So in the next few months I will be at my lease's end for my 2001 Eclipse GT. I am considering a swath of cars in the $18k - $25k range, and right now the 2006 GTI gets my nod, but I am keeping an open mind on what to get.

My best friend has had a Cobalt for a while now and he loves his. Although not the SS, it does have descent power and the looks are descent (still not sure about the front end). Reading up on the potential power from the 2.0 has peaked my curiosity.

So without the fanboi banter, or x sucks and y rules, give me your honest pros and cons. Give me the other vehicles you considered before taking the plunge.

 

the ss is backed by its factory for upgrading, i would go with the ss 2.4 or 2.0

 

I like many others have had the car in 5 times for wishy washy warrenty work. I suggest that you read the problem section in this forum before making a solid choice on a GM product. I really like the car but can't stand the down time and don't know when it will happen again. I bought the car on Dec 29 2005. Its a 2006. Bugs should have been worked out by now but obviously the factory workmanship is slipping. One more problem and my wife gets it and I go back to my Ford Ranger 4x4 XLT. (Never had a days problem with it and its a 2000).

Good luck

 

I bought my car fully expecting to regret buying it . Never had a 4 cyl. , never had small car ...ect ect . The potential of the 2.0 , its economy ect. is why I bought the car . Ive had it 8 months now and just hit 20K miles today , and I can honestly say ...the car has immensely grown on me . The new car thing hasnt worn off , I still go drive it just to drive it , as my ODO shows , haha . Its not without its faults , I hate the hard plastic dash pad and door panels because they scratch really easy . They look really nice , they just are more prone to scratch . The shifter feel could be alot better , but again ....its totally liveable . General quality with mine has been rock solid . Only probs have been the leather pulling from the door panels and the metallic trim bezels for the window and door locks on both sides where wearing away . Both replaced under warranty and the new parts have been on the car about 4 months and are not exibiting any signs of wear or scratches . And speaking of leather , if you get one ....definately get the G85 pkg. with the Recaro's and the LSD . The leather on the base seats wears very qwickly after only like a month . Luckily I was able to score some new Recaro's for mine . Leather wear has been about 0 in the 7 months theyve been in my car and , they are WAY more supportive than the stock seats . One other prob Im having with mine , is the paint on the wheels is kinda starting to bubble up , my dealer has already agreed to replace them all under warranty this spring when the weather clears . The SS is definatly stronger mechanically than I gave it credit for , Ive drag raced several times at the strip , and Im not easy at all on it most of the time on the street , all my WOT shifts are powershifted . Trans and clutch still feel new , no engine probs . My brakes feel horrible now , but I its probably due to my driving habits an stock GM rotors generally do suck for anything outside normal driving . They tend to warp prematurely . Even in my Camaro's and Trans Am .

I dunno , I cant really compare to too much on the market today . Back when I looked at my SS , I also looked at a last gen GTI , a R32 , WRX non-sti , SRT-4 and a Type-S RSX . IMO , I just found the Cobalt to be the best compromise of everything .

 

I might be one of the most biased ppl on this foprum(Pro GM) but i must say, the New GTi and SRT-4 are prob the only other cars i'd consider for the $$$ I think The Coablt looks the best, but must say The SRT-4 seems to be the most impressive for the modding. good luck with your car buying! Hope to see your SS soon. j/p

 

There is a member on here (I think SRTurbo?) who had an SRT-4 but crashed and ended up getting a new GTI. HE would be a good one to try and message.

 

He changed his name to My Fast.

 

the only negative about volkwagens is the fact that IF you need to have work done you will pay through the nose. VW's are well engineered well built cars but, if something goes wrong it goes real wrong. And you cant just take it to anybody. I worked at a VW audi bmw dealership and drove some very nice VW's. if you get a good one its great itll run forever but if you get unlucky and get a lame one youre in for a rough ride as the millions of little extrasthey throw on brake like dominoes. if one goes everthing down the line has problems. when i worked at the dealership it was something wiht the air filter. I would see the same 10 cars every month and it was always something else.

btw i love my 2.0 SS/SC. dollar for dollar better than the neon. the srt has a better aftermarket at this point and is just a bit quicker, but you dont get the same interior styling and respect because of the "you're in a neon" thing.



dont get me wrong i like the looks of the srt. not so much the gti.

 

PROS
1. Great supercharged power, that surprises a lot of people
2. Handles great
3. Fairly decent gas mileage
4. Stock stereo is the absolute best I've ever heard from a factory car!!!
CONS
1. The SS carries a view as kind of a high school car
2. I really am disgusted with the build quality of the car. Rattles, squeaks, body twists...Just flat out cheap
3. Stock tires absolutly suck in the snow!!! So plan on buying steelies with snow tires or just tires
4. Not very friendly when it comes to taking people anywhere (2 door that's less user friendly for the back seat riders when getting out.)
5. Not AWD
6. Clutches seem very weak for stock, but then again which ones don't

I considered the WRX STI, Evo VIII. I traded in my POS 2004 1.8T Jetta, and to be honest I feel as if it was a downgrade in quality, but an overall improvement in power and handling. But now that there's a couple cars out that better fit my needs I'm going with one of those and going to get what I can out of this cobalt ss.

 

man...awsome topic!!

Ok..here is my opinion on ALL the cars that I was looking at before I decided on the cobalt...and my opinion on each car and dealer.

My previous car was a 2002 VW Jetta TDI that was modified enough to make it very fun It broke down alot and I live 3 hrs from the nearest dealership. I decided to get rid of it and test drove the new Jetta GLI. I found the GLI to be a very heavy car...and it felt heavy. The interior was outstanding and it is definately the luxury car for the poor man. The dealer that I was with was amazing and would bend over backwards for me no matter what. I did not want another VW at this time so I decided to start shopping around.

Enter Hyundai...I took the Tiburon Tuscani for a spin. One of the best shifters I have felt resides in this car. The car also felt very heavy and would understeer alot due to that clunky V6 under the hood. The power was also not there. It is a drop-dead sexy looking car...but I found that is all it really had going for it. It did not handle well and the dealer was an ass and really turned me off.

Next was mitsubishi. I took the Eclipse and Eclipse Gt out for a tool and I did not really "click" with it. The interior looks slapped together and the driving position did not mix with me at all. The car handled great and the engine in both the GT and base model had pretty good power. The torque steer was out of hand on the GT and the seats made my back very sore after only 20 minutes. I also was not too keen on the looks of the car...if you paint laces on the hood, you could make it look like a football on wheels. Also..the dealer was pushy and he also was the acura dealer so I did not even bother...acuras are WAY overpriced in canada anyways.

On to Nissan. I took the sentra Spec V out and admit that it is a pretty fun car to drive. It pushed hard in the corners and had loads of torque steer though. It also rattled like crazy. I was not very impressed by its outdates looks either. The dealer was ok....did not seem to care that I was shopping for a car and did not really help me when I was on the lot.

Next...Toyota. I tried a few cars at Toyota. I first tried the Yaris just for hoots and it is a very nice car for the price.....handles well and has the turing radius of a golf cart....has the power of a golf cart too. Next was the corolla XRS which was a pretty fun car to drive. I have always liked the look of the new corollas..something about them is sexy...especially with the factory body kit installed. The car was very neutral and came with very comfortable sport seats. The engine is a torqueless wonder but the 6-speed trans aided slightly with that. The fit and finished was pretty good but I could not connect with the car...it felt "empty". The next car was an 05 Celica.....drives great...handles great...looks great.....thats about it. Not much power even with the GT version and the interior was not my cup of tea...I liked it the LEAST out of the Toyotas.

Off to Dodge....drove an SRT4 and was not really impressed. My fiencee has an SX 2.0 and it is good for booting around and whatnot.....but I dont really "dig" that car. The SRT was pretty quick but it did not handle well compaired to most of the other cars. I have driven turbo cars (my jetta had a turbo putting out 21 lbs of boost) and I was not impressed with the lag of the SRT4. Great car for drag racing...hella fast...but I like to go around corners

On to Honda where I drove both the civic EX coupe and Si. The civic is a very nice car! Handles amazingly well in both EX and Si trims. The EX felt gutless but this did not suprise me...and I was not really keen on the looks at first..but seeing the car in person...it is a pretty sweet looking ride. The Si is a very well put together car. Great handling...awsome transmission and very smooth engine. There is not much torque but it does seem to peak fairly early and the VTC and V-TEC systems hold the torque well past 7000 RPM. I did not like the RED leds in the Si as they were distractling and I found myelf turing them down. The seats are the best ever! Everyone NEEDS to take an example of the sport seats in the Si...they are PERFECT! The one thing that suprised me was the rattles in the honda.....the plastic peiced rattled like a skeleton dancing on a tin roof in a freakin hailstorm! I was very close to buying the honda Si...but the dealers are not dealing at all and most of the time they are making you buy all kinds of dealer installed crap to inflate their profits.

Fast forward to the Cobalt SS/SC. I was not really considering the cobalt...but decided to give it a go because I was really drawn to the looks of the coupe. I was impressed with the body gaps and the fit and finish of the exterior. I was also drawn to the fact that this car has its roots from Opal, Saab, Lotus, VXH and was largly kept intact and not run through the "lets make it crappy" machine that other GM cars up to this point have been put through. I sat down in the car and was VERY impressed by the quality of the interior....the fact that the interior highly mimics the MK4 Jetta was a bonus as I loved my old car even though I got rid of it. The materials are not a good as my old VW....but they at least LOOK like they are high end (Padded dash in VW vs Plastic dash in cobalt). The seats, although not as good as honda's...were very comfortable for my body and everything was in the right place. The stereo system was way better than I expected...I am an ex-audiophile....and used to run systems in my cars...but I got sick of spending all that $$. The gaps on the interior are consistant....just DONT compare it to a VW interior as the crappiest VW interior rivals the BEST chevy interiors (sorry...gotta be honest). The suprising part was the fact that the cobalt did not rattle...no matter how hard I tried...it felt and rode solid as a rock.....a rock that handles very well. This car is an OUTSATNDING road car...so much fun to drive! It sticks to the road so well...even near the limit it has very inert road manners and is very flat and neutral through the corners...with just a hint of understeer at the limit to let you know that you will be in a drift if you keep pushing...by that point...there is not much more pushing you can do. the best part of this car is definately that drivetrain. The engine is so smooth and torquey and its there whenever you need it. It was definately one of the quickest cars I test drove. The SRT and Eclipse Gt were faster...but that car has 2 extra holes and 60 extra HP. With a few mods...the cobalt will own it easily. The supercharger whine is intoxicating and the accelleration is very sneaky on this car. The transmission, while not quite as slick as the Civic Si...is amazingly tight and short for a car like this. It is definately on the top 5 transmissions I have driven (counting ALL crs I have driven). I was sold after my 2nd test drive....because my first drive was in a snowstorm and I never got past 60 km/h. The cool thing about the cobalt...it that it feels raw like a sports car....it does not feel like a luxury car or an econo box. It feels like it was made to looks agressive, sound agressive, and drive agressive. It delivers on all 3 counts.

hope this helps!

-P

 

I am biased, but if you must get a fwd car, get a SRT-4. 1k of mods will get you to about 280whp, maybe more. Cobalts are nice, they just don't seem to have the same kind of power potential.

 

I like my cobalt. I have 19k on it so far and it has made me really happy with the decision that I made to buy it. It is not the bast with fit and Finnish but it does look vary good. Power is grate. especially for regular driving. If you need to move faster boom its there. In my old car a 2000 civic ex i found my self always down shifting to 3rd to get up and go then to have it cut out at around 100. I test drove a lot of cars and was really leaning to the WRX but it was just out of price range and I did not like the suby looks.

Hear is a quick list of some of the cars that I drove. s2000, Nissan spec v, G35, WRX, Eve 8 (out of price range or I would have gotten), mitsu lancer, older BMW 5m (nice car but really used) BMW 318i nice but little slow and was auto, IS 300 ( out of price range and other people I know had one.

I think one of the main things that sold me on the cobalt is that no one else had one, it drives grate, good sound system, Priced right, good gas mileage, lower insurance then my old civic.

I have to say that the cobalt is living up to its part of the bargain. meaning I still love to drive it. Also I can not wait to get the GM stage 2.

 

I don't think there is a better bang for buck deal on the market, maybe the srt4 if you can still find one.

My only complaint is my SS rattles like a motherf**ker.

 

I share most of the same opinons as some other posts. Interior could have definatly been made better, it looks great when you first see it but I've slowly started noticing inperfections(But thats only when I'm parked which is never very long) I havn't got great gas milage (21 mpg-but I also have not been driving conservitavly). With that being said I am so glad I got this car. I've never owned a sports car, and didn't expect to own one for 20k but this will suprise the hell out of you. There is so much power available, it handles great, awsome sound system (especially with XM). To top it all off, NO ONE HAS THIS CAR. No one knows about it, so people try to take off on the freeway and I'm usually passing them or right on there ass. I take my girl through some mild twisties in my car every couple nights and she loves it (I sometimes wish I had the Recarros). There are faster cars (SRT4), better handling cars (WRX, RSX-S) more stylish cars, but the Cobalt SS supercharged puts that all together perfectly IMO, and all for a great price!

 

I had zero intentions of EVER owning a GM product. Junk was the only thing that came to mind. I went to test drive an SS/SC so I could post honest opinions of it on a website. Three days later I ordered mine. Nuff said.

I love mine. Zero rattles and I drive on terrible roads every day. I dunno what you are talking about.

 

Im talking about the fact that my SS rattles, I didnt say all SS's rattle but mine sure does. I've got a glove box rattle, something rattles under the dash on the drivers side and there is also a rattle coming from the rear. Come drive my car for a day if you don't believe me.

 

I didn't say I didn't believe you. Take it in and get it fixed.

 

FWIW - it only took roughly $600 to get 270 wp out of a 2006 SS . It was Rob from Intense . Then a couple other members backed up the # with similar wp dyno #'s . Once the PCM can be tuned , the potential is definately there .

 

To me my car isnt all about power... the srt-4 fast and all.. is one if the ugliest cars ive seen.., no style, no leather. a neon with a body kit.. the cobalt exterior is apealling, and much better options than the srt-4.. they dont even put power rear windows in it. how cheap is that... lol

 

To tell you the truth, I'm not at all ready for a 4 door car. period. so that puts the srt and wrx and Is 300 out besides I love my car. It's a huge step up from my cavi and it's got plenty of power. I like the 06 SI but my friend has an 04 so thats lame to "copy" him.

 

Yeah but the Cobalt blows the SRT way in its raw appeal. To me, the SRT ha little Sports Car appeal. If it was only about power, there are allot of cars out there under 30K that would beat both of ours.

 

I love the cobalt ss. Although there are some problems maily rattles and fitment on the interior. Nothing major they just are annoying. I got all probs. fixed and it's been great since. I can honestly say the Srt would be the way to go if you looking to mod for cheap. I also like the sti but just not a huge subi fan.

 

Hey I love the looks of the SS. I have an SRT-4 and enjoy it, but comparing a vw to a chevy...i don't know it's all about what you want to sit in.....personally i would choose an SS hands down!

 

i would go with the SS/SC.. to me it is the best bang for the buck around. it may have its flaws but give it some time.. the'll go away. good luck car hunting and keep us updated

 

I second that. No rattles on my 06 SS 2.4. I, for one, love the handling and build quality.