2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Published 03/17/2005

Such is the life of an automobile reviewer. Last week I was motoring around town in the always fabulous BMW 760i priced just short of $117,000. This week I'm reduced to the 2005 Chevy Cobalt priced almost one hundred thousand dollars less!

So what did I give up driving a vehicle priced at almost one sixth of the price of the status mobile? The answer is not as much as you would expect. Keep in mind my test vehicle was the fully loaded 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt LT Sedan priced at $21,175 rather than the base Cobalt with a manufacturers suggested retail price of only $14,190. But for a car that competes with Honda, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai rather than BMW and Mercedes Benz this is a tremendous value.

Based on an all new Delta architecture the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is much more than simply a replacement for the aging Cavalier. Advances in the Cobalt start at the foundation. Older cars and most current pickup trucks start out life with a ladder styled frame underneath and the body bolted or welded to the foundational frame. This body on a frame design provides a strong foundation for work trucks but the weight and bulk prove unsuitable for passenger cars. Almost all passenger cars are designed as a uni-body, with the entire structure acting as a subframe rather than a separate body on a frame design. The new 2005 Cobalt benefits from an improved and exceptionally sturdy structure with emphasis on strengthening the lower foundations.

This new, stronger structure combined with available side curtain air bags help to make the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt one of only two small cars acceptable to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in side impact crash tests. The other 12 small cars tested were rated poor by the institute. In addition to a stronger chassis, Quiet Steel, an engineered multilayered sound deadening material has been used in the firewall to reduce noise, weight and cost. This is no BMW 760i, but it is a far cry from the aged Cavalier that it replaces. At barely 15 feet long and 2,989 pounds, my luxuriously appointed LT version still reminded me this was a compact class vehicle.

Equipment on even the base 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is impressive with speed sensitive electric power steering, automatic headlights, tilt steering wheel and AM/FM CD all standard. My loaded test Cobalt LT included all speed traction control, anti lock brakes, front and rear side curtain air bags, seven speaker premium sound system, XM radio, OnStar, heated leather seats and steering wheel mounted audio controls.

With features like these, the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt may trick you into believing it has luxury roots rather than an economy car pedigree. But the 2.2 liter ECOTEC dual overhead cam 4 cylinder struggled making more noise than I would like. It is estimated to produce 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the open highway. The EPA rates the 5-speed model at 34 MPG on the highway. As gasoline prices inch upward any vehicle that gets twice the mileage of a sport utility vehicle has to attract followers. For those who feel the need for speed a Cobalt SS Supercharged version is available ratcheting up the power from 145 to 205 horsepower.

The 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is a huge step forward for Chevrolet. With Honda, Toyota, and Mazda all making exceptional compact vehicles it was important for Chevrolet to once again become competitive in this market. It's nice to have cash cows like commercial trucks and profitable sport utility vehicles, but Ford and Chevrolet abandoned an entire generation of entry-level young buyers to foreign manufacturers. Even Korean companies were allowed a beachhead with younger buyers who determine automotive sales for years to come.

The 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt competes well in styling, features and value with any vehicle at this level. Backing the Cobalt with a new 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty hopefully follows a commitment to improved quality as well.

It's fun to aspire to greater automotive legends, but for those of us living in the reality of making it from one paycheck to the next the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt will make you proud of your car. Chevrolet should be proud of its accomplishment, for this new Cobalt is at the top of its class.

2005 Chevrolet Cobalt LT Sedan

Front Wheel Drive Compact Sedan

145 hp. 2.2 4cyl engine
Four Speed Automatic Transmission

24/32 EPA MPG

$21,325 Price as tested

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