Cars Service

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Reviews

I test drove one of these bad boys and I was very impressed. The had a couple of these and the new Civic SI. The Cobalt SS was much more fun to drive!

Engine, mechanics, and electrical stuff is all great. Runs smooth, no rattles, or vibrations at high speeds. Exterior and interior design is great, better than the civic (if you must compare), but the material used inside does not match up with the civic. If you dont mind having plastic panels, its okay. I got the loaded SS w/subwoofer and all, and for a couple thousand more I could of gotten the Civic SI, but the Cobalt just looks better.

If you want a honda get the Civic SI, if its too much money, just get this cobalt SS. Dont waste your money on the Civic DX, LX, or EX.

New for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

Chevrolet revises the 2006 Cobalt lineup, ditching the Base trim in favor of LS, LT sedan, and a new premium LTZ version (sedan only) for the volume models. Also new this year are SS coupes and SS sedans with a 171-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood, special exterior trim, 17-inch wheels, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, and performance suspension tuning. The hot SS Supercharged coupe from last year returns for 2006. Majestic Amethyst and Laser Blue are the new colors this years

Interior

Inside the Cobalt, the design theme is simple and straightforward. Materials are decent and the fit and finish is good and comparable for the class. Theres just enough chrome trim here and there on knobs and instruments to brighten things up without a lot of glare from the shiny parts. Instruments are large, well placed, and easy to read, with nice graphic treatment throughout.

Cobalt uses different seats in the different trim levels, each with detail changes in foam, padding and trim. We found plenty of fore/aft and rake adjustment for a 6-foot, 4-inch driver, plus seat height adjustment with a ratcheting handle. The LT seats were very comfortable and grabbed us in the fast corners exactly where we needed to be grabbed and held. Even better were the leather-trimmed seats in the SS Supercharged.

The available Pioneer seven-speaker sound system with the Delphi AM/FM/CD and XM Satellite Radio delivers good sound and includes a huge subwoofer mounted on the left side trunk wall.

The heating, ventilation and defroster system worked quickly and intuitively.

The LS comes with manually operated windows. We dont mind this, but it takes a lot of cranks (about four and half) to wind the windows up. The urethane steering wheel that comes on LS and LT models feels cheap. The leather-wrapped wheels on LTZ and SS models are much nicer.

The sedan trunk is wide and deep with a low liftover height, and almost 14 cubic feet of capacity, more than competitive in the class, though the opening to the trunk seems relatively small. Cobalt does not use space-eating gooseneck hinges on its decklid, opting instead for simple outside corner hinges and two hydraulic assist struts. The coupe has a very small trunk opening, making it difficult to fit a thick suitcase. A 60/40-split, fold-down rear seat with a trunk pass-through feature adds utility to both sedan and coupe.



Safety

Antilock brakes are optional on LS models, and standard on all other Cobalt models. Full-length side curtain airbags are optional across the board. Each seating position has a three-point seatbelt, and all but LS models can be equipped with OnStar telematics. The 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt is one of the few economy cars to earn an "Acceptable" rating from the IIHS for side-impact protection. The IIHS also named it a "Best Pick" for its frontal-offset crash performance, while the NHTSA gave it four stars for the driver and five for the passenger in frontal-impact tests.

Powertrains and Performance

A 2.2-liter four-cylinder powers LS, LT and LTZ models. With 145 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque, the engine makes the Chevrolet Cobalt one of the faster econoboxes out there. The SS features an even more potent 2.4-liter version with 171 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. The SS Supercharged coupe features a supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 205 hp, 200 lb-ft of torque and a 7-second 0-60 time. The standard transmission is a five-speed manual with a four-speed automatic available as an option. The automatic is standard on the LTZ, and not available on the SS Supercharged.

Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options


The Chevrolet Cobalt is available as a two-door coupe or four-door sedan. Coupes come in LS, LT, SS and SS Supercharged trim, while sedans come in LS, LT, LTZ and SS versions. LS models feature a standard CD player, air conditioning, a driver-seat height adjuster, a split-folding rear seat and 15-inch wheels. The LT adds cruise control; power windows, locks and mirrors; keyless entry; upgraded seats; alloy wheels; upgraded interior lighting; and antilock brakes. The LTZ sedan comes with leather seats, a seven-speaker Pioneer sound system, chrome trim and 16-inch alloys. The new-for-06 SS adds a more powerful engine, sport-tuned suspension, unique fascias, 17-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler. The SS Supercharged coupe features a supercharged motor, an even firmer suspension, leather seats with color-keyed inserts, a boost gauge and 18-inch alloys.

On the Road

I first sampled the new 2.4, an enlarged version of the 2.2 that powers the regular Cobalt, in the new PT Cruiser-like HHR based on the same platform. In the HHR this engine felt very smooth, especially compared to the rough unit in the Chrysler. But then the HHR does not aspire to be a sport sedan. In sport sedan duty the 2.4 doesnt come across nearly as well. Its buzzy and doesnt readily rev. An eagar to upshift automatic transmission doesnt help matters. Put the two together, and the SS felt only a bit more powerful than the regular Cobalt, and no sportier.

Perhaps the 2.4 works better with the manual. But I wouldnt count on it, as the manual I sampled in a regular sedan last year was nothing special. The shifter in the SS Supercharged coupe has shorter throws and generally feels better, but unfortuntely its not used in the regular SS.

The Cobalts steering is assisted by an electric motor rather than the conventional hydraulic pump. Though this system boosts fuel economy by about 0.7 MPG, I have strongly disliked it in other GM vehicles (ION, Malibu, Equinox, VUE), but as tuned in the SS Supercharged, with higher effort and significantly quicker responses, I didnt much mind it. Sadly, once again the SS is much closer to the regular Cobalt than the SS Supercharged. I had hoped that Chevrolet would simply use the SS Supercharged steering and suspension in the SS, but apparently they felt that tuning somewhere between the two, but closer to the regular car, was more appropriate.

As a result, even in SS form the Cobalt sedan lacks the feeling of nimbleness and agility I expect in a compact. To GMs credit, the Cobalts handling is solid and secure, and the SS suffers even less than the regular car from body lean and understeer in turns. Its just not at all sporty. If you want a "Performance Handling" suspension in the Cobalt, your only option is the SS Supercharged Coupe.

Ride quality is a bright area. The SS feels just a bit firmer than the regular sedan, though the lower profile tires contribute a small amount of busyness over some surfaces. Like the regular sedan, the SS feels very solid and noise levels are very low for a compact.

Summary & Specs
The Chevrolet Cobalt will satisfy the needs of drivers looking for economy of price, economy of operation, and a nice, quiet ride. We think its a handsome, well-equipped car. The standard engine could offer more responsive low-end power, however. The Cobalt LS and LT models are the epitome of driving excitement, however. Theyre not made for that. They deliver four people comfortably, five only in a pinch, on a minimal outlay for fuel and monthly payments. The SS models are fun to drive, particularly the Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe.