Z284ever

I agree with everything you just said. The Cobalt SS is a blast to drive, but it's styling is getting stale. As far as the Mini Cooper S, I just love that car too. Maybe it doesn't pull down the numbers when compared to the Cobalt SS, but it is FAR more polished and interesting to me.

Actually, the car I like for it's combo of "fun to drive" and practicality, is the HHR SS.

Steve0

If things like fit, finish, comfort and styling didn't matter, the 4th gen would have kept selling. They do matter when you plan on using the car as your primary mode of transportation. I think the Caliber SRT-4 looks like the offspring of a Pontiac Aztek and didnt even look at it twice. When youre about to drop $20000 on a car, you want to like what youre purchasing. Like previously mentioned I can add a couple bolt ons to my Mazda and outperform the class leading car but its damn hard to replace the dash in my Cobalt.

The hardcore performance at the expense of other vehicle aspects is definately a niche market. IMO, the 4th gen F-body fit that niche, but was unfortunately pushed as a volume car. I think the last generation Evo which could be had for under $30,000 was a very successful car in that market.

I suppose time will tell how popular this car will be. I saw my first one at a dealership the other day. I have to say, I think the wheels are one of the best lookign designs to ever grace a GM vehicle. I have yet to run into one on the road.

Koz

I don't think the interior is that bad. It's very simple, but clean and functional. I agree that other cars in the same segment have nicer trim or amenities, but I don't think the Cobalt SS interior is ugly or bad. Similarly, the fitment is very good and there aren't any squeeks or rattles (granted, it's still new). I actually really like the steering wheel and instrument cluster, and I LOVE the seats; they look good, feel comfy, and support you nicely.

I think, especially for the price, GM made this car as well as anyone could. I don't think you could find a new car as quick as the Cobalt SS for the same price. Yes, the interior isn't the best but like I said, it's neat, clean, and gets the job done. When I'm actually driving the car I'm generally enjoying the smooth and powerful engine, responsive (yet comfortable) suspension, tight steering, and great seats... I'm not looking at the dash or polishing some chrome radio bezel. I think that's the type of target buyer GM had in mind when they made the car, and they hit the target dead-on

Geoff Chadwick

x2

If you were going to spend the money on an SS Sedan, why not just get the HHR? I just wonder which would be more of a sleeper.

97z28/m6

the HHR looks more in "in your face" as opposed to the cobalt.

Chuck!

It'll be fun to see this drivetrain in the Cruze

JG/70Z

It's "fine" by my grandma also

97QuasarBlue3.8

It will be interesting to see how the market changes over the next two years. I don't think VW has strong plans to compete in this segment any longer as evidenced by the next-gen GTI receiving only a 10hp bump and standard LSD. It promises to be a refined car, but not fast like the other sport compacts have become.

It's rumored that there will be a 270hp variant of the GTI, dubbed "R" for now. I'm not sure about AWD options or pricing, but I am thinking it will contend on the even-$30k mark. Not a likely competitor for the Cruze which plans to be a direct replacement for the Cobalt.

There are also "speculated to be confirmed" plans for the US-version Scirocco. This could be VW's swoopy retro-new entry into the 4-cylinder rocket market, but I haven't heard much about configuration. I've heard that the 210hp 2.0 will be standard, which doesn't make me think it's going to be a rocket.

I'm glad the 4-year old MKV is holding its own. The last MKV GTI's are rolling off the line for 2009 (if production hasn't already stopped). That was a great run of cars for VW. There are so many options on the plate for cars in the next couple of years, it's hard to say where I'll land. Maybe i'll hang on to the GTI, maybe not.

96_Camaro_B4C

guionM

I had supercharger on the brain.

I meant turbocharging.

It IS (though not Subaru ugly)...... and that's the gag!

I never liked the Cobalt sedan... I felt it was designed as an afterthought.
That makes putting the SS package on the thing without anything obviously announcing what's inside almost genious!

Take a look at that Cobalt sedan. It doesn't look like it could take on a well tuned Crown Victoria, let alone let alone potentially beat anything on a racecourse.

The SRT Neon was phenominal, but with it's boy-ricer addons, it looked like it should be fast. Cobalt SS sedan looks almost literally like either a utility company's fleet car or something an old woman on a fixed income budget would drive to a senior activites center.

I'm not a fan of FWD, and I'm not crazy about sedans. But I get a absolute kick behind the idea of the plainer-than-jane turbocharged Cobalt SS sedan kicking the ever-living snot out of a souped up, riced up, boy racer at a stoplight or on the freeway.

Priceless!

kritzell

How about the one on that Ninja of yours.

97QuasarBlue3.8

The GTI won 2nd, Rob, so I think it has something going for it. But then again, you're talking to the wrong guy about speed contests because I don't care--not when it comes to small cars.

Sport compacts for me are cars that you have to "live" with. That is, they eat up the hundreds of hours of drive time spent going to and from destinations of necessity and fun, carrying passengers, things, while still offering good gas mileage and the opportunity for spirited driving. They're daily drivers. For that, I'm not going to pick the crappiest car with the most go-fast goodies. For everything else, there's the bike--or God help me, not a sport compact.

SSCamaro99_3

Me either, but a dealership near me has a silver Cobalt SS sedan. I just recieved a GM card point bump to $2000+ $3000 bonus cash + I have two cars to trade. It is very tempting to get one of these, a 3.6 2LT Malibu, or a Silverado/Sierra.

97QuasarBlue3.8

I don't know, Rob, why do so many other people think they're great cars? You tell me.

If you notice something about a lot of European passenger cars, they're not fast, yet they're developed on some of the greatest race tracks and fastest freeways in the world. Maybe that says something about driving--it's about more than just the drivetrain.

And of course all the Cobalt fanboys in here love how their Cobalt rides, and how nice the seats are, and how smooth the 5-speed trans is. Chevrolet is getting there, although they're using a lot of German parts

97QuasarBlue3.8

Forgot to answer your questions:

The Rabbit is boring. It has substantially fewer options, and I don't like the way it looks.

The base car is the same (2.0T/6MT). $1500 covers the DSG, and the extra $1000 is for a sunroof and probably an ipod dock in the console.