Hello all, I am new to the Cobalt community and wanted to ask a question about a potential offer I have.

I am currently looking at a 2008 Cobalt SS 4 cyl 2.2 Automatic for $5500. It has only 78,000 miles. Would you consider this a fair deal? It has the default Eco-Tec engine, but I just need something to get around in. Going to be my first car. I'd love to learn how to maintain and modify the vehicle to be my own as well.

Thanks! Hope I can join the rest of the round brake-lighted people out there.

 

Price seems a little high but not crazy. If its in good condition it could be worth it if you really want to own a cobalt.

Id suggest a manual thiugh.

 

its either not an SS or not a 2.2l. the ss non supercharged/turbo came with a 2.4l.

got any pics of said car?

 

In 2008+ the SS was 2.0 turbo, the Sport was 2.4, and the others were 2.2.

 

I do have a couple photos. Let me share them. Thanks for helping out!
I do love the Cobalt, it's a fun little vehicle. Odd to see there's a disagreement about the 2.0/2.2 engine.

UPDATE: This is either the LS model or LT. Both have a 2.2. This is not an SS or was displayed as one. Just bad memory on my part.

 

The problem is, I need a daily driver to get around to a job/classes. Still wrapping around the rules of the road, so it'd probably be best to keep an automatic for my first few years.

 

Not really. Prior to 2008 the SS came in either 2.0 supercharged or 2.4NA. There weren't many 2008+ Sports so the class isn't well known.

If I were in your position I wouldn't spend that much on a base Cobalt, especially considering the additional cost of buying from a dealership. Check Craigslist or Facebook for a good cheap car from a private party, have a mechanic check it out before you buy. Even if you get it from a dealer, still have a different mechanic check it out. A dealer is no guarantee it's in good condition.

 

Gotcha. I am gonna have a mechanic check the Cobalt, I still think it's a cozy ride and I'd be willing to front that cost. It'll be $5500 after taxes/title transfer, forgot to mention. I've looked at many lots and used vehicles at this point, and I need to settle on one before I start a job sometime next week. If it seems good, I think it'll be a good investment. The Cobalt was also one of the only vehicles that ran good in the price range I need.

 

UPDATE: I looked up the VIN, and it states that it's the 2.4 Sport model. I don't know if the mechanic got the engine wrong from the original shop.

 

If thats the case, it was probably wrecked in the front and the replacement bumper used was the wrong one. A 2.4 sport should have the same bumper as a turbo ss but without the lip.

 

it has the correct rear bumper and wheels for it to be a sport. id have a mechanic have a good look around the front end to make sure there is no damage to the rad support and frame, as well as confirm the engine is in fact a 2.4l by the presence of the cam phaser solenoids on the valve cover beside number 1 coil. my thoughts here is the car has had front end damage and likely has had the bumper and some sheet metal replace with parts off a base model car and more than likely the engine emissions sticker (also has the engine size on it) is still on their from the old car, and confirming the engine is a 2.4l would indicate this is correct. if the engine is actually a 2.2l something odd is going on and id run.

if there doesnt appear to be any underlying damage and you confirm it is a 2.4l, looks like a not bad car, its at the very top of the price range though. id try to knock them down on price because its got the wrong bumper though, but thats me.

 

How very, very interesting. I'd imagine the easiest way to see front-end damage is looking at the subframe of the front and looking for any sort of indentation.

Here's a good side-profile picture I took. It'll give you a better idea of the rims/wheel size to confirm.

Yes, if I get the car, the pinstripe's gotta go. But, the pinstripe could be a good indication of any tampering, since there are records showing when the gross thing was put on back in 2008 on CarFax.

 

for 5500 you can get a kinda beat up turbo model or a really nice supercharged model... dont buy this thing haha im selling my lsj for 3 grand. has 109k if your interested

 

That sounds like a great deal, the only problem is, I start a job in a few days and financial constraints are terrible for me. I need a car to start a job sometime next week to pay for auto insurance in a month. If you can somehow make it to Northeastern PA in the next few days with it, I'd be happy to take a look if you sell me on it before travelling over. I'd pay for your bus home and such.


I'll let you know by Tuesday or Wednesday if I settled on the more local one, though. It's really rough to wait long for a car right now. Best I can do is talk the other guy down in the price.

 

looks beat

 

I don't have much time to worry about external problems with the car. I can always get a new paint job down the line.

Everything was clean and worked internally when I checked it yesterday with a mechanic. The seats, floor, and electronics inside were in excellent condition. I was also able to talk the guy down a few hundred. I decided I'll buy the car and show it some love. Might not be a higher-end model, but it'll be a fun little first car. Thank you everyone for the input, the information helped me greatly.

 

I got my 07 SS for $1500. You seem to be over-paying.

 

To be honest that seems high. You could get a supercharged SS for that. I picked up my SS/SC for 1600 but it's pretty rough

 

the hell is with all the black added stuff on the picture?

 

seeing how the spot on the top right is blocking a licence plate, id guess there are licence plate reflections in the side of the car.

 

yeah i thought that and then the second pic theres some showing so i was like wtf.

 

$20 says a screwdriver goes right through the passenger side rear rocker panel.