Road Test or Reviews?

Does anyone know if there are any magazine articles where someone has actually driven the Cobalt SS? If so, could you direct me?   Thank YOU.

IF YOU GO INTO THE JULY 2004 ISSUE OF SUPER STREET THERE IS A BIG WRITE UP ABOUT THE COBALT, THEY CATUALLY DID A LOT OF TESTS ON IT, SO GO AND LOOK IN THAT ISSUE I READ IT ITS PRETTY GOOD, I AM GOING TO MAYBE ORDER ONE, I ALREADY TALKED TO THE DEALERSHIP, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ONE?  IN THE ARTICLE IT RAN THE QUARTER MILE IN 14.9 AND 0-60 WAS 6.3, I GUESS IT ISN'T BAD, BUT YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER WITH THE SUPERCHARGER, LET ME KNOW IF U FIND ANY OTHER ARTICLES.

THANKS,

MATT

Sorry, I gave up on the Cobalt. For about $3000 more I can get a used 2003/2004 mustang cobra. double the horsepower

I purchased my 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier on June 17 1995 (approx.).  This was the year the Cavailer had a fab new redesign--much like the Cobalt's new lines which are obviously based on the Cavalier.  The only thing different is the look.  The guts of GMs cars are the same.  So, understand when you read this that if you buy  this car you'll be buying the same cheap stuff they have always been known for--be it labled Chevrolet, Buick, GM, GMC, Cadillac, etc.  To date, starting with the most recent problem which occured last night (December 18,2004) here is THE LIST of my fabulous (just kidding) 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier:

1) ABS Light On/ Confirmed with hard braking that ABS is NO LONGER working.  Dec 18 2004

2)Power Steering line busted/ leaking (it's made of rubber versus metal)/ Had to replace fluid to keep from loosing power steering suddenly-bill will be about $200  to reaplace hose. December 04.

3) Heater Core replaced (for the second time)-  November 04.

4) Head Gasket busted/leaking.  Had gasket replaced-bill $1200. 2003. -learned GM had recall for this problem IF car had 100,000 miles or less on it. Just so happened that mine had something like 109,000.  How nice of them to offer correction knowing things would go wrong AFTER 100k.

5) Oil Light permanently on. 2003

6)  Fuel Injector Leak/smelled gas inside of car for the longest time--thought it was just exhaust-- couldn't imagine that engine would actually leak gas-- i'm suprised i didn't blow myself up--cost? don't remember--i'm sure it was at least $100 bucks.  2002.

7)  Air Conditioning stopped working after only two years. Never invested the $1000 approx needed to fix it--thank goodness--i needed that money for all the future repairs!  1997.

This list certainly isn't comprehensive.  Many little things like broken seat trims, windshield wipers stuck in the up position, premature wearing of break pads, cost of rental cars, etc were left out due to space.   I'm sure GM will delete this entry anyway.  But if you were fortunate enough to read this, please be fortunate enough to put two and two together--it equals 4 and GM and any of their brands equals something you should avoid.  I couldn't understand why people always said buy quality--such as  Honda, Toyota, etc.  I do now.

Note: there really isn't any such thing as buying "foreign" anymore--many of those "foreign" cars are made right here in the United States.  So, don't worry about not being patriotic.  Patoowee on GMs "american revolution" nonsense. That kinda thinking is what got America in trouble in the first place.   Plus, if you're budget conscious and think GM cars are cheaper please read the above list again...  their cars/trucks cost way too much to maintain.  Believe me, you're better off getting a slightly bigger car loan and buying Honda, Toyota, or even those nice Nissan's.  Or, even try Ford or DamlierChrysler.

PS: My other family members have GM cars/trucks as well and those GM cars/trucks have just as many problems--so my experience isn't unique.

mtreeleaf38340.7326041667

I recently read an article in motor trend where they tested the cobalt SS and ran 0-60 in 6.0 sec. and ran the 1/4 mile in 14.5 sec at 98.2 mph. also pulled 0.89g on 200 ft. skid pad. if i can find the issue ill let you know wich one it is.

Treeleaf,

I can understand your frustration to an extent.  But please realize that you are driving a 10 year old car that was probably $10K to begin with.  What did you expect?  I don't suppose that a Ford Escort or Dodge Neon would have treated you any better.

   

 

My neighbor bought a civic to drive because his V-8 Durango got such poor mileage. At 80,000 miles the problems set in, Blew a head gasket twice, warped a head, then it cracked, so he replaced it. Now the transmission is slipping. I was over at his house the other day and his golf clubs fell over against the Honda. I looked at him and he said Oh well its just a Honda. I know Imports are thought by some to be better, but maybe they are not always better. I know my wifes '04 Vibe ( Toyota ) is not better than the 99 Monte Carlo she had, or the 99 Suburban I had, nor does it seem to be nearly as good as my '04 Avalanche. Time will tell.

You can find horror and lemon stories about every brand out there. Every one. It also depends on what you expect. I EXPECT things will break after a certain time. If it gets to be too much to take and I get PO'd I move on to another car. I also find that driving prudently and not whaling the piss out of the thing helps a lot.

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Cobalt ss supercharged aren't bad. If it were up to me though, I'd get an SRT-4.

Cobalt=0-60 =5.9         Cobalt=qm=14.5

SRT-4=0-60=5.3       &nbs p;  SRT-4=qm=13.9

They're both about the same price. I think the SRT-4 is better looking, but that's just personal opinion.

It is a little faster though. (p.s. dont pay attention to the motortrend comparison of the SRT-4 and the Cobalt ss, their times are bs for the SRT-4.)

(this is a reply to other posts in

Cobalt  Chevrolet Forum : Cobalt Topic: Road Test or Reviews? )

Dear Gold,

Dear Rodent,

Dear Ratman

Dear all others who wish to be informed...

Glad you got your cheap two cents in....  If you read my last post you noticed I included years.  As well, you should have noticed chevrolet's vehicle problems occur and did occur WELL before the car's  10th year !  As in my case, the A/C went out after ONLY 2 years!  The repair would have been about 1,000 -- as I stated.  There's no excuse.  As well, the cost is irrelavent.  If a car manufacturer can't (or in GMs case WON'T) build a car -- in this day in age-- that is of quality at ANY price then they will struggle to succeed -- which GM has prooved. To have any other consumer expectation in 2005 would be irrational !  Period.  So, discussuing expectations on my part or of anyone else who values their time and money is not even an issue worth debating. GM itslef, through recalls, acknowledged severe issues (after they got everyone's money on initial sales--- i'm sure they only did recalls to avoid law suits and in a vain attempt to repair their reputation).  So, please don't find excuses for GM. There just aren't any -- excluding bad management. 

I should say though, if my GM car had few MINOR problems before 80 thousand miles I probably would have been more forgiving.  BUT, that IS NOT the case for GM cars/trucks. 

Recall, in my previous post I stated other family members have GM cars too!  The more expensive ones I might add... and THEY TOO have had major issues.  No excuses for GM. 

By the way, I heard GM's closing some plants...  HAHAHA. They're closing one not far from me in Atlanta, GA, in fact.  Hmm.. the economy isn't so bad (i heard) yet they can't seem to sale their cars cheap enough or fast enough.... I wonder why??  I'll tell you why -- It's GMs lack of efficiency, lack of quality, and lack of excuses.     

Stay away from cobalt and all other GM models/makes-- Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac, Cheverolet, GMC, SAAB, and all other companies they own, etc....   Hey, if you're reading this you can't say you didn't know.... you can't say you weren't warned that GM disrespects its customers by selling them garbage... remember that!

I'd like to add, have you ever wondered WHY GM puts so much money in advertising for OnStar ??  I have.  And, my answer is because GMs cars and trucks can no longer sale themselves through solid, core product reputation so they must attempt to brainwash people via emotional TV ads into thinking they should buy GM cars simply because they can call 911 for you.  Come on !!! Aren't there other service providers who do the same thing ?? Doesn't Honda offer a global positioning vehicle safety system too?? Don't others as well? The answer is, yes.  What's so special about OnStar?? Nothing.  Why must GM insist on heavily advertising something that is not unique to them??  Just another example of mismanagement and smokescreens.

PS. Each of my chevrolet's front wheels nearly fell off 2 months apart.  Maybe i'll talk more about that story another time.  It reminds me  though of when ... one of my professors mentioned that cavaliers (and all other GM cars in my opinion) were death traps.   To parahpase Bill in the movie "kill bill" --  Baby, He wadn't kiddn !!  

Sincerely,

Mtreeleaf

mtreeleaf38689.7837037037

quote:

ORIGINAL: mtreeleaf

<P>(this is a reply to other posts in
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<TD width="70%"><SPAN class=lgText><IMG alt=Subject src="http://www.chevroletforum.com/forum_images/subject_folder.gif align=absMiddle border="0"><FONT size=3> Topic: Road Test or Reviews?</FONT></SPAN> )</TD></TR></T></TABLE></TD></TR></T></TABLE></P>
<P>Dear Gold, </P>
<P>Dear Rodent, </P>
<P>Dear Ratman</P>
<P>Dear all others who wish to be informed...</P>
<P>Glad you got your cheap two cents in.... If you read my last post you noticed I included years. As well, you should have noticed chevrolet's vehicle problems occur and did occur WELL before the car's 10th year ! As in my case, the A/C went out after ONLY 2 years! The repair would have been about 1,000 -- as I stated. There's no excuse. As well, the cost is irrelavent. If a car manufacturer can't (or in GMs case WON'T) build a car -- in this day in age-- that is of quality at ANY price then they will struggle to succeed -- which GM has prooved. To have any other consumer expectation in 2005 would be irrational ! Period. So, discussuing expectations on my part or of anyone else who values their time and money is not even an issue worth debating. GM itslef, through recalls, acknowledged severe issues (after they got everyone's money on initial sales--- i'm sure they only did recalls to avoid law suits and in a vain attempt to repair their reputation). So, please don't find excuses for GM. There just aren't any -- excluding bad management. </P>
<P>I should say though, if my GM car had few MINOR problems before 80 thousand miles I probably would have been more forgiving. BUT, that IS NOT the case for GM cars/trucks. </P>
<P>Recall, in my previous post I stated other family members have GM cars too! The more expensive ones I might add... and THEY TOO have had major issues. No excuses for GM. </P>
<P>By the way, I heard GM's closing some plants... HAHAHA. They're closing one not far from me in Atlanta, GA, in fact. Hmm.. the economy isn't so bad (i heard) yet they can't seem to sale their cars cheap enough or fast enough.... I wonder why?? I'll tell you why -- It's GMs lack of efficiency, lack of quality, and lack of excuses. </P>
<P>Stay away from cobalt and all other GM models/makes-- Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac, Cheverolet, GMC, SAAB, and all other companies they own, etc.... Hey, if you're reading this you can't say you didn't know.... you can't say you weren't warned that GM disrespects its customers by selling them garbage... remember that!</P>
<P>I'd like to add, have you ever wondered WHY GM puts so much money in advertising for OnStar ?? I have. And, my answer is because GMs cars and trucks can no longer sale themselves through solid, core product reputation so they must attempt to brainwash people via emotional TV ads into thinking they should buy GM cars simply because they can call 911 for you. Come on !!! Aren't there other service providers who do the same thing ?? Doesn't Honda offer a global positioning vehicle safety system too?? Don't others as well? The answer is, yes. What's so special about OnStar?? Nothing. Why must GM insist on heavily advertising something that is not unique to them?? Just another example of mismanagement and smokescreens.</P>
<P>PS. Each of my chevrolet's front wheels nearly fell off 2 months apart. Maybe i'll talk more about that story another time. It reminds me though of when ... one of my professors mentioned that cavaliers (and all other GM cars in my opinion) were death traps. To parahpase Bill in the movie "kill bill" -- Baby, He wadn't kiddn !! </P>
<P>Sincerely,</P>
<P>Mtreeleaf</P><edited><editID>mtreeleaf</editID><editDate>38689.7837037037</editDate></edited>

I just have a thought on this and if it gets read or not is not a big deal, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I have had a few Chevy vehicles in my 13+ years of driving now and I can tell you that I have gotten better service out of my GM vehicles then I have out of my "foreign" ones. I had a Mazda 626 that I put the piston shaft through the engine block at UNDER 80,000 miles. I have never had an engine failure with any of my GM vehicles. My mother had a Ford and it was a mess as well, the electrical system would go out in just a light rain, and the dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong with it, even though they witnessed the problem directly. Look I am not saying that GM doesn't have problems because we all know that they do. What I am saying is that YOU are in the minority of people that have these types of problems with their vehicles. There are so many factors that play into a vehicle breaking from manufacture to maintenance to how they are driven that you can't always point the finger at the manufacturer. I am sorry that you had so many problems, but if you did then why not go back to the dealer after buying it and within the warranty to have it fixed. That is the purpose to warranties. Well I have done enough ranting on this topic for now.

Fact of the matter is ALL car companies have problems and recalls and so on. GM just has more,way more. That is why there going down the crapper. Gm just keeps repackaging the same 'ol crap such as the cobalt, it a repackaged cavalier and GM keeps discracing the name of once awesome cars(Impala,GTO ect.) I totally agree with mtreeleaf, GM outside the 3800 and the 350 engines (I'm referring to the engine alone and not the cars their in) build GARBAGE! I 've owned sevral (10 + having faith they might get better)GM products and they were all crap! I think if anyone is the minoroty it is the people that DON'T have problems with their GM vechicles. Think about it, why are the import car companies kicking GM's ass in sales???HMMMM...Could it be because the import car companies actually give a rats ass if they build crappy cars or not. In my opinion people just want the most most bang for their buck and you just don't get it from GM. Why would I spend $30,000 on a GM car when I can get a BMW for that price!!!!! Let's all stop making excuse and face the fact that GM is not what it use to be.

my brother and i where out test driving cars and we test drove one of the cobalt ss.

your an idoit wheels don't fall off because of the car they fall off when the machenic doesn't properly tighten them.

I should know I work at an auto shop with a person that has forgotten to tighten the the wheel all the way IT HAPPENS!!

Somthing I forgot to tell you I own a 1994 saturn sl2 with 169,471miles I bought it june 2005 I have already put 9,600miles(that number is rounded to the nearest hundred when I bought it there was about 159,800miles). I change the oil every 3,000 miles and other than that I have not had to put any money into it. I do however need new tires for the snow.