Road and Track: COBALT SS, King of the Subcompacts

[regfootball]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=7103

Conclusion

The Cobalt SS won this test by virtue of being good (more often great) at just about everything. It won three of the seven Performance categories outright, while never finishing worse than second in the rest. In our Subjective section, it won six of the 12 categories, all of them performance-related. The WRX put up a phenomenal fight, and is a class act itself, but it just couldn't overcome the Chevy's performance advantages. Kim summed it up thus: "Dynamically, the Cobalt SS is the best — it completely shocked us."

So for all those who have said, "I'd buy an American car if they made one that could compete with the Europeans and Japanese," Chevy is calling your bluff. Because the Cobalt SS doesn't just compete with the foreign cars, it beats them. It is the hottest-performing sports compact you can buy in the U.S. for under $30,000. That it's also the least expensive in this test is even more reason to rush to your Chevy dealer immediately. Not only will it help stimulate the economy, but every aspect of your enthusiast driving senses as well.

[EldoFan]

Eat that Mazda!

[LeSabre]

Nice article.

I wonder how the G5 would fair in the same contest w/o having a sport version of it? :P

[GMusa]

Does anyone know if we will be getting a Cruze SS T/C ?? ... if so that would be hot!

[LAChevy24]

damn i want this car. i hate car insurance

[LeSabre]

I don't necessarily want this car, but I would take a Cobalt(coupe only) over a G5 any day!

[nadepalma]

Wow, nice find and even better review. Glad that the Cobalt SS is getting the attention it deserves.

However, it makes me wonder what we could expect from a Cruze SS in the future.

I know that recent reports say that GM would continue to sell the Cobalt alongside the Cruze for a time -- but who knows how long that will happen. A year? Two?

Point is, the Cobalt may disappear altogether and the Cruze will have to take over the performance flag for Chevy's compact car - and there could be a chance that they'll foul it up.

When Dodge put out the Neon SRT-4 it was a MASSIVE performance bargain. That little pocket-rocket reignited the affordable "perforance" wars in its own way. It was cheap, it was crude, and it was't well made -- but by God was it fast. I'm sure the thing has its own cult following. However, when it was replaced by the Caliber SRT-4, it has left something to be desired. It the Caliber SRT-4 fast? You bet! But it DOES lack something that the Neon had - and Dodge enthusiasts have noticed.

My fear would be that the much more handsome and appealing Cruze may also lose something in translation in SS form - and in the process lose something special that the Cobalt SS has baked in.

Let's hope that this doesn't happen and GM stays true to what has made the Cobalt SS so very successful.

[powervette]

It's not that I am not impressed with Cobalt SS, but I would pick Lancer any day. Guy who tested those cars must really like domestic products, if he made Cobalt first. I am waiting for the Cruze SS, it will be a true contender.

[Xenon]

Originally Posted by powervette

It's not that I am not impressed with Cobalt SS, but I would pick Lancer any day. Guy who tested those cars must really like domestic products, if he made Cobalt first. I am waiting for the Cruze SS, it will be a true contender.

Thats exactly how I feel about the Cobalt. The way I feel about the Cobalt is that yeah its fast, but it doesn't have the charm that the Neon SRT-4 had.

[Ambalanche]

So for all those who have said, "I'd buy an American car if they made one that could compete with the Europeans and Japanese," Chevy is calling your bluff. Because the Cobalt SS doesn't just compete with the foreign cars, it beats them. It is the hottest-performing sports compact you can buy in the U.S. for under $30,000. That it's also the least expensive in this test is even more reason to rush to your Chevy dealer immediately. Not only will it help stimulate the economy, but every aspect of your enthusiast driving senses as well.

That's great, but until it gets wrapped in a Cruze-like exterior with interior to match, you're only going to do these performance tricks occasionally, you have to look at it and live IN IT everyday. The interior makes it a non-starter for me. A performance bargain? absolutely! The best designed and executed with quality materials? Nope...

[Millefune]

G5 GXP with the same engine and the LSD will have me and my lady at our local Pontiac dealership in attempts to sign some paperwork for a new daily driver to replace her Hyundai.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

Wow, nice find and even better review. Glad that the Cobalt SS is getting the attention it deserves.

However, it makes me wonder what we could expect from a Cruze SS in the future.

I know that recent reports say that GM would continue to sell the Cobalt alongside the Cruze for a time -- but who knows how long that will happen. A year? Two?

Point is, the Cobalt may disappear altogether and the Cruze will have to take over the performance flag for Chevy's compact car - and there could be a chance that they'll foul it up.

When Dodge put out the Neon SRT-4 it was a MASSIVE performance bargain. That little pocket-rocket reignited the affordable "perforance" wars in its own way. It was cheap, it was crude, and it was't well made -- but by God was it fast. I'm sure the thing has its own cult following. However, when it was replaced by the Caliber SRT-4, it has left something to be desired. It the Caliber SRT-4 fast? You bet! But it DOES lack something that the Neon had - and Dodge enthusiasts have noticed.

My fear would be that the much more handsome and appealing Cruze may also lose something in translation in SS form - and in the process lose something special that the Cobalt SS has baked in.

Let's hope that this doesn't happen and GM stays true to what has made the Cobalt SS so very successful.

The difference is, Chrysler turned the SRT-4 from a compact sedan, into a boxy, mini-crossover. For Chevy, the HHR SS is great for people who want affordable performance AND utility, but at least there is still a choice for those who want a sleek little coupe/sedan.

Looking forward to such variants of the Cruze.

[jwrebholz]

Honestly I think the Cobalt is a decent-looking car. It's not the most boyracer-ish and I like that. It's not the most attractive car out there but it's far from ugly. Plus it's comfortable, reasonably priced and in this version GOES LIKE STINK. Seriously, what's not to like?

[member12]

I think it's a bargain, but I don't like the wing on the rear deck and the interior.

Everything else is pretty darn good. Even it's exterior styling is better than the Honda Si or Subaru WRX.

[nsap]

When you look at the statistics it is quite simple to see why the Cobalt SS won the comparison. It out-handles in almost every category, has an engine that is a work of art, and the price undercuts all of them by thousands. Its a fast, good handling, cheap car....exactly what SS should be in my opinion.