Chevrolet Cobalt LS 2008 review.
The Chevrolet Cobalt returns to the traditional Chevy car style in many ways, aside from the Corvette-like round tail-lamps. It takes the standard small car and adds a certain touch of class and comfort, and sells at a small premium if you ignore the rebates.
The interior has a quality look absent from many competitors, and the ride is smoother without giving up much in cornering. Overall, we liked the ride/handling balance and the engine’s willingness to move at speed, and regretted a bit of low-end hesitation and some quirks.
The Chevrolet Cobalt returns to the traditional Chevy car style in many ways, aside from the Corvette-like round tail-lamps. It takes the standard small car and adds a certain touch of class and comfort, and sells at a small premium if you ignore the rebates.
The interior has a quality look absent from many competitors, and the ride is smoother without giving up much in cornering. Overall, we liked the ride/handling balance and the engine’s willingness to move at speed, and regretted a bit of low-end hesitation and some quirks.
The standard engine is peppy at high rpms, with a smooth but clear “power program” transition. At times, we wished for better off-the-line acceleration, but the standard 145 hp four (with 150 lb/ft of torque - something you won’t see on a four-cylinder Honda) moved the Cobalt automatic faster than most of its stick-shift equipped competitors, including the Civic EX and Corolla (around 8.5 sec).
That’s especially good when you consider the hefty weight of the Cobalt - 2,824 pounds - partly to assure high crash-test ratings. A weight-sensing passenger airbag and available side airbags help to increase safety as well.
