20th Dec 2007, 20:39

Having had experience (ALL BAD) with a Civic, I can assure you I'd much rather trust ANY GM car to get me where I want to go. I've driven 3 Cobalts (one 4-door model and 2 coupes) and found the visibility, convenience and comfort excellent and the power ample.

It is just as easy to flash the bright lights on my GM cars with the automatic lights as it is on my Ford (which doesn't have them). All you do is flip the control stalk, just as you do on most cars.

I found the Cobalt to be smooth, not any noisier than their competition, and much better looking. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is based on nothing but mostly bad experience with imports (German and Japanese) and nothing but good experience with every domestic I've ever owned. I suppose there are good imports and bad domestics. My experience has always been better with domestics from any of the "Big Three".

26th Dec 2007, 07:38

I have a 2007 Cobalt LS, and I must say it is the best car I have ever had. I bought it on September 1st with 2 miles on it, and already have 10,000 miles on it with not a stitch of trouble. Mine doesn't have an power windows/locks, doesn't have an armrest, and doesn't even have an automatic transmission. But it does have safety, quietness, and air conditioning and a CD player, which makes up for the lack of important things like an armrest. Oh, and the car's small size makes it nice and easy to reach over the passenger seat and unlock the other doors. I wanted basic, reliable, no frills transportation, and that's what I got. An armrest and all of the power amenities can be had, but they leave it out as to keep the cost down because that is what some prefer, LOW COST.

There is no need to slander a good car just because of your experience with a rental car. The rental agencies buy them with absolutely no options, but an automatic transmission, as it puts more money in their pockets and keeps their expenses down, as many prefer who drive the Cobalt over the Civic, Corolla, Sentra, and so on that are priced way above what they should be. And, with the Cobalt, you get a nice 100,000 mile complete powertrain warranty. THAT is value. Now take your miserable excuse for a car COBALT LX (which by the way, it's LS, LT, LTZ, or SS... there is no such thing as an LX) back to Thrifty Rent-a-Car and go spend about 6,000 more for a nice base Civic, and leave the Cobalt for someone else to enjoy.

26th Dec 2007, 10:21

I drove a 2008 Cobalt on a trip for two weeks. I agree with the original poster that the car is cheap, uncomfortable, and awkward to drive. I've owned a lot of cars- both imported and domestic- and the Cobalt I rented was the worst car I've driven. First of all, the steering wheel made it almost impossible to see the gauges even if you adjusted the wheel better. Secondly, the seats were tight. I'm a small person, so I can't imagine what it would be like for someone larger.

The overall build quality was severely lacking: the plastic trim on the doors, in the interior, the rubber dash, and the trunk were all embarrassingly cheap. What's more was that the plastic on the exterior was already weathering badly. If it was starting to look bad at less than 1 month old, I can't imagine how bad it will look in a few years if the car makes it that long.

Secondly, the ride and acceleration were just weird. It felt like the transmission was sort of 'wandering'. It was pretty jerky at acceleration too.You'd floor it and nothing would happen for a few seconds. Then it'd finally kick in, which was nerve-wracking in heavy traffic.

My honest opinion: this is nowhere close to matching the new Civic that it was intended to compete with. My Wife's 17 year old Civic is better built and more comfortable than the new Cobalt. GM screwed this one up and it is really no better than the crappy Cavalier it replaced.

26th Dec 2007, 11:45

I too rented one for about ten days. Not a bad car. It was very basic, but just about what could be expected. It drove fine, but once again very basic and a little unpowered. But, as a people mover more than acceptable. I would still prefer to pay extra for something more interesting though.

27th Jan 2008, 16:39

I bought a 2007 cobalt in October and have no complaints at all, I have the base model which does come standard with the features that are nice to have like a CD player and air conditioning. This car has never let me down or disappointed me one bit even with manual windows and locks, it is cheap reliable transportation and I would definitely recommend this car to every person or family that is on a budget. So please don't bash the cobalt.

20th Apr 2008, 01:31

And of course here comes the civic fan.

Hard to flash your headlights because they are auto? Maybe if you're high; it's like any other car, pull on it. Poor visibility and dangerous to drive? I'm 6'2 and my head is almost at the roof and I feel very comfortable knowing where every car around me is.

I'm getting so tired of Honda fans putting down American-built cars and trying to make them sound worse by pointing out useless and invalid points, like poor visibility in the car or the auto headlights being a pain.

11th May 2008, 15:28

I rented a Cobalt LT with a big option package that included 16 inch alloys for 10 days. Not a bad car, if you compare it to vehicles manufactured 5 years ago. I agree that the interior trimmings were scant at best, with a plethora of hard pointy surfaces - and cramped - and I'm only 5'9". Why can't GM make an attractive dashboard? The gas mileage combined was about 20-22 at best. For a large 4 cylinder, it had no balls and was gruff sounding. Sorry GM, but for as long as you keep putting out inferior products (let's not count the Saturns, which are Opels, and the Pontiacs/Chevys that share some Holden design), you'll never earn my money, no matter how long you extend your warranties for. All you can bank on are trucks/SUVs/maybe the Vette and hopefully, for your sake, the new Malibu. Thanks for hypeing up these gashogs - America thanks you for it every time we fill up.

12th May 2008, 13:18

I disagree with the last comment. My sister has a Pontiac G5 coupe, which is the same thing as a Cobalt. I'm 6'2" and I have plenty of room, but as for the back seat, you could make a case.

Also the engine is a bit loud, but it's an economy car, so it probably doesn't have a lot of insulation.

The car is fast enough; it's not a sports car and you probably got such low gas mileage cause you couldn't keep your foot out of the floor. My sister averages about 28mpg.

And honestly, to me all the newer model cars have that plastic look with the exception of the new Malibu, and Buicks. Acura's also have nice interiors.