whats the point?

You import guys are just pissed that chevy has put out a superior nice looking well built car. With the ability to make power easily cobalts and pursuits are everywhere now and are selling well. What does japan have to offer in the muslce car-remake craze? **** all.. Because there is no such thing as a japanese antique. Go drive your box honda from the 80s nobody gives a **** if you'd drive a heap of steaming over a brand new cobalt ss. Thats your loss. Remeber the quad 4 H.O putting out 190hp N/A IN THE LATE 80S out of a 2L MOTOR.

http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/libra....cobaltint.jpg Looks pretty damn good to me. As well as the touch and feel of materals have gained alote of new found respect in the biased car magazine world. But hey we all know 80s fisher price honda materials are better. If the cobalt rolled off the assembly line with a big H on the grill you all would praise it. People like you argue that toyota cavaliers are more relaible then the chevrolet models.

The guts of the Cobalt SS are what matter here, rather than the car’s pubescent ‘Hey, look at me’ F-16 fighter jet rear wing, fancy 18-inch rims, and sunburned-tourist-red paintwork.

The motor is based on GM’s free-spinning, lightweight Ecotec 2.0-liter twin-cam 16-valve four-banger that’s been heavily massaged by the petrolheads at GM’s Performance Division. Bolted to it is an Eaton M62 Roots-type supercharger coupled to an air-to-water intercooler. Blowing at 12 psi, it increases the ponies to 205hp at 5600rpm and delivers 200 lb-ft of twist at 4400rpm.

Internally, the motor gets all the right go-faster hardware; a forged steel crank, sodium-filled exhaust valves, oil-jet cooling for the pistons and a separate oil cooler.


Light the fuse, stomp on the gas and the Cobalt rips from rest to 60 in an impressive 5.9 seconds and spears through the quarter-mile in under 14 seconds.

It’s a peach of a motor. Its featherweight flywheel lets the revs zing to the 6500rpm red-line with Black & Decker smoothness, while the robust internals allow them to stay there without the motor sounding like it’s about replicate Hiroshima circa. August 1945.

And the beauty here is the bucketfuls of torque the little four-cylinder cranks out. Even in fifth from walking pace, the motor will pull like an Amtrak loco.

The motor’s mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that’s the same unit Saab fits to its 9-3. Chevy shortened the shifter throws by four inches to give a sportier feel and it’s better for it. While it’s nowhere near as sweet as the 6-speeder that Acura fits to its RSX, it’s still pretty good


Now, even a third-grade student with the technical expertise of an ant will tell you that 200 lb-ft of torque and front-wheel drive is a recipe for torque-steer hell. Which is why the SS is offered with that doyen of the tuner market, a Quaife limited-slip diff. Sadly it’s a $1,500 option, though it’s part of a performance package that includes Recaro front bucket seats. But no Cobalt should be unleashed without it.

Quaife-equipped, the coupe-bodied SS is one of the finest handling small cars out there. Period. The diff works in tandem with a modified suspension setup that’s been honed at no less a place than the tortuous Nurburgring track in Germany.

Added to the standard Cobalt setup are stiffer springs, a wrist-thick front anti-roll bar, unique valving for the struts, and bigger brakes with performance linings. The standard electric-assist rack and pinion steering was also recalibrated to keep effort low and precision high.

Tight, fast curves are best tackled with the slow-in, fast-out approach, otherwise tire-wailing understeer is the order of the day. But the all-disc setup allows you to brake way-late into the corner, then it’s simply a matter of getting back on the gas and letting the oodles of torque fire you out. It’s a barrel-load of fun.

And with 215/54-section Pirelli PZero rubberware at each corner, mounted on extremely cool-looking 18-inch rims, there’s no shortage of grip.

Low-profile tires and tight, taut suspension don’t usually provide a smooth ride. But the Cobalt won’t loosen your dentalwork when the blacktop gets brittle. Yes, the ride is firm but never uncomfortable.

Inside, the cabin is a mix of the good, bad and the ugly. But it’s mostly good. Like the salami-thick steering wheel with its useful spoke-mounted controls. Ditto the easy-to-read, pizza-sized dials with their upscale chrome rings. And you’ll love watching the boost gauge on the left A-pillar twitch in time with the blower.

Full marks too for including a stereo system that wouldn’t sound out of place at your local rave. Crank up the watts and the pulsating, trunk-mounted Pioneer sub-woofer can actually re-froth a Starbucks cappuccino.


But some of the plastics feel as hard and brittle as a cafeteria dinner tray, and just as visually appealing. And the optional two-tone leather, where the door panels and seat centers mimic the body color, is about as subtle as Courtney Love.

As for that trunk-mounted rear wing, you could lose sight of a Mack truck back there. I spent every driving moment terrified that the black blob masked by the wing was a police cruiser about to light up. Memo to Chevy: make it a delete option, or offer free bail money.

And for a $22-grand car, it’s cheap beyond belief not to fit a remote-release fuel flap to protect your tankful of unleaded. Or a 50-cent lock for the glove box.

That said, there’s a whole lot to love about this hi-po Chevy. Next to the ’Vette, I reckon it’s the most fun-driving GM product out there. Yes, you’ve got to spend around $24-grand to spec it the way you’d want, but even then it still offers a lot of a bang for your buck.

under 14.0 ??????

How much does this car weight.

They are more reliable. and its a toyota corolla. Prove one american car more reliable then any Japanese car, and you have it. You've won the argument of who's better. As for superior materials and finish, well who makes a Lego snap together car we all know. To compare the reliability of our pop can japanese cars to american cars is like comparing apples to oranges. Americans don't make reliable cars. . . PERIOD! Do americans make nice looking cars? Sure they do, One look at the prototype Dodge Challenger and anyone would fall in love. If i had extra money to play with, hell yea i'd buy one, but for the general population a reliable car is what we require. And that you get with a japanese car. No the Honda Civic is not the fastest car on the road, nor will it ever be. To say a Honda Civic is fast is like saying a Chevy Cobolt is reliable. You don't have fast fuel efficient cars. This conversation started out as a what do you think. And i think the Cobolt is a POS american attempt at breaking into the Civic market. It'll never happen. MODS make this thread into a sticky so we can come back 5 years from now and see if the Cobolt (if its still in production) has surpassed Civic sales, performance and reliability.

The SS RUNS between 14.4 and 14.8 stock. THEY DO NOT RUN 14.0


As for the comment about JDM cars being more reliable that is not exactly true as there are some Domestics that are very solid cars and much more dependable than alot of Asian cars. There a few but not a lot!

How can you say the cobalt is not reliable? It is new and as of yet I have not heard any bad stories about it.

How many 86 Civics do you see rolling around? I still see all kinds of 86 K cars though

I own both domestics (z28) and japanese cars (honda accord). Honda are very well made products and the japanese auto industry has proven the reliability of their products since arriving in north america. However, to apply the blanket statement that all domestic cars are unreliable is like saying there is no such thing as a fast japanese car. Yes, domestic cars in the 80's - 90's were not as reliable as their japanese counterparts. Domestic cars still are not as reliable as japanese cars, but the gap has closed considerably. The cobalt is a clean slate design that shares very little with the cavalier.

From the march 16, 2006 consumer reports magazine: "...On average, Asian vehicles are still by far the most reliable, but their rate of improvement has slowed".

In the most recent survey, domestic manufacturers had an average problem rate of 18 problems per 100 vehicles. The rate has been about the same since 2003. European makes, which the magazine says "have recently been the most unreliable overall," remained steady at 21 problems per 100 vehicles.

In fact, the most unreliable car maker out there is Porsche, which ranked last place at #36. If it were an american company, you would all call it a POS....

I think porsche just is'nt keeping up with the times, and also I think they are shifting their target market, which is understandable. Still, theyve fell a long way from the 80's 944 series :(

Very well said!! I will agree with you 100% I think the contraversy in this thread got the better of me. I do believe that the american car manufacturers have improved dramatically, Maintenance cost are equal if not more in japanese cars then there american counter parts. The only unfortunate part of this is that General Motors has been unsuccessful in coming out with new and better designed cars. I think when and if GM decides to scrap the multi line cars (ie Chevy Cobolt, Pontiac Pursuit) and concentrate on single cars they will be a better car manufacturer. More time is needed on innovative products. look at Chryslers car line up, all there cars look amazing, 20 inch factory rims, Hemi engine, etc etc, you can see there more oriented towards what the public wants. it seems GM is interested in trying to maintain a mainstream vehicle that they never will. Most car buyers are leasing there vehicles, and every 3 years they want something new and exciting. GM hasn't really done that yet. You've made a good point V8MIKE. Thanks

I know that is sacriligous to say, but the 944's were in many ways superior to the 911's. At one point, front engine/rear drive was the direction that porsche was heading down, but the 911 faithful would have had a fit.

I may be mistaken, but as far as I know the alternator does NOT make torque. the starter makes torque, maybe thats what you meant, maybe not, but still, DUHHRRRRRR lol

yeah it has torque cause its spinning

No kidding I think the 944's were some of the best cars porsche ever produced, :smilie_da Especially in comparison to the 911's of the same period, which im pretty sure had not been redesigned since 1974 or something like that. Yet it was the 911's that got all the attention..

V8mike said it well. Domestic auto makers are also crippled with trade rates and ton of other costs and union problems asian brands do not face. This will abviously effect the product and funds for reaserch. I have never had problems with american (GM) specifically. Sure there are some problems with interior plastics breaking and such. But for the most part GM builds long lasting bullet proof motors. To name a few:

3800 and 3.8 all years
All small block chevys are very reliable as well as the big blocks.
GMs 60 degree lineup 2.8 , 3.1,3.4

i agree the 3.8L is GM's most reliable motor. My first car was a 84 Pontiac Bonneville 3.8L V6 Carb.

cobalt >>>> civic
 

I unno what u guys are talken about. I got a cobalt Ls (2.2 Non supercharged), and I beat stock, modded and HEAVILY modded civics all the time, even though the only mod i have is SR intake. Don't be haten on the cobalt. It gets me attention every direction I look. Cop's pull me over asking me what car this is? and they usually leave telling me it looks amazing. Even when I park my car at work or if I park it in a parking lot, I see that alotta ppl stare at my car (in a good way)
For the person who started this thread... claiming he beat a Cobalt SS/SC with a 1990 modded hatchback civic. (which is prob. :bs: to start with). I challenge you with my 2.2 almost stock Non-supercharged Cobalt. Because I'm pretty sure I'll beat you like a beat the others.
I'm not haten on the civic, I have one myself. But if you :bs: saying you can beat one. I'll prove you wrong.


Later

oh civic boy better step up to the plate :owns:

Beating heavily modded civics? Your hanging with the wrong crowd.
I get rapped, literaly up the ASS by modded civics. They are the easiest cars to do an engine swap. Hands down it takes a weekend(drunk).

A heavily modded civic could also rape an SS. No question. I'm on my 2nd domestic and probably wouldn't own an import, but the simplicity to work on them is just incredible.

I bet a ef civic with just a dohc zc would hand your ass to you.

Now I never talk just because I know my car is slow, even though I've spend my fair share of time working on it. But until I actually start doing some "decent" numbers then I can enjoy the world of talking, I sugest you do the same.

I'd like to see some pictures of your car.
is this what your car looks like??
http://www.autobytel.com/images/prev...balt-front.jpg
http://common.weblogsinc.com/common/...13893535036125

I think it is quite obvious that post reaked of pure bs, his idea of racing is probally flooring it from every red light hes stopped at and pretending the car beside him was racing.

Read this article boys, its a compairison of the new Honda Civic SI, Chevy Cobalt SS, VW Jetta GLI, Subaru WRX STi. i'll let you guys read the write up, but will leave those who are to lazy to read this quote. enjoy.

All four cars are great performers, more than willing to mix it up at high speeds, low speeds, and anything in between, and none is likely to disappoint its owner. The WRX's standard all-wheel drive-rare in this price range-and entertaining personality make it a fantastic choice, especially for those in the Snow Belt. The Jetta GLI is the most well-mannered competitor and perfect for the speed freak with a family, offering good rear-seat room and a large trunk. It's safe, too; the GLI matches the Si's six standard air bags and then goes a step further by offering optional rear-seat side bags. And although it felt the least cohesive, the Cobalt SS was the hot rod of our group-expected of a car bearing those storied initials.

The most complete car here, though, is the Honda Civic Si, due to its wonderful manners on both road and test course, its brilliant powertrain, and its tremendous value. Honda has atoned for the last-generation Si, which was unremarkable in nearly every way, and the Si badge is back on top of the hot-compact heap. Look for an Si sliding around a cul-de-sac near you soon.

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...ars/index.html

Are you reffering to my post? lol , why would I have challenged civictegra90? Also I wanted to mention that Ludwick is right about some heavily modded civic's. I beat a 94 civic w/ B18C VTEC perf. exhaust, header, intake and other small mods. <-- that was a pretty close match even though he beat me 2 times I beat him the other 3. I won fair and square and the civic owner admitted he lost. So I take back what I said about beating "heavily modded civics".

Heres a picture of my ride about 2 weeks ago
http://cobaltss.net/gallery/files/3/9/3/4/43630301.JPG

Nice car man, one of the best ive seen.

if you really wanna race, its fine with me, ill race anyone, i dont care if i win or lose, its always fun. as I said tho the guy with the SS was a questionable driver. i live out near cobourg, so if ya wanna set a date pm me we'll set somethin up.

lmao, ya, the civic is so much better then the sti too. its , but these people have an obligation to praise the civic, because if they said the truth "heres another civic gen, same , who cares cause youll buy it anyways since all you zombies love to ride honda ...etc" then all hell would break lose.

Let me do some simple math for you,

94 civic, lets say DX, 2200lbs with a full tank
B18C Vtec stock 195hp

2006 Cobalt 2.2, 2800lbs with no gas and no driver
2.2 whatevertec, 145hp, but lets say your intake was bought in the land of oz and adds 10hp, soo


2200lb car with 195hp vs a 2800lb car with 155hp?

Was the other drive suffering a stroke? :bs:

I wouldnt make it up, But I know who the person is, and next time I race him I will post it on the net. along with the list of his mods, and some pictures of his car. Cool?

You plan on coming out closer towards Toronto? If so let me know when will set a race up. If not than let me know, I can prob. come out to Cobourg.

Please get this on video :) Id be interested in the outcome.

I agree with you. Gm's interior designs havent exactly been cutting edge, but recent cars have shown improvement. Every car offers certain compromises to sell at a given price point, so its a matter of choosing the car that offers the compromises that you can live with. Personally, I dont participate in any car shows, so I can live with a somewhat dated interior as long as I have a decent powertrain.

GM powerplants are among the most reliable in the world. As a testament to the reliability of GM powerplants, look at what powers police cruisers and taxi fleets. Those cars are on the road 24 hours a day in some cases through shift work, and go through what would qualify as "severe operating conditions"; frequent idling, stop and go traffic, frequent WOT use, etc. Want to know how frequently they are rebuilt? Almost never. My father used to own a cab business and we have had caprices and buick roadmasters with over 500,000 km's on the original motors. The same cant be said for the transmissions, though, which usually go south before then :)

video is clearly needed. Thats a nice cobalt you have, but there is NO WAY youre ripping heavily modded civics :lmao:



:smokin: Hopes and dreams must be running rampant on the forum :laugh: cause someone caught a case

I agree totally. ALL car companys esp HONDA use double platform cars , a few honda/acura models look identical. There is nothing wrong with this it actually keeps the costs down. I find with GM you get a decent blend of looks , reliability and price. Sure there are certain models that have issues and all, alote of swithches and eletcronics are also made in japan.

ok i doubt a ls civic will kill a SS supercharged
and i doubt that a stock 145 hp will kill a light ass honda with an integra engine. The people on this forum are so full of .

ABout the ****ing story from the automotive magazine... ok let me get this straight. they are comparing an STi to Si and SS....WTF STi is like one head above them and still oh miracle civic is the best ride of them all...

Man i have to agree, a stock cobalt isn't going to touch a modded civic. I remember my nephew when he was car shopping, he went to the GM dealer looking at 1998 Z24's with the 150hp, he asked the sales rep if it was faster then a 98 civic Si 127HP VTEC. The sales rep clearly said NO! But who gives a . This is for all of you who think the Cobalt is some new and totally refined chevy on the road. Its still the same POS!!!!!!!!!!! Wake the fcuk UP@!!!!!!!!!!!!

1998 Cavalier Z24
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11..._z24_coupe.jpg

2000 Cavalier Z24
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...ch/2000z24.jpg

Chevy Cobalt
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...tch/cobalt.jpg


OH MY FCUKING GOD WHATS THE DIFFERENCE????????????????????????

Please help me.

Please keep in mind i'm at home and have had a couple to drink, so no offence LOL

you clearly had too much too drink cause cobalt doesnt look close like cavalier you dumb****.

and yes z24 will beat an si. GO ask some dealer reps some more.

I've only had 2 and a stock 1998 Z24 can NOT beat a stock 1998 Civic Si. wanna put your money where your mouth is??? My nephews still got his 98 civic. he'll race. Can you find a Z24 to race against? Its your turn. . .

Oh yea, are you blind???? Look at the 2 ****ing cars man. you can't be that hard in denial man. common man thats like me sayin the 96-98 civic aren't the same as the 99-01 civic.

1sykcord are you blind? fit and finish is better ,quality of interior materials and overall refinement. Not bad for its first year of production. There is a HUGE difference. Your just too into honda to admit anything and you really dont want to hear it. They are also selling well ESP the pursuit. I was wathcing speedvison and they were talking about the G6 only thing they commented on was a flimsy trunk panel :cheeky4: , they also mentioned it was priced higher then toyotas of the same entry level. "people arent used to paying more for a pontiac then a toyota , but in this case were going to make an exeption". Finally americans are getting respect from magazines.

My company built the new assembly lines at GM for the Cobalt. I didn't say it wasn't a different platform, but look at them. be honest with yourself, GM really didn't spend any money in design of the car. really man just look.

Car And Driver (but we all know there paid by the Japanese automakers to say this)

The Cobalt is a good example of the problem with benchmarking. Built on the same architecture as the hapless Ion, GM's engineers were allocated the funds to fix the Ion's faults and match the best cars of the segment. Success! The Cobalt delivers a driving experience much like that of the discontinued fourth-generation Jetta. The Cobalt is quiet at speed and refined in its ride motions, and it has a comfortable and inviting interior, precise build quality, and a sturdy, quake-free structure. But the arrival of a new Jetta means the world has moved on and the Cobalt will not compete with its key target. No one celebrates the second person to run a four-minute mile.

http://chevrolet.jbcarpages.com/Coba...ior%20side.jpg

http://www.goldmotors.com/newchevys/...erInterior.jpg

yeah so ****in identical its stickening :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtes...ss.f34.500.jpg

https://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Ch...c_03_dv_02.jpg

Get over it.. :smilie_d0

OK man forget it, You win. LOL the cobalt is the pinacale of automotive engineering. we all bowe to its automotive excellents. Its another Saturn ION ahahahahaha. when you going to realize GM has never made anything innovative.

http://www.automedia.com/2006/Chevro...ts20051001cc/3





"these new Chevy Cobalts are not only competitive with the best in their class, but they are actually better than most—all because those dedicated engineers got their 150 wishes"





The engineering team's orders from GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and small car Vehicle Line Executive Lori Queen was to design and develop the best car in its class. Really! "We wanted to bring a credible small car back to Chevy in a really big way," Queen says. The team drew up a wish list of 150 components, systems and attributes necessary to achieve that—and was surprised and thrilled to see their wishes granted.

"We benchmarked all our competitors," Queen relates. "We had to lead in NVH [noise, vibration and harshness] and achieve best-in-class body gaps. The 150-point list was a sort of Holy Grail on which the engineers focused their attention. There truly were no compromises." Examples include premium materials such as Quiet Steel laminated sheetmetal (seldom found in the small-car segment), cast-in-place foam mats, hydraulic bushings, acoustic insulation and electric power steering tuned for each available suspension/tire combination.

GM's robust Delta architecture, updated and improved over the original Saturn ION's, is the foundation for Cobalt's surprisingly solid feel. Its stiff structure (with a bending frequency of nearly 27 Hz) allowed engineers to tune the strut-type front and semi-independent torsion-beam rear suspension (with long wheel travel and direct-acting components) with no need to compromise for chassis flex. Uncommon in Cobalt's price range, front and rear stabilizer bars come standard, and speed-sensitive electric power steering is tuned to match the performance level of each model.


The Standard engine is GM's robust and lively 145-hp, 2.2-liter DOHC, 16-valve Ecotec four with twin counter-rotating balance shafts and electronic throttle control. Numerous long-life and zero-maintenance features, including GM's Oil Life System (GMOLS) and a stainless steel exhaust system to reduce the cost of ownership also come standard. Except for oil and filter changes, no routine maintenance is needed, and those filter changes are greatly eased by an innovative cast-in housing that eliminates throwaway filter cans and the need to crawl under the car.