[caddycruiser]

Originally Posted by coaster.n3rd

Power train, ride and handling.

When starting the I-4 in either of our Cobalt’s it sprang to life quickly with a lot of noise, the 2.4 in the Aura does not even seem like the same motor. It does not rock on the mounts, or vibrate the car, and it starts quietly. When idling you would never know the motor is on. Tap the gas pedal and you are treated to a sound you have never heard before, a small V6 like exhaust note coming from an I-4. It has a low rumble with hardly any treble. This is a treat and confuses unknowing passengers into thinking I bought a V6.

Shifting the car into gear is smooth and without the clunkiness I have associated with other GM slush boxes. Press down on the accelerator and you are not treated to anything special. Stop light racers need not apply as the acceleration is nothing to write home about. Using my own timing methods I was able to get to 60 in a dull 8.8 seconds. However slow it may be off the line it makes up for with the passing power. Drop the accelerator and the archaic 4 speed shifts down quickly and effortlessly. Leaving nothing to be desired from this tightly refined package. After all, it is an I-4, you can’t expect an insane amount of power here.

What it lacks in acceleration is made up in refinement. The engine is smooth and quiet, no howling, no whine, no fatigue. Its good on gas too. The instant MPG indicator never leaves the 31-35 mpg range even at 70+ miles per hour cruising. Drop the hammer though and watch that drop to single digits, fear not as it climbs back up.

EXACTLY my sentiments on our '08 Malibu with the 2.4L. I had an '07 rental with the 2.2L and thought it was quiet and smooth enough...but the '08 with the 2.4L doesn't seem even related. At start-up and idle it's eerily quiet and doesn't seem like it's even running, and then even when you start moving it has the sound of a small V6 almost.

The quiet and smoothness is the most impressive, and we're hoping the economy numbers can impress for the long-haul too.

Congrats

P.S., Again I also think it's dumb to only offer the Aura I-4 with barely an extra option or two, and hopefully that changes. It'd probably help sales a lot more if you could get it equipped as you can with the Malibu 2LT and then even the upcoming LTZ. As the Camry and Accord have proven, even when people want all the "stuff", they still most often want the 4-cyl to go with it.