I'm considering the purchase of a 09 SS/TC Coupe and wanted to know if anyone had some advice:

Are there any known problems with the SS/TC? I read about the TSB where the cold air charge tube came come loose or rub against the radiator support. What about powertrain, drivetrain, and turbocharger reliability? Any word on electrical issues?

Most of the dealers do not have the aero wing or the USB radio. I'm conflicted on the performance display since it uses a LCD screen. I bet it won't last long in intense heat or work fast enough in the cold weather.

How is the USB feature on the radio? is it worth driving 200 miles to find the right car? What about the aero wing? Is it really flexible and can it snap with enough road vibrations? I noticed the magazine tests for the SS/TC w/ the aero wing have a drag limited speed of about 140-150 MPH while the SS/TC w/ the standard low-profile spoiler were drag limited to 160 MPH.

I plan to drive the SS/TC in the winter so I will be getting all-season tires asap. How well do the stock wheels stand up to road salt? How bad is the torque-steer in snow?

 

I have a 09 SS/TC that I got in October, it has about 4000 miles on it and its been great so far.

Its a sedan so I can't comment on the performance display but I wouldn't want to live without the USB feature on the radio. I have a few hundred songs on a USB drive and its way better than dealing with CD's and I even like it better than XM.

The only problem with it is I noticed the rear brake rotors are starting to get chewed up. I haven't brought it in yet because they're not that bad and I've read its a common problem and there are no parts around to fix it right now.

Definitely buy car, I don't think you'll regret it. Its the funnest car I've ever owned.

 

I'll give my honest opinion...

As far as the performance goes, this car will NOT disappoint, in fact it's hard to keep off the throttle. Just the other morning I took a moderate left hand turn at 50km/h...felt the need to just step into it a little (only half throttle) and got the back end to cut loose a little (roads were cold)...man that was fun!

As for the rest of it, I don't mind the styling, I love the car looking directly from the back, with the round tails, low rear bumper and wheels wider than the bottom of the bumper...looks sick. I find you can live with the interior, that "cheapness" comment...who really cares? It looks better than a Cavalier or Sunfire for sure, and it's fairly intuitive.

Now for what I don't like, AT ALL! At first I hated that the car made so much noise while shifting gears, but I actually got used to it quite quickly...it really doesn't bother me at all right now, and I'm really **** about that kind of stuff. Now what does drive me nuts is the fact I have owned it for only 2 months and 3200kms and the rattles are driving me up the damn wall. I've had it in the dealer twice to have them fix them, to no avail. My rear deck crunches when really cold, squeeks when cool, and is quiet when warm. The suspension makes horrible creaky noises when it's colder than -10...almost to the point that I'm embarrassed to say it's my car, the dealer made that a bit better by lubing the stabilizer bar bushings. I think I may take a can of silicone spray to every bushing and mount to see if that shuts it up. And the interior...my god the dash and sunroof, rattle rattle pop crack...that's all I can say.

Long story short, I do really like the car, but I'm going on vacation at the end of April and I'm giving the dealer the car for the two weeks I'm gone and I'm telling them I don't want a squeek, rattle or crunch when I get it back...because they've been doing it since brand new, I'm pretty damn sure it's mostly manufacturing defects...

 

The USB radio is completely 100% worth it. When I got my cobalt I went to a dealer about 450 miles away to find the exact(ish) one I wanted. The USB radio can browse through whatever folder structure you put on it, so mine is arranged by artist then by album, so it's easy to find a particular song within the thousands that fit. Right now I have about 1500 songs on this little flash drive that barely sticks out of the dash:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820609296
8 gig for $17 is definitely not a bad deal. This thing is seriously about the size of a pop tab. If you're into more music the manual says it can read a USB hard drive (as long as it's formatted in FAT32 or FAT16) with up to 45K songs.

I guess the short answer is the USB feature is great.

I don't know how the RPD performs in cold weather, since I got my cobalt the coldest it's been is about 20, and it worked fine.

but seriously, you will NOT regret the USB radio

 

From what I've heard, the engine and tranny should be reliable...I believe the 2.0L is from Opel and the transmission is from Saab, all tried and true...and if the turbo is a Garrett, it should last. I have not heard of any real electrical issues.

I think the performance screen is cool, but haven't had a chance to try one.

I wish I would have gotten the USB jack...but I could always get the PAL I guess, hopefully it works the same...

I'm running all seasons on the stock 18's, and they SUCK. They're not as bad as summers, but they just get too stiff and don't offer enough traction in snow. These tires were supposed to be OK in snow, I got Cooper Zeon Sport A/S...I'm definitely investing in some 17's and winter tires next year...As for the snow torque steer, it's not really any worse than any other car, and there's no point giving full throttle most of the time when the roads are cold or snowy, traction is completely non-existent in first gear...

 

I was planning to go with Continental ContiExtremeContact, Bridgestone RE960A, or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus for all-seasons. Nothing else seems to work good in the snow.

I might have to do that and drive a few hundred miles to find the car I want. What unsettles me is the squeaks and rattles, how bad is it? I have heard horror stories about the SS/SC and SS/TC running into major interior problems (door paint rubs off on weatherstriping, leaky sunroof, etc...)

What are some real-world gas mileage figures from your SS/TC's? I heard they get over 30 MPG on the highway.

 

The RPD has no problems in the cold it works just as good at 0 as it does 70 i dont no about anything higher then that thoe but i have not had any problems with it, The usb radio is deff worth it for 100 bucks you cant go wrong.

 

If you get the car, you can't go wrong.

 

It's a matter of actually finding a dealer that is willing to sell one at a reasonable price. No one is budging below GMS pricing, and even then they are demanding a GMS code. One dealer is asking $50-$100 more than GMS pricing, but other dealers have offered that particular car (via a dealer trade) for GMS.

Several people at work have been frustrated by GM/Chrysler dealers to the point they bought a car from Nissan or Toyota.

It comes out to $22k and change out the door. Is that a fair price for a SS/TC or should I wait until it drops? or should I wait for the 2010 SS/TC?

 

$22k out the door sounds pretty fair to me given what I've seen from other owners. You could wait for 2010, but there's always a risk in that... Or buying any GM product right now, period. The auditor report that came out this week is pointing to a significant risk of bankruptcy. The 2010 SS/TC could simply be axed under a Chapter 11 restructuring, which is the best-case insolvency situation.

This doesn't even consider the risk of liquidation or the absolute **** resale values we'll all see in any bankruptcy scenario. I'm not trying to fear monger, just presenting the facts so you can make an informed decision. I don't regret my purchase even despite the current scenario we're facing.

...P.s.: As for the resale value point, it's not like we had any to speak of anyway

 

The squeaks and rattles are THAT bad, in some cars. But to be fair, I've scoured the boards of pretty much every other sport compact and they ALL have little noises...it IS a compact car with a better engine/tranny/suspension bolted up to it...so you really can't expect much, and that's coming from me, which says a lot.


As far as GM bankruptcy, I've been trying to find whether or not a manufacturer going under will cease our warranties, does anyone have a for sure statement about this? True, false?

 

I dont know. The USB thing is kinda retarded. 98 percent of people have ipods... just plug it into the AUX jack that comes standandard anyway. if you plug it into the USB port you cant easily find songs. It locks the screen on the ipod so u cant quickly scroll though things.

i only use the usb p ort to plug my ipod to charge it. then switch back to the aux jack

 

I love my car. Like any car if you put mods on things may go wrong. Make sure to get LSD. Remember snow tires will be expensive.

Biggest thing is make sure the dealer does their job with the PDI.

 

To each his own I suppose. I don't have an ipod, and to me $20 USB drive > $300 Ipod any day of the week

 

I like it just for the reason you mention is a problem. Where as you pick up your iPod and fiddle with the menus, I can do it from the dashboard. Your eyes are much closer to the road using the radio controls than picking up your iPod resting by the shifter.

 

I agree, I was going to use the USB port for my flash drive but the problem is finding a dealer with a SS/TC that has the UUI/USB. I wonder why these idiot dealerships order the dumbest stuff for the cars and leave out the good options. For instance, the SS/TC comes with an inflator kit instead of a spare tire, so 90% of these dealers order the $75 spare tire that replaces the inflator kit. The Corvette, GT500, and Shelby GT don't have spare tires and use inflators - it saves space and weight.

 

I agree, I was going to use the USB port for my flash drive but the problem is finding a dealer with a SS/TC that has the UUI/USB. I wonder why these idiot dealerships order the dumbest stuff for the cars and leave out the good options. For instance, the SS/TC comes with an inflator kit instead of a spare tire, so 90% of these dealers order the $75 spare tire that replaces the inflator kit. The Corvette, GT500, and Shelby GT don't have spare tires and use inflators - it saves space and weight.

 

I just ordered mine last night. I was told the USB port is a $100.00 standard option now. If you build one on Chevy's site, it checks the box automatically.

 

Interesting. I noticed it's now a $0 standard feature, but I don't remember if it was rolled into the price or not. I'm going to order it and make sure the USB feature is offered.