Teresa’s View
Chevy’s all-new Cobalt proves the company is serious about wooing small-car buyers. Long ignored in favor of the more lucrative truck and SUV market, compacts like Chevy’s Cavalier languished in rental-car purgatory while the imports raised customer expectations.
Chevy is back in the game with two all-new entries: the Aveo and Cobalt. While the Aveo answers the subcompact, entry-level buyer’s needs, the Cobalt replaces the Cavalier, a tired champ kept long past its prime.
The difference between the Cobalt and Cavalier is like night and day. Where the Cav was noisy and less than refined, the Cobalt is quiet and moderately stylish, especially when outfitted with the optional rear spoiler. Based on the Delta platform — a front-wheel drive foundation that parent company GM developed from its European-market Opal Astra — the Cobalt’s structure, materials and workmanship are on par with current standards.
Like its predecessor, the Cobalt is offered in both sedan and coupe body styles.
The Cobalt’s standard engine — a 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder powerplant — is lively off the line, and relatively quiet unless pushed hard. If it’s muscle you crave, an SS supercharged coupe version sports a 205-horsepower barnburner that is said to scoot 0-to-60 in 6 seconds.
The non-supercharged versions go easy on your pocketbook at the pump. Those equipped with automatic transmissions provide 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway using regular fuel.
What Is It?: The four-door sedan is offered in three trims — base, LS and LT. The two-door coupe version comes as base, LS and SS. In the Chevy family, the premium compact Cobalt sits between the smaller Aveo and larger Malibu. The base trim is priced around $14K.
Gadget Rating: 7 out of 10. Even the base model offers a wide array of standard features including air conditioning, rear window defroster, CD player and a tilt steering column. The LS adds cruise control and power windows and door locks. Standard features for the LT include automatic transmission; leather heated front seats and a seven-speaker Pioneer sound system with steering wheel-mounted controls.
Safety Tip: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Cobalt a “Best Pick” designation following frontal offset barrier testing. However, side impact tests produced an “Acceptable” rating only when equipped with the optional side curtain airbags. Without the airbags, the Cobalt received a “Poor” evaluation.
The Back Seat: Overall passenger volume for the Cobalt decreased by more than 4 inches compared to the Cavalier.
Grocery Sack Test: The trunk lid barely cleared paper bags in the height-challenged cargo area. Also, the turned-up tail creates a tall liftover, so be careful when hefting heavy boxes.
So, Where Ya From?: Built in Lordstown, Ohio.