I just leased a new 06 2.4L cobalt SS last week and I love it. I drive 75 miles a day and the gas was killing me with my silverado. I was looking for cheap payments and good on gas.
The cobalt handles good, looks good, rides nice, uses half as much gas and it feels solid.

I have a question for the 2.4L owners:
the cobalt feels pretty quick even though Im going from driving a V8 to a four cylinder. But it doesn't seem to want to burn rubber. Is it some kind of torque management or nanny control from the computer or is it that their just isn't enough torque to peel out?

I love the car, but I like to be able to raost em once in a while.
I wanted to see if this was the case with all of the other 2.4l owners.

 

i can burn rubber inmy 2.2
im sure you can in your 2.4

 

I can roast 'em in my 2.4L. You should be able to. Did you get a stick or auto? By the way, very good decision! Congrats!!

 

I thought the 2.4's only came in auto?

 

I should mention that its an automatic. Now I haven't really cranked on it yet, maybe it can peel out but Im talking about from a dead stop and just slamming on the gas pedal. I get a little chirp and then the wheels hook up and off you go. I remember my dad had an 89 cavalier Z24 when I first got my license and that baby would roast the tires for 20 feet.

 

No, you can get the 2.4L in a stick shift that's what I bought. That's the main reason I bought the car...looks good, good gas mileage, stick shift.

 

I can chirp em through 3 gears and of coarse they come in manuel,BTw welcome to da site

 

I have never seen a manual 2.4L Never knew it came as an option. I stand corrected.

 

ya man if you just hammer on it from a dead stop it will go for a while, same basic motor as that Z24 just better. but you have to actually hammer it all the way and hold it like you would have in that Z24, welcome to the site dude

 

Technically the automatic is the option, I am going through ordering a SS right now. All they had on the lot was a manual SS and my wife wants an auto. Since it is going to be her car, we are getting the auto.

 

where did this come from? a girl with an SS told me the same thing last night... the Z24 and 2.4 SS have nothing in common other than approximate engine size and number of pistons.

 

good choice... I drove a manual 2.4 ss in the autocross today... they suprised me actually pretty quick. I see why you guys like em.... I was beating the ever livin **** outta it too and it took it... only thing that sucked was they had a blockoff plate so you could only put it in D.,.. ********

 

is it me... or does seem to contradict itself?

 

yes he does

 

I meant automatic.... still a little woozy from kicking the **** outta cars since 12 in the afternoon.... too much fun for one day

 

yeah when i test drove an auto 2.4 last year it was pretty slow, i couldnt get it to burn rubber. i think its because of 2 things; one, it has a traction controle system and two it doesnt produce much torque at low rpms. when the tranny engages, the engine isnt reving high enough to break the tires free.
I test drove a 2.4 manual last may and was quite impressed on how much more controle you have over the tranny and engine v.s. the auto. the manual feels much better to drive, to me it feels lighter than the auto... IMO

 

thats the reason why I got my 4 door ss in a stick...Such a fun car to drive


P.S. Welcome to our addiction

 

Throw the parking brake on and hammer the gas. Good for tires and brakes.

 

and tranny.

 

if you click the ebrake once or twice up doesnt the traction control disengage?

 

Yep.

 

When I gun it, the tires chirp and they seem like they are about to start peeling out but then
they stop immediately which sure sounds like the traction control. (I didn't know I had it)
I'll have to try that business with two clicks up on the emeregency brake and see what happens.

I was wondering if anybody on here has had one of these performance PCM reflashes for the 2.4L, can
you get rid of the traction control this way? I sure wish there was a button to turn it on and off because
I will need it in the winter, my driveway is a steep hill.

And the 89 cavalier Z24 my dad had that layed rubber was a 2.8L V6, not the newer ones with the 4 cylinder.
(he had one of those too, an automatic, and it wouldn't peel out at all)

 

most of the balts i've seen with an auto have t/c. AFAIK there is a light that lets you know there is low traction, or maybe on the DIC...

 

Same here.

 

rev it up to 3 grand, and drop it into first for a manual, for auto, drop it in the lowest gear, that one doesnt have traction control