[BerettaZ]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=6702

The highlight:
"I haven't enjoyed driving a front-wheel-drive car this much in ages. The Cobalt's FE5 suspension is stiffer, better damped and infinitely more compliant than the previous car's. I dare say it's the best-driving fwd sports compact out there, matching the power of a Mazdaspeed3, but easily out-handling it."

High praise, I'd say!:clap:

 

[atomicshark]

Wow, impressive! The Cobalt SS really looks like a winner. Now if can only win over some Honda, Subaru and Mitsubishi enthusiasts.

 

[SirRaven]

Time we combat asian rice with good old american, while rice, or to make it sound more american maybe we can call it wheaters.

Now once the interior and styling get up to par with the engine and suspension, this could really start taking over the tuner cround. Hopefully some good aftermarket parts come out for it. No matter how bad I think it might make this car look and how much I am against it, those could really help sell this car even more. Since this car has been out, and same with the engine there I think stuff is already out there.

 

[CobaltSScrazy]

the enhancements many people will not appreciate until they actually drive the car. Its just amazing and the magazines are taking notice just how top notch this vehicle is. Hopefully the buying public 'gets it' too and makes a sale for Chevrolet and GM.

CobaltSS

 

[CJ Thunder]

Time we combat asian rice with good old american, while rice, or to make it sound more american maybe we can call it wheaters.

Pretty cleaver but USA is known for corn so we wouldn't want to be cornies.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Pretty cleaver but USA is known for corn so we wouldn't want to be cornies.

Imagine the irony if GM threw ethanol into the mix.

 

[ARCANGEL]

man I wish i knew would have waited a year!!

 

[jkennedy293]

I hope they continue the SS into the 2010 redesign.

 

[nsap]

Sounds like a very good sport compact; better than many people here expected. I drove a SS Supercharged once and man...that was a fun little car. The thing that stood out to me at the time was how much personality the car had....it just acted like it wanted to have fun. I can only imagine how much personality the SS Turbocharged has!

 

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Nice review. Good to hear the positives.

Still, anyone who knows journalism or paper writing knows how to word things to be better than they really. That stuck out to me when tehy mentioned that the three-spoke steering wheel is lifted out of the Corvette. That's true, but it's also lifted out of almost every Pontiac/Saturn/Chevy car on the market. It's a nice steering wheel, but the way he approached it turned a potentially negative into a positive. Good writing!

 

[plane]

Outhandles the Mazda3? With a torsion beam rear axle?
It's nice to see the pendulum swing the other way, in GM's favor.
And that kind of fun for $22K and change?
Nice.

 

[E. Haskell]

It may not have a class leading interior, but look at those numbers...

1/4 - 14.0
0-60 - 5.5
60-0 - 117 ft
0.92g
72.4 slalom
22/30 mpg

If any car can make you overlook hard plastics, this is it!!!!

 

[I-Love-Pontiac]

Well it's great GM finally has a nice compact. But please! Make it look better. And do something about that interior.

 

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I'm going to be honest: the plastics in the interior don't really matter to me. I don't really have a problem with them. However, I do with the design of the interior. It looks bored, dated, and not what Chevy should be aiming for on this car.

 

[AndrewGS]

I love everything about this car except for some of the interior materials. I love the design inside and out because it's got classic, simple, cohesive styling. Every line is smooth and has a purpose.

Make mine an '09 Coupe with every option but the wing in Victory Red. An intake and GMPP exhaust and I'll see you in the 13's.

 

[nsap]

I'm going to be honest: the plastics in the interior don't really matter to me. I don't really have a problem with them. However, I do with the design of the interior. It looks bored, dated, and not what Chevy should be aiming for on this car.

I agree. The Cobalt is like the new Focus: it has a lot going for it (class-leading power, class-leading fuel economy in some models, most options that others have or don't even have at all, etc...). The only problem is the fact that the interior is old and blah, made out of materials that are of poor quality.

Thankfully the new Delta II Cobalt will be better in the interior department.

 

[ctaylorzl1]

It may not have a class leading interior, but look at those numbers...

1/4 - 14.0
0-60 - 5.5
60-0 - 117 ft
0.92g
72.4 slalom
22/30 mpg

If any car can make you overlook hard plastics, this is it!!!!

When you are putting down those numbers at that price, things like "class leading" interiors dont seem like that big of a deal! I like the interior anyway, the only thing I would rathar see is leather SS seats instead of the Ultralux. But even they are pretty nice!!

 

[atomicshark]

When you are putting down those numbers at that price, things like "class leading" interiors dont seem like that big of a deal! I like the interior anyway, the only thing I would rathar see is leather SS seats instead of the Ultralux. But even they are pretty nice!!

Seriously, the interior is not bad. Ergonomics are sound, sight lines are good and it is put together well. It just needs better textures and some soft touch vinyl bits to give it a more enticing look and feel. Please see the Astra and Vue for what I am talking about.

 

[USA1Fan]

You know, I don't get ANY of the bashing of the Cobalt / Focus interiors, especially on materials. I walked by a new model Corolla on the way to my parking lot last evening, and out of curiosity (caused by a Dodge Caliber recently purchased by a coworker) I checked out the interior through the windows. Not closely enough to cause anyone alarm, but enough to see that it was only barely above the Playskool Caliber interior in terms of materials, and even somewhat in design. I've always though that, though the bits are still hard in the Cobalt in most places, they're much better looking, both in terms of styling and general 'value' than many others in the class. In fact, from what I've seen, most compacts have extremely cheap looking stuff inside. So why the bad rap on what at least gives the appearance of better quality materials?

 

[AlmostFamous]

I agree. The Cobalt is like the new Focus: it has a lot going for it (class-leading power, class-leading fuel economy in some models, most options that others have or don't even have at all, etc...). The only problem is the fact that the interior is old and blah, made out of materials that are of poor quality.

Thankfully the new Delta II Cobalt will be better in the interior department.

The Cobalt has a good interior for the segment it's competiting in. Everything is straight forward without any weird shapes. What's wrong with it's interior? Obviously it'll have plastics, but see do every other vehicle in compact segment.