I drove a couple of the supercharged Cobalts and I have to say I loved the power delivery of those cars. I did not love the huge Camaro like doors and crummy rear visibility for parking. But I did like that engine/transmission combo.
I drove a couple of the supercharged Cobalts and I have to say I loved the power delivery of those cars. I did not love the huge Camaro like doors and crummy rear visibility for parking. But I did like that engine/transmission combo.
In reply to ProDarwin:
You could be right. I thought I had seen some for sale when I was pricing them out.
Zomby Woof wrote: In reply to z31maniac: I meant easier to mod yourself. The turbo cars have direct injection and more difficult to tune yourself.
Fair enough, I was just thinking a significant bump in power/tq and KEEPING didn't qualify as difficult. 
It's not like you can effectively get down 350lb ft of TQ in FWD car on street tires anyway.
I just remember a guy with a cobalt SS (not sure what year/model) used to come to a lot of local autocrosses, and I always remember he would be laying some serious tire fire and having much trouble hooking up coming out of turns.
Having ridden shotgun out in one a few years ago out to a wedding, I will have to, however, wholeheartedly disagree with an earlier post here saying the seats are superior to an 09 wrx. I was uncomfortable after 20 minutes riding in the Cobalt. I've done 9-hour road trips in my 09 wrx and finished them feeling great. I guess it depends on your body shape, etc.......
In the end, I think they're a pretty cool car with a lot of power potential and good out-of-the-box handling. When I say cool I mean "what they are" as a cheap rocket is cool. I don't think they look even remotely cool, personal opinion.
All said, I'd rather have a MS3 if I was going FWD. Not quite as good an overall performer in stock trim, but most of the other qualities of the car are superior to the Cobalt IMO.
That said, I'll stick with my wrx over either. It can actually put its power to the ground ;)
irish44j wrote: I just remember a guy with a cobalt SS (not sure what year/model) used to come to a lot of local autocrosses, and I always remember he would be laying some serious tire fire and having much trouble hooking up coming out of turns.
FYI - Chevy also made a Cobalt SS with the plain naturally-aspirated EcoTec, and missing a lot of the goodies the SS/SC and SS/TC cars had.
Javelin wrote:irish44j wrote: I just remember a guy with a cobalt SS (not sure what year/model) used to come to a lot of local autocrosses, and I always remember he would be laying some serious tire fire and having much trouble hooking up coming out of turns.FYI - Chevy also made a Cobalt SS with the plain naturally-aspirated EcoTec, and missing a lot of the goodies the SS/SC and SS/TC cars had.
yeah, but this was definitely a boosted car. Maybe he just had lousy tires or a heavy foot, IDK......
irish44j wrote: I just remember a guy with a cobalt SS (not sure what year/model) used to come to a lot of local autocrosses, and I always remember he would be laying some serious tire fire and having much trouble hooking up coming out of turns. Having ridden shotgun out in one a few years ago out to a wedding, I will have to, however, wholeheartedly disagree with an earlier post here saying the seats are superior to an 09 wrx. I was uncomfortable after 20 minutes riding in the Cobalt. I've done 9-hour road trips in my 09 wrx and finished them feeling great. I guess it depends on your body shape, etc....... In the end, I think they're a pretty cool car with a lot of power potential and good out-of-the-box handling. When I say cool I mean "what they are" as a cheap rocket is cool. I don't think they look even remotely cool, personal opinion. All said, I'd rather have a MS3 if I was going FWD. Not quite as good an overall performer in stock trim, but most of the other qualities of the car are superior to the Cobalt IMO. That said, I'll stick with my wrx over either. It can actually put its power to the ground ;)
less then 10 minutes in the wrx back back it in pain and my siatic never goes between numb and needle like pain. but i've got 3 bad disks.
As far as the seats go.... They offered these with crappy econo-car seats as well as optional Recaros. I remember when these 1st came out and were at all the car shows, I sat in one. I had my 2002 WRX at the time. The car show car had the regular seats. They were AWFUL compared to my WRX seats. They felt so uncomfortable that I was completely turned off on the car itself.
Find one with the optional Recaros.
dculberson wrote: A friend has the Ion redline, same basic car with a little more weight on it. (The plastic body panels + reinforcements are heavier.)
Wrongness.......the redline is actually lighter by about 30-40lbs when it comes to equally optioned vehicles. Coming from owning a redline, they are quicker out of the box(due to wheel size choices) but pretty much the rest you've said seems to be the norm with them. They love to throw codes, randomly go into limp mode, etc.....The worst thing with the redline is finding "redline" specific parts.....most are out of stock as saturn used the bodywork on base ions to clear the stock and GM hates to admit saturn was even part of them.
I personally have always heard the engine gives out before the transmission, however in '04 they did have issues with the redline transmissions, and I am unsure if they had similar issues on the 'balt in '05.
In reply to the OP: I personally would not buy that car, as if the engine has needed rebuilt, that generally means it has been beat the piss out of, and/or has a moron of an owner......the type to throw a 2.5" pully on a stock untuned engine and lift the head off the block type.....it sounds like the only thing going for it is having the LSD(g85 code) in the trans.
In reply to SilverFleet:
That'll be the G85 package that the seller mentioned. For the non-turbo cars G85 had the seats and LSD. IIRC turbos have a separate option for both (Don't quote me on that though).
My only input is that i think they're mildly cool cars and drive well...
But holy HELL they sound TERRIBLE with an exhaust. I've never heard one of these sound good.
I have heard a few with a decent sounding exhaust, but the variable valve timing does make it sound really raspy in a few spots when you're running through the revs.
yamaha wrote:dculberson wrote: A friend has the Ion redline, same basic car with a little more weight on it. (The plastic body panels + reinforcements are heavier.)Wrongness.......the redline is actually lighter by about 30-40lbs when it comes to equally optioned vehicles.
Well, the "equally optioned vehicles" part might be the rub. But the Ion Redline was quoted at 2962 lbs by Car and Driver and the Cobalt SS/SC at 2936 lbs.
Why all of the hate for the Cobalt SS? I'm not buying this car, but they offer slightly better performance and fuel economy than a Mazdaspeed 3, while having a worse interior and a much lower price.
Zomby Woof wrote: I have heard a few with a decent sounding exhaust, but the variable valve timing does make it sound really raspy in a few spots when you're running through the revs.
The only moderately "good" sounding one I have heard was the ill fated Agency Power that was only around for a year or so before becoming ss/tc only. Stock still sounded better.
In reply to dculberson: I definitely think you hit the nail on the head there.
rotard wrote: Why all of the hate for the Cobalt SS? I'm not buying this car, but they offer slightly better performance and fuel economy than a Mazdaspeed 3, while having a worse interior and a much lower price.
The turbo CSS, maybe... i find it hard to believe that an MS3 wouldn't stomp a mudhole in the ass of an S/C SS.
rotard wrote: Why all of the hate for the Cobalt SS? I'm not buying this car, but they offer slightly better performance and fuel economy than a Mazdaspeed 3, while having a worse interior and a much lower price.
You're asking about a GM car on GRM, that's why. Even though the GM hate has calmed down some, replaced mainly with Harley hate, it's still around.
rotard wrote: Why all of the hate for the Cobalt SS? I'm not buying this car, but they offer slightly better performance and fuel economy than a Mazdaspeed 3, while having a worse interior and a much lower price.
Because it says Cobalt on it. Cobalt=cheap domestic automaker econobox. People will still associate it with trying to polish a turd, even though a Cobalt really isn't that bad of a car overall.
It's just interesting to see people on this board reacting to a car the same way the general public would react to an old Miata, Neon, Celica, etc. I still remember being slightly offended in college when a classmate described my 1985 RX-7 as a pretty good old beater car.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:rotard wrote: Why all of the hate for the Cobalt SS? I'm not buying this car, but they offer slightly better performance and fuel economy than a Mazdaspeed 3, while having a worse interior and a much lower price.The turbo CSS, maybe... i find it hard to believe that an MS3 wouldn't stomp a mudhole in the ass of an S/C SS.
Honestly, when not running from a dig, expect a turbo css to put 1/2-1 full car length per gear on a s/c css......from a dig, and using the t/c's launch+no lift upshift, the t/c css will run high 13's versus the generic 14.4-14.8 range for the s/c car......coincidentally, the ms3 was claimed at something in the 13.8-14.2 range....which makes sense.
The cobalt isn't a bad car, nor the ion redline......they both handle well and brake well.....both in s/c guise and they're very easy to throw around an autox pad, and honestly great all arounders....Myself and another redline owner proved this running a drag, autox, show format......redlines placing 1-2 for 3 consecutive years, and the last year we were bumped up a class....
Ok so.... MS3 stomps a hole in the S/C SS. Thanks for confirming. 
But it's still ugly, still a four door and still a Mazda 
Zomby Woof wrote: But it's still ugly, still a four door and still a Mazda
I like the split double 5 spoke wheels of the happy looking MS3......and think they would complete the package on liking the original bodystyle MS3. Then again, I'd prolly buy a MS6 before that point anyways.
Zomby Woof wrote: But it's still ugly, still a four door and still a Mazda
I agree. I don't like the MS3 either, but i also think that both of the cars in question are pretty ugly.
I like what these cars DO, and hate what they both look like. The MS3 DOES better, so there's my choice if someone put a gun to my head.
I'd shell out the extra dough for a turbo sedan, if I could find one. Only made 'em in 2009, iirc
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