go.

Although, I do agree that the 18s are stupid.

By: beken

beken — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:45:39 +0000

I so wanted to see GM make a competitive small car. This review points out what’s wrong with GM. All the go-fast and look fast parts are there, but somehow, somebody forgot to sweat the details.
Nice try, GM, but not quite good enough. It would be great if GM went back and improved the car going forward, but I won’t hold my breath.

Maybe GM can borrow the steering mechanism from…oh…a MINI?

By: CliffG

CliffG — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:32:28 +0000

This is your classic “close enough” GM car, and the explanation why they are dead men walking. The wheels are the corporate mags, it doesn’t even get its’ own look, even with the 18’s the wheels look too small because they couldn’t figure out how to lower the springs a full 1.5″, the specialty after market seats are good, but the rest of the interior is blaaahhhh, and the horrific thrashy 4 cylinders that Gm continues to mfg. along with the “rip the wheel out of your hands” torque steer makes driving aggressively a dispiriting exercise. For some reason all of GM’s attempts to build a passable copy of a ‘94 Civic have failed. But when the corporate motto on small cars continues its 40 year tradition of “Gawd, we hate small cars”, what else is new. Ya think Lutzy ever drove one of these before they loosed ‘em on the market?

By: Bunter1

Bunter1 — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:47:35 +0000

Unfortunately GM all too often makes cars that sound like a 200 lb canary…”CHEAP!!!!!!”
When I first sat in a Cobalt SS at an auto show that fake-o-sliver on all the plastic was abandoning ship fast and the gal standing next to it was noting the paint bubbles on the fender.

I wonder if some of the cheap factor is related to another Detroit tendancy I’ve noted.
Why does nearly every MSRP have to read $xx,995?
Does trying to get down to a specific price point drive away some of the much needed quality? Does that need an answer?

Dear General, Ford and triple noggined bowser,
Most people don’t plunk down the whole wad at once. They are comparing cost per month not MSRP. Duh.
Considering how many people pop an extra $30/mo for better internet or more cable channels is it any wonder that a lot of them will spring for a better car for a few extra buck per calendar page?

Think about it.

By: dolo54

dolo54 — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:31:10 +0000

“Name one front wheel drive car with proper steering feedback.” ditto with Megan. Every time I go from driving a friend’s car or a rental back to my Integra I feel like all of sudden my steering is guided by lasers. I have yet to drive a car with better steering feedback.