I was just reading the new issue of popular hot rodding and realized some things about the cobalt. They stated some pretty sad facts.
The dodge SRT-4 costs $20, 650, and is faster than the cobalt SS with some good options ($23, 400). So what, the cobalt has a nice interior and is a big step forward for GM. A mustang GT only costs $1600 more than a nicely optioned cobalt SS!

 

Yes...........yes they are.

 

Yes, agreed. The are pretty nice cars and are selling pretty fast.

 

It's worlds ahead of the cavalier.. Still stupid to name a car "Cobalt"

 

Both the SS and the ION redline are really alot faster than u read in magazines ..now that more real drivers are starting to pop up . And yes , the Cobalt thru and thru is MUCH better car when you factor in more than just straightline speed .

A better topic would have been .....who in the hell is gonna buy a non-SS cobalt 2 door over a Scion TC . Im looking for a smaller car for work and looked at both of them . Scion , base price 17,495 includes 17" Aftermarket looking wheels that look mercedes expensive , panoramic glass roof and sunroof , fit and finish and materials throughout the entire car that are lexus level . I was a pretty big fan of the cobalt , until u really sit the 2 next to each other . The chevy dealer had a comparable priced 2 door cobalt which had 15" wheels , no sunroof , the base car front bumber treatment and it was $400 more than the TC . The Cobalts interior was much more stylish IMO , it just hands down looked better ....but , the TC looked alot richer . The TC nailed all the little details GM still is lacking on . Give the Cobalt an attractive set of 17" wheels , a sunroof and the pioneer sound system ( its standard in the TC ) and keep the price mid $17K , then the Cobalt would be a pretty appealing buy . Still like the cobalt , but gotta throw one of these -->> about actually buying one .

 

according to a magazine, i forget which one i think motor trend, anyhow they said they were both 20,995 and they took some road corse i forget where but its supposed to be a pretty rediculous one and the cobalt won by like half a second.. i think it was like a 23 minute race

so it obvously has something on the srt4 even if it isnt quarter mile time 0-60 time or 0-100 time

 

I get the feeling that the Cobalt is a very competitive entry in the small car market right now....but without change (fully expected from GM) will the car still be competitive 3 or 4 years from now? Probably not. :blah:

 

What was your question again?

 

Speed isn't everything, look at build quality and interior materials used. Look at these cars in 10 years and then see what is the better car. Neons depreciate more then ANY car made.

MSRP means nothing. Goto a Chevy dealership with cash and see how much you would pay for a Cobalt. Try the same exercise with a Mustang GT and see how long it takes for your Mustang to come in and how much over MSRP you are paying for it.

 

I drove a Cobalt LS for a week. It was a great small car. best I've driven hands down, and I've rented just about every brand (except the Mazda 3 which is also said to be good)

 

also this magazine i was reading expected Chevy to put some heavy advancements in the engine within the next 2 or 3 years, so i think it will be more competitive... look at the GTO, it gained nearly 3/4 of a second in one year, through wait reduction and a new engine.

 

There are two companies developing a Twincharger system for these cars (adding a turbo to the supercharger) PSI-FI and Gravana Tuning, the later being helped out by GM itself. That would turn these into 300whp+ little devils. As-is, they are alright, but I think they have a lot of untapped potential that will come out this summer.

 

To answer the question...uhm, yeah.

If you want a motor with 4 wheels (which many of us do ), buy the SRT-4. If you want an actual CAR, with style, quality etc...take the Cobalt and run. Comparing an SRT-4 to a Cobalt SS is like comparing an '80s LX 5.0 to a 4th gen. Sure, you can do it...but one is a car and one is a motor.

 

i wish people would stop thinking like this. IMO this is what lets manufacturers give us sub-par products.

i think the SS is way ahead of the SRT. like i said in the lounge. its easier to make a car faster in a straight line than it is to make a car have a nicer interior and handle good along with being fast in a straight line.

 

What's the base price for the Cobalt SS?

It's going to be a pretty popular car in my opinion. The ecotech has a lot in it, but just needs the aftermarket to catch up a little for this model. It should be a hot little tuner car, which handles pretty well.

Dan