#2010 CHEVROLET COBALT MANUAL#

My car had the limited-slip differential, a $495 option, and I can’t imagine driving this car without it.

Introduced years ago on the Corvette, Competition mode has been added to other rear-wheel-drive cars, but this is the first time I’ve seen it with front-wheel drive. It comes on when you turn the standard electronic stability system to its Competition mode, which allows more wheel spin and sliding about. To help with 0-60 mph sprints, the Cobalt SS has a selectable launch-control feature that manages torque so you don’t spin the tires or torque steer too much. The shifter is precise, with reasonably short throws.

You have to slip the clutch a little more on launch than you otherwise might, and thankfully the clutch has nice, even takeup.

#2010 CHEVROLET COBALT MANUAL#

All the low-rev grunt makes the manual transmission’s five speeds less of a problem than you’d expect - though a well-matched six-speed would still be better. Along with lots of horsepower come 260 pounds-feet of torque, which is hard to reconcile with the engine’s small displacement and cylinder count - especially because peak torque comes at 2,000 rpm on a 6,300-rpm range. In contrast, the GTI’s power plant delivers prodigious torque at low revs with negligible turbo lag. The maximum horsepower isn’t the sole selling point Volkswagen had already squeezed more than 200 hp out of the turbocharged 1.8-liter in the Audi TT, but that was an engine from which most of the fury came at higher rpm. We were knocked out by Volkswagen’s application in the GTI - also a 2.0-liter four, which produces 200 hp. The combination of turbo and direct injection is such a winning formula it’s clear why some manufacturers are moving toward it for their entire line. For 2008 Chevy replaced the supercharged four-cylinder engine with a turbocharged version - a 2.0-liter with direct injection. The SS gets its upgrades where it matters, starting under the hood. The standard rear spoiler is tasteful a larger one is optional. Thankfully, what they don’t do is go overboard and make it look silly. The Cobalt is inoffensive, and Chevy’s SS sport enhancements, including lowered bumpers and rocker panels, can only do so much. Does the SS transcend the regular Cobalt to such a stunning degree? It does in some ways, but not in all ways.Īt a glance, the styling doesn’t really impress. To my surprise, it was also a far more capable, well-rounded performance car than a Neon had a right to be - certainly good enough to justify leaving the Neon name off the car entirely, as Dodge had done. Like the Cobalt SS, the SRT4’s turbocharged four-cylinder packed a powerful punch at a record-low price. What gave me hope for the Cobalt SS were fond memories of the 2005 Dodge SRT4 - the first SRT model, based on a compact that was more outdated than the current Cobalt: the disastrous Neon sedan. Its features and quality were already behind the class leaders when it replaced the Cavalier in 2005, and it hasn’t been significantly redesigned since. To be blunt, the regular Cobalt isn’t our favorite compact car, and it’s far from being one of GM’s strongest products. (For the regular Cobalt, click on the Next Review link above). That’s why I was dubious of the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS and its 260 horsepower, which I tested in its new four-door version. This ploy is time-tested, and GM has pulled it as much as any automaker - possibly more. In a car, a preponderance of power can intoxicate to the point that you don’t realize the car is otherwise lame.

To see what’s new for 2010, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. Editor’s note: This review was written in November 2008 about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS.

2010 chevrolet cobalt