30th Jan 2011, 01:28
Well actually, the Prius is the definition of the dork-mobile. The Volt actually looks cool and sporty. And the interior is much more logical, high-tech and higher quality than the Toyota.
The Volt is actually a lot closer to a pure electric car than the Prius also. It uses the gas motor much less, and has a longer extended electric only range. The Chevy's technology is superior. And it's not ugly to boot!
30th Jan 2011, 02:07
I bought a Cobalt XFE/LS coupe in June 2010. It has a 5-speed and no power locks or windows. But even the base car has a lot of standard features not found in other cars in the same price class. A wonderful onboard computer center, tire pressure monitor, one year of standard OnStar (which is really useful), built-in and prepaid (for 3 months) XM radio and subscription, remote trunk release, dual power ports, front AND rear cupholders, hood and trunk hydraulic hinges (almost no import uses them, but they are far superior to a prop rod and traditional hinge}, 15" wheels (most import base cars only have 14's) and a superior CD/MP3 player with better-than-expected speakers.
The manual tranny is a pleasure to drive and is absolutely smooth. Combining the 5 speed with the surprisingly responsive and rev-happy Ecotec LAP engine makes a quick and fun compact car. Automobile managed 0-60 mph in about 8.7 seconds. I do mostly highway driving, and I average about 38 MPG.
Besides the Civic SI, this engine has a much higher power output than regular Civics, Carollas, and Focuses. The Ecotec is just as smooth and quiet as a Honda motor (even though the Honda drivers won't admit because they won't give any American car a chance).
I love the interior because it is handsome, visually balanced and logically laid out. Yes, some of the plastics are not the best quality- but not the worst quality either. And it's so much better than the outer-space ugly interior (and exterior LOL) in the Civic. I haven't had one minute's trouble out of the car in 10,000 miles, and I know a lot of people with Cobalts that haven't either.
Just remember: the few people with bad experiences post about their problems because they are unhappy about it. However, the vast majority of Cobalt owners who do not have any problems from their cars don't post on the internet about it because they have no reason to. So don't let a few crabapples spoil your taste for a wonderful, sporty, great looking and driving car!
30th Jan 2011, 17:22
Don't assume that the vast majority of Cobalt owners are all happy. There may be a lot more unsatisfied Cobalt owners than what you see posted. Maybe they don't have access to a computer. Or maybe they just don't have time to post a review. Also, if the Cobalt was so great, why did Chevrolet replace it with the Cruze? The answer is simple: poor sales and unsatisfied customers.
31st Jan 2011, 04:28
That's funny because the Cobalt was a very successful vehicle for GM.
Also, all cars get redesigned within 5 or 6 years. It's just the regular product cycle.
Basically what I was trying to convey was that all cars have pros and cons, it's a totally subjective thing.
31st Jan 2011, 08:10
This isn't always true. Chevy replaced the very good selling Cavalier with the Cobalt. GM feels the need to dump old familiar names in favor of new and unknown ones. I'm not sure why they do this. Even Ford picked up the Taurus name again when they realized how well a name sells a particular car. In the case of the Cruze, it is just another brand new thing for GM to spring on the public. Hopefully it will work out for them. It has no bearing on whether the Cobalt was a good or bad car though.
31st Jan 2011, 14:38
Yeah, the Cavalier/Sunfire sold very well. That's because GM lost money on each one sold. People only bought them because they were dirt cheap. Dealers had to discount them so heavily, because buyers wouldn't pay for an inferior product. Consumer Reports summed up these cars best: 'crude, outdated, and unpleasant." The Cobalt was a slight improvement, but not much changed.
It doesn't take Spock to see it's not logical to drop a good, profitable product. That's why Honda and Toyota have kept the Civic and Corolla brands for a very long time. They've sold millions of them, and made money doing it. Everyone seems to agree the Cruze is miles ahead of the crude Cobalt, and GM may finally have a good compact car to compete with other brands.
1st Feb 2011, 18:50
As a Cobalt owner who's test driven a Cruze, the Cobalt, even with its faults is the better car. GM has just alienated itself from a large share of young customers: first with Pontiac's demise, and then replacing instead of updating the Cobalt with the CRUZE. What young teen or early 20's guy/girl wants to drive around in a boxy, non-sporty mid-size 4 door sedan?? I sure don't. If GM doesn't introduce an affordable sporty car soon, I, as well as many others, may be forced to look elsewhere for their next new car in 3-5 years time. GM needs to wake up...
2nd Feb 2011, 12:34
There is already a Cruze coupe that may find its way onto the streets. It looks like an SS version is in the works as well. Don't worry, Chevy won't let you down.
2nd Feb 2011, 15:28
GM abandoned its 'sporty' Pontiac division a long time ago. All it got was rebadged Chevrolets. The worst example was the Pontiac G3, an Aveo clone. GM couldn't pay people to drive them off the lot.
Also, boxy, non-sporty 4 door sedan is a perfect description of the Cobalt sedan and Pontiac G5 clone. The SS Cobalt coupe may have appealed to the 'boy racer' crowd, but it didn't appeal to a larger demographic. The Corolla may seem boring, but it's the number one selling car of all time. I think GM is being smart by offering a car that will appeal to a broader base than the Cobalt ever did.
29th Dec 2010, 18:14
Why don't you buy the Prius and send me a check for the $15K premium your paying over the Prius for the Volt that is essentially the same thing? Seems you don't mind spending 40% more than you need to for the same car, and I could use the extra money.