Anybody here familiar with the Chevy Cobalt SS?

[Aces High]

?

[cjd]

The normal Cobalt is not a bad little car for the price but as the added features go in the price goes through the roof... I have not seen the SS Cobalt but it seems that they have a 260-hp 2.0L DOHC ECOTEC turbo 4-cyl. direct-injection engine with VVT and 5-spd. manual transmission vs. the standard package which is 155-hp 2.2L DOHC ECOTEC 4-cyl. engine with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and 5-spd. manual transmission... The direct fuel injection is something GM as been playing with for a few years now on some other models  but the turbo is whats pushing the horsepower up here... In the standard Cobalt the engine and the car seem well matched... Even with the upgraded 16" wheels the car is just about able to handle the road when pushed... I can't see the added horse power being much use in a car like that... With the bigger 16" wheels the turning radius of the car is horrible... Still larger and wider tires are not an option... I think GM is pushing the envelope here with this model.

[angryChineseKahanist]

What's up DOHC?

[Aces High]

The normal Cobalt is not a bad little car for the price but as the added features go in the price goes through the roof... I have not seen the SS Cobalt but it seems that they have a 260-hp 2.0L DOHC ECOTEC turbo 4-cyl. direct-injection engine with VVT and 5-spd. manual transmission vs. the standard package which is 155-hp 2.2L DOHC ECOTEC 4-cyl. engine with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and 5-spd. manual transmission... The direct fuel injection is something GM as been playing with for a few years now on some other models  but the turbo is whats pushing the horsepower up here... In the standard Cobalt the engine and the car seem well matched... Even with the upgraded 16" wheels the car is just about able to handle the road when pushed... I can't see the added horse power being much use in a car like that... With the bigger 16" wheels the turning radius of the car is horrible... Still larger and wider tires are not an option... I think GM is pushing the envelope here with this model.

They stopped making the Cobalt Super sport.  They are replacing it with the Chevy Cruze.  So I was thinking they might have them at a great price, to get them off the lots.   I have been doing a lot of research on the Mazda speed 3 and Standard WRX, and the Mazda speed 3 seems to have a ton of complaints about dash rattles, and door rattles,  in brand new cars.  And the WRX has serious issues with the  throw out bearings in their cars.   I haven't seen a lot of complaints about the cobalt, except that the interior is very cheap.   and also the Mazda speed 3  and the Cobalt ss, and WRX, only come in a maual transmission.  I  read an articlethat explained the reason they don't make the Mazda speed 3, and Cobalt SS and WRX in automatic, is that it costs a lot more money to beef up an automatic transmission to handle the extra power.  

However, The amazing thing is that the new Mustang V6, Camaro V6 and Challenger V6 has automatic tranny option with  300 hp, and doesn't have the problems that the Mazda speed 3, and WRX have.    I'm thinking that these 4 cylinder  sports cars aren't made up to snuff, either engine wise or part quality wise.

[Aces High]

And they are about the same price or less as the 4 cylinder sports cars.  

[cjd]

They stopped making the Cobalt Super sport.  They are replacing it with the Chevy Cruze.  So I was thinking they might have them at a great price, to get them off the lots.   I have been doing a lot of research on the Mazda speed 3 and Standard WRX, and the Mazda speed 3 seems to have a ton of complaints about dash rattles, and door rattles,  in brand new cars.  And the WRX has serious issues with the  throw out bearings in their cars.   I haven't seen a lot of complaints about the cobalt, except that the interior is very cheap.   and also the Mazda speed 3  and the Cobalt ss, and WRX, only come in a maual transmission.  I  read an articlethat explained the reason they don't make the Mazda speed 3, and Cobalt SS and WRX in automatic, is that it costs a lot more money to beef up an automatic transmission to handle the extra power. 

However, The amazing thing is that the new Mustang V6, Camaro V6 and Challenger V6 has automatic tranny option with  300 hp, and doesn't have the problems that the Mazda speed 3, and WRX have.    I'm thinking that these 4 cylinder  sports cars aren't made up to snuff, either engine wise or part quality wise.

Avoid Mazda... Ford did a great deal to improve the cars during the time they owned a good part of the company but the cars are nothing but problems... The Engines are mostly Ford products which are not really the problem its everything around it that is... The Mazda 6 is not the worse car in the world but the 3 and the 5 are nothing short of miserable... The 3 is a nice car to drive but it tends to develop a lot of problems... If anyone plans keeping the car past the warranty they had better like high repair bills... Mazda factory parts are very expensive... The Mustang V6 is a problem free car and the Camaro V6 is not bad either... The top of the line Cobalt GM still sells is not a bad all around car it's just that  it becomes pricey and it possible to toss just a few more bucks into the pot and get something like a Mustang.

[Aces High]

CJD, check out this video, on the throw out bearing for the WRX and read the comments.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.

[cjd]

Yes the noise is clearly noticeable... Throw out bearing noises are annoying but the car could actually go on for some time before it got so bad that it would need to be replaced... The only time it is actually turning is when the driver steps on the clutch or if the pedal system is not working correctly and causing it to contact the fingers of the flex plate... In this case it seems the bearing is defective or the driver has a bad habit of resting their foot on the clutch pedal just enough to keep the bearing in contact with the flex plate causing it to spin needlessly and fail early ... The problem with many of the smaller cars like this is that the parts are small and they are just not solid enough to take the strain of rough treatment and higher power...Also in order to cut cost the metal in the parts is not tempered as well as it should be... With most of the cars like this the entire drive train and front end system need to be removed from the car to replace a simple $20 part... If that were my car I would live with that sound until it became far worse and take the chance that it would never go completely bad.. Even on a newer car I am not sure how warranty guidelines deal with the clutch system... Often things like that are considered the owners responsibility after 12 & 12.