Chevrolet Cobalt - 2007 Review

This car is beautiful and like my best friend said, "You can't miss it."  She names all her cars and has dubbed mine Rose Red from that horror movie.  It has a beautiful light khaki interior; which is going to be a challenge to keep clean with younger children.  My Cavalier had grayish/black interior.

I test drove a 2009 Cobalt but couldn't afford the payments so the sales person put me in a 2007 that was more in tune with my budget.  But to those of you who can afford a $20,000 vehicle-test drive the '09 and see what you think.  You may think you have died and gone to Heaven.  It's the ride of a lifetime.  Keep in mind when reading my review that I am speaking of the '07 Cobalt and not the '09-the '09 is fully loaded.

Okay, now I didn't know there was such a thing as a "stripped down" new car in our day and time but there is.  I didn't get that model but I "think" I came close to it.  I'm still getting used to the many bells and whistles that I did get and those wonderful features are what I will share with you. 

My Cavalier had power windows and locks-my Cobalt didn't come with either but I am having power locks and keyless entry installed on Monday.   After killing three of my four motors in my windows I told them I didn't care if I had power windows again so I will forego that little amenity for the next 7-10 years.  Yes, that's how long I generally keep a car.  My Cobalt also doesn't have cruise control but I don't drive enough long trips to need that.

The Cobalt doesn't have that nice center console up front that I got accustomed to leaning on while driving.  I find myself leaning and then falling into space because there is nothing for me to prop my right arm up.  Nor is there that extra storage space that I had under the console.  However, the Cobalt does have a little driver's caddy near the door for storing small items like cash, cell phone, post-it notes, etc. 

The following are four new features that I really love:

• DIC (Driver Information Center)
• Passenger sensored air bags
• Speed sensitive windshield wipers
• Automatic Headlamp System

The DIC gives you the status of many of your vehicle's systems right at your fingertips.  It's on the left side of the steering wheel and with just the press of the button I can view the following information on the instrument panel:

• Outside temperature and current odometer reading
• Trip A & B readings.
• Fuel range-I like this feature because it gives me an approximate mileage I can go before refueling.
• Economy mode tells me how many miles per gallon I am averaging based on the driving conditions of the vehicle, past and present.
• Average speed-shows the average speed I drive based on past and current speeds.
• Oil life-this lets me know how much oil in percentage I have remaining.  It is also programmed to alert me every 5,000 miles when I need an oil change and the dealership resets it to 100% every time I have an oil change.
• Coolant-this feature shows the temperature of the coolant.  I like this because once I have an idea of what is normal for my car I will know if it is ever running hot.

**I can reset all of the features except for the odometer reading.  

The Passenger Airbag Sensing System senses the weight of the person in the front passenger seat.  If the individual weighs approximately 85 lbs. or more the airbag system will be activated.  If the person weighs less than 85 lbs. then the airbag will not be activated.  This is good if you have a car full of young people/children and you have to put a smaller child up front.  You don't need to worry about the airbag being deployed if you are in an accident.

The Speed Sensitive Wipers are similar to the intermittent.  When this feature is turned on the speed of the wipers is determined by how fast or slow the car is going.  If I am going at a slow speed the wipers are going to go faster and vice versa.  I love this because sometimes you get stuck in traffic for a while and the rain is just pelting the windshield but then when you resume a faster speed the rain is forced off the windshield quicker.  With this feature I don't have to keep adjusting the speed of the wipers. 

The Automatic Headlamp System controls the headlights, taillights, and instrument panel.  There is a sensor on the dashboard in front of the steering wheel.  The darker it is outside the brighter the headlights and instrument panel get.  This feature also turns the headlights on automatically if I turn the windshield wipers on; which is a good thing because it's a law in SC to have headlights on when using wipers.  This is a pretty cool feature.  I was driving in rain the other day and going down the stretch of dirt road to my house I enter a winding path of wooded trees and shade.  The instrument panel started getting brighter and as I left that area the panel dimmed again. 

There are other features that I'm really enjoying like the ability to raise the driver's seat up and not just forward and backward.  The trunk is very spacious and speaking of trunk.  Guess where the battery is?  You got it!  It's in the trunk along with the spare tire.  I'm not sure what the logistics for that is so if anyone knows please tell me.  So what is with the engine?  I really don't know.  When we popped the hood we saw a beautiful black case.  You can't see the engine.  That's good for me because driving down a dirt road everything gets pretty dusty so this will keep it all clean.  There are three seatbelts in the back, of course, but this time the center belt also has the shoulder strap.  The car has the tethers and locks for child restraint systems.

I believe the car gets about 33 mpg on the highway and about 28 mpg in the city.  It has a 12 gallon tank and the Cavalier had a 14 gallon.  This means it won't cost as much to fill up but I will have to fill up quicker.

All in all, I am very pleased with my new wheels.  I will probably edit this review as I come across new features but for now, "that's all folks!"