San Francisco: The
Chevy Cobalt SS is a fairly smart looking car. Its nip-and-tuck styling
helps its driving feel and a conspicuous gauge on the driver's front
pillar is the most obvious sign that you're sitting in a
high-performance version of Chevy's Cobalt economy car.
This week I love this
little Chevy. It has a supercharged engine that sounds wonderfully
obnoxious when it winds up. It has a taut suspension that's tuned just
right, firm enough to make corners fun, but soft enough to keep you from
needing dental work when you hit speed bumps. Heck, it even looks OK,
and it has a very sexy engine.
The 2.0-liter,
four-cylinder power plant makes 205 horsepower, which is a mind-blowing
number for such a small car. Better yet, it doesn't feel supercharged.
Most supercharged engines are annoying. You stomp on the accelerator,
then sit and wait for the blower to finish its breakfast before, WHAM!
Then it pumps the engine full of fresh air and gives you a
sledgehammer-like dose of power.
The supercharged Cobalt
SS isn't like that. Its power delivery is smooth, linear and instant, so
the result is a little engine that feels like a big one. It also
produces plenty of torque, making it easier to drive around town than
its competitors. Too bad the other parts of the Cobalt don't stack up.
Its manual transmission
with only five speeds, as opposed to six, feels a tad sloppy. When you
change gears the Chevy's shifter says "flub-flub-flub," like it's made
of rubber. The suspension, while slightly more comfortable isn't nearly
as thrilling. When approaching a corner the little Chevy says, "No more,
please not again!"
Inside, the Cobalt
comes close to matching the segments quality, which is a major
improvement for General Motors, but it lacks the coolness factor of the
other cars in this class. Yes, it has a nifty boost meter that shows how
much your supercharger is sweating, but it doesn't have a giant
tachometer to make it a true driver's car.
Pricing is slightly in
the Cobalt's favor, as it starts at only $20,925 for the supercharged
version. It's yet another reason that, if given the choice, I'd think
about buying one.
What was
tested? The 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Supercharged Coupe with a base price of $20,925. Options: Limited-slip
differential ($795), 1 year OnStar service ($695), side air bags ($395),
18-inch wheels ($395). Price as tested including a $615 destination
charge: $23,820.
Why avoid it?
Others sell a better sports coupe for about the same price.
Why buy it?
It has a wonderful supercharged engine with explosive power.
By Derek Price © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Chevy Home Page
Byline: Syndicated content provided by Tony
Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Column Name: Supercharged Chevy is hot and fun
to drive
Topic: The 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged
Coupe
Word Count: 514
Photo Caption: The 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Supercharged Coupe
Photo Credits: Chevrolet Cobalt Internet Media
Series #: 2007 - 58
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the Microsoft Word version here:
2007
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2007 Chevy Cobalt
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