monkeysauce

Get the TC, learn to drive in it, and when you have more money in a few years, then SC it.

Ingenerator

Ecotec = Crap

GM Doesn't make a good 4 cyl. I looked at getting a Cobalt for a hot sec because of the supercharger, but then I remembered that GM is going bankrupt! For a reason!

The SS is ok but it's overrated. Get a tC. Full warranty and you'll enjoy the car much more and it'll last longer.

Ingenerator

Agreed.

theblue

wow...just wow.

RSXaco

out of the two; ill choose the tc over the cobalt
or....look into a mildly used type-s, goes for about 20 - 21,000

best of both worlds, reliability + power

TrafficinLA

Yeah...just wow.

Enthusiast

Guys Some of you are quite blinded by biased. The stock sc/ss will smoke stock tC and a trd S/c tC. I say if you are only looking between the two get the chevy. My buddie has a tC and it runs like crap, it is constantly bogging and making goofy noises plus the throttle response has to be over a second, which makes the car feel so sluggish. And resale on tCs is so crappy. My buddie paided 23 for a RS 1.0 and he couldnt get 17K back to save his life.
Go with the chevy.

monkeysauce

Straight from the mouth of the Camaro and Firebird owner!

DouBLeJ16

If you can afford it, go for the cobalt. Don't forget to add stage 1 and stage 2 at the dealership..

Enthusiast

May I ask what that was supposed to mean?

monkeysauce

Certainly. Many people are biased toward the tC because they own one. You may be biased to the Cobalt SS because you own 2 GM cars. Please don't tell me you don't have a preference in your brand of cars. In the end, you're not going to get a very balanced opinion when you're posting on a car's fansite.

The cobalt ss is a fine car, one of the better ones to come from GM in a while. When comparing to the factory supercharged tC, it's slightly faster. Gotta drive them both to figure out what you like best.

Here's a serious (no-flame) question: How come the blown tC with 5 psi has about the same output as the blown Cobalt with 13psi? Is that the difference between the centrifugal and roots-type blower? Or does the 0.4L of deficit in displacement require a higher boost to get to the 200hp mark in the Cobalt?

DouBLeJ16

A TRD SC'ed tC does not have the same output as a stock cobalt. The cobalt is alot faster.. The cobalt is also underrated, they put down between 205-215whp bone stock.

Currently the best with a TRD SC'ed tC WITH the 9# pulley, header, intake, and exhaust is 14.3.

There is several people in SC'ed cobalts who hit the same or better times with a STOCK cobalt, add the stage1 & 2 from the factory and it's all over for the tC unless it has a turbo.

Handling wise, the cobalt would just tear apart the tC. Check out this comparision between the SRT-4 & the cobalt: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...mpetitors.html

monkeysauce

you're right, it's faster. What else is making it faster in a straight line? Better gearing, grippier tires, LSD?

beltdriven

Not all SS/SC have lsd gearing is actually from a saab I'd say Hp / weight is what makes the cobalt faster. As a side question how much does the supervharger cost for the tc?

RSXaco

sorry man, i gotta disagree with you
i think the cobalts are overrated (power wise)
overall i think they are good cars for the price, but 205-215 stock whp seems incorrect.
numerous of my rsx guys race plenty of cobalts stock or modded
05 types vs. 05 ss/sc : both with intakes : rsx takes him by 1 car
given it could be a drivers race, an rsx with a cai makes an average of 175 whp
no where near 200
i've raced about 2 myself and wasn't impressed. (i'm not stock by the way)
p.s. i love the whine of a cobalt sc

Sciontctuner

Yeh my sis has a Cavalier, and from how it drives I can honestly say Chevys are a waste of tin can. I have a '05 Tc and it still has the new car smell, and NEVER had any problems. GET A TC. I test drove a Cobalt before I bought the Tc, and I bought the Tc for a reason, dont waste your money, a few mods and your Tc will run better than any chevy out there!

DouBLeJ16

The cobalt will still be faster even if the tC has a supercharger.. The average quarter mile time with the supercharged cobalt is about 14.3-14.4, that's bone stock. Best stock time is a 14.1. (This is without the stage 1 and 2 you can add from the factory)

The fastest supercharged tC is 14.3.. That's with a header, intake, exhaust, different spark plugs, and better tires. Without any mods they're hitting 14.7-14.8's.

It's really not even a close race unless the cobalt driver can't drive at all.

BeaumontTC

What about the Saturn ION Redline same thing as the cobalt ss just a lighter shell (Plastic body panels) my friend has one and he scares the crap out of me when he drives it...let me put it this way-
my car about14,500 miles(1 year old)
still on stock clutch(and I learned on this car)

his car about 10,000 miles(less than 1 year old)
on it's second oem clutch(he didn't learn on this car)
He is a very terrible driver, and abuses his ION ALOT!! All ways a hard launch when I follow him somewher and every time I see him around town he's spinning the tires when he shifts...I'm suprised the tranny is still in one piece
oh and he wants to put racing stripes on it (like the stripes you see on a muscle car)

DouBLeJ16

Yeah, I don't think they'll hold up to a beating as good as the tC does.

I have about 80-90 time slips just from my tC, and I'm still on the stock clutch.

tml057

I strongly disagree. I own a 2002 Cavalier (with an Ecotec) and a 2006 tC (Re-read that, I OWN Both, I do not take my "friends" word). The engines are certainly not crap. In fact, I would say they are the best part about the car. The interior is crap. The overall design is bland. And the Suspension could be much improved. Engine-wise though, not crap.

That said, if you want the power, go with the SS/SC. If you want more options, and a better ride (though is still could be much improved), and a better warranty, go with the tC.

Resale value/depreciation is negligible since you would be buying a used car that has already taken the hit for the first 2 years of depreciation.

Personally, I'd go with the tC. It's slighlty cheaper on insurance, and fuel economy will be slightly better as the S/C likes to eat that mileage away (and face it, you are young and want to go fast... though I will give GM credit for getting 22/29 out of the SS/SC under normal driving).

If you want to view an actual comparison, here is a link you guys might find interesting.