Chevrolet Cobalt
First it was the Chevrolet Cavalier from the 1980’s, now 20+ years later came the Chevrolet Cobalt. Like the Cavalier, the Cobalt will be discontinued after this year, but that does not mean that I have nothing good or bad to say about this car. After the Cavalier’s 20-year run from its debut in the 1980s, Chevrolet had made it clear that it will be replaced by something a bit more…retro, shall we say? Well, from the first moment I looked at that car, I thought to myself, “Hmm, this would be a great first car for me." Know what? Turns out I was right, and I was wrong at the same time. Why was I right? I currently have a Honda Civic, so I am used to driving more compact cars, but let’s just say that my Civic does not have as many amenities as the Cobalt.
First off, the Cobalt’s powertrain warranty (the bumper-to-bumper is still the same at 3yr/36k like my car) is higher than my car (5-year/100k vs. 5-year/60k miles); second, the engine displacement is bumped up to 2.2 liters with 155 horsepower unlike my Civic's 1.8-liter 140 horsepower. Third, the rear legroom of the Cobalt sedan is a bit more than my Civic, but not that much, though, thanks to the Cobalt's longer wheelbase. Unlike my Civic which has just a split-folding bench seat, the Cobalt has a standard 60/40 split rear seat on all trim levels. Like what I have stated on one of my other articles on automotive technology, Chevrolet is part of General Motors, so OnStar is standard for the first year, which gives turn-by-turn directions and voice-activated concierge service as well as emergency roadside by the push of a button.
Chevrolet has added the MyLink Package particularly for the Cobalt which includes hands-free Bluetooth and a USB port for your iPod or iPhone. If you want to get the Bluetooth as a stand-alone item, then you will have to step up to either the 1LT or 2LT trim. Of course, Chevrolet’s MyLink might not be as user-friendly as Ford’s SYNC system to some drivers, but I think we have been seeing some major competition between these two Michigan-based automobile companies. The only criticism that I have for the MyLink is the placement of the USB port. If you have a one-foot USB cord for your iPod, and the USB port is placed right on the radio instead of in the center console or the like, you will not have a descent place to put your iPod or iPhone; both the USB cord and the gear lever will have an interference when you attempt to shift gears. I wish that Chevrolet would have placed their USB ports right inside the center console like what they have done with the Chevrolet Camaro’s PDIM system.
As far as performance goes, the 2010 Cobalt doesn’t have a lot of pep coming from the engine, even if it has the biggest engine in its class; but that’s because you are pretty much paying for the 2.2-liter 4-cylinder. Sure, 155 horsepower may seem like a lot for a small car, but my Drive-by-Wire throttle system in my Honda runs a lot smoother and more efficiently. The ride tends to be a bit choppy on surface roads, and handling is a bit on the rough side. Braking, on the other hand is a bit of a different story; front discs and rear drums are standard on all models, but ABS is only included on the 2LT trim. The Cobalt SS is the only trim which comes with 4-wheel disc brakes all around; again, that is a whole other ball game.
Cloth seats are standard on all models, but heated leather seats are optional for the 2LT trim. Rims depend on what type of trim you get with your Cobalt. 15-inch steel wheels and hubcaps are standard on the base, LS, and 1LT models, and 16-inch aluminum wheels are standard on the 2LT; you can opt for the 17-inch aluminum wheels for a bit more “bling.” With this car being an “economy” car like my Civic or a Toyota Corolla, it gets exceptional gas mileage depending on your driving habits. 37 miles per gallon on the highway are what you would expect for descent driving. Try that on a Toyota Corolla, a Honda Civic, or even a Dodge Caliber.
So, would I get the Cobalt as my next car? Probably not for two reasons: 1) I may be a fan of the USB port being standard on cars, but in my opinion, Chevrolet had really ruined the Cobalt's reputation by sticking the USB port in the wrong places. Even a regular AUX jack shouldn't have been placed near the gear lever, which is located on the floor. 2) I want to go with a car that has descent straight-line acceleration (8 to 9 seconds from 0-60 mph are my standards for a compact car), but when I drive on surface roads, I would not want to feel any choppiness coming from the suspension or the braking system.
