Colbalt coupe - your girlfriend will love it!

[FourOnTheFloor]

"Please Mom! We should get the Cobalt, it's really cool", I said.
"It's 10 dollars more a day than the other car", she said.
"Well, I'll pay you 10 bucks, it will be worth it, trust me", I replied.

Our old Caravan had broken down, the A/C compressor had gone to hell, and my mom was forced to rent a car for a day or two. I told her to get a car from Avis, because I knew they bought GM cars. She thought it would be better to rent from Budget because their economy cars were cheaper to rent than Avis. It took some persuasion, but I talked her out of getting a Hyundai Accent and into a bright yellow Chevy Cobalt coupe LS.

I know a yellow Cobalt coupe with a spoiler with an auto transmission is the ultimate chick car, but I am always excited to see a new GM vehicle. And for the record, I am a 15 year old male, and that Cobalt was way cooler than a Hyundai.

I decided to write this review because nobody that I know of has written a review here of a coupe that wasn't an SS Supercharged. I am not a professional auto reviewer or journalist, and I never drove the car because that would be illegal for me.

The exterior looks good, very sporty but not offensive. If you weren't a car guy (or girl), than you would think it was a sports car, or sporty in some way. A 7 year old boy asked me if it was a regular car or a sports car. I told him the truth, it was an economy car with good looks.

The taillights and sloping C-pillar make the car very unique. The spoiler was attractive and not overdone, like on the SS Supercharged version. I thought the headlights were too large to be cool. The double 5 spoke rims were nice, but were only attached by 4 bolts. The rims/tires could be an inch or so larger to fill the wheel wells. The trunk is large, 14 cubic feet, but it has a small opening. Under the trunk floor I found a mini spare tire and the car battery. Yes, thats right, the battery is in the trunk and not under the hood where God intended it to be.

I checked under the hood to see if I could find anything interresting. Nope, just black plastic. I knew there was a 2.2 liter, 145 hp Ecotec engine under there somewhere. Opening the hood itself is entertaining. Why? Because springs help you out, you don't have to prop open the hood with the metal rod and try to stick the end of it in the right hole under the hood. It meant a lot to me.

The interior is decent, but it doesn't have anything in common with say, a Rolls-Royce. The seats are hard, but I love them. They are very supportive, if a bit small. Your back will feel great after a long car ride. The interior of my (actually, Avis's) Cobalt LS was surrounded by hard black plastic. I'm sure the plastic will prove to be very durable, and the skin on your arm will not. The radio/CD/MP3 player was easy to use. The chrome door handles and pieces on the HVAC controls were nice. Overall, the fit and finish of the interior was great. Some nice features include 2 electric outlets, and a hand emergency brake between the front seats, even with an automatic transmission. I found the button to open the trunk in a fold-out compartment on the left of the steering wheel. I bet there are some Cobalt owners that have yet to discover the hidden trunk button.

Getting in the back seat was no problem. Leg room is good. The back seat sits 3 across, which is important to youth fresh out of their pre-driving days. Don't expect to fit a triplet of basketball or football players back there, they should ride in the front. I do not recommend letting football players drive, only basketball players should be allowed in the drivers seat (soccer and baseball would also be acceptable). I am 6 feet, 1 inch tall, and my head hits the ceiling in back. Also, rear side window is small, very small.

Any man who likes to feel cool would want to get a Cobalt with an SS badge on it. For those of us who feel the affects of hurricane Katrina...at the gas station, the 2.2 liter will do for now (25/34 mpg). You can put a supercharger on it later. The engine sounds "cool" and can be allowed to rev past 5,000 rpm by simply turning the right foot petal into mashed potatoes. The 4 speed automatic does its job well. The delta platform feel solid and very strong.

The Cobalt coupe is a high quality and likable little car. It will earn respect from your buddies and your girlfriend will love it.

FourOnTheFloor


2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged shown, not LS.

[WannabeRich]

Very well written review.

[FireFox89]

the ss doesnt get that horrible of gas mileage despite the s'charger, its mostly the only option of manual that saves it the mpg..i dunno if you have to use high grade gas b/c of the supercharger but its only 2-4 avg miles worse then the old cav/sunfire offerings, b/c oddly enough besides my f-bird my dad is trading his 03'sunfire in for a definate cobalt ss s'charged or a mid-level g6.

[2005 Equinox LS]

I think the supercharged one does require premium gas. Lucky the fuel economy is good. I sat in a Cobalt coupe equipped just like the one you rented when I was at the Chicago auto show. I liked it a lot. The dash looked good the whole interior seemed nice. The doors are kind of large but not bothersome. I really want to drive one soon.

[FightingChance]

It's a little difficult to accept this as a 'review' without the car being driven. I'd call it a preview.

[FourOnTheFloor]

Originally Posted by FightingChance

It's a little difficult to accept this as a 'review' without the car being driven. I'd call it a preview.

I guess your right.
I'll tell you what, as soon as I get my permit and get my hands (and right foot) on a Z06, then I'll write a real review.

[Squachy]

the engine bay is kind of nasty looking.... (this doesnt affect my view of the car tho)

I mean, look at the competition. most just have this square covering the engine. The Cobalt has like funny shaped plastic all over the engine bay.
I rather liked seeing what the engine looked like.

Still better than the Ford's uncovered engine bay which looks like a mess

[Buick61]

Originally Posted by FourOnTheFloor

your girlfriend will love it.

Not likely. Her shopping list of vehicles are all luxury SUVs.

[MelvinJ]

Great review (or whatever people want to call it), Four. Very well written.

I like the looks of the basic Cobalt Coupes too over the SS Supercharged because they lack the ridiculous spoiler that you're stuck with on the SS-S. Plus I think they are a great bargain. I'm betting a basic 2.2L Cobalt with a 5-speed would do 0-60 in 8.0 seconds or a bit below which isn't shabby for the base drivetrain in a compact.

BTW, 6'1", and you're only 15?!? Yikes! 5 inches taller than I am now, although at my age, I suppose I'm shrinking.

[paul8488]

Originally Posted by FourOnTheFloor

your girlfriend will love it.

Nah, giaga's mom prefers RWD.

[DuSpinnst]

Hmm, I wonder what kind of car I need to get a girlfriend......

[MelvinJ]

Originally Posted by DuSpinnst

Hmm, I wonder what kind of car I need to get a girlfriend......

They're not lining up for a ride in the Malibu?

[DuSpinnst]

Originally Posted by MelvinJ

They're not lining up for a ride in the Malibu?

Ha no, the Bike Rack on the trunk doesn't help either....

[Gm786]

Pretty good review.

[johnnyangelb]

Man, good job on the review. It was written very well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.