After test driving a Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and a Cobalt, my son chose the Cobalt, so, we bought it for him last week. It's an ultra silver LS Sedan with the sport package, manual tranny and XM satellite radio. He loves it; the girls think it's "sweet" or "cute." He almost took it back when they called it "cute" ;)

I wanted him to get another Cobalt at another dealer that was also an LS sedan in blue granite with the sport package, MP3/CD stereo, pioneer premium speakers and auto tranny. He wanted silver and the 5-speed. I just felt the A/T was more practical if he ends up married with kids in the next few years. It's a distinct possibility.

This car has some serious curb appeal; lots of interested neighbors. I paid $12,200 (+ tax and license) for it after the $1500 loyalty discount and $3700 in GM card credit. A good deal I would say.

Here are some pics (my son added the heavy rubber mats to protect the carpeted mats from snow/dirt - the pinetree air freshener is also an aftermarket accessory :D ):

http://img151.exs.cx/img151/1065/cobalt0013iu.jpg
http://img55.exs.cx/img55/2065/cobalt0064xn.jpg
http://img76.exs.cx/img76/228/cobalt0086jn.jpg
http://img158.exs.cx/img158/3568/cobalt0093mb.jpg
http://img99.exs.cx/img99/5218/cobalt0104yf.jpg
http://img12.exs.cx/img12/5277/cobalt0128vx.jpg
http://img103.exs.cx/img103/7941/cobalt0134rb.jpg
http://img75.exs.cx/img75/4426/cobalt0178nj.jpg
http://img194.exs.cx/img194/2633/cobalt0035ak.jpg

Sounds like a sweet car for an excellent deal. Do you guys have any pics? We would love to see it.

And welcome to :cssNET:

We'll take some pics and post them in the next couple of days if it will quit raining/snowing here in Utah. However, after 6 straight years of serious drought, we can't complain about the weather. Learning to drive a manual tranny in the snow has been quite an adventure for my son, but, the last two days of rain have taken care of all the snow.

OUCH!!! learning how to drive standard on a brand new car. Oh well gotta learn sometime. Hope he enjoys it. I dont think I oculd ever go back to driving automatic cars.

OUCH!!! learning how to drive standard on a brand new car. Oh well gotta learn sometime. Hope he enjoys it. I dont think I oculd ever go back to driving automatic cars.

I don't think it's that big of a deal, I learned standard on old junkers but tought my sister on her new cavy. I'm sure these transmissions will be taking a lot more of a beating from the rest of us than just learning would put on them. ;)

I just felt the A/T was more practical if he ends up married with kids in the next few years. It's a distinct possibility.

This car has some serious curb appeal; lots of interested neighbors. I paid $12,200 (+ tax and license) for it after the $1500 loyalty discount and $3700 in GM card credit. A good deal I would say.

3700 gm VISA??? the limit on the cobalt is suposed to be $1500

how old is your son,... that you're buing him a car, he can't drive a stick, .. sounds like he's 16-18 . then you tell him to get the auto cause he may get maried and have kids that's hilarious.

3700 gm VISA??? the limit on the cobalt is suposed to be $1500

how old is your son,... that you're buing him a car, he can't drive a stick, .. sounds like he's 16-18 . then you tell him to get the auto cause he may get maried and have kids that's hilarious.

There is now a limit on the amount of GM credit you can apply to each car with the newer GM cards. However, I got my GM MasterCard in 1991 and, at that time, you could accumulate all you wanted with no per vehicle limits. They tried to get me to switch to the new card when it came out. I said no way! I used $3449 in accumulated credit when I bought my '98 Prizm and just used $3721 on the Cobalt. It was all totally free money to me as it was accumulated primarily through business travel expenses which were totally reimbursed by my company. I always pay off the cc balance in full every month. I have never paid a penny in cc interest, so I am taking GM's free 5% every year. :lol:

My son is 22 with quite a few interested female companions :D . We've just always had automatics so, he has never driven a standard. He's picked it up quickly though. I drove standards all through my youth so, I love the Cobalt. He is paying for the car, I was the negotiator/consultant/co-signer. We took the 0% 36 month deal as well so, we walked out of there having paid $0 for the car even though we would have paid cash on the spot to avoid interest charges. He'll pay the purchase price ($369 a month) plus pay me back for the GM credit so I can use it on replacing the Prizm + any other accumulated credit I may have when my 12 and 10-year-olds need a car for school in their later teen years.

Congratulations! :)



I'm a 22 year old guy (23 on Thursday) who bought a new silver 2005 Chevrolet Malibu LT last week, but the Cobalt (or Pontiac Pursuit, if GM brings it here) may very well be my next car. ;)

I don't think it's that big of a deal, I learned standard on old junkers but tought my sister on her new cavy. I'm sure these transmissions will be taking a lot more of a beating from the rest of us than just learning would put on them. ;)

yeah i guess it just sounds worse than it really is.

I've got some pics of the silver Cobalt LS w/sport package, but, my posting rules say I cannot post attachments. I assume that's what I need to do in order to be able to post the pics. Any suggestions? :(

Premium Members can post attachments in the forums.
You can host pics for free here: http://www.imageshack.us/
Or just email them to me and I'll host them for you.

Premium Members can post attachments in the forums.
You can host pics for free here: http://www.imageshack.us/
Or just email them to me and I'll host them for you.

Cool, I never noticed that. :cssNET:

Premium Members can post attachments in the forums.
You can host pics for free here: http://www.imageshack.us/
Or just email them to me and I'll host them for you.
Thanks for the tip on pic hosting, JonelZ. I guess I should have paid attention to your signature line :bow:

Great looking car! Far better then the Mazda 3 which is too rounded.

I don't know why some people think the 4dr Coblat looks bad--looks pretty good for a 4 door.

Great looking car! Far better then the Mazda 3 which is too rounded.

I don't know why some people think the 4dr Coblat looks bad--looks pretty good for a 4 door.
I would have to agree with you. I do not say that just because the Cobalt is what we bought. Of the four cars we test drove, the Cobalt was - IMHO - wrapped in the best looking sheet metal. The Civic is just plain, well ... plain. The Mazda 3 is nice looking, but, I like the Cobalt better. The Corolla looks OK, but, once you get inside the cabin it's all very pedestrian although it does have the best rear seat legroom. The interior of the Cobalt (at least on the LS with the sport package) is very nice indeed. The climate controls are a bit too low to be convenient, but, other than that, it's a very nicely laid out interior. The Cobalt has certainly been an eye catcher since my son brought it home. A lot of that has to do with the fact that very few people have seen one, so, it's still a fresh look.

Although it will remain a matter of opinion, the Cobalt is a very nice-looking compact sedan.

A lot of that has to do with the fact that very few people have seen one, so, it's still a fresh look.
Although it will remain a matter of opinion, the Cobalt is a very nice-looking compact sedan.

I could not agree more!
Very nice car. It looks nice and clan in silver. Would you like to be the next “Featured Car” on cobaltss.net? What modifications do you guys have planned? :D

I could not agree more!
Very nice car. It looks nice and clan in silver. Would you like to be the next “Featured Car” on cobaltss.net? What modifications do you guys have planned? :D
Sure, feature away! As to planned modifications, the usual suspects are candidates; stereo upgrades that fit and look nice, possibly wheels (although the stock machined aluminum are rather nice as is the Pirelli rubber), performance mods, maybe some tasteful and subtle body graphics. I doubt my son will want to do anything drastic and expensive right now. He still has to pay for the car first ;) However, suggestions are always welcome for must-have mods.

I could not agree more!
Very nice car. It looks nice and clan in silver. Would you like to be the next “Featured Car” on cobaltss.net? What modifications do you guys have planned? :D

I agree also. The sedan looks a lot better in person than in pictures on chevrolet.com. I was actually really impressed with the car when I drove and LS w/ Sport Package a few days ago. I thought the only car that I'd like in the lineup would be the SS, but I was really impressed. The interior is very nice, and the Pioneer system pounds. There is absolutely no comparison to be made between this car and a cavalier, even base Cobalt vs. LS Cavy. It just exudes quality, style and solidity when placed beside a Cavalier.

I agree also. The sedan looks a lot better in person than in pictures on chevrolet.com. ... The interior is very nice, and the Pioneer system pounds. There is absolutely no comparison to be made between this car and a cavalier, even base Cobalt vs. LS Cavy. It just exudes quality, style and solidity when placed beside a Cavalier.
The pictures on chevrolet.com *do not* do this car justice. In fact, we did a little Internet research before deciding which models to test drive. The Mazda 3 website is very well done and really gets you excited about the car with great pictures (including a 360 degree view) and information. The Cobalt was a courtesy addition simply because of my GM credit. I really did not think it would be a contender and the pictures on chevrolet.com did nothing to get us excited. Frankly, I thought the choice would come down to the Mazda 3 or the Corolla. When I asked my son to rate all four after test drives and narrow it down to two choices, he rated the Cobalt #1, the Corolla #2, the Mazda #3 and the Civic #4.

His reason for ranking the Cobalt #1? He thought it had the best looking interior and exterior of all the cars. I must admit, I was surprised by it as well, although interior-wise, I think I still like the Mazda 3 the best. However, I have always liked the Euro look.

Car is LOOKIN GOOOOOD!!! i like the silver a lot

Wonder if those are the "titanium faced guages"?
and the car looks nice, great pics :cssNET:

Congrats and nice car.:thumb:

Thanks for posting those pics.:)

i really like the interior with the two tone never thought i would hmmm

Wonder if those are the "titanium faced guages"?
and the car looks nice, great pics :cssNET:
The sport package description just calls the gauges in my pics white-faced guages. I don't think these are the same as the titanium faced gauges.

I took 17 pictures of the car; I posted only 8. The shots not posted are additional exterior shots, the engine compartment with the hood open and the trunk opening. If anyone wants to see the additional pics, just email me.

Congrats!

I went to look at five of these my local dealer has, the blue and black were SWEET, but the interior of both and the FOUR doors just aint my cup of tea ;)

Cant wait to get up close and personal to the LS and SS :)

Looks just like the one I saw in the local showroom. Hope your son and his lady friends enjoy the new car!

Car looks good.
Good Luck With It.

Hoopster, if you wouldn't mind posting a picture of the pedals that would be awesome. Even if they are just generic rubber junk I still want to see them.

Hoopster, if you wouldn't mind posting a picture of the pedals that would be awesome. Even if they are just generic rubber junk I still want to see them.
You can see the pedals in the 2nd, 5th and 7th pictures I posted in the first post in this thread. I will see if I can get you a "closeup" of the pedals tonight.

How about a night pic of the guages? plllleeeaasee http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gifhttp://www.cobaltss.net/forums/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gifhttp://www.cobaltss.net/forums/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif

You can see the pedals in the 2nd, 5th and 7th pictures I posted in the first post in this thread. I will see if I can get you a "closeup" of the pedals tonight.

Nah, for some reason I completely missed them. Blended in withthat rubber mat. Thanks though.

How about a night pic of the guages? plllleeeaasee http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gifhttp://www.cobaltss.net/forums/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gifhttp://www.cobaltss.net/forums/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif
OK, I just added a picture of the white-faced gauges at night. It's a little blurry because I turned off the flash and took the picture in night mode to slow down the shutter. I was not able to hold the camera perfectly still. Taking the picture with the flash on would not have provided a true picture of the gauge lighting.

http://img192.exs.cx/img192/9007/cobalt0022hi.jpg

i love this picture

wow, they are so sweet. Can you try and get a clear pic for us?

Wow, those are impressive!!!!!

Those look shweet indeed, can't wait to see SS gauges at night :-D

Here you go! A couple of pictures on a tripod. These are a bit clearer.

http://img194.exs.cx/img194/2633/cobalt0035ak.jpg
http://img194.exs.cx/img194/6067/cobalt0049cj.jpg

In the daylight, these gauges have a white face with black numerals. Notice how, when illuminated at night, the numerals are white on a grayish-white background. That's a pretty cool illumination trick!

Definitly look cool at night. I am so glad that they didn't glow white at night.

Also what is that little compartment to the left of the steerling wheel, below the vent? Is that like the Focus' CD storage compartment?

That compartment is a small storage compartment, although it is too small for CDs it is fairly deep. It also contains the trunk release button.

Wow.... those guages are HOT!!!!

Too bad the SS doesn't come with those :(

I just came across another Cobalt forum on which the pictures I posted here (except the gauges at night) have suddenly appeared. It looks like they were posted there just today. Other Cobalt pictures from this forum also appear there. Since this is the only Cobalt forum I frequent (until today, the only one I was aware of) and the only place I have personally posted my pictures, I am left to conclude that someone at that site has "borrowed" my pictures and other cobaltss.net content.

It's not that I mind so much that someone else has used my pictures - once I posted them I considered them in the public domain; nevertheless, it does bother me that someone is duplicating the contents of this site as if it were their own original content. If not illegal, it is at least highly unethical. Are you forum moderators aware of this? I'd be happy to point you to the copycats if you are not already aware of their existence.

BTW, the tone of the posts and the graphics on the site lead me to believe it is run and frequented by a bunch of hormone-crazed teenagers. I certainly won't spend any time there. It's discovery was an accident anyway.

does bother me that someone is duplicating the contents of this site as if it were their own original content. If not illegal, it is at least highly unethical. QUOTE]

What they are doing is illegal. If you look at the bottom of the site you will find:
[quote] ©CobaltSS Network - All posts are copyright of the original authors and must be referenced with a link. Please email me or PM me the link to these criminals.

I am aware of one site, where the owner admitted he was ripping off our content.

What a bunch of "TOOLS" those guys are!! They can't come up with there OWN ORIGINAL content.... That goes to show..

WE ARE #1 AND WE ARE OFFICIAL!..

LET IT BE KNOWN... dam it! lolol :mad:

I really like the gauges.

I'm curious as to why your son chose the sedan over the coupe. Just a personal preference?

I really like the gauges.

I'm curious as to why your son chose the sedan over the coupe. Just a personal preference?
Praticality reasons:
1. He needed a car now - coupe was not yet available, yet he liked the Cobalt
2. He has lots of friends and they go lots of places. Sedan is a more practical people hauler.
3. He wanted what could become a "family car" if the need arises in the next few years
4. Insurance costs - coupes are considered sports cars and carry higher premiums (he compromised and got a "sporty sedan")
5. He's not into the "pimp my ride" or street racing/performance scenes when it comes to cars. Coupes are better for that, but, it was not a concern.

http://img194.exs.cx/img194/2633/cobalt0035ak.jpg

Oh that is just sick looking! :bow:

how is the car 2 months later?

how is the car 2 months later?

Mechanically, no problems. There is a little more wind/highway noise than I would like. It could be a bit quieter. I don't drive it much at all. I'll get an update from my son on his impressions.