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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
 
#3 ·
I remember something about the rear brakes being junk and having to constantly replace pads, but they were back-ordered across the country... or something. Maybe that was the base Cobalt with that problem.

I typically don't know what I'm talking about.
 
#6 ·
The 2008 SS/TC which they only made for a few months had an issue where it ate the back brake pads and they didnt stock replacements yet as the car has just begun production. They fixed the issue but it was a 2008 only. I haven't been around them for years but I remember aftermarket tuners like trifecta cound not find a way to really push the direct injection so you would be limited at ONLYYY about 400fwhp max. If your goal is to be below that its incredibly easy with these cars.
 
#7 ·
If I remember the SS/tc has or had one of the fastest car and driver lightning laps at VIR for a FWD ever? Beating many "better" sport cars. Also posted a damn good "ring time" also?
 
#12 ·
My best friend drives one. The motor is a beast with the GM stage one tune, he tracks it all the time and it never misses a beat. As others have mentioned this car right out of the box will make more expensive cars look pretty bad. Oh and no lift shift is super addictive, and the factory brembos stop the car really well.

To be dead honest I don't think there is a better performance oriented compact car for the money.
 
#19 ·
Cobalt SS is the popped collar of the car world...
:facepalm: Your vehicle and sig speak volumes on the quality of your opinion :rolleyes:

Friend had one. Very rental car interior but it sufficed. The factory backed tuning was great. They also offered an a-pillar electronic gauge that showed all sorts of fun things. He really enjoyed it and only got rid of it because the Camaro came out and that was really what he wanted.
 
#27 ·
So I went to drive a 2009 SS today. The car was traded in and was modded, the dealer didn't know exactly what was done but it had an exhaust and an Injen pipe between inter-cooler and engine.

I thought the clutch and shifter were very good, felt tight and precise.
Steering felt not too heavy and the feel was good.
The seats felt OK, they could use more lumbar support.
I didn't try the stereo.
I took the car on the highway and punching it in third gear going 60 felt very impressive and the wheels were fighting for traction. It pulls hard. This particular car did not have a LSD and I felt torque steer punching it on the highway.

Overall the SS is still on the list and moved up one spot, I liked it a lot.


I also drove a 2007 350Z at a different dealer. The car was gorgeous, white with tinted windows. The space inside is worse then a G35 coupe, it feels deeper and smaller. The visability sucks but that is to be expected. The car sounded great(if you like the Chewbaka sound).

People often complain about the 350Z atrocious clutch and I always defend it by saying that I drove a G35 and the clutch was not bad at all. I was wrong, either I forgot how crappy the clutch was on my G35 or they are not the same between the G35 and 350Z.
The clutch pedal has a very long travel, the engagement point is very high and the pedal is very light.....it makes it super hard to modulate and find the engagement point. Also the gas pedal is very light.

The 350Z's steering felt good, tight, precise and not too light.
Straight line performance in the 350Z was disappointing, I punched it on the highway and it didn't feel very quick...it was very meh.


Overall I think the 350Z is off my list, I know it's capable doing autox and the car looks great and sounds great to me but the combination of underwhelming straight line performance and the terrible clutch just makes it not worth it. It just didn't feel right. Next is a test drive of Solstice, S2000 and Miata.
 
#28 ·
Just a quick note about mods on the SS TC. If you add bolt-ons, it will by the fifth ignition turnover I believe adjust it's power levels back to stock. The only way to bypass that is a tune. So if it DOESNT have a tune, it's still making stock power levels even with the exhaust and injen pipe.

Also, if you are going to buy one of these cars, you owe yourself to find one with the LSD. My car had it and I can tell you it makes a world of difference in the handling.
 
#29 ·
I also should mention the CSS "scene" leaves a lil to be desired.

One of our members did a video of the tour our CSS forum put on back in '08. As you can tell there is some serious RICEY antics that go on amongst the owners. Yes I'm in it a couple times...*sigh*

But in my defense...MY CAR WAS STOCK!! It's the Sport Red TC with the low wing.



If you can get beyond that and the brake issue, I highly recommend it! :)
 
#32 · (Edited)
Cobalt SS/TC is still the BEST HANDLING FWD you can buy in North America. Most import fanboy don't want to acknowledge but it is the truth. YES, it is even better than Acura ITR and Mini cooper... Of course everyone know it comes with a not so nice looking interior and people will always attack this.
 
#41 ·
Cobalt SS/TC is still the BEST HANDLING FWD you can buy in North America. Most import fanboy don't want to acknowledge but it is the truth. YES, it is even better than Acura ITR and Mini cooper... Of course everyone know it comes with a not so nice looking interior and people will always attack this.
Mmmmmm I beg to differ on the bolded. Is it the fastest? Definitely. But if you want handling prowess, look up SCCA Solo II Nationals. The ITR still mops up in DS (and autocross is the best way to measure a car's handling ability).
 
#39 ·
Mazdaspeed3? I considered a cobalt but love the hatchback... Yep I am whoring a picture
 
#42 ·
I bought a 'new' 2009 Cobalt SS with LSD in 2010 and paid $25K out the door for it. I traded in my 2008 Evo X and was not sorry for that decision. I have owned 3 Evos (2 VIIIs and a X), SVT Focus, Porsche 911 C4, supercharged 99 Mustang GT in the past 10 years and currently drive an Audi S5. I can honestly say the Cobalt was the most fun out of all of them and for the price I don't think you could go faster for cheaper.

I think part of the fun is that when you point the car at a corner at a speed that should lead to you understeering off the road in a shower of cheap body panels, the SS kind of laughs at you and you realize you could have gone quicker. And all of this in what is essentially a rental car. Yes, the interior is lacking; the seats are nice enough and comfortable but they do lack a little support wise. The stereo was fine for me, the little subwoofer in the trunk kicked along nicely but I'm obviously no audiophile. The rear bumper didn't seem to fit right, it was almost as if it was the wrong size and I took it back to the dealership for them to look at it where we walked over to the other 2 Cobalt SSs on the lot and their bumpers didn't fit right either. Mine had a sunroof, unfortunately, that would comically fly up a 1/4" or so every time I shut the door. During the first week of ownership I went round a corner quickly and a piece of plastic fell off something in the rear of the vehicle and I never did find out where it belonged. I had 3 such pieces of plastic when I traded the car in ;). I still kind of regret selling the car.

There's a recall for the power steering motor (it uses an electrical assist rather than the usual hydraulic pump) so make sure that's been done before taking it home. I went through 2 power steering motors and a TPMS sensor during 2 years of ownership (all covered under warranty). I had no issues with the rear brakes and there was plenty of meat on them when I replaced the fronts but many people have had issues with the rears.
 
#49 ·
I would say that if you do get one, don't use CobaltSS.net.

Instead use gmsportcompact.net.

The latter is full of people like me who grew tired of the whining and titty babies on CSS.

Full of knowledgeable people too and some excellent vendors.:thumbup:
 
#59 ·
http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/c...-26_the_frugal-3a_chevrolet_cobalt_ss_page_11

Price As Tested $23,490
MPG 22 city/30 highway/26.0 average
0–60 mph 5.5 sec.
Slalom 72.4 mph
Quarter Mile 14.0 sec. @ 101.8 mph
Skidpad 0.92g
60–0-mph Braking 117 ft.
Tank Capacity 13.2 gal.
Theoretical Maximum Range 396 miles
Cost to Fill $52.80
EPA Estimated Annual Fuel Cost $2364


ITR Slalom
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...egra_type_r_vs_toyota_celica_gts/viewall.html
Acceleration, sec
0-30 mph 2.6
0-40 mph 3.8
0-50 mph 4.9
0-60 mph 6.2
0-70 mph 8.1
0-80 mph 10.1
0-90 mph 12.8
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph 14.8/96.3
Braking, 60-0 mph, ft 115
Lateral acceleration, g 0.92
Speed through 600-ft slalom, mph 68.2
EPA fuel economy, city/hwy., mpg

Civici SI slalom
http://www.edmunds.com/honda/civic/2012/road-test-specs.html


Track Test Results
Acceleration, 0-30 mph (sec.) 3.5
0-45 mph (sec.) 6.0
0-60 mph (sec.) 9.2
0-75 mph (sec.) 14.0
1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) 16.9
0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) 9.0
Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) 32
60-0 mph (ft.) 131
Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) 64.6
Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) 0.81
Sound level @ idle (dB) 45.0
@ Full throttle (dB) 77.6
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 71

Mini Cooper S Slalom
http://libraryofmotoring.info/2012/04/13/road-track-handling-test-summary/
MINI Cooper S $29,700 181 177 0.90 69.4
 
#61 ·
IIRC - the Cobalt SS (supercharged) was nothing special (200hp) while the later Turbo model was special (260+) especially with dealer stage 1.

Can you tell from the badging or do you need to know the year it was produced? 08/09 for turbo model.
 
#72 ·
Update:

I drove 2 more cars this weekend.

1)Drove a 2008 Miata Touring.
I loved the car, pretty much everything about it except I wish it had more power. The steering is sharp, the clutch is smooth and the shifting is precise and short. Also was impressed with the sound system. This car remains on my list.

2)Drove a Solstice GXP.
Pros:More power then Miata, looks great, soft comfortable seats, pretty nice shifting and clutch. A good amount of space, even with the top up.
Cons:No height adjustable seat, I am short and was sitting very low in the car. The steering is ok but simply doesn't compare to the Miata. The brake pedal felt very numb. There is litteraly no trunk space, no space for a bag of groceries.

I really wanted to like the Solstice but just like the 350Z the cons far outweighed the pros. I would classify the Solstice as almost a Touring convertible and not a sport car. The car felt soft, smooth and easy to drive. The engine had good power, there are no gauges inside the car for the car temperature or oil pressure or anything, only tach, speedo and fuel. The sound system sucked.



The way it is right now I cannot find a S2000 close to me in even close to my price range so my list consists of a Miata and a Cobalt SS.
 
#80 ·
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
Of course the steering wheel is decent... it's out of corvette!

I've always been curious about these cars as well. A friend get a SRT-4 a few years back and would go on and on forever about how great of a car it was. Then the T/C version of the CSS came out and all of a sudden people were saying how much better it was than the SRT. I never really read in depth about the SS, so it's good to see some solid info on here... minus the pointless bickering about it compares/competes with the MS3. :)
 
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