2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS 2.0L turbo from North America

Summary:

The Fast and The Frugal

Faults:

The car has 20,000km and is problem free. The only complaint that I have is the random rattle I get from the plastics.

General Comments:

Amazing performance for a FWD car! The acceleration is very good. Under 6 seconds without dropping the clutch. Handling is very natural, without any understeer. Braking is a lot very good, with no fade.

The fuel economy is just as well as amazing as the performance! City driving is 9L / 100km and Highway is 6.5L / 100km.

The interior is "cheap" looking, and the outside is not the prettiest either. But as a driver's car, this is a great car. The drivers seat is very comfortable with a lot of support on the sides. The steering wheel is well made, and the shifter is very mechanical and shifting gears is a pleasure. The body is very rigid and doesn't show any roll from cornering.

Overall I am very happy with the car. For $25K Canadian this is the BEST bang for the buck!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th February, 2010

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt from North America

Summary:

Mixed feelings

Faults:

Power windows sometimes don't work.

Suspension seems to be built extremely flimsy and prone to expensive repairs. Bumped into a curb at less than 20km/hr (10mph) after losing traction in a icy parking lot. Only visible damage was a scrape on the rim, but the steering quit working making it undriveable. Took it back to the dealer for repairs - bent rim, bent front strut, bent steering knuckle, bent lower control arm, rack and pinion internal damage. Final bills not in yet, but cost to repair is in the neighbourhood of $3000 to $5000. Dealer says this amount of damage is normal for this car.

General Comments:

Car runs smooth and quiet, but lacks power and gets poor gas mileage. Much less power than other cars I've driven with smaller engines, and only about half the mileage that was advertised - almost the same mileage as our old minivan with twice the interior room, and an engine almost twice the size.

Fit and finish is good, the car looks and runs like new as it has very few kms on it yet.

It is very easily damaged, and it is definitely very expensive to repair.

Lots of power options - windows, mirrors, fancy radio etc. but electrical system seems poor as they don't always work.

Depreciates very quickly - new ones now sell for less than what we owe on this one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th January, 2010

20th Jan 2010, 02:24

My in law has one, and they have worn it out before they were able to pay off the note. I think he said it has about 110,000 miles on it. He bought it new. He had to replace the transmission once, and a few other minor things.

He didn't take great care of the car though. What you get out of a car depends on how you treat it. If you have a new vehicle, just make sure you change the oil when it needs it and don't hot rod it around. It may depreciate quickly, but I think you can get a lot of miles out of the car. It's really cheap to run and any mechanic can fix it. If it's not in warranty, don't make the mistake of taking it to a dealer to work on it. I've owned cars for almost thirty years now, and I learned that in my first two years of owning cars. Just get yourself a good regular old mechanic, and they will fix you right up. Dealers are notorious for costing double and sometimes triple of what others cost.

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2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LT 2.2 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

The biggest mistake of my life

Faults:

OK... where to start?

After owning this car for one week and 149 miles, it began making a loud metallic groaning sound when turning corners. So, I take it into the dealer, where it has now been for 9 days. They replaced both front axles and now suspect the transmission. The rear brakes are already warped, perhaps from sitting on the lot. I was told they have to "seat."

The stereo resets itself after every other start, but of course, they won't take the time to duplicate it. I have put more miles on the loaner car than my own. If the transmission is not the problem, they have to contact GM to send an "expert" down to figure out the problem.

I am currently trying to get out of the deal, but without much success. Come Monday, I will be going back to the dealer, removing my license plate and moving on. An expensive lesson, but it beats the alternative.

General Comments:

Not a bad car overall. My loaner car is the exact same model with 31000 miles and drives nice.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th November, 2009

27th Nov 2009, 13:09

Makes you wonder why GM went bankrupt, huh?

So much for buying a domestic.

27th Nov 2009, 14:12

As of this moment, I am currently battling the dealer for a replacement vehicle. So far, their best offer was for me to give them $4000 and they would trade me into a 2010. Time for the attorney! The sad part is I actually like the car very much... when it drove.

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