Chevrolet Cobalt
Chasing the Civic |
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By Richard J. Newman
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Nits: There's no hand-hold for pulling the trunk closed, an easy bit of engineering that seems to have been overlooked.
G forces: Performance is one of the Cobalt's standout features. The 145-horsepower four-cylinder engine is lively and quiet compared with some of the wheezers found under the hoods of economy cars. Handling is perky too. The Cobalt's steering is tightly tuned, and the nose stays up in curves instead of diving into the pavement.
Gizmology: The climate dials and other controls could feel more substantial. On the test model, the button for the power moonroof was especially flimsy, tilting loosely into the headliner. But for well under $20,000 you can get a lot of features that aren't even available on other economy cars.
Kidmarks: The rear seat is basic, with three seatbelts and two cupholders on the back side of the front armrest. One advantage: The rear doors are relatively small and light, easy for smaller kids to manage. Space is adequate for kids, although taller teenagers will start to get uncomfortable.
Hot or not: Not. The coupe is aerodynamic but not especially distinctive. The sedan is bland.
Envirometer: The EPA rates the Cobalt 6 out of 10 for pollution, and ranks it above average for tailpipe emissions. Mileage ranges from 23 mpg/city to 34 mpg/highway. For details go to www.fueleconomy.gov.
Crash course: Earns nine stars out of 10 on the government's frontal crash test, and four out of five for rollover resistance. The side-impact rating is six out of 10. Details: www.nhtsa.dot.gov. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an industry testing group, rates the Cobalt "good," its highest rating, in its frontal test, and "average" in its side-impact tests, with side air bags. In a test without side air bags, however, the Cobalt was rated "poor," the group's worst rating. Details: www.iihs.org.
Price points: Base prices range from $14,190 to $21,995. Price as tested: $21,325. (All prices include delivery fees.)
More info: www.chevrolet.com/cobalt
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Model year tested: 2005
I was regaling my editor Tim with all the pleasant surprises I discovered while driving Chevy's new economy car, the Cobalt, when he abruptly cut me off. "So, would you buy this instead of a Honda Civic?" he wanted to know. "Would ya? Well, would ya, punk?"
Wait a minute—I think that was another story we were working on when he called me a punk. Or was it "dork"? Well, anyway, Tim, with his usual graybearded wisdom, had asked precisely the right question. The Cobalt is a sassy little runabout with reasonable room, a nice suite of features, and tolerable looks. But this is not what we have come to expect from Chevrolet, which has struggled to attain mediocrity in its interiors and packaging and has allowed the substandard Cavalier to languish on the market way past its time. Now the midmarket manufacturer is paying the price. Despite making a good first impression and hitting the right dollar mark, the Cobalt is selling slowly, as skeptical consumers wait for proof that Chevrolet has built a car that's as reliable and sturdy as the best from Japan.
It will take years of real-road testing to tell if the Cobalt hits the mark. But it starts off smartly. The first good sign is that the mechanics of the car are solid. All versions (except for the supercharged SS model) come with a 145-horsepower "Ecotec" four-cylinder engine that's spunky and smooth and does, in fact, remind me of Honda's excellent small engines. The standard manual transmission is a stiff, sporty Getrag five speed, with a congenial four-speed automatic as an option. Standard 15-inch tires (16-inch on the upper trim line) produce a stable highway ride, while front and rear stabilizer bars stiffen the Cobalt's handling on curves and create a nice sense of agility.
There's a bit of cheapness in the cabin. A few of the controls feel flimsy, and the seats could use some extra stuffing. But there's a lot that appeals, too. Just for fun I compared the upper-level Cobalt LT with the Honda Civic EX, both priced a tad above $18,000. The Cobalt has more power and a number of features you don't get on the Civic, like leather upholstery, a seven-speaker Pioneer audio system, and steering-wheel-mounted controls for the radio. That might not be good enough for my esteemed editor, who gets paid to deconstruct silly ideas. But for those of us who just want to enjoy a decent ride, the Cobalt is not a bad proposition at all. And I'd sure enjoy waving to Tim as I passed him and his sensible car in the fast lane.
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