need Help Deciding
 

FYI I also posted this on other sites please reply if you can add something intelligent
Thanks,

Hello all,
I am in the process of looking for a new car after an accident that totaled my old car (not my fault).
I have been doing research as far as what to buy. I have narrowed my choices down to 3 or 4 realistic possibilities
I am trying to keep it under $25k sticker no matter what it is..
The contenders are......
Cobalt SS/SC
SRT-4
Tib GT
Mustang V6

Now, before the trolls attack I know which car is the fastest etc....
THAT IS NOT MY CONCERN I DO NOT CARE WHICH CAR HAS THE BEST TIMES ETC. This will be a daily driver that I wish to enjoy... not race everyone because I have a mental problem and cannot control myself on the street like some people
(I was nearly killed by someone street racing BTW)
You could put a sick motor in a Yugo does that make it the baddest car evaaaaa NO. just quick ....not what I care about
I am looking for a car that feels right and has the options I want ..
170+hp is just fine for me.
this forum seems to be pretty helpful, I checked the other cars forums as well some just act like little children (no fingers pointed ....you know who you are and you will probably post in this thread as expected with your kiddie mentality)
I grew up with V8's and cars that had 400+hp were common stock and N/A even!!
I digress for the moment.
The high and low points of each car for me are..

Cobalt ss/sc = only manual...not sure if I will have "normal" use of my left leg
and it needs bigger trunk opening, also cannot find a black one equipped like I want ....possible quality concerns as well..
I do like the standard options though and I like the looks
FOR THE UNEDUCATED OR IGNORANT -It is built on the delta platform ,same as the saturn Ion NOT the cavailer there is NO '06 cavy ....if you want to call it a cosat ... fine... just please stop being ignorant about any car other than your own. It makes you look stupid
PLEASE REVIEW ABOVE IF YOU ARE CONFUSED IT REALLY IS TRUE.

SRT-4 = not too hot on 4 door and like it or not fanboi's.... if you take off the bodykit and performance boltons... it really is a neon... sorry same platform whether you admit it or not... yes there is an '06 neon with basically same chassis....
also a manual shift (see above)
upside ...it is quick and very readily available in my area (CT) bigger trunk opening (important to me as a gigging musician), lots of aftermarket support.

Tiburon GT V6= slower than the rest but has an Auto trans avail. (see disability above) not a huge import fan though i do like the tib.
excellent warranty , cheaper price fully loaded

Mustang V6= RWD not a good idea with NE winters ,like the looks
good trunk space and I like the overall aesthetics of the car (just feels right)
expensive for what you get and NO sunroof avail. as far as I know (BIG minus)

In any event I have a month or 2 to decide then I will buy one cash I am just looking for any plus or minus factor an owner of any of these cars can enlighten me with
You have the real world experience that test drives cannot relay
i.e. how does the car hold up after its on the street awhile
BTW previous car was a stratus R/T bought because I could not resist deal I was offered (14k for new '02 in late '03) dealer leftover
If anyone can help me decide please post worthwhile comments (No fanboi BS for any of the cars necessary)
I am merely looking for more opinions before I decide
Thanks ,
Undecided

oh , I neglected to mention that I did indeed test drive all of the cars above except the tib which I did drive an 04 se the same as an 05 more or less...
any help?

i would go for the SS as far as daily driver. Quiet interior, smooth electric power steering, DIC, good stereo, good toruque down low for good around town acceleration. And the quality, in my opinion is way better than the cavy. No squeaks, rattles or anything so far for me.

I would go with the Cobalt SS N/A. You seem to like the cobalt except the manual trans only, and the trunk opening. The SS is available in auto. Of course it has less hp than the s/c, but still in the range you are looking for. The trunk opening was a concern for me when I got my cobalt, but it hasn't been a problem.

thanks guys,
I did look at the N/A SS
It would be on the list but I really do prefer the SS/SC
After I have my surgery I will know If I need an AT or manual is Ok
If I need an AT then I will put the N/A SS on the list instead
Obviously except for drivetrain it should be the same as far as options go.
Just trying to avoid any surprises a few thousand miles on the street might bring out.
As a footnote I was offered a deal on a Crossfire for 26k on a leftover new '04 ..not really interested in that car though

Honestly, I have an LS Sedan.......Get the SS man, iv'e driven all of those cars, my ex had an 04 tibby gt, and it was horrible......the mustang v6 = underpowered......and you are right, the srt-4 is basicaly a hyped up neon, i dont care what anyone else say's etiher....

good luck and i hope you are well....take care

Go with the Tiburon. It has the best warranty available. The styling is excellent and the power on the V6 is respectable (if you add an Alpine Supercharger you'll give the SS boys a run for their money)!

I'd go with the Cobalt -- I like its styling the best out of those four, and the gas mileage will probably be right up there with the SRT-4 :)

wow, im not ganna even give my opinion, cause why can't people make up there own mind? especially on such an expensive item... man. Go test drive them, and find out for yourself....

He did test drive :) I agree tho. Compare each to one of the others, pic the one you liek mroe, than compare the "winners" of your mental comparison, and decide the final car.

I'd go with what this guy said. I mean Chevy says it's 171 HP, but I think they're more around 180 or even more. I ordered one last week and the build date was this last Tuesday. I've read reviews on this SS and it sounds like a good deal, and it's fairly cheaper than the S/C. No offense, but I think the S/C for every day driving (work, etc..) could get tiring fast or old? I test drove both the S/C and the regular SS and for every day driving I'd say the regular SS is better. Just my two cents. Most of the choices you've made look decent though. Good luck man.

If you do go with the Cobalt, go balls out and get the SS supercharged. No point in getting the wimpier models.