What do you guys think of the new 09 Chevy Cobalt SS/TC ?

[cereal83]

Hey all,

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are around here on the 09 Cobalt SS/Turbo. It has like 260hp/torque and they seemed to have fixed alot of issues people were having with previous years.

Are they still garbage or are they now something to look at?

[dumpbear]

Chevy swapped the supercharger for a turbo as the fuel economy for the super was atrocious. I still think it is kind of garish on the outside and the plasticy interior is nothing to boast about. I always associate it with a NASCAR kind of crowd...

[mleblond]

isnt it the last version of that car? I heard somewhere that they are coming with a new name again....because this name has bad rep already...

[Fobio]

isnt it the last version of that car? I heard somewhere that they are coming with a new name again....because this name has bad rep already...

as in Cobalt SuperSlow?...lol...

would love to see one of the new ones on the track or strip against one of our MS3's...

[Mafty]

isnt it the last version of that car? I heard somewhere that they are coming with a new name again....because this name has bad rep already...

chevy has a bad rep? for the cobalt? or for the SS/SC cobalt? i've never heard of any bad rep for it, everytime i see one on the road i like it, the interior isnt anything special, but the exterior is nice for a mid-20g car that has 200hp.

but...

:ttiwwp

whats the new one look like!!??

[Wild Weasel]

Yeah, I thought they were generally well-received for what they are.

[theurgy]

Like I've said before.. it's like the fat chick in high school, you'd like to give her the beans when no ones looking, but myself... with regards to the Cobalt SS, and the Caliber SRT-4... I'd rather have the car-clueless think I'm driving a regular Mazda3 than a regular Caliber or Cobalt.

[Garu]

New turbocharged Cobalt sound very promising.
If the performance is there I'd probably drop my ball on it.
Also it will be a lot cheaper than MS3.

[silvermist99]

chevy has a bad rep? for the cobalt? or for the SS/SC cobalt? i've never heard of any bad rep for it, everytime i see one on the road i like it, the interior isnt anything special, but the exterior is nice for a mid-20g car that has 200hp.

but...

:ttiwwp

whats the new one look like!!??

it looks like the old one with different rims... just realized that I can get chevys at heavily discounted employee price plus they start at 25k the SS model. I should have looked at that car before i got the mazda

[Kevin@nextmod]

Hey all,

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are around here on the 09 Cobalt SS/Turbo. It has like 260hp/torque and they seemed to have fixed alot of issues people were having with previous years.

Are they still garbage or are they now something to look at?
you'll miss the 8100 rpm redline for sure......

[WhiteSpeed3]

employee pricing at my dealership is starting $24,594 and i must say this new cobalt ss is gonna be great competition for the speed3 and its got the power, the handling, lauch control, the new interior is a lot nicer than previous years, and i have never seen any major problems with any of the Ecotech motors and for $10,000 less than a speed3 its for sure a better bang for your buck

[Unoriginalusername]

i like that they have flat foot shifting and launch control. also a good canadian mrsp

[silvermist99]

i like that they have flat foot shifting and launch control. also a good canadian mrsp
+1

US msrp is $22.5k ish. Canadian is only 25 ish.

should we all sell our mazdas now and move to chevys lol. its the fastest stock fwd on the nurburgring and it gets 30mpg on the hwy.


but it doesn't have auto climate control... :(

[cereal83]

Has 260 HP/Torque, launch control, OTD for $28k low 13's in 1/4 while Speed3 has like high 13's/14's, cheaper then everything else in the class, can finally corner. No climate control, is plasticy, low resale but the 260 HP turbo engine/lsd makes up for all of it.

edit: Also, 2008 was the first year so the 2009 which have already been released are on their 2nd year of this car. Nothing is coming, it has been here already for a year

[CanadaGTO]

Having come from a domestic sport compact, trust me, you will not like the depreciation this thing will go through.

[Wild Weasel]

Yeah, but after Mazda slashed prices on the MS3 by over 4 grand, I don't expect I'm going to like the depreciation on this thing either. :(

It's a valid point though.

[cereal83]

Yes I know. I have mostly owned Domestics and I know. I got a Sunfire GT for $7k used and in 6 months, it was worth only $3500 Boo. This thing will be only worth $20k after 1 year.

[mleblond]

these have brembo brakes too. i remember 2 red cobalt SS making fun of my speed at shanonville once....bunch of ass hats, I like the mazda community better :)

[dumpbear]

Here is the review from the Star I read a few weeks back:

I'd take the VW, MS3 or Civic any day over the domestic POS!

:bana2:bana2:bana2

http://multimedia.wheels.ca/images/44/88/b4e159704c5a8ccdaf791df1fcf6.jpeg

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe

JOHN LEBLANC FOR THE TORONTO STAR
Jun 28, 2008

Reworked Chevy Cobalt SS combines 260 hp turbo with suspension that is both sporty and comfortable.

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe

PRICE: base/as tested $24,995/$27,275

ENGINE: 2.0 L turbo four-cylinder

POWER/TORQUE: 260 hp/260 lb.-ft.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: city 9.3, hwy. 6.6 L/100 km

COMPETITION: Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Coupe Si, Mazdaspeed3, Volkswagen GTI

WHAT'S BEST: Performance/price; no-lift shift; Euro-tuned ride and handling

WHAT'S WORST: Ubiquitous looks; no-frills interior; gratuitous rear wing

WHAT'S INTERESTING: GM says the Cobalt SS's Nurburgring-tuned FE5 Sport suspension delivers 0.9 g grip




With the performance market quickly turning to small, fun and frugal, Chevrolet – a brand historically marketed as General Motors' "cheap speed" division – should be sitting on the automotive throne right now.

Instead, Chevrolet's been preoccupied with pickups, crossovers, SUVs and resurrecting its retro Camaro muscle car; a vehicle that's about as in-touch with today's market as classic rock, tie-dyed shirts and burning draft cards.

Its last attempt at a sporty small car – the luke-warm 173 hp front-drive Cobalt SS, and the slightly-less-tepid 205 hp SS Supercharged version – seemed half-hearted attempts at best.

Unrefined, uncompetitive – and in the end, unpopular – those first Cobalt SSs were quietly put on hiatus last year.

But for 2008, Chevrolet is resurrecting a Cobalt coupe with an SS badge on its rump, with more power under the hood, a chassis that's been shipped off to a European finishing school, and a $24,995 starting price that's equal to Dodge's new Caliber SRT4, but thousands less than more established import rivals.

Still: Is this Cobalt SS, part deux, enough to pry the owners of Honda Civic Si's, Mazdaspeed3s or Volkswagen GTIs out of their rides?

Let's get to the go-fast goodies first.

The Cobalt's new 260 hp 2.0-litre turbochaged and intercooled four-banger with direct-injection is one of the General's most sophisticated small engines. It produces 260 lb.-ft. of torque. It was first seen under the hood of the Pontiac Solstice GXP/Saturn Sky Red Line roadsters and the wagon version of the Cobalt: the HHR SS.

(GM is also making the SS package available on the Cobalt four-door sedan later this year. But note: In the sea of GM brands, the supposedly sportier Pontiac G5 and Saturn Astra compacts do not have Cobalt SS counterparts.)

The five-speed manual in the last Cobalt SS was a notchy, awkward box. But this new short-throw version is much cleaner in its cog swapping. And it has a new party trick that's called "no-lift" shift, which allows the driver to upshift without lifting off the gas.

Consider no-lift like Viagra for your car. When accelerating hard, no-lift dials back the engine's timing. The mixture in the cylinder burns longer, creating more energy so the turbo doesn't lose boost.

Using no-lift, the SS can scoot from naught to 100 km/h in 6 seconds. That's 1.5 quicker than the 2007 supercharged Cobalt SS, but equal to the quickest of the above-mentioned imports, the SRT4 and the $6K-more-expensive Mazdaspeed3.

When not down at the local drag strip, Chevrolet's sporty compact is rated at 9.3 L/100 km in the city, 6.6 on the highway.

So the new Cobalt SS is fast in a straight line.

"Yeah, typical one-dimensional-American-muscle-car," some devoted import buyers may grumble. "But can it go around corners without loosening my tooth fillings?"

The definitive answer is surprisingly, "Yup."

Whereas the last sporty Cobalt's rock-hard suspension crashed and banged over any surface less smooth than a billiard table, Chevrolet had the chassis engineers at Opel's tuning shop give the new SS a better blend between a comfortable ride and sporty handling.

Despite roll stiffness being up a whopping 30 per cent at the front end of the car and steamroller 40-aspect 18-inch rubber, the Cobalt SSs FE5 sport suspension is downright subtle – dare we say European – while still providing more grip than what's required for public on-ramps (0.9 g, according to Chevrolet.)

There's little lost between what's going on down at pavement level and the driver in regards to steering feel. And the car always feels in control, not sloppy like a lot of GM sporty suspension setups (Pontiac G6 GT, come on down!)

Hot tip: If Chevy wants to truly steal sales in the red-hot compact class, make the SS suspension setup available as a stand-alone option on all Cobalt models.

My Cobalt SS also had the $645 limited-slip front differential. It helps eliminate the inevitable toque steer with this much power when pressing on.

Less helpful is the test car's obnoxious $245 "high wing rear spoiler."

Not only does it attract airplanes as a landing strip, the wing's horizontal panel shimmies and shakes at any speed higher than 100 km/h. And rear vision is limited to cars that are riding your bumper. Not good.

It's also hard to ignore that, save for the excellent, high-bolstered sports seats, leathered steering wheel and A-pillar turbo boost gauge, the SS's interior is basically no different than any other model: a drab design swathed in rough-hewn plastics.

Nicer than the Dodge, but still leagues below a GTI.

In the end, until the Camaro shows up next year, the Cobalt SS is "it" when it comes to Chevy backing up its "cheap speed" brand ethos.

Still, if you don't mind its low-rent interior and blasé styling, the 2008 Cobalt SS's combination of performance, on-the-road composure, and value pricing at least puts it on the sports compact short-list for the first time since a man named Nixon was in the White House.

[cereal83]

Yes they have Brembo brakes also which is a huge bonus as those are expensive.

I remember being at a Mazda 3 meet at Don mills and Steels when I dude drove in and everybody started making fun of his car and exhaust. Every car group is like this as they think they have the best car for the money.


I did read that review today. They are giving it praise lol

[5_Alive]

I owned a 2007.. Twas' a cursed car.. did do 158mph however.. with an AEM intake.. on a REALLY GOOD DAY..
but its shit.. garbage.. horrible.. suspension my a*s.
stay away!!! the car has some of the best styling imo. the spoiler isn't THAT bad.. only you can't see the light-bar for the Police.
Interior is just horrendous. I don't know what they were thinking, and it shows they weren't. Nice car if you really want cheap speed, and by no means are they slow either. They aren't as fast as the MS3, but nor do they cost the same guys, don't forget.
Notice our car is the most expensive and the fastest, yes? You get what you pay for these days. I love my Mazda, and wouldn't return to Chevy. Hell no.
Long live the Zoom-Zoom!

[silvermist99]

I owned a 2007.. Twas' a cursed car.. did do 158mph however.. with an AEM intake.. on a REALLY GOOD DAY..
but its shit.. garbage.. horrible.. suspension my a*s.
stay away!!! the car has some of the best styling imo. the spoiler isn't THAT bad.. only you can't see the light-bar for the Police.
Interior is just horrendous. I don't know what they were thinking, and it shows they weren't. Nice car if you really want cheap speed, and by no means are they slow either. They aren't as fast as the MS3, but nor do they cost the same guys, don't forget.
Notice our car is the most expensive and the fastest, yes? You get what you pay for these days. I love my Mazda, and wouldn't return to Chevy. Hell no.
Long live the Zoom-Zoom!

Was just looking at their specs they still use a rear beam suspension!

the 08+ cobalt SS was over 10 seconds faster then the speed3 in the nurburgring. Edmunds.com got 14.0@103 out of these in the quarter mile, they are not fast drivers.

speed wise forget it I know I'll get owned. At least I know my interior is nicer.. lol :chuckle

[cereal83]

The Mazda is nicer inside for sure but for raw speed, i think the SS is faster and better on the track. I think a SS would have no issues beating a Speed3 in the 1/4mile, road course or anything. I have yet to see a time where the speed 3 came ontop. I am not bashing it, I am just saying in my 5 hours of researching it, I have not found it.

The 2008's and up were totally redesigned where they addressed alot of the issues the previous years had and now the car can handle, the transmission is now stronger, the axles are stronger, more power. Just look at the Nurburging track times, you will see the SS 20 seconds ahead of the speed3.

Track times from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordschleife_fastest_lap_times:

8:22 Chevrolet Cobalt SS 2008 2.0 Turbo
8:39 Mazdaspeed3(MPS)

[Mafty]

not to mention you can tell apart the SS from the regular cobalt, Chevy actually add's quite a bit to the SS model ontop of the regular balt: differen front and rear bumper, side skirts, lower suspension, larger rims, wing, leather interior, etc. Chevy made an effort to make it distinguishable from the other balts, where as mazda didn't, if you werent involved in the mazda community you wouldnt distinguish between the speed3 and the regular 3 as they look SO similar.

[dumpbear]

Track times from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordschleife_fastest_lap_times

8:22 Chevrolet Cobalt SS 2008 2.0 Turbo
8:39 Mazdaspeed3(MPS)


You forgot the NOTES section from the Mazdaspeed3 section, which is key in this comparison:

Inexperienced driver.

That surely would make up the 20 seconds!

[Xerox]

Cobalt has a contraption that will allow you to shift without letting off the accelerator (as long as you shift within time frame). thought that was cool.

[mleblond]

SS does not have Limited Slip Differential or Axle but weights 200lbs less. Also SS does not have as much interior space for bigger people (taller) like me. Also no Front Side Airbags. the MS3 has all that.

BUT IN THE END......it's still a FWD car...

[Fobio]

You forgot the NOTES section from the Mazdaspeed3 section, which is key in this comparison:

Inexperienced driver.

That surely would make up the 20 seconds!

I was gonna say the exact same thing, but then I didn't feel the need to justify it...esp when I'm looking to "get" some evidence on streetfire... ;)

[cereal83]

It Does have a LSD as an option, just not standard.

Well I went today to go test drive one and they wouldn't let me. It's $28475 plus all taxes and BS so OTD price was $32250 and I laughed at the dude and went to go sit in it. It was pure crap. Seats aren't really sporty, very basic and plain. I don't think I would ever buy one except for the power as I never drove it so I am not sure how it handles.

[mogul_pro]

260 turbo hp.. brembo brakes... light body... stiff chasis... its going to blow the doors off the ms3.... poor bias readers..

[5_Alive]

Uuuuum yea.. the guy on the Ring, was inexperienced, and also, did NOT have the track to himself.. while Chevy did.. there is no leather in the SS, either.. as far as I've also heard, the SS was wearing some different packing items tire wise..
The cars are all tested at different tracks, conditions, etc..
Chevy likes to add to their cars, which magazines don't tell you this, as in programming, different parts (intake, exhaust components, etc..), trust me, I know.. :)
my best-friends g/f's dad is one of the top guys at Eaton.. he tells us stories about how they get their test cars to make "numbers" when they hand them out..
Let Mazda bolt on an MS CAI and CB exhaust..

All in all, the SS is still shit, always has, always will be.. I don't care if they run the 1/4 in 5 seconds in reverse, the MS3 is still a better car..

I don't give two sh*ts about how much they changed.. I'm allowed to bit*h cause I used to own one.. and it'll still squeak and rattle on the interior.. they didn't change a damn thing except the seats! yippie kai-ay!
God.. end rant now..

[WhiteSpeed3]

all i got to say in this thread is dont knock the car until u drive it

when u do then u will admit this is a serious competitor if not a better car

[Garu]

Welp, it's still a FWD car.

[cereal83]

Yes, people just say the car is ugly and cheap. That's their only thing people can say about the car. They said nothing about how it smokes their car everytime and get better gas mileage. lol I sat in it and it was poo but I am sure when your passing everybody around you, you don't really car about a crappy dash or some rattles.

[Wild Weasel]

Friend of mine just bought one of these a few days ago. heh. Now I know someone with the SS/SC and with the SS/TC. :)

[Fobio]

Just as someone who hasn't sat in or driven a Cobalt TC shouldn't criticize it, the flip side is that someone who hasn't driven a MS3 OR a Cobat TC shouldn't make over-riding claims about either cars as being better than the other.

Guys can go racing on paper all day long... :wank

[theurgy]

Well.. as an overall package I'll prefer the MS3 over the Cobalt SS/TC any day.
However I would like to take it for a test drive.