I'm looking at a new 2009 Cobalt SS sedan for about $20K. I've always been a Honda and VW guy. Convince me to jump!

 

They are the best cars ever made in the whole world. Is that good?

 

they arent inspired by uncle bens

 

If you're a VW/Honda guy then I guess the big question is what motivated you to purchase those vehicles in the past? I'm guessing you're going to say build quality and reliability but I thought I'd ask anyways.

 

a MN'er?! theres another guy with a SC SS in stillwater. Anyway you looking at a SS sedan?

The cobalt has better reliability than a vw.
The cobalt wont get stolen like a honda.

 

Troof win northvibe

^this /thread

 

are we talking base models? an SS?

 

main hesitation is all the carping about rental interior and poor value -- plummeting resale value. But at 20k, dep. shouldn't be as bad. Is every day driving at 70 mph better than some plain vanilla rental?

 

You're going to have to make the judgement call on the interior yourself. My friend owns a 2007 Si and to be honest I don't see it being light years ahead of my TC in interior quality. It is better but still doesn't compare to something like an Evo, G37, etc. I'd recommend you spend some time inspecting the interior and see what you think.

Don't expect a GM to hold value like you're accustomed to with your imports, it's just not realistic. Like you said, you're spending 20k, you're not invesesting 40k or 50k in the car so the resale will depreciate accordingly. You probably need to ask yourself how long do you plan on keeping the vehicle? How long are you financing for?

The mistake far too many people make is comparing the SS/TC to the 2.2L simply because it looks similar with the exception of the appearance modifications the TC has. Once you sit in the seat and drive it on the highway you'll realise right away you're NOT driving a "rental" vehicle (I hate that term, there was nothing wrong with my 2.2L, I enjoyed it for the 4.5 years I owned it ). The suspension is firm but not harsh, if you stay out of the boost the economy is there but let the turbo spool up and you've got the power when you need it or when you just want to have some fun with the car.

I think the only real option is to take it out for a test drive and get a feel for it. If you read reviews online the only common complaint is the interior, beyond that the majority of sources agree GM did an excellent job on the SS/TC and it's flying under the radar with the end of its lifecycle quickly approaching.

 

go test drive it and make your own decision

 

Honda's and VW's are slow as dog ****. Welcome to something quicker, but doesnt have a martha stuart interior.

 

 

- Stolen from USMC haha

But seriously thats a moot argument...any car can be fast with enough money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w6-zkM8h5o <-- now has over 800whp
and I'm postive there are fast hondas lol

 

Ya but he's asking about purchasing new before any modifications have been made so it applies from an "off the dealer's lot" perspective .

 

Do you really want to spend 15k+ and only make around 500 whp? I certainly dont. Thats just sad.

Seriously though, VW makes **** poor tuners. The idea behind a tuner is a cheap car that can be made fast on a budget. VW is neither cheap NOR made fast on a budget. In addition, all the parts on a VW are junk and cant make **** for power by comparison to other sport compacts.

VW = expensive garbage

As for civic's, well you need FI to make them fast, so automatically tack a turbo kit, and internals onto the price of the car and theres ur civic. Really, if the sport compact isnt FI from the factory its garbage.

 

I went from a base model...to teh SS/TC and its night and day. Interior does not bother me...i ddint buy it to have a nice interior. The looks and performance out weigh it.

 

^^X37389393

I think the interior is just fine. It was the performance im after. I came from a fully bolted ss/sc to the ss/tc (which is also fully bolted)

 

Only issue now is should I wait for the new Buick Regal. Basically an Opel with the 2 litre turbo (but only 220 hp?).

 

You get to be one of us!

 

if its the LNF (which IIRC it is) then you can always tune it up to near 300whp....as long as you dont mind not having a warranty

 

That depends on what you're looking for. Will the Buick likely have better fit/finish, I would imagine so. Is it going to handle/drive like an SS/TC, not a chance. They're going to use the same suspension setup the average Regal customer would be returning it complaining the ride is too hard . I'd also be surprised to see the same brake setup as well as the electronics (ie. launch control, competitive mode, no-lift shift, etc.). In fact, I'd imagine it will only be offered with a manual transmission at all.

Long story short it'll be the same (detuned) motor but the similarities will end there .

 

I have the SS/TC sedan the extra doors are the ****. I will admit the interior might be better on the other two MIGHT..... but the performance difference is huge. Also the sleeper effect of having 4 doors is great. I don't like honduh for 2 reasons, #1 your labled a ricer weither you are or not. #2 the power band lasts about as long as a high school sex encounter. VW.... ever try to get one fixed? HAS to goto VW dealer or your pawing out the ass, and they don't make good power. I rode in a VR4 jetta i think 02-03 and it was nothing special. IMO....

 

the fleet cars are bottom of the barrel base models with roll up windows, power nothing, and no amenities. The ss is a HUGE step up. Guess it depends what you're looking for. It's by far the best fwd tuner car on the market in terms of performance. Blows away the competition in pretty much every aspect. Is that more important to you than having a "nice" interior? If so, get the cobalt!