2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
by Jim Prueter -10/2008

Awesome performance at a bargain price

So the economy and $3 gas has you feeling the need to downsize, yet you still want a quick car that looks great to boot? Chevy’s high-performance Cobalt SS might be as far as you need look.

The Cobalt SS — available in either a coupe or a new-for-2009 sedan — starts as your basic front-wheel drive economy subcompact, then gets GM’s 2.0-liter variable-valve-timing, inter-cooled, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection. The base price of $24,095 is the same for either coupe or sedan.

This is the same 260-horsepower, 260 pound-feet of torque engine that provides all the punch in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline roadsters. The SS models are only available with a five-speed manual shifter.

Performance is instant, with none of the turbo lag that plagues other pocket-sized rockets like Subaru WRX and Dodge Caliber SRT4. From launch, 60 miles per hour comes in just 5.5 seconds and Cobalt scorches the quarter mile in 13.9 seconds, while still returning a surprising 25 miles per gallon from a tank of premium fuel. The good news is the SS can run on regular while only giving up 10 horsepower and 20 lb-ft of torque. Chevy claims top speed is a whopping 160 mph.

On the downside, there is brief yet noticeable torque steer under full throttle in first gear. This despite the fact that the suspension was lowered by eight millimeters and the front and rear stabilizers were modified in an attempt to eliminate the problem.

But there’s more to the SS than straight-ahead performance. There are huge vented Brembo four-piston front disc brakes with ABS, and 18-inch forged aluminum wheels with 225/40 Y-rated Conti-Sport summer tires. There’s a 10 percent quicker steering ratio, and both traction and standard electronic stability control are standard. Our vehicle came with the optional limited slip differential ($495).

Outside, our test SS sedan was painted a fitting sport red that costs an extra $295. SS badging adorns the lower part of both front doors and the trunk lid. There are sport fascias, rocker moldings and unobtrusive rear spoiler. Fog lamps are standard.

But despite the added trim, the Cobalt SS looks just a step above your standard Cobalt rental car. But again, there’s always been appeal to a plain-Jane sleeper car that no one expects to perform the way it does.

Inside, there are new Ultralux faux suede seats with SS embroidery at the top of the front buckets. It doesn’t make up for the plain econo-look of the hard plastic interior.

On the plus side, this tall driver did appreciate the ample legroom up front. Of course the front seat was so far back only a small child would ride comfortably behind. And we liked the turbo boost gauge mounted on the driver’s A-pillar.

We were pleasantly surprised at how the Cobalt SS handled during fast cornering and on twisty roads. No complaints here. The little SS handled everything we threw at it, including a few laps around the track — all the grip with minimal body roll.

Also new this year, Chevy added a “no-lift-shift” mode where the engine computer limits revs so you can just keep the pedal to the floor between shifts.

Given the bargain price for these performance numbers, we think the Cobalt SS has to be the best performance-to-price value on the market today.