Faults:

I have only had the car for four days, so nothing mechanical has broken yet.

General Comments:

I wanted a Cobalt with the side airbags and dealers had to get them from out of town. I was told they found one and went to pick it up. It had a spoiler on the back, which it was not supposed to have. I hate spoilers for their looks. Now that I am driving it, I find that the spoiler blocks my rear view while driving and backing up. I am sorry I accepted the car with the spoiler. I want it removed. The rear ends of these cars are high already, why would a designer add a spoiler or even allow that height? Have those who check on car safety sat in this vehicle and seen how the view from behind. If I had had a weekend test drive, I wouldn't have bought it. They have a car with great pick-up that's fund to drive -- feels like it's floating along -- but uncomfortable. You can't turn around in the seat and look out back window to back up because the seats are curved buckets and they stop you and stab you in the side.

Also, I have radio with CD and mp3 player. The instruction booklet says to hit the RPT (for repeat) key to repeat a song on a CD. But, there is no RPT key. I can't get through to GM to ask them about this. The owner's manuals are badly written.

Faults:

Knocking, clunking noise in the steering from day of sale.

Steering doesn't come back to center when turning at times; must be pulled back.

Had in shop one service bulletin performed; did not help.

Shuddering can be felt in the steering at times.

Is to return to the shop 07/17/07.

General Comments:

Steering has problems.

I have reported the car to the NHTSA.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car after 500 miles of break-in. It doesn't rattle or squeak in weird places. The initial impression is that it is at least as good in build quality as my 2006 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V which was totaled in a rear end accident 3 weeks ago.

General Comments:

I bought a base LS Cobalt 5 speed manual. It came equipped with air conditioning, a cd player, tilt wheel and rear defroster. It is nicely optioned for the price. I wish cruise control had been available for this car, but it's not even a dealer installed option, since the Cobalt uses a throttle-by-wire system

The handling is great for a inexpensive commuter car. The electrically boosted steering follows the curves well, however it is a bit numb without much road feel being sent back through the steering wheel to the driver. It tracks well on the highway without being tossed all over the road by ruts and bumps.

It's not a sports car, but it is sporty in manner and style.

The interior noise is low for a compact car. There's not a lot of wind noise and tire roar. It's quiet enough that conversations are comfortable at 70 mph.

The engine horsepower is good for a 2700 pound car plus myself and a passenger. There is enough low-end torque to get me moving away from a stop light without revving the engine like a drag racer, and there is a lot of high end power above 4000 rpm for passing. Redline is 6500. The engine and manual transmission are well matched, I prefer a stick shift for more control and better efficiency. I didn't drive an automatic before I bought this one so I can't compare the two. It's rated at 148 hp and that seems to be what it's putting out.

The mileage is easily monitored with the driver's information display at the bottom of the tachometer. The EPA ratings (25 city/34 highway) appear to be accurate. I've noticed a lot of folks complaining about not getting the mileage that the EPA rated for the Cobalt, but that's not the case here. Don't buy one with all the options (those add weight) and an automatic and drive insanely in traffic and expect that you should get good mileage.

The price ($12,886 with sales-tax paid) was what clinched the deal for me. I did an Internet inquiry and asked for dealer quotes from local dealers and went to the one with the best quoted price. It also helped that I didn't have a trade-in, it was a simple process and a super deal.