My Experience

I've always had a weakness for small Chevys, since my first car was an '84 Cavalier wagon, and I've always liked the idea of buying another one someday. Until very recently, though, it seemed that Chevrolet had grown too fat off truck and SUV sales to care much about the small-car scene. The Cavalier had long since gone stale, and not even fond memories of my '84 could make the new models remotely endearing.

Fortunately, Chevrolet has ended the Cavalier's 23-year model run with the introduction of the Cobalt. Built on an all-new platform (shared with the Saturn ION), the Cobalt shares very little with its aged predecessor, and certainly looks modern enough to merit admiration. As for the driving experience, I recently had a chance to judge it for myself while attending GM's "Auto Show In Motion" in Southern California.

My behind-the-wheel experience in the Cobalt consisted of several laps of a cone-marked handling course, with back-to-back drives in a Toyota Corolla, Saturn ION, and Honda Civic. Both LS and LT versions of the Cobalt were on hand, so I drove them both. I also took advantage of GM's "extended test drive," which allowed auto-show participants to take the Cobalt out on public streets for about twenty minutes at a time.


Performance

When the Cobalt's 2.2-liter "Ecotec" Four was first introduced, it saw duty powering the Cavalier. At that time, GM hailed the Ecotec as a solution to the Cavalier's long-running refinement woes--but when I test-drove one, I found the new engine almost as ragged and thrashy as the Quad Four it replaced. I thought the Ecotec might show its true colors in the more-recent Saturn ION, but even in that car, its manners remained disappointingly coarse. As a result, I simply wrote off the Ecotec as an unpleasant little junker.

However, it seems that this engine just hadn't found a decent car in which to show its mettle. In the Cobalt, it's a surprisingly smooth and refined runner. There's no trace of the ragged vibration that plagued the Cavalier, and the engine note is generally crisp and well-muted. My only complaint concerns the drone of the Cobalt's exhaust--sort of a distant, pastoral mooing--which drowns out the underhood noises and spoils the upscale ambiance.

As for performance, the Ecotec has gained 5 horsepower--for a total of 145--but this is mostly offset by the Cobalt's relatively hefty 3,200 lb curb weight. So the Cobalt's acceleration is more "confident" than it is quick. Still, the Cobalt feels peppy and responsive in routine driving, and its engine revs smoothly and evenly when pressed. 0-60 times haven't improved much over the Cavalier, but you can now extract that performance without feeling like you're abusing the car.

And how does all this compare to the class leaders? The Civic's 1.7-liter Four is crisp and efficient, but feels gutless at anything but elevated revs. And while the Corolla is objectively about as fast as the Cobalt, its Lexus-like sobriety makes it seem slower through the seat of the pants. The Cobalt's only competitive disadvantage is its so-so fuel economy--25/34 MPG for manual-equipped cars, and 24/32 for automatics. These figures are on par with Korean designs from Hyundai, Kia, and Suzuki, but pale next to the 30+ MPG you'll average in most Japanese cars.


Transmission/Clutch

The Cobalt's optional four-speed automatic transmission is as smooth and responsive a device as you're likely to find in this price range. GM knows how to build a good automatic, and their expertise shows in the Cobalt's well-chosen ratios and near-imperceptible shift points. There's no manumatic gate, and a five-speed tranny would have been even better, but such features are hardly requisites in the econobox class--for now, at least.

If you opt to shift for yourself, you'll find the Cobalt's manual transmission a perfectly competent and agreeable device. However, it doesn't transform the little Chevy into something for enthusiasts to savor. The gearlever's throws are a touch long-winded, and shift action is only semi-smooth--you'll feel a slight chalky friction while rowing through the gates. The Cobalt's clutch continues the theme, being tuned for ease of use rather than millimeter precision. Want a budget sports sedan? Head to your Mitsubishi dealer and ask for a Lancer Ralliart.


Steering/Handling

Last fall, as the first snippets of information about the Cobalt began to leak out, I read that the Cobalt would feature an electrically-assisted steering system. I cringed. I had already sampled GM's electric steering in several other vehicles, and found it overly light, numb, and nonlinear. In fact, this system has invariably been my least-favorite part of every car it's installed in. Would the Cobalt be similarly sullied?

As I eased the Cobalt around the starting area, it certainly seemed that way. The steering felt as disconcertingly light as ever, allowing the wheel to be twirled with one finger--I half-expected to see "0 Credit(s). Insert Coin" flashing somewhere on the windshield. Fortunately, matters improved on the move. The Cobalt's steering firms up slightly with speed, building to a smooth, fluid lightness that mimics the feel of a Volkswagen Jetta's helm. It's still profoundly numb--enthusiasts, take note--but I doubt the average buyer will complain.

Artificial steering feel aside, I found the Cobalt enjoyably agile and easygoing on the handling course. Roll control was better than most cars in this class, and the Cobalt's chassis generally felt coordinated and light on its feet. The LT model, in particular, exhibited commendable grip and impressive composure in quick transitions. The LS squealed its lower-grade tires more readily, but retained just enough enthusiasm to be pleasant.

While neither Cobalt cornered with the quick-witted sharpness of the Ford Focus and Mazda 3--the undisputed handlers of this class--the little Chevy is certainly a match for the Civic and Corolla in terms of winding-road satisfaction. The Civic's steering feels more natural than the Cobalt's, but its chassis understeers more, and its stiff, mushy brake pedal doesn't inspire confidence. The Corolla is an even sloppier handler, and brings its own flavor of artificiality to the steering wheel.


Ride

As much as I appreciated the Cobalt's handling competence, ride comfort is of even greater importance to many buyers in this class. Fortunately, the Cobalt earns high marks on this point as well. Its suspension swallows bumps and ruts more easily than most cars in this class, yet body motions are controlled and composed--an effective compromise between the Corolla's floatiness and the Civic's firmness. Structural rigidity is impressive--if not unsurpassed--and the Cobalt's drum-tight feel over bumps adds to its sense of substance.

The Cobalt also holds its own in terms of quietness. In fact, according to Car & Driver tests, the Cobalt is actually quieter than either the Civic or Corolla in 70 mph cruising. In real-world driving, these raw decibel figures are usually less important than the quality of the sounds. But aside from the aforementioned (and unfortunate) mooing of the exhaust, the Cobalt's soundtrack is remarkably subtle and hushed.


Interior

If you've ever rented a Cavalier--and chances are, you have--then you'll have no trouble recalling its dismally cheap, ratty interior appointments. You'll probably also really hope that Chevy put more effort into cabin decor this time around. Guess what? They stepped up, big time. The Cobalt's instrument panel looks fresh and modern, and its low-gloss materials, tight panel fit, and friction-free switchgear are a cut above most cars in this class. No, the Cobalt's cabin doesn't have the trendy appearance of the Mazda 3's, or the tactile depth of a Volkswagen Jetta's. But the overall feeling of substance is certainly comparable to that of a Civic or Corolla.

The scandalously un-GM-like behavior doesn't end there. In addition to the Cobalt's massively improved materials, there's also evidence of--gasp!--attention to detail. The chromed door handles feel hefty and rich, and the European-style center armrest swings out of the way when it's not needed. My personal favorite: the turn signals complete always a full blink cycle, even if the lever snaps back to center mid-blink.

Little of this would matter if the Cobalt's ergonomics were as misguided as the Cavalier's, but thankfully, that's not the case. The Cobalt's driving position is comfortably upright, with good forward visibility and an ideal wheel-pedal relationship. The Civic's is similar, while the Corolla's is a bit awkward and scrunched. As for seat comfort, GM's small-car team seems to have benchmarked the Volkswagen Jetta in this department, as the Cobalt's seats possess a welcome Teutonic firmness. The LT's optional leather chairs are more supportive than the standard cloth ones, which lacked lateral bolstering, but neither should become uncomfortable on long drives.

Just so you don't get the impression that I'm being overly complimentary, the Cobalt's cabin is not without hints of lingering cheapness. Glovebox closings are loud and clunky, and the driver's-side storage bin "latch" is nothing more than a crudely-molded hole in its lid. And, while I'm picking nits, the air vents would be better adjusted with simple tabs instead of multiple thumb wheels. Still, the fact that I'm picking nits in a Chevrolet interior--rather than trying to fit all my gripes into one paragraph--speaks volumes about the Cobalt's overall quality.


Practicality

Like the Saturn ION that shares its platform, the Cobalt's rear seat is neither tight nor particularly roomy for the class. The seat cushion feels firm and supportive, but its pronounced center "hump" and the bulky floor-mounted cupholders mean that the Cobalt is really only a four-seater in practice. If you're looking for maximum passenger space at minimal outlay, you'd be better off with a Ford Focus, Scion xB, or Suzuki Forenza.

It's a different story when the cargo isn't human, though. Pop the Cobalt's trunk, and you'll be greeted with one of the largest cargo areas of any economy sedan. The trunklid lifts on chromed gas struts--not intrusive gooseneck hinges, as in many rivals--and the flat load floor and low liftover make for easy loading. A standard split-folding rear seatback helps expand cargo space, and you don't need to remove the rear headrests to lay the seats flat, as they're cleverly mounted on the parcel shelf.


Reliability

Since the Cobalt is new for 2005, consumer advocacy sites have no data on its reliability yet. However, the Saturn ION's performance should be a dead ringer for the Cobalt's, since the two cars are essentially fraternal twins. The ION's reliability was rated Better Than Average in 2003, then slipped to Average for 2004, and was rated Worse Than Average in this year's survey. The Cobalt should fare similarly, although I suspect the Chevy's superior materials and workmanship will give it an edge.


Overall

Chevrolet needed a winner in the Cobalt. The Cavalier had been sold for so long past its expiration date that the Cobalt didn't just need to catch up to its rivals--it now needed to banish the Cavalier's rent-a-wreck reputation. Fortunately, a winner is what Chevy built. It's smooth, quiet, substantial, and comfortable.

Would I buy one? Probably not. There's too much artificiality in its steering, and its low-pulse-rate feel doesn't fit with my enthusiast sensibilities. However, the Cobalt's prorities are right in line with those of the typical American subcompact buyer. The Cobalt is also likely to score points for its big-car styling. Many cars in this class suffer from an awkwardly tall and narrow appearance--most notably the Corolla--and in comparison, the Cobalt is uncommonly well-proportioned. To me, it looks like a 7/8ths scale Pontiac G6. The hints of Hoffmeister kink in its roofline even lend it a bit of character.

But--and it's a big but--the Cobalt has another problem, one that looms larger than its limited enthusiast appeal. The Cobalt is indeed a match for the current Civic and Corolla--no question about that--but those cars were last redesigned in 2001 and 2003, respectively. So, in essence, Chevrolet waited until 2005 to built an excellent new-for-2003 subcompact. This may be too late. Mazda's new 3 has already unseated the traditional class benchmarks, and an all-new Civic and Jetta are scheduled to arrive in 2006. Depending on how revolutionary those new models are, the Cobalt may fall back to second-string status--or worse--if GM doesn't answer with prompt, meaningful updates.

So, if you're ready to buy now, the Cobalt should be right up with the Civic, Corolla, and Mazda3 at the top of your shopping list. But if you're mostly drawn to the Cobalt's "latest-and-greatest" appeal, you may want to hold out until next year--the new Civic and Jetta will be a significant step up in styling and class, if the preproduction photos are any indication. As for my search for another small Chevy, I'm eagerly awaiting a drive in the supercharged Cobalt SS coupe...


Feel free to check out my reviews on some of the Cobalt's competitors:
Chevrolet Cavalier
Dodge Neon
Honda Civic
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Spectra
Mazda 3
Mitsubishi Lancer
Nissan Sentra
Saturn ION
Suzuki Aerio
Suzuki Forenza
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Golf
Amount Paid (US$): 15920-18890
Model and Options: LS and LT sedans