Cobalt SS S'charged: A revelation

[LandQuail]

This old Quail would never have thought it, but the Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged is better to drive than the Honda Civic Si.

And don't think that this gamebird it speaking from ignorance. I tested them both for an article that I hope to see published Tuesday (Oct. 16) at the website of the newspaper I work for, TheCabin.net ·· Log Cabin Democrat of Conway, Arkansas.

I drove a Scion tC and a Nissan Altima Coupe in addition to the Si and Cobalt SS. Neither hold a candle to them, as far as driver's cars go. I'm hoping to publish the following on Tuesday at my newspaper's website, TheCabin.net ·· Log Cabin Democrat of Conway, Arkansas

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While the Civic clearly has a more soundly-engineered engine (the same compression ration as a Lamborghini Murcilago LP 640, almost 100 bhp-per-naturally-aspirated-liter and the indescribable rush of that V-TEC kick at 6,400 rpm), the Cobalt SS's superchaged 2.2 liter Eco-Tech four does the same thing with more torque. Objectively, you can't ignore that.

What I wish you could ignore it Chevy's decision not to equip the Cobalt SS Supercharged with a standard limited-slip differential. If ever an American performance coupe needed one, it's this one.

The car tested was used, so I couldn't take a peek at the spec sheet. In the corners, wheelspin was utterly rampant, and a supercharged engine isn't the best instrument to dole out power with great precision, but for all the wheelspin, the Cobalt SS Supercharged sitting on the lot at Superior Chevrolet in Conway didn't seem to lose all forward thrust through the twisties at full-throttle. But given that it wasn't my car, I lost all will to keep the hammer down for very long after the inside front tire started its Mariah Carey impersonation.

But I'll tell you what: Give either the Scion tC or the Civic Si the old Scandinavian Flick, and they'll balk, making the driver feel and look rather silly as the front wheels scrub off the inertia you'd hoped to send to the rear axle.

Give the Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe the same treatment, however, and it does just what you tell it to: It gets sideways, requiring a dose of opposite-lock — much to the horror of our Log Cabin photographer, who was still decidedly shaky once we'd parked the Cobalt SS Supercharged back where we found it at Superior Chevrolet.

And if there's a deciding factor in this group test, the Cobalt SS Supercharged's willingness to come out and play would be it. If only the Honda's engine and limited-slip differential could be put in a chassis with the Altima's looks, comfort and composure, the Cobalt SS Supercharged's rough-N-rowdy handling and the Scion tC's performance accessory catalog, what a car we'd have. As it is, it's buyer's choice.

You'd be crazy to pick any over the Altima coupe because, style-wise, it makes the rest look like Quasimodo and, even in base-spec, it covers hard miles with the comfort, convenience and composure, if not outright speed, of a car twice its price.

You'd be crazy to pick the rest over the Scion tC because with the money spent on Scion performance parts added to an already very competent sports coupe, you'd have more bragging rights than anybody at the wheel of the others, with a sticker price lower than all who'd opted for a few comfort and convenience features in the other three.

You'd be crazy to pick the rest over the Honda Civic Si sedan because there's no engine under $40,000 that's as well-engineered, great-sounding or as charismatic than the Si's V-Tech four-banger, and no affordable four-door car short of the Mitsubishi EVO XI or Subaru WRX STi that provides as big a thrill on your favorite backroad.

You'd be crazy to pick the rest over the Chevy Cobalt SS because it's the only one that has a chassis that really caters to the skilled, enthusiast driver, and it comes standard with a more powerful, torquier engine than any performance coupe in this price range.

it's buyer's choice, and among these four, there's not a bad one.



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This is what the Quail is going to say with an eye toward pleasing his publisher, not to mention the local dealerships that might next give me to review a Corvette, S2000, 350Z and, well, the tC's about the best Toyota's got in the States these days, isn't it?

Quail's pick? I was fully expecting the Civic Si to be better than the Cobalt SS Supercharged, but it just isn't from the driver's seat. The Civic's got an utterly superb engine and vastly better steering feel, but the chassis just isn't as good as the Cobalt's, and for this old bird, that makes all the difference.

[Lets Gekiga In]

I'd personally pick a VW GTI over all of those.

[henk4]

before you send it to the printers/site, change two things, The Honda engine is V-TEC and V-TECH. and Quasimodo is spelled with "d" and not with "t". Such things might be spotted in Coventry too

[LandQuail]

Me too. The DSG is utterly fantastic and I hear nothing but great stuff about the GTI's chassis.
However, there's not a VW dealership in the readership area my newspaper serves. In Conway, Arkansas, sitting on our car lots as new entry-level sports coupes, this is the pick of the litter. Don't think I didn't look hard.

[LandQuail]

Henk, you're a big, big part of the reason I fielded this here first. The changes are forthcoming.

What'd you think of the content? Do you differ on any of my impressions of these cars?

[henk4]

Henk, you're a big, big part of the reason I try to fielded this here first. The changes are forthcoming.

What'd you think of the content? Do you differ on any of my impressions of these cars?

well, to be honest I have not the slightest idea how they look, except for the Honda.... let alone drive. (and please while editing the text, reduce the number of times you say Cobalt SS Supercharged....it sounds too much like you are being paid to say the full name)

[LandQuail]

In a roundabout way, I am being paid to say the full name. You see, there's a Cobalt SS on sale in the States without the supercharger, and without the supercharger, it's a tortoise. I'm doing the same thing with the capitolized "Supercharged" after the car's name that the American car magazines are doing.

It sounds awkward to me too, though, so I'll try to figure something out.

I just read that the Cobalt SS does have a LSD as an option, so I'll throw something about that in there. Honestly, I thought it didn't, but there was still plenty of forward momentum when the inside tire lit up... maybe it had one that was just half-thrashed, or maybe it's an awfully lazy LSD they put in the Cobalt to begin with. It was either that the supercharged engine just put so much power down that however great the percentage being put to a wheel noisily churning asphalt, there was enough left over to send to the other side to keep the acceleration...

[henk4]

It sounds awkward to me too, though, so I'll try to figure something out.

it is the only Chevy in your comparison, so if you call it like that there cannot be any confusion

[LandQuail]

Here's what they look like:

[henk4]

so what is what? if the 4-door car is the Honda, than it also looks totally different form the car we get here. I thought you had tested a Civic TypeR. with the nice all enveloping front lights...

[LandQuail]

Honda doesn't sell the type-R Civic in America, the bastards.

[Rockefella]

My friend owns a Cobalt SS Supercharged. I've driven it a few times. Fun car to say the least.

[LandQuail]

Let me try again with higher-res pics and an index.

Left to right:
Altima Coupe, Cobalt SS, Civic Si sedan, Scion tC

As my wife pointed out, the tC does look like a capybara...

[henk4]

Let me try again with higher-res pics and an index.

Left to right:
Altima Coupe, Cobalt SS, Civic Si sedan, Scion tC

As my wife pointed out, the tC does look like a capybara...

At least I now recognise the Scion. It was used during the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca for a so-called prominent race, featuring some American Old Guns, Fittipaldi was, Vic Elford etc. The field managed to damage quite a few of the cars....Fittipaldi later told me that the cars were actually too slow...

here is Bobby Unser's vehicle. (not really a capibara...)

The Altima has a rather sad look with this dropsnoot...

Is the Cobalt actually based on the Opel Astra platform?

[cmcpokey]

Grammar check time!!!

(the same compression ration as a Lamborghini Murcilago LP 640, almost 100 bhp-per-naturally-aspirated-liter and the indescribable rush of that V-TEC kick at 6,400 rpm),

should be Ratio

What I wish you could ignore it Chevy's decision

it should be is

excellent article though. A Cooper S woudl have been a nice addition to that bunch though.