20th Feb 2008, 23:14

I agree the trunk release behind the door/tray thing is a bit awkward, but it is light years ahead of recent GM offerings with a bright yellow button in the same place that invariably gets kicked every time I exit the car. I want to say one out of every three times I got out of my last Lumina, I had to walk back and slam the trunk down before I could go on about my business.

I'm looking to buy a 2008 Cobalt LS sedan, 5-speed, drove one this morning and was very impressed. The curtain airbags are standard on the 2008 but ABS and cruise are still optional or require an upgrade to the LT. Sticker on the no-options no-frills sedan I drove this morning was $14,510 less a $2K rebate less auto show bonus cash less current college student rebate less dealer discount less AirCheck voucher less trade-in value and I would be financing just under $8K after tax, title, and license.

I'm glad to see after 5K miles that you're able to get 35-38mpg in open West Texas with the stick Cobalt. I'll be travelling in and out of Fort Worth to and from places like Abilene, San Angelo, Amarillo, Odessa, Del Rio, and El Paso for my new job. I-20 and I-10 will get to know my new car well and thank you for the mileage report. I'll be happy to turtle along at 60-65mph if I get high 30s for mileage. Much better to get a $11K Cobalt than a $16K Corolla to get the same 37-ish mpg. GM also has the better warranty and as far as 2008 Corollas go, ABS isn't standard on the CE model anyway, so there's no advantage there.

24th May 2008, 23:22

My 2007 Cobalt now has 7,500 miles on the odometer. No problems, no breakdowns, no warranty fixes. I get dependable daily service at a great price and would still buy another Cobalt again. I've been driving more carefully because of the high gas prices and I'm averaging 30 mpg per tank depending on the weather and where I go. I expect my mileage to go down a mile or two this summer because I'll be using my air conditioning more, but it is still affordable to drive.

I highly recommend this car, but get the base model with the stick shift and crank windows like I did, there's less chance of electronic mayhem happening. Basic cars always seem to last longer. The rear seat is small, it's the size of a Mustangs, so you know it's only for children, pets and cargo. Adults can ride back there, but it's tight.

31st May 2008, 07:22

I traded in a 2005 Hyundai Elantra for a 2007 Cobalt LS, equipped with the AC and CD player. I agree with your comments, it's a gem, most likely the best car I have ever bought.

I bought mine in 2007, and the only thing I had wrong with it was a stabilizer end link the let go. It's a common problem with those cars, as per a good buddy of mine who happens to be a GM mechanic.

I bought mine it had 10,000 miles on it in November 2007, now I'm close to 25,000 miles. Gas mileage is awesome, going 75 I get a good 33-35 MPG with it. I travel a minimum of 70 miles a day with mine, some days about 120 miles.

Great on gas, comfortable, roomy and quiet on the highway, best value for the money.

7th Jul 2008, 13:54

I got a chuckle reading comment 23:14 about the remote trunk release. Our 2001 Pontiac has the button hidden under the arm rest, where at least you won't accidentally bump it. When we got our 2007 Mustang, I looked high and low for the remote trunk release. Not finding one, I assume it DOESN'T HAVE ONE!! I just use the key thingie.

20th Jul 2008, 21:39

I bought a 2007 base Cobalt last year. It is the most car for the money, and the quality so far seems to be competitive to leading imports. Even the most basic model comes with standard features that other cars in its class don’t come with.

It is easy and inexpensive to perform your own preventative maintenance (oil changes) on too.

I have a 2 door with a standard transmission, and I like it because it is sporty, economical, and practical.

I did extensive research before buying it, and had the most confidence with this purchase. I also like that it is a competitive American product.

I occasionally ride in or drive my girlfriend’s leased 2008 Honda Civic 4 door, and it seems a bit generic to me. I don’t care for the Civic’s instrumentation with a digital speedometer near the windshield and tachometer where the speedometer should be.

I like the way the Cobalt handles too. I did recently just drive a rented 2008 Ford Focus for 2600 miles to keep the miles off of my car and was impressed with it, but I still like the styling of the Cobalt better. I couldn’t find an interior trunk release in the Focus.

I would recommend a Cobalt purchase.

24th Oct 2008, 14:46

I bought a 2007 Colbalt in April of 07 with 13 miles on it. My car is now at 38,000 and my transmission is going, and apparently I have bad wiring in the engine. I have never had engine work done. It also seems that about ever Chevy dealer close to me has a HUGE attitude problem!! VERRRY UPSET.

3rd Jun 2009, 18:53

Wait til' you hit 44K, that's when the problems started rolling in for me.

31st Dec 2009, 14:26

I bought a 2007 Chevy Cobalt LS manual transmission brand new in April 2007. It has 47,000 miles on it and I just had to have the clutch replaced. Every person I ever spoke to said that clutches don't go out after 47,000 miles. I take care of my car and I'm very disappointed that something like this could happen so early in the cars life. I also had to have new wheels installed because the old stock ones bent very easily in potholes. I live in a city neighborhood and potholes are very common in the winter, most unavoidable. I just hope nothing else happens to my car. It's the only one I have.

6th Apr 2010, 13:31

I'm the original poster. My Cobalt had 15,000 miles on it when I traded it in. I had several reasons for that, because I normally keep a car longer but...

1) A steering shaft broke at 11,000 miles. I don't know about you, but it's pretty important to me that my steering doesn't fail. It was replaced under warranty.

2) Various electrical gremlins started to appear. For example, the radio wouldn't work, then it did, then it quit working - again. I was about to take it to the dealer when it started back up.

3) Various outside trim pieces like the black window seal trim were looking pretty old and faded, with light spots all over like someone had flicked something corrosive on them. One lock seal actually became separated from the lock and stuck out. I just pulled it off and stashed it to show the dealer at the next service, but I never got that far.

4) The clutch started to grab and chatter at 14,500 miles. I was told by the dealer that this was a wear item and that I would be responsible for fixing it. I'm not hard on clutches, I don't treat my car roughly. I've had clutches last over 100,000 miles on my Geo Tracker and the various Subaru's I've owned, even the VW Rabbit that I learned to drive stick on had the original clutch after 10 years.

The last item made me angry, plus my memories of the steering shaft were refreshed by a letter from GM informing me of a recall on a fuel leak problem. I'd also begun hearing about steering motor failures involving Cobalts. My warranty coverage was to expire this coming May. I didn't feel like both paying for a depreciating vehicle AND for repairs on said vehicle which was proving itself to be unsafe and unreliable. I thought if I bought a car and didn't abuse it, broke it in carefully, and drove it gently that it would provide good service. I was wrong.

I'd suggest getting a gold-plated extended warranty on a Cobalt, you're going to need it! Otherwise it will nickel and dime (frequent $500 and $1000 repairs) you to death.