November 19, 2004

Chevrolet Cobalt LS. Click image to enlarge

First Drive:
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
Review and photos by Greg Wilson

Brentwood Bay, British Columbia - Chevrolet has a new small car - or should I say, another new small car? After waiting more than two decades to replace the Lazarus of small cars - the Cavalier - Chevrolet introduced a South Korean-built GM-Daewoo-designed small car in North America in 2004 called the Optra. Many scribes speculated that since the Optra is in the same general size and price category as the Cavalier, it might be its rightful heir. But there was no confirmation from GM, and besides, the Cavalier soldiered on in 2004.

Almost a year later, Chevrolet is about to introduce another new compact car, the Cobalt, built in the same plant as the Cavalier in Lordstown, Ohio. Surely this American-built compact car with similar dimensions and horsepower must be the Cavalier's successor? Well, not exactly. It's built on the Saturn Ion's global Delta platform, and it's a little more upscale than the Cavalier. GM has not said the Cobalt will replace the Cavalier, and incredibly, the indefatigable Cavalier is still being sold in 2005.

So now Chevrolet has three compact cars in its line-up. At first, this appears to be an unintended consequence of confused marketing and international mergers, but given that six of the top-ten best-selling cars in Canada are compact cars, I'm guessing there might be an actual plan here - something along the lines of, "Three choices are better than one". There's no doubt that Chevy's new small car strategy is working so far. Since Chevy introduced the Aveo and Optra, their small car sales have shot up by 40% (through September).

Chevrolet Cobalt LS Click image to enlarge

How do we characterize the Cavalier, Optra and Cobalt? Here's my take: the Cavalier is for the traditional domestic buyer who wants a cheap deal. The Optra is for the budget-minded import-oriented buyer who's not into performance. And the new Cobalt is for the domestic buyer who wants import-like quality and more performance and is willing to pay more for it.

The 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, and its Pontiac equivalent, the Pursuit, will go on sale later this month. The two cars are virtually identical except for the Pursuit's different nose styling, standard rear spoiler, white-faced gauges, 'satin nickel' dash trim, and bolstered seats with standard lumbar adjustment. Both Cobalt and Pursuit come in four-door sedan and two-door coupe bodystyles, but the Cobalt coupe won't be available until the end of the year, and the Pursuit coupe won't arrive until the middle of next year.

Chevrolet Cobalt LT Click image to enlarge

Early next year, Chevrolet will add a supercharged 205 horsepower Cobalt SS Coupe model, and later in the year, a Cobalt Coupe and sedan with a 170 horsepower 2.4 litre four cylinder engine with variable valve timing will arrive.

For the majority of Canadian buyers, it's the bread-and-butter Cobalt and Pursuit sedans that will capture their hard-earned cash. These cars fit right in to the heart of the compact car market, ranging in price between $15,000 and $25,000, with the most popular Cobalt model hovering around the $21,000 mark plus Freight and taxes.

Manufacturer's suggested retail prices have already been released. Base 2005 Cobalts start at $15,495 for the base sedan and coupe - over $700 cheaper than the Cavalier's base MSRP (before rebates). The next step up is the Cobalt LS sedan and coupe for $19,795, and the Cobalt LT sedan for $22,995. Fully loaded LT sedans go for around $26,000. The upcoming supercharged Cobalt SS Coupe has an MSRP of $24,995.

Pontiac Pursuit sedans are a little more expensive: $15,925 for the base sedan, and $20,795 for the SE sedan.

Standard equipment on the base Cobalt ($15,495) will include a 145 hp 2.2 litre four cylinder engine, 5 speed manual, radio/CD with 4 speakers, speed-sensitive electric power steering, 15 inch wheels and Continental tires, 60/40 split folding rear seats, intermittent wipers and height-adjustable driver's seat.

Cobalt LS sedans and coupes ($19,795) add alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors, uplevel radio, cruise control and sportier seats.

Cobalt LT sedans ($22,995) (coupes are not offered in the LT trim level) add leather seats, woodgrain trim, 4-speed automatic transmission, 16 inch alloy wheels and Pirelli P6 tires, premium Pioneer stereo with 10 inch subwoofer and six speakers, fog lamps, and appearance package.

Options include side curtain airbags, sunroof, rear spoiler, Onstar, and heated leather seats. Front side airbags are not offered.

2005 Pontiac Pursuit. Click image to enlarge

I had an opportunity to drive the Cobalt LS and LT models and a Pursuit SE for about five hours in a variety of weather conditions ranging from sunny and dry to a continuous downpour. My first impressions are positive. The Cobalt's driving dynamics, powertrain, interior quality, and interior noise levels, are equal to or better than cars like the Civic and Corolla - and light years ahead of the Cavalier/Sunfire.

The interior is very nicely finished and attractive with either the wood trim or the grey or silver trim. The cabin is roomy enough for four average-size adults, although surprisingly, the Optra's interior is slightly larger. The Cobalt's gauges and controls are easy to see and use, and driver visibility is very good. The heater, defogger, and rear defroster quickly cleared the windows of fog and the variable intermittent wipers worked well in light drizzle and torrential downpour conditions.

I didn't have many complaints, but I felt the driver's seat cushion was a bit stiff, and the rear seat seatback was too upright. As well, the brake pedal seemed high in relation to the gas pedal.

The 60/40 split folding seatbacks are easy to fold down, but they don't fold flat. And though the lined trunk is a decent size, the trunk opening is rather narrow from top to bottom. I liked the rear seatback releases positioned for easy reach in the trunk, and the strut hinges that don't intrude on trunk space.

Driving dynamics are surprisingly good. Its peppy 145 horsepower engine has more horsepower and torque than most cars in its class, including the 119 horsepower Optra and the 140 horsepower Cavalier. The Cobalt's special laminated steel firewall construction keeps engine noise and vibration out of the cabin, and indeed, this car feels very tight and rattle-free. The Ecotec engine in the Cobalt has been improved over earlier versions with polymer coated pistons, structural enhancements, engine mounts, and cam chain and tensioner improvements. As well, sealants and noise inhibitors have been applied to joints and seams throughout the engine compartment and floorpan to reduce noise and vibration levels.

2005 Pontiac Pursuit. Click image to enlarge

The Cobalt's optional four-speed automatic transmission is very smooth, but it doesn't have an on/off overdrive button, and the floor shifter indicator shows Drive, Second and First gears, but not Third. When I shifted it from Drive (Fourth) into Second, it appeared to go into Third gear first, but I couldn't confirm this.

The standard manual five-speed has short, easy shifts with a slightly rubbery feel.

Handling is very nimble, and unlike the Cavalier, the Cobalt is tossable in the corners. The rear twist-beam suspension includes premium monotube shock absorbers. Standard 15 inch Continental tires offer adequate grip, but the optional 16 inch Pirelli P6 tires make the car feel sportier. The electro-hydraulic, speed-sensitive power steering proved to be very responsive and easy to manage at slower speeds. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard, but ABS is not standard on the base model.

Chevrolet Cobalt LT Click image to enlarge

GM conducted their own crash tests and predict a five-star rating for both driver and front passenger in the NHTSA's N-CAP 35 mph head-on crash-test. Side curtain head airbags are available as an option, but curiously, front side airbags are not offered.

The Cobalt is a big, big step up from the Cavalier, and it's superior to its competitors in many respects. In my opinion, its level of interior fit and finish and materials quality is superior to the Ford Focus and Dodge 2.0SX, and I think its performance is superior to the Civic and Corolla. And the Cobalt comes with a competitive 5 year/100,000 km powertrain warranty.

In a class currently dominated by the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, the Cobalt is the only domestic contender capable of challenging their sales positions. But with a new name and an unknown track-record, it will take a few years for the Cobalt to establish a solid reputation.

Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver

More Test Drives....