Compact Car Review: The Chevrolet Cobalt

If you're looking for a small, sporty, economical car for yourself or for a small family, you should check out the Chevrolet Cobalt. While not overly large, the Cobalt could easily accommodate a small family or a single person. In this article, I will review the Chevy Cobalt.

Size of vehicle

The Chevy Cobalt is Chevrolet's compact car, marketed to compete with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3. The Cobalt is offered in 2 configurations, a 2-door coupe as well as a 4-door sedan. While many think of compact cars as very small, the interior of the Cobalt offers lots of room, allowing for very tall people to comfortably fit within the car. The backseats of a 2-door are slightly difficult to access, while the rear of a 4-door features ample room for a car of this size. Trunk space is surprisingly large, allowing for up to 4 golf bags to be fit within the trunk. The rear seats can be folded down in order to allow for carrying of larger cargo.

Cost

Brand new Cobalt's base price starts as low as $13,500 for a basic 2-door coupes and 4-door sedans, which tends to be lower than other vehicles in this class. The top of the line Cobalt SS can run over $21,000, which features nearly everything that could be needed on a compact car. Used cars are relatively cheap, with low-mileage used cars going for well under $10,000. Count of this small car to hold value slightly better than larger cars, due to its fuel economy.

Fuel Consumption

Gas mileage is a plus for drivers of the Cobalt. The gas mileage that the Cobalt gets seems to be a selling point for this car, with an estimated 24 MPG in the city and 32 on the highway. While this is decent, it tends to be just lower than some of the other competing cars in the class. With over 13 gallons in fuel capacity, this allows for long distance travel before a fuel up is required.

Safety

The Chevy Cobalt is a very safe vehicle to own. While driver and passenger airbags are standard, one can add side curtain airbags as well as rear curtain airbags, to offer safety for all in the car. While driving on the highway and other roads, it can feel like you are the small man in the stream, because the Cobalt sits quite a bit lower than many trucks and SUV's on the road today. Rollover is practically impossible in cars of this nature, due to how low to the ground they sit.

Creature Comforts

A base Cobalt isn't an overly comfortable vehicle, with just a simple radio and climate control. With optional equipment, the Cobalt can become much nicer to cruise around in. Optional leather adds very comfortable seats, while an upgraded radio allows for XM satellite radio connections. GM's On Star is also a feature on higher models of the Cobalt. The SS (Super Sport) model features a different engine, which is supercharged, allowing for a lightning quick street car, to throw down some rubber with. The passenger cabin is large enough for 4 adults to comfortably fit in the car for short trips; however, longer trips may become slightly uncomfortable.

Overall, the Chevy Cobalt is a very good car to own. While it may not appeal to everyone, it is a very affordable, economical car for the younger generations to own. If you're in the market for economy cars, check out the Chevy Cobalt today.