Cobalt SS??
 

After 4 years of owning the RX-8 its time to move on and buy another car. The main reason for getting rid of the RX-8 is the fuel economy.:icon_tdow Followed by a lack of power to the point where I installed the greddy turbo and managed to get 240whp. But I still wasn't happy with the results, the car wasnt as smooth as before and it still needed low end torque. Power started at 4,000rpm but died out by the end of 7500rpm. Also I should point out that I had the GS version. After taking the 8 on a diet. Upgrading to such things as a light weight battery, lightweight rims. etc etc I ended up with the RX-8 weighting in at just below 2900lbs.

So I started to look for a replacement for the 8 and I came across the issue of car and driver dating back to nov of 2008 where they had "the lighting lap". I guess thats where the intrest started in the Cobalt SS, The SS not only placed top of its category but it was better then most of the cars that were more expensive. Such as the S2000 CR, WRX STi, BMW 135i.


I started doing more research into the SS and found that its a decent performance car going from 0 to 100mph in 12.8seconds! .93g handling and 163feet brake stop from 70mph to zero. So technically the car is better or the same in the specs departnment then the 8.


and now for the bad parts..... The interior is not even close to the 8 or is the exterior styling of the car. Not to mention that it is a FWD car. :icon_tdow I guess those are the 3 main negatives of the car, when it comes to quality? GM has the 100,000miles/5year powertrain warranty. Lets just hope they'll be in business to honour it.


The two best qualities that the SS has, is the performance and its fuel economy which is rated at 30mpg+ on the hwy. After taking the SS on a test drive I have been very impressed with it. The car felt very rigid and solid, power started at just 2000rpm and follow to the redline. The stock SS dynos at 250whp and with minor tweaks the power can be boosted to 300whp+ *if needed*



Any Cobalt SS fans out there??

Turbo Cobalt is FTW

get it.....its fast, handles on rails.....chevy did a lot with that car and i was very impressed only thing is the fwd....

yeah, it has potential and its alright to start. but i think FWD is the work of the devil.

I would take the MS3 over the cobalt SS, has way more style and very moddable

I would take the MS3 over the SS as well... But I can get a 2008 SS with 30miles on it for $18000

There are about 6 2008 SS cobalts in my area that are priced below $19,000

what are the MS3's going for?

Turbo Cobalt is a lot of performance for the buck. It lapped Nurburgring in sub 8 minutes. Amazing. That's the total package right there.
Be sure to check this out from Road and Track. Comparison chart with Cobalt SS, Mazdaspeed 3, Lancer Raliart, and Impreza WRX. Gotta love R&T

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/d...risonchart.pdf

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/d...theresults.pdf

The Cobalt SS can indeed go, stop, and turn remarkably well for what it is.

What it is, however, is a shitty FWD rental car that has been tuned to within an inch of its life. The design and build quality are horrible. I'm no badge snob, but the Cobalt has zero class.

Of course they're selling them for cheap. Unless you pay cash, you will be upside down in this car the second you drive it off the lot. And it gets mediocre scores in IIHS crash testing.

For me, all that overshadows its test track numbers. It might be the fastest-lapping car you can buy for $25K new, but it is FAR from the BEST car in its class or price bracket if you are even remotely concerned with things other than its performance numbers.

Just my opinion.

Wait for the Genesis Coupe R-Spec later this year. It'll have a 2.0 turbo, Brembos, LSD, tuned suspension, 6-speed, and RWD for $23K. Won't be as fast as the Cobalt in a straight line, but it should do well on the track and surpass all the deficiencies I mentioned above.

EDIT: Oh, also, don't be surprised if GM declares bankruptcy in a week or so.

I am not a fan of FWD cars, but to my suprise the SS was very stable under full throttle. There was no torque steer, whatsoever. The steering wheel feel when under WOT was that of the RX-8 very smooth. Also when taking a corner the SS was very netural,the car didnt understeer and felt very much like an awd car.


I used to have an egale talon FWD and I remember that under WOT the steering was all over the place, it pulled left to right until you got off the throttle.

^^^ sure, the Cobalt SS is nothing but a fast little shit box, but I think that's what he's looking for at this point. He modded his RX8 fairly extensively, lost a good chunk of change doing it, and now he's pissed off with something that has zero warranty and is only marginally faster than what he had stock.

I haven't verfied it, but if you can get one for $18K or $19K as mikefrombarrie said, it mitigates the depreciation hit, and you might not be too bad a shape if you don't mod it too much. That 100K warranty is good for re-sale.

I also agree with possibly waiting on the Genesis... I like the looks of that car as well.

I say give it a shot if you like the SS...seems like you really were impressed with it. Go for it man. Do what makes you happy.

I was hyped up about the Genesis, but after reading up on it. I was very disappointed by the preview specs, Hyundai claims the base Coupe's 0-62 time is 8.3 seconds. Not to mention the brakes and handling can't be good if the 2.0L turbo weighs in at over 3400 lbs!!!

Once they do a full review of the Genesis then we'll know the performance of it.

Yah, but that's before you throw in something like a boost controller and tune. The possibility is that 4 banger will hold some boost, and you'll see cheap hp... above and beyond what the 6 cylinder version will have with a slightly lighter curb weight and lower cost.

Sure it may not be the fastest rwd car stock, but Hyundai put some thoughts into aftermarket expansion.

"Hyundai did engineer some headroom for the tuning and drifting set; the blown and intercooled I-4 features a low 9.3:1 compression and can take boost up to 29 psi"

"Hyundai recently invited 20 aftermarket companies to its North American headquarters in Fountain Valley, California to measure the capabilities of the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Calling it the official SEMA measuring session for the company’s latest rear-wheel-drive coupe, Hyundai said it really wanted to get aftermarket companies a head start on the Genesis Coupe. "

"the 2.0-liter turbo got most of the attention from the tuners, and since the engine itself is a direct relation of the 2.0-liter in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart and Evolution X, "


http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ook/index.html


http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=129812

:iwstupid:

wow,

mike hope to buy some more stuff from you.. but some good threads lately about how to clip the greedy turbo for more power.

and maybe put in a 4.1 or a 3.9 rear gear..

just my opinion i could be wrong..

beers :beer:

/\ yeah swoope is on the money - 240 whp from the greddy is just the starting point . And what is this about no power till 4000 rpm - I have 9 psi by just over 3000 and that goes all the way to 8500 ;)

What does the cobalt redline at ?

does not matter. it is really but ugly.. :)

beers :beer:

so the op would rather trade in the awesome 8 that is already turboed and maybe needs another 2k spent on it to make it a beast for a butt ugly fwd pos ?

doubt it.

mike has been here forever.. and has done so much..

odd that it is where he is now.. really i thought he sold it and got a boxter.

but i am sure he will chime in with a rebuttal to are blah blah.

beers :beer:

Dude. GM makes the cobalt. It will probably be a piece of shit in 2 years like every other GM car. Stick with the Japanese.

My chevy truck is a 98 with about 78k on it. It blew a headgasket, water pump went out, abs is screwed, climate control gauge has failed 3 times, wiper motor broke, wiper switch has broke, fm radio quit so im listening to am, alternator broke, and the tailgate latch needed replaced. Im sure i am forgetting something. Its not like im driving it dumping rocks in the bed like the commercials. Its mostly easy driving to and from work. I will NEVER buy another chevy. American companies are goin to shit. Good job detroit. Wonder why you are going bankrupt?

I test drove a Cobalt a few months ago when I was in the market, along with half a dozen other things. It was quicker than I had anticipated (or at least felt that way), inexpensive and was generally a nice little car. On the down side you've got the fact that it's FWD and from what I've read isn't great on reliability.

You might consider giving the Subaru Impreza a chance. If you can find a '04 or '05 that has been taken care of it's about the same price as a new Cobalt, you can get up to (stock) 300hp out of a turbo 2.5L 4 cylinder and AWD. I had a '95 Impreza L (non-turbo) that I bought at 152,000 miles, got 26 mpg, and was pretty much indestructible with reliability. I traded it in five years later at 215,000 miles. Might have bought a newer one if it wasn't that the lag from a turbo drives me nuts, and I wanted RWD.

Cobalt SS is has one of the highest bang for the buck ratios.
If one doesn't care much for status and image, this is a great car.

I'd still consider the 2009 WRX or the MSpeed 3.

Keep in mind that FWD is going to break traction pretty easily with all that power. You'll be eating through tires, fighting the steering wheel constantly, spinning the fronts at half throttle when it rains, understeering if you push too hard, etc. My MS3 is a decent car, but all that power does nothing but highlight every little flaw of the FWD drivetrain. Sure, it's an impressive handler for what it is, but constantly overpowering the front tires gets old after a couple months.

If image isnt everything just get a Neon SRT-4.

yah ths is what i would do, if i had to choose between a SS and antoher car. once you put a boost controller the car will be even better. plus you cant pass up the lsd. any ways that is just my opinion.

SS is a awesome fwd track car. but for looks, i rather wait for the geninses ( and i dont even like the looks of that car, but prefer it over the SS)

I agree with PotatoSoup.

I don't think I could ever be obsessed enough with cheap power/bang-for-the-buck to get something like a Cobalt SS. I think of being a senior in HS or just getting my license wanting something like this. Either way if this is what your after the Cobalt SS has won a couple comparo's in the major car mag's with the tester's admittedly shocked and it seems GM has done a good job of tuning the Cobalt into a well performing car but form what I gathered all these tests were focused on performance only - not the overall car. Of the cars in these tests I would still take the WRX or MS3. The WRX with its recent power boost to 265hp is ridiculously fast (Motor Trend got a 0-60 in 4.8 sec and 1/4 mile of 13.5) and a new MS3 is coming soon plus there's the already mentioned Hyundai. I'm not sure what area you drive in but just the AWD of the WRX would be a strong consideration for my weather or in general for transferring high power to pavement when compared to FWD.

If the outdated/end-of-the-product-cycle body/interior this performance comes wrapped in doesn't bother you then go for it. Just don't let the cheap power/performance distract you from the other parts of the car you will look at and touch day in and day out and also picture yourself with this same car 4 years down the road and how it will stack up against what will have been launched in the meantime.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...gti_specs.html

Maybe 240whp was the starting point in the turbo setup. But in N/A mode the trassmission started grinding from 1st to 2nd above 4500rpm! I used to change the manual fluid every year with Red Line, but that didn't prevent the problem.

When it comes to realiablity the RX-8 wasn't the best. With only 40,000miles on it
I developed a trassmission problem, the coils were toast, Airbad sensor was replaced, Condensention was in both front headlights and rear lights, had the annoying squeaking brakes issue.

/\ still think you should persevere . One day you will be racing a well set up fi'd 8 and get wtf pwnd - that will suck even more ......

hmm, other than the tranny issue, those other reasons are pretty weak dog, not to mention really have nothin to do with the car's Reliability. More like typical RX-8 "quirks" that are either warranty covered or otherwise easily remedied.

Now.... blown engine or consistent engine issues, drivetrain component failure, failed brakes, coolent system failure, ect. Those are reliability issues. Not a replaced sensor or bad coils (which is not uncommon at that mileage). No offense, just sayin.

The RX-8 , or any series RX-7 for that matter, is a high maintenance car w/ little issues that pop from time to time. You just have to nip them in the butt early and keep up on maintenance...even then you will STILL likely have some issues depending on how long u own them:) Go's with the territory. Some can handle it, most cant. GL on ur new ride, post pics when u get em.

looks like some truth to the gl5 tranny fluid issue. :)

did you guys up north not get the 5 year 60k mile powertrain warranty?

just put a new tranny in mine at 103k miles. oil leak.. and sadly it seems like i did not have to replace the tranny.. but i had a spare.. ;)

coils. ok. you got me on that one. weak link.

come back, you were great to have around..

or you could buy a corvette. that is the one car that i would move to..

beers :beer:

I also driving a GM pickup with over 140k on it. The truck is not cared for, oil changed are done every 10k, still on original motor/tranny/clutch etc. The only issue that I have are that the blower fan is making noise. Other then that, its been a huge suprise with the realiablty of it. Don't forget the RX-8 was babied to the point where I didn't drive the car when it rained :spank:

The corvette would be a nice upgrade..... but I need a car with good fuel economy, thats cheap, and has some power.

I'm treating the SS as an economy car with alittle kick, the main issue that I had with the 8 was the fuel economy. Even if i was on the hwy doing a steady speed of 70mph I was still 20.5mpg!


by the way, the SS coupe 1/4miles in at 13.6 @ 104mph stock :Eyecrazy:

ok,

the vette is not cheap.. but they have been getting almost 30 mpg on the hi way.. :(

i keep on looking at them. yet i stay! :lol:

beers :beer:

This man, needs a Toyota Hilux. :lol2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk


Sux about the 8 man. But I agree with others on looking at a WRX or MS3. When I think of the Cobalt I think of the 90s Cameros. It's like the sports car that every red neck in HS wanted. I don't like the looks of the Genesis coupe. Sure it looks good on paper (and in RL, saw one at Detroit) but so does the Tiburon and that thing is just a Korean Toyota Celica (chic car). I'm not quite impressed with Korea's moves in the sports car market... YET.

Hell, why not just get an Evo if you want ridiculous power with ridiculous impracticality. Sure it will be a bit above budget but you wont find yourself on a Cobalt forum or a MS3 forum 2 years from now complaining that you just did these mods to your Cobalt and a guy in a stock Evo is beating you around the dirt corner or dusting you off the line. This is true and if you ever make your way to the EvOwned forums you will notice no one ever complains about getting owned by a Porsche, GTR or any other car that cost 4X more than theirs.

I remember going from a RWD car to a front wheel drive, and at first it didnt bother me. A year down the road it still didnt bother me. And the limitations start coming around, and by the time I wanted to get rid of the thing, depreciation had killed the car. And the fact that the Cobalt is from GM means the depreciation will be even worse. Buying the car is going to result is massive loss money wise unless you keep it for well beyond the payment period. I am with the guys saying wait, and see what the reviews say about the Genesis. The car is very promising, and to get 220bhp to the Rear wheels, the car is begging for aftermarket support... I see this car becoming what the 240sx is to the aftermarket now... an awesome platform, and goldmine.

You can get a vette for $39k-$40k. I regularly get 30+ on the highway in my '08 Corvette.

I would take the 2005+ corvette, but the only problem is that it's 2x the cost of a brand new SS:icon_no2:

Yeah right, I love hearing statements like this, such BS. I love the way people tag on the few extra MPG to make it sound good at 30. The MPG is good as it is, why do people have to embellish. My friend and I rolled in her C6 to the coast and she got 24mpg cruising at 70mph.

If you knew about Corvettes, especially the 2008's...you would know they run pig RICH from the factory. I have a tune, and also exhaust...and intake (as stated in my sig). This improved my mileage. Stock, I had 28-30.

Was it an automatic convertiable?:)

To the haters...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPwnsyGTxw

It's all about how you drive the car. 30mpg is very achievable in an 8 cyl.

And here is a C6 vette WITH 4.10's that dropped the MPG a bit..still getting 31-32mpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGuaC...-worth-it.html

Corvettes interiors are no better than Hyundai accent interiors except with Navs...

Anyway I would still buy a used 2005 Corvette.

^^^.....im waiting for a youtube vid of some random vette with a sweet interior.....

LOL, seems to be the method of proof around here

I agree my cars interior isn't as nice as other sports cars. But when someone tells me that my car doesn't get 30+mpg on the highway...i'm going to show video proof of others that have.

I was recently at the chevy dealership and they had a few corvettes in the showroom, and I really don't understand why people are complaining about the interior quality of them? The interior is alot nicer then that of the RX-8. I do agree that the vettes interior below the year 2004 were not very nice.

I agree...I personally didn't care for the center console I had in my 2007 (it was a painted silver). Starting in '08 the center was changed to carbon fiber...so I like the look of my '08's more than the '07 I had

If its not a video of YOUR car proving YOUR claim, dont post it. Youtube is notorious for being completely biased and often times plain BS. Just because it has been done before by some dude with a vid on youtube, it doesnt prove anything other than THAT guy doing it, whether its legit or not. You dont have to prove anything to anyone here, if they dont believe you, who cares? The Vette gets great gas mileage and is a badass car, always will be. Period.