Offering the most power for the price doesn’t always mean you have the best deal. I’m still not ready to say I would throw down $22,000 of my hard-earned dough on this car. The 18-inch aluminum rims look good and also separate the SS from the rest of the Cobalt family. The bumpers differentiate the SS from run-of-the-mill Cobalts enough for enthusiasts to know the difference, but I bet the average Joe wouldn’t notice. The SS could almost qualify for sleeper status if you lose the enormous wing, a move I would recommend for anyone who likes rear visibility. I like the Recaro seats, though a little more padding wouldn’t hurt. Most buyers in this segment are looking for bang-for-buck, and Chevy decided to put that bang under the hood, not around the driver. The interior of the Cobalt is where the car has drawn most of its criticism, but I don’t think the quality of the plastics is terribly important in the pocket-rocket class. The limited-slip does a great job of getting the power to the ground and minimizing wheelspin, but you can still get smoke off the inside tire in first gear. I was pleasantly surprised by how composed the car was through turns at speed, but the limitations of front-wheel drive are still noticeable. Suspension is firm enough to tear up the corners, but not too harsh for daily driving duties. The torque makes up for the lack of a sixth gear, and because there are only five gears you don’t need to deal with the mediocre shifter as frequently. Some have bemoaned the choice of a five-speed by Chevy, but it works well in this car. I never had a problem finding gears, and there were no missed shifts, but if you compare it to a Honda Civic Si, the Cobalt leaves you wanting for more feel. This time I kept my foot in it and lived with the roughness. Last time ’round I would shift early to keep the engine in the smoothest rev range but missed out on the big power. The supercharger does give a healthy boost of power, though it does nothing to refine the wheezy four-banger. I put a lot more time behind the wheel with this tester than the last, both driving it hard in a variety of conditions and keeping my foot out of it for a while in town. Chevy came through, and I got my weekend in the SS. Even Launch Control and 18-inch wheels were added.The hate mail poured in after my last romp with a supercharged Cobalt SS, so I begged Chevy to send another example our way in hopes of testing it over a weekend. Instead of the supercharged four, a turbocharged 2.0 four with direct injection and 260 hp and 260 lb-ft was used. However, the Cobalt SS was still a relatively solid seller and Chevy didn't want to see it go, so an alternative solution was found.
2006 cobalt ss supercharged upgrade#
This latter upgrade was intended for track use only and to help make sure owners abided by this, the air conditioning system was disabled once the Stage 3 upgrades were installed.īy 2008, Chevy had no choice to discontinue the supercharged Cobalt SS because its engine no longer met government emissions requirements.
Stage 2 upped power by 36 hp and 18 lb-ft, while Stage 3 was really quite something: a retuned ECU enabling a 50-shot of nitrous for a new total of up to 260 hp when using 100-octane fuel. For example, the Stage 1 kit included new fuel injectors and a reprogrammed ECU which increased output by 30 hp. Sold only as a coupe, the Cobalt SS could be had with a dealer-installed performance upgrade package with so-called "stage kits" that came with factory warranties. Not just any Chevy model was given the coveted "Super Sport" moniker, but with a supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood producing 205 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, the Cobalt SS was worthy of it. While the SRT-4 received a turbo-four, Chevy opted for something a bit different in late 2004: a supercharged Cobalt SS. The results were the Cobalt SS and Neon SRT-4. Both Chevy and Dodge, to their credit, saw the potential for factory-built high-performance versions of their current subcompact offerings, the Chevy Cobalt and Dodge Neon. So it goes.īut a decade and a half ago this was not the case and non-crossover body styles remained popular. Their replacements are all crossovers and it appears this will continue to be the trend for the foreseeable future. That time has passed as the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Fiesta and Focus, and Dodge Dart have all been discontinued. There was a time when compact coupes and their sedan counterparts played a vital role for Detroit's automakers.
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