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by
Steve
Siler
But
pray that you never have to find out
how any of that works first hand. We'd
prefer that the Cobalt's attractive
sheet metal stay in tact, thank you.
Truly, the Cobalt is a handsome car,
no matter which of its arrays you choose.
Cobalt sedans are inoffensively styled,
come in base, LS and LT and SS arrays,
each getting successively dressier with
wheels ranging from 15 inches to big,
five-spoke 17s on LT and SS models.
Cobalt coupes come in base, LS, SS and
SS Supercharged model. Coupe models
have round, afterburner-style taillights
in a blatant attempt to connect it with
its big brother, the Corvette. Like
the sedan, the coupes come with wheels
ranging from 15 to 17 inches, while
the SS Supercharged coupe is the only
Cobalt model wearing big 18 inchers
as standard.
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Of
note is that, due to late engine availability,
SS models are available in mid-'05 as
'06 models. A new 170-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder
engine will power them. If it is even
half as good as the less powerful, but
extraordinarily smooth and quick 2.2-liter
Ecotec four in the base, LS and LT models,
the SS should be an absolute treat. As
for the 2.2, this is certainly one of
the best motors available in any car in
this price range…I'd even venture
to say that it's one of the best motors
in any GM product. The SS Supercharged
engine is just 2.0 liters large, but produces
a whopping 205 hp and 200 instantly available
lb-ft of torque. Combined with its big
wheels, lowered suspension and five-speed
manual transmission (the only transmission
available), the SS is a rocket, both in
a straight line and in the twisties. Fuel
economy ranges from 23/29 city/hwy for
the SS Supercharged to an impressive 25/34
for the base 2.2-liter with a manual transmission
(the auto earns 24/34).
As
you might imagine, the move upmarket bestows
Cobalt coupes and sedans alike with a
much more spacious and better-equipped
interior than what was found in the old
Cavalier. Indeed, in its class, only the
prissier Corolla can touch the Cobalt's
interior in terms of execution and material
quality. Rear seat passengers in particular
will be impressed with the amount of elbow
and knee room that surrounds them. Front
seat passengers face a new dashboard that
is specific to each model, each with soft
touch materials and tight gap panel fits.
The ones we like the most, naturally,
were found on the top-line LT sedan-with
its wood grain trim, two-tone color scheme
and plenty of chrome detailing-and the
SS Supercharged, which has lots of matte
metal trim and sporty gauges. The SS Supercharged
even has a cool boost gauge mounted on
the A-pillar in a nod to the aftermarket
tuner crowd, as well as a package that
includes firmly bolstered leather-covered
Recaro sport seats.
Like
the outgoing Cavalier, the Cobalt offers
a ton of standard features. Particularly
noteworthy are the height-adjustable front
seats, split folding rear seats with trunk
access, a CD player, intermittent wipers
and automatic headlights, all available
on the sub-$14K base model. The LS gets
you even more goodies, including power
everything and cruise control. LT sedans
come with leather seats, steering wheel
radio controls and an automatic transmission.
Options for the Cobalt include XM radio,
OnStar, Pioneer speakers and a moonroof.
With
such a compelling combination of features,
value, performance and yes, quality, we
can firmly assert that this is one of
the best small cars the world has ever
seen. The fact that it comes from GM sparks
optimism in all of us who hope that the
grand dame of automakers has still got
it goin' on.
For
More Information Click: Chevrolet
Cobalt
For the Chevrolet
2005 Model Guide :
Click
Here
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