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Cobalt Named Best in Class by Road and Track
There's no getting around it:
We live in a tough new world of $4 per gallon gasoline, and a U.S. economy that has its share of difficulties — with no signs of relief coming anytime soon. But enthusiasts still need to have fun, right? Right! Luckily, small turbocharged engines make sense, as they offer decent fuel economy when driven like Grandma — the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, for example, gets an EPA-rated 30 mpg on the highway — along with kick-in-the-pants acceleration that'll make Prius owners "green" with envy when you get playful with that right-most pedal. Add in that all four cars here start at under $27,000, and you can see we just might be on to something Read Article



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StarStar - 9/24/2008 3:48:51 PM
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So according to Road and Track the Cobalt SS is a better car than the Subaru Impreza WRX, Mazdaspeed 3, and Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. What can I say... journalism at its finest(sarcasm).

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91z4me91z4me - 9/24/2008 3:53:45 PM
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Since you haven't driven all the cars back to back, and haven't put them through the paces I think your opinion matters little.

So the Cobalt performed well, and was good enough in other categories to win overall. Does that automatically mean the magazine is lying? No it doesn't.


StarStar - 9/24/2008 4:08:13 PM
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"Since you haven't driven"

Of course, how could I forget. If YOU didn't drive these cars, nobody else could.
Some of you trolls here have something else instead of brains.


candywhitecandywhite - 9/24/2008 4:43:35 PM
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You tell em Star.


91z4me91z4me - 9/24/2008 6:36:45 PM
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So star DID you drive the cars back to back like the R&T reviewers did? I am not trolling like you OBVIOUSLY are.


StarStar - 9/24/2008 8:15:34 PM
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Disagreeing with what somebody says in an article is NOT trolling, Einstein...but trying to discredit another poster based on assumptions like "you didn't drive the cars" or "your opinion doesn't matter"
does count as trolling.

Sorry that I cannot just shake my head in approval like most of the sheep that believes anything it reads and I actually have something to say based on first hand experiences with the cars you only had the chance to read about. So, stop trolling and try to bring something constructive to the table or at least keep your ears open to what car gurus like me have to say.


91z4me91z4me - 9/24/2008 9:08:26 PM
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So you are saying you DID drive all the cars in question, yes? If so then what is your impression of the Cobalt SS. EVERY magazine that has reviewed it has said great things about it. Sure it comes up short in interior part quality and design but the performance more than makes up for it, as the article mentions.

You didn't say that you disagree w/ the article in question. You stated that it was bad journalism and gave NO inclination why. You didn't say what merits make the other vehicles better.

As far as my having driven the vehicles, no I haven't (I am not in the financial position to purchase a new car, grad school will do that to you). But that doesn't mean I was trolling. YOU are the one who posted an article only to disagree with it in the 1st post.

Why even post it if you didn't think it was a good article?

If you look at my post history you will see that I rarely talk negatively about a vehicle, normally I just call out people I see being biased against domestic automakers. My first reply to this you is such an example of that.

FWIW I would go with the Subbie any day of the week of this group. While the performance of the Cobalt is great I just couldn't deal with the interior or lack of utility of the 2 door at this time.


komododavekomododave - 9/24/2008 4:23:56 PM
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Sweet...I knew that the turbo 4 from the Solstice GXP would be great for this little car. The old supercharger just didn't have enough guts.

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S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 9/24/2008 10:53:12 PMView My AgentSpace
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It is surprisingly impressive, but I wouldn't buy it over any of its competition. It has one of GM's best engines, but in a poorly designed package. I'd rather have a Madaspeed3, Civic Si or GTI.

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M35MTM35MT - 9/25/2008 9:50:31 AMView My AgentSpace
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Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis often refers to Mazdas as "rorty," which he defines as "sporty, with just a tad of raucousness." The Mazdaspeed3 brings the rortiness level to a whole new dimension, with its stiff ride, quick-reacting chassis, narrow all-or-nothing powerband and a boomy interior. This is a raw car in an era of refinement, and we enjoy the Mazdaspeed3 for exactly those reasons — a couple of us even rated it as the most exciting of the bunch to drive.

...that's why I chose the Mazdaspeed3.


rawbuxrawbux - 9/25/2008 1:38:34 AM
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I have driven the Cobalt SS and it has a really great rigid body and the handling is really crisp! Although the electric power steering is a bit numb, just like it is on the Honda S2000. This car is a great value for the money and the Ecotec Direct Injected Turbo 4 is an awesome little engine, virtually bulletproof. I used to sell these cars so have driven them alot and at 100mph plus the car is rock steady!

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rawbuxrawbux - 9/25/2008 1:43:58 AM
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You know with some Eibach springs and better shocks and a few suspension tweaks and better rubber you have an easy 1G + machine!! That's harder to do with a front wheel drive car!!

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StarStar - 9/25/2008 10:44:44 AM
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The Cobalt SS came off as a better car than the Mazdaspeed 3 in the same way the Mazdaspeed 3 came off(previously) as a better car than the GTI. Based on numbers alone.

In reality though the Cobalt SS feels like a car that should costs half the money for a Mazdaspeed 3 while the Mazdaspeed 3 feels like it should cost half the money for a GTI.

If you are a boy racer and you live your life a 1/4 mile at the time you might see the Cobalt as a great choice. For others who still value horsepower more than anything else Mazdaspeed 3 might look desirable also. However, for people who want a real driver's car that comes with an outstanding level of engineering, better drivability, much higher quality materials and better overall build quality the GTI is the only way to go. It has something the other two cars don't have called... BALANCE.

In spite of the incredible potential of the 2.0T engine, VW made sure to keep the power down to a level where the power doesn't affect the perfect balance of this masterpiece the GTI is. Cars like the Cobalt SS and Mazdaspeed 3 feel like they were built by some s**ty tuner with no regard to how the balance of the car will be affected by the level of power. Let's just see how many horsepower we can add seemed to be their main goal and ...the result is sad. Two cars with questionable built quality and terible designs that make a real driver feel uninvolved and cheated.

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phischphisch - 9/25/2008 11:26:27 AM
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awd > fwd

always.

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PlanBPlanB - 9/25/2008 4:02:01 PM
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Just an FYI for those that don't know, the Cobalt SS is currently the fastest front wheel drive compact car to make it around the Ring with a time of 8:22.85. You don't have to like it but I think its performance numbers should give it some respect.

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TheDepressingTruthTheDepressingTruth - 9/25/2008 10:13:36 PM
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WTF !!....There are Tin Cans with less road noise!

Road & Track must be suffering from "Motor Trend Syndrome"

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