Chevrolet Cobalt

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The Chevrolet Cobalt is a compact car introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year, replacing the aging Cavalier. The Cobalt is intended to compete with Japanese cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

It is available as both a coupe and sedan and is based upon the GM Delta platform, along with the Chevrolet HHR, Pontiac G5, Saturn ION, and European Opel Astra. All Cobalts are manufactured at GM's Lordstown Assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Chevrolet Cobalt Review.

Recent Changes

• In late 2008, Chevrolet introduced the Cobalt SS Turbocharged Coupe. A sedan version of the SS Turbocharged followed for the 2009 model year.<ref>2009 Chevrolet Cobalt Review</ref>The new top range Cobalt is powered by the Opel-sourced 260 hp 2.0 litre turbocharged Ecotec four-pot that can be found in other GM stablemates such as the Pontiac Solstice, Chevy HHR SS, and Opel Astra OPC. This powerplant accelerates the Coablt from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds.<ref>2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Sedan Revealed</ref>

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• Cosmetically, the Cobalt remains unchanged since its debut in 2005 other than the removal of the circular tail-lights. For 2006, the engine receives a boost in horsepower by 2 and certain options have changed. For 2009, the base engine receives variable valve timing which boosts power to 155 hp.

Styles and Major Options

The Chevrolet Cobalt comes in either a 2-door coupe or a 4-door sedan. Both of these are available in LS, LT, and SS Turbocharged trims. The front suspension is independent with MacPherson struts, while a semi-independent torsion bar is used in the rear. The wheelbase is 103.3 in (262.4 cm), longer than its competitors, and the width is 68.4 in (173.8 cm). Weight is at 2808-2989 lb (1273-1355 kg). The car is notable for its use of electrical, rather than the conventional hydraulic, power steering. It is built at the General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

Engines:

Years	Engine	Power	Torque
2005–	2.2 L Ecotec L61 I4	155 hp	150 ft·lbf
2008–	2.0 L Ecotec turbocharged I4	260 hp	260 ft·lbf

Pricing

Cobalt Trims
Sedan LS	Sedan LT	Sedan SS Turbocharged	Coupe LS	Coupe LT	Coupe SS Turbocharged
MSRP
$15,660	$16,460	$23,425	$15,660	$16,460	$23,425
Invoice
$14,799	$15,555	$22,137	$14,799	$15,555	$22,137

Gas Mileage

As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Trim
2.2L manual	2.2L auto	2.0L Turbocharged manual
MPG
25/37	24/33	22/30

Reliability

Consumer Reports' 2007 Annual Auto Issue indicates that the Cobalt's reliability is worse than average and includes the Cobalt among the three least reliable small cars along with the Volkswagen Jetta and Chevrolet Aveo.

• RECALL ALERT: On March 13, 2009, GM issued a recall alert affecting 276, 729 cars, namely all Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Pontiac G5, Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura and Saturn Outlook built for the 2009 model year, due to a loose clip on their transmission shift cable. The failure of the clip to be locked into place may prevent the transmission from moving into Park. This recall is filed under the NHTSA Campaign ID Number 09V073000. [1]

• RECALL ALERT: GM recalling 53,000 Chevy Cobalt, Saturn Ion, and Pontiac G5 models over fuel leak concern

Safety

Safety tests carried out on the Cobalt by the NHTSA yielded mixed results. While the Cobalt earned a 5-Star rating for passenger front-impact crash tests, it received 4-Star ratings for driver front-impact, rear side-impact, and rollover tests, and only a 3-Star rating for front side-impact tests. In addition, in the 2-door Cobalt, there was a safety concern when, as the NHTSA reported, "during the side impact test, the head of the driver dummy struck the windowsill, causing a high head acceleration. Head impact events resulting in high accelerations have a higher likelihood of serious head trauma."

Some of the available safety features that may be found on the Cobalt are as follows:

• Front and rear anti-roll bars
• 4-wheel anti-lock brakes
• Driveline traction control
• Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
• Side impact bars
• Occupancy sensors
• 1st/2nd row overhead side-impact airbags

Photos

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Colors

Colors for the Chevrolet Cobalt will vary by trim, and a complete list is viewable at CarsDirect.com.

Main Competitors

• Ford Focus
• Dodge Caliber
• Honda Civic
• Hyundai Elantra
• Hyundai Tiburon
• Mazda Mazda3
• Mitsubishi Lancer
• Nissan Sentra
• Scion tC
• Subaru Impreza
• Toyota Corolla
• Volkswagen Jetta

Resale Values

According to Kelley Blue Book, "the Cobalt holds an average five-year projected residual value, falling far from competitors such as the Honda Civic, Scion tC, and Mazda Mazda3. The Hyundai Elantra and Kia Spectra, however, also have lower-than-average projected residuals, just slightly higher than those of the Cobalt."

Criticisms

• "All models suffered fair coarse-pavement tire thrum." - Consumer Guide
• "Despite its impressive specs, the 2.2-liter engine often sounds like it's laboring to produce that power, especially under full throttle, even with only two adults on board." - Cars.com
• "If you're looking for a small car with a big back seat, the Cobalt can't compare to the Dodge Caliber or Scion xB. The Cobalt's engine is a bit coarse and its exhaust note is even louder." - Kelley Blue Book
• "Stopping power good, but pedal felt spongy..." - Consumer Guide

Current Generation: (2005–present)

The Chevrolet Cobalt was introduced as an all-new model for 2005, replacing the Chevrolet Cavalier. Initially available were the base Cobalt and Cobalt LS, both available in sedan and coupe bodystyles. The LT only came in sedan and the top-of-the-line 205hp SS Supercharged came in coupe bodystyle only.<ref>2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Review</ref>

The Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged was discontinued after the 2007 model year and replaced by the SS Turbocharged in late 2008.

References

• Chevy Cobalt

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External Links

• Official American site
• Official Canadian site

• JB car pages: Chevrolet Cobalt
• MotorTrend: 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged
• InsideLine: 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged Full Test
• Automobile: Compact Sports Cars
• The Cobalt SS Network
• Chevy Cobalt Fans
• Chevy Cobalt Fans
• Chevy Cobalt

This page uses content from Wikipedia; see Chevrolet Cobalt, which includes these contributors.