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School me on Cobalt SS/TC

25K views 105 replies 51 participants last post by  Skyrocket 
#1 ·
It is on my list of cars, will be buying in a few months. I looked at one today, only drove it around the dealer lot. The interior is better then I thought but not awesome, decent steering wheel, easy clutch and shifter(could use shorter throws).

Tell me your experience if you own or owned one. The car will be my daily driver, including New England winter.

I want a fun daily driver that I can autocross in.

Other cars on my list are:
350Z, I used to own a rwd G35 so no need to scare me with snow
Solstice
S2000(If I can find a second gen in my price range)
Miata
 
#82 ·
#83 ·
Update:

Drove a 2005 S2000 today.

I loved the car, it felt great in just about every sense of the word. Transmission and steering were close to perfect, seats were great, visability was good. The sound on the highway is awesome. I loved the high revving motor on the highway. The car felt stiff with very little body roll and was rock solid on off ramps.

I drove a Miata last weekend and liked it a lot also. After the S2K test drive my gf made me go back to a Mazda dealer to drive a Miata again so I can get a better feel by driving the cars back to back.

The Miata felt softer, the steering felt lighter. I like the clutch on the Miata more and the interior more. The Miata had better visability and a much better sound system. The Miata feels like it rotates better(due to shorter wheelbase).

Overall I liked the S2000 more but I am torn on the decision because of a few things
1)S2000 has not traction control until 2006, not a huge deal but nice to have
2)S2000 is more expensive so it will be older then a Miata
3)Insurance-I emailed my agent for quotes on both



Questions for car lounge:
If you have either car as a daily driver, what are your thoughts?
 
#88 ·
Overall I liked the S2000 more but I am torn on the decision because of a few things
1)S2000 has not traction control until 2006, not a huge deal but nice to have
2)S2000 is more expensive so it will be older then a Miata
3)Insurance-I emailed my agent for quotes on both

Questions for car lounge:
If you have either car as a daily driver, what are your thoughts?
As a DD, the Miata hands-down. Traction control? Meh.
 
#92 ·
I love my Turbo Cobalt with the GMS1 retune. ~57K miles and its been pretty much problem free. Had the rear brake issue, but that was fixed. Shameless youtube plug:



and



Haven't done a track day with it in a couple years, though. Been spending too much time on DH bikes...
 
#95 ·
Bump.


Given how cheap these are, and what people in the thread are saying about them these are awfully tempting. How are these holding up 7-10 years on? Reliability?
 
#96 ·
When I was in the market for a car a few months back I was checking these out as well and they all seemed good mechanically. Interior and exterior...well, it's a GM.
 
#100 · (Edited)
So apart from the usual GMness, you approve? Unlike the newer Si I may actually find an 08+ TC within my range.
 
#101 ·
I was never a fan of GM cars of this era besides the 9-3 (pops has a 2008 W body Impala) but the 2007 SS has a nicer steering wheel and from then on the interior doesn't look that bad:laugh: If there anything I don't like about it, it's that it happens to be a Cobalt. Although, people wouldn't ask me why I drive a furrrinn cur anymore:laugh:
 
#104 ·
Thanks, I'll look into it.
 
#106 ·
The only legitimate problem mine has had in its almost 50k miles was a faulty ignition lock cylinder (not the recalled switch we all know about). It failed shortly after the warranty expired which caused the key to be completely stuck in the run position! GM agreed to split the repair cost with me. I took advantage of the warranty while I had it for a few things that were mildly irritating; condensation in one headlight, slight rattle from the steering column, squeaky clutch pedal. I have only done a few modifications; software, downpipe, upgraded intake tubing, "rotated transmission mounts". My tune is conservative, but should still be good for around 300 whp. Believe it or not, the power is usable and torque steer isn't too bad at all. With a good custom tune that is tuned for the hardware upgrades (this is important), these engines shouldn't have any real issues other than eventually needing an intake valve cleaning, like any direct-injected motor.

I think these cars are an absolute riot to drive, yet still just comfortable enough to live with as a daily. The performance numbers are impressive even by today's standards, but the overall driving dynamics are also very good. Canyons or twisty back roads are the best places to be. They feel nothing like a base model and also quite different from the supercharged Cobalt. People always complain about the cheap interior. Yes, you're certainly surrounded by hard plastic! I think it was well designed/laid out though and the bits you actually touch while driving feel good. Someone in this thread mentioned a lack of lumbar support, there is a lumbar adjustment that's easy to miss on the front of the driver's seat (the passenger doesn't get one). Other than styling which is subjective, the only real gripes I would say are fair would be premature rear brake wear and lack of usable interior/cargo space. The trunk is big, but the opening is very small. Not very practical compared to a GTI or Speed3. If you can find a 2009-only turbo sedan (good luck!) it's not as bad. Any other shortcomings shouldn't be that surprising given the price these sold for when new.

You can pick one up for not a lot of cash these days, it is getting harder to find clean examples that haven't been abused though. It's incredibly cheap and easy to make huge power with the LNF engine, but because of that a lot of them have lived a hard life. It also doesn't help that many ended up in the hands of immature owners who didn't treat them very well. The RPD is nice, but LSD is the only option to really hold out for. Not difficult though since so few (roughly 20%) didn't get the optional limited-slip. It was only standard equipment on 2010 Canadian cars, in the States it was optional every year. If you can find one that's been well taken care of, it can be quite a performance bargain!
 
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