[00 SS]

I was looking around at potential daily drivers when I came across the new Cobalt SS. It looks like it might be a fun comuter and be a decent AX car for DS.

Here are some of the pro's
1. 30 MPG HWY
2. 5 speed manual is good for fun and AX
3. 260 hp
4. Under 2700 pounds and could probably be closer to 2600
5. Brembos
6. FWD for winter
7. Small and manuverable
8. $23,000

Cons
1. FWD for AX
2. Small for the family
3. 5 speed manual in stop and go traffic
4. Big dorky wing (but I think it's an option)
5. 18" wheels and good snow tires don't mix well. (I don't know if 16's would fit over the brakes)
6. G8 is $31,000

I'd much rather have havce a G8, but the mileage, cost and AX potential are pushing me toward smaller cars.

[marka]

Howdy,

I've got an '06 Civic LX sedan/four door. Gets 38mpg with a "mostly highway" commute. Comfortable, cheaper than the Cobalt SS, etc.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to anyone. It doesn't have the power a Cobalt SS (or Civic SI) has, but then again it uses regular gas & gets better mileage too. You want a racecar or a street car?

Mark

(oh, and I'd have rather bought american as well. America doesn't make a car that gets over 35mpg on the highway, and certainly doesn't make one that has the composed handling/ride that the Civic does)

This post has been edited by marka: Jun 10 2008, 08:54 PM

[nape]

(oh, and I'd have rather bought american as well. America doesn't make a car that gets over 35mpg on the highway, and certainly doesn't make one that has the composed handling/ride that the Civic does)

My '97 Saturn wagon with 188k miles gets 32 mpg at 75mph and 40mpg at 55mph.

I guess I must not get it, because FWD econobox never really screamed "composed handling" to me.

[marka]

Howdy,

(oh, and I'd have rather bought american as well. America doesn't make a car that gets over 35mpg on the highway, and certainly doesn't make one that has the composed handling/ride that the Civic does)

My '97 Saturn wagon with 188k miles gets 32 mpg at 75mph and 40mpg at 55mph.

I guess I must not get it, because FWD econobox never really screamed "composed handling" to me.

I'm not really wanting to get in some argument about it, but our '06 civic (80k miles) gets 40 or a little better mpg at 72mph strictly highway. The ride/handling was light years ahead of everything else we drove with the exception of the Corolla (which had a goofy seating position). No, I don't think we drove a Saturn. Probably it didn't make the list due to poor mileage. :-)

More modern beats pigeon hole labels any day of the week... The civic is easily as luxurious as our old '93 BMW 325is, at a price on the order of half what the BMW was new (in '93!).

If I wasn't (at the time) driving 120 miles/day for a work commute I might not have placed such a high premium on fuel mileage. But at the time, there was no new American made car that I could find that was rated at 35+ mpg highway. Not one.

As for the composed handling bit... The civic stock has a hell of a lot more composed ride than any stock Chevy I've ever driven outside of a Corvette. Chevy seems to be hell bent on "soft is comfortable" when in fact its usually more the opposite to me. Other American manufacturers seem to think the same thing, and as a general rule of thumb I've found Honda/Toyota/etc. vehicles to have a more composed ride where the chassis isn't allowed to flop all over the damn place. Can't say as I've spent much time in a Saturn though.

Mark

This post has been edited by marka: Jun 12 2008, 05:29 PM