All current and former Cobalt owners, please read

[Northstar]

So you may or may not have heard that my brother was in a car accident and the Maxx was totaled. Anyways, because of complications over who is getting this new car and when (my sister's Alero is on its last legs), we haven't been able to narrow it down much until recently when my sister decided she should probably try to wait until spring to get a car (save money for down payment).

Anyways, there's a dealer that we can get a new Cobalt 1LT at for $11K after discounts and $3500 GM card credits, so this is quickly becoming an option. My parents didn't want to buy anything too expensive because my brother is going to college next year and they would rather he not have an expensive car at college.

If you've had a Cobalt or have driven one extensively, please let me know what your thoughts on it are... it would be a steal and provide a decent college car that my parents wouldn't have to worry about fixing because it has a warranty. One problem is finding one locally (the deal is 120 miles away), though there is at least one used one on a lot around here we could drive.

[Drew Dowdell]

New 1LT Sedan for $14,5?

[ocnblu]

I had one warranty issue with mine, the electric power steering system rattle. After replacement of the column assembly, I had no further problems with the car and would have no trouble recommending it. Mine was a 2009 1LT coupe with 5 speed manual.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I had one warranty issue with mine, the electric power steering system rattle. After replacement of the column assembly, I had no further problems with the car and would have no trouble recommending it. Mine was a 2009 1LT coupe with 5 speed manual.

Had a 2008 1LT Sedan and a 2007 Pontiac G5 SE Sedan.

I had the same problem ocn had, twice on the Cobalt, but not on the G5. Overall good little cars but eventually all the door panels loosened up to the point where they creaked when any weight (ie arm) was put on them. That all that I can find to fault though.

[z28luvr01]

I've had one for 5.5 years and put just over 51K miles on it. It's a 2005 LS (fully loaded except for OnStar). Nothing major to complain about. I had the power steeering recall taken care of, and while they had the car they replaced the column preemptively since they felt it was binding and it was covered under warranty. My car did have a couple of teething issues, like the finish on the door pulls and the sunroof button bezel falling down, but those issues have been fixed in later model years. If I had to issue any sort of warning, unless you get a car with the 16" Michelins you should replace the stock rubber ASAP. To be kind, they don't grip well especially in the rain, and road noise is much worse than with the Michelins.

[Cory Wolfe]

Other than the aforementioned steering column issue, they also eat through control arm bushings in my experience. Otherwise, for the price, you can't really go wrong and you certainly don't want an Aveo.

[Blake Noble]

My two cents: just suck it up buy it. Everything else in that price bracket brand new is absolute punishment compared to a Cobalt.

[Intrepidation]

I lived with an 2007 1LT for 2 months. Cheap interior, hard door panels, the cloth insert on the door panel armrest isn't nicely textured, and had no padding. Door panel plastic scratched easily and back seat legroom is pretty poor.

2LT we just had as a rental while the $h!ty Colorado was in the shop again, had a thin layer of padding on the upper door panel, and I liked the leather look shifter boot. That one had power doors, locks, a center armrest and more silver trim. That against the black interior looked much nicer than the pale interior the `07 had. It was much more pleasant and livable. It had an annoying rattle either behind the glove box or in the passenger door though.

General things to note: HVAC controls feel and operate cheaply, but the black tie stereo has a quality feel to it. Center console arm rest is welcome, but needs to be folded up to get to the hand brake and easily buckle in. Seats are decent. Nothing mind blowing but not terrible uncomfortable. Drives like a bigger car, as in it feels stable and is pretty quiet, even at triple digit speed. Headlights are good. I like the two stalk setup. One for headlights and turn signals, one for the wipers.

The biggest thing for me was the electric steering. It's completely devoid of any feedback. like using a video game steering wheel. You get used to it, and it works fine, but if you ever think about it, or go from driving a car with hydraulic steering, it feels weird.

I like the car overall and wouldn't mind owning one. I don't have any real passion for it, but they're pretty good cars. I'd go for it.

[Northstar]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Olds, here's one of them on ebay, MSRP is $4K more than the price here (I found it on their website): http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LT-New-2-2L-155-horsepower-4-Doors-Air-conditioning-/330494965965?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4cf308f8cd

DF: So the 2LT is significantly nicer? We found a 2LT in the Chicago area (about 2 hrs north) that has a sticker of $19995. If we could get them down to $16k before GM credits (same deal this other place is offering but on 1LTs), do you feel it is worth an extra $1k over the 1LT?

[Intrepidation]

I stand corrected, I believe it was actually an LS, but either way I feel the 2LT to be worth the upgrade. The interior feels much less downmarket, and the alloys on the later models are pretty decent. I really appreciated the slightly soft and nicely textured upper door panel inserts (the hard plastic is cheap and nasty to place your arm on), and I really enjoy center arm rests. Plus that one had cruise control, and I prefer power accessories. If you can haggle it down I'd say its worth it.

I'll also add I liked how rear seat release was located in the trunk, so you could fold the seats down from the trunk.

This one's interior actually look similar to the rental we just had.

[Northstar]

Was the 2LT still cloth interior? Sometimes when you get leather the door panels get different material.

[Intrepidation]

Yep, cloth.

[Northstar]

Interesting. Did the door panel still have cloth inserts then? On eBay it appears with leather you get faux leather on the door panels, and with cloth seats you get cloth inserts. I think the only one with leather was like $22k anyways, so it doesn't really matter because leather isn't worth $2k.

EDIT: just noticed the picture, which appears to have cloth inserts on the door panels.

[Cremazie]

My boyfriend has a 2007 Cobalt, its a cheap car to buy and run. Only issue: he had the strut mounts replaced at 27000 km.

[vonVeezelsnider]

The feel of the Leather Steering Wheel and Shift knob really makes the car more satisfying to drive.

[Northstar]

Do no Cobalts have ABS standard? The 2LT I found for $20k and got a price quote of $16.2k on this morning (before GM credits) had ABS included in some 2LT package. And a $19,335 1LT I found doesn't seem to have ABS on the window sticker.

[Drew Dowdell]

ABS is optional

[regfootball]

We've owned our 2010 Cobalt since the end of April last year. I wanted / needed to be in a small car for a bit of time and I had GM money I needed to burn. I explored leasing a Malibu or buying an HHR or Cobalt or G6. At the time, the incentives were not great on the HHR which was what I really wanted although the Cobalt and HHR are pretty much the same thing the HHR has more utility. Since we bought our Cobalt there are nicer deals on the HHR now.

We just topped 10,000 miles and have not had to get anything fixed. MPG has probably been about 28 overall. I expected a little better, but when i use non oxygenated non ethanol small engine gas I get about 32 mpg. Highway trips with one person, 35 mpg should be realistic.

Ours is an LT1 with Mylink package and ABS. This included bluetooth for phone, leather wrap steering wheel audio controls, and we also have a USB port on teh radio. Ours is also a manual trans and has alum wheels, power windows, locks etc.

One of the reasons I bit the bullet and got the Cobalt compared to other brands was because the engine is so strong in the Cobalt. The interior is loud and buzzy, the ergonomics are off, not much creature comfort, but it does accelerate well and even though the steering dead / terrible the overall experience for a small car is ok at the price. I had on two separate instances had 08 Focus as one week loaners before that and I can tell you I do prefer the Cobalt in a lot of ways to the 08+ Focus.

The Cobalt's strength is that it chews up miles very well because of the strong engine and decent ride. In top gear at high speed the rpm is lower than many smaller cars and it cruzes (hehe) fairly quiet. I dislike my Hankook tires, but its a cheap car its gonna have crap tires.

The HHR for me was a noticeable amount cheaper for insurance in comparison, the higher price might be offset by some insurance savings. The HHR will get a bit less mpg.

A very base Malibu will not be much more right now.

Other options to consider non GM are a basic Kia soul or leftover 2010 Kia Optima (they are dirt cheap right now). You may want to think about saving the GM card money and buying another brand, if you buy a cobalt, that 3500 you put into it the equity is pretty much gone once you drive it off the lot with a Cobalt.

The real truth is that compact cars are now going to be closer to 20k than 13, 14k so you will never have the chance to buy a car that cheap ever again. In that regard and for what you will use it for,a Cobalt may suit you fine. It's not going to be as safe or well equipped as a Cruze. But I think in return for a lower price, you will likely get the durability, operating costs, and nice running behavior that may surprise you. Someone will always buy a used Cobalt, the resale may not be top tier, but if you ever have to sell it, someone will always be interested in buying it.

I would just explore finding an HHR LS with auto trans, that will have stability control on it, and may not be too much more than a Cobalt and has more cargo space. Same car, bigger interior basically.

I am 'ok' with my Cobalt but I will be looking to move it at the first responsible opportunity I have to do so.

That 3500 GM card would prepay a huge chunk of one of those subsidized leases they have been advertising on the Cruze right now.............If the Cruze had been out when i needed to get my car, that would have been what i would have done.

Edited December 27, 2010 by regfootball

[regfootball]

Do no Cobalts have ABS standard? The 2LT I found for $20k and got a price quote of $16.2k on this morning (before GM credits) had ABS included in some 2LT package. And a $19,335 1LT I found doesn't seem to have ABS on the window sticker.

Perhaps a Cruze LS may be a better option than that Cobalt. A cruze with Auto is what, 18,500? and i know that some dealers already are like 2 grand off that........a new Cruze at 16,500 is a huge upgrade from a Cobalt at that price. The Cruze will have stability control and 54 airbags....ok, just 10. LOL. But it will lack cruise control and some other goodies. Maybe even a bare bones LT Cruze is worth stretching into?

Edited December 27, 2010 by regfootball

[Northstar]

Perhaps a Cruze LS may be a better option than that Cobalt. A cruze with Auto is what, 18,500? and i know that some dealers already are like 2 grand off that........a new Cruze at 16,500 is a huge upgrade from a Cobalt at that price. The Cruze will have stability control and 54 airbags....ok, just 10. LOL. But it will lack cruise control and some other goodies. Maybe even a bare bones LT Cruze is worth stretching into?

We drove a Cobalt Sport (2008, local dealer didn't have any new ones left) and a Cruze 1LT today. Still not decided, but probably leaning towards the Cruze. We don't like the idea of a bare bones LS because it's only about $1700 less and lacks power seat, Cruze, bluetooth, and some other stuff that's nice to have.

Where are the lease deals you were talking about? Any links online?

Also, how can the dealers be offering them for $2k off? MSRP is only $500 or so more than invoice, IIRC.

[Cory Wolfe]

We just topped 10,000 miles and have not had to get anything fixed. MPG has probably been about 28 overall. I expected a little better, but when i use non oxygenated non ethanol small engine gas I get about 32 mpg. Highway trips with one person, 35 mpg should be realistic..

35 mpg is more than realistic. I was able to get up to 42 mpg in mine with the less fuel efficient automatic. I averaged about 32 mpg overall.

[regfootball]

i can believe that Viper. My rig is still getting broke in, and right now its winter and i confess I need to get my tire pressures back up.

But mostly right now I blame that 90% of our driving is in town, and with crappy ethanol blend oxygenated crap gas we are force fed in this corn state.

Mine is not an XFE even though it is a stick. I hate low rolling resistance tires and the Hankooks on my American Cobalt are not much of an upgrade either.

[regfootball]

We drove a Cobalt Sport (2008, local dealer didn't have any new ones left) and a Cruze 1LT today. Still not decided, but probably leaning towards the Cruze. We don't like the idea of a bare bones LS because it's only about $1700 less and lacks power seat, Cruze, bluetooth, and some other stuff that's nice to have.

Where are the lease deals you were talking about? Any links online?

Also, how can the dealers be offering them for $2k off? MSRP is only $500 or so more than invoice, IIRC.

I assume i may be in a regional incentive area. The dealer I bought my cobalt at was even advertising close to 3 grand off the loaded LTZ. I will need to go back and read fine print, maybe there was a targeted incentive for toyota owners or something.

The Cruze leases though, the ads are ALL OVER the net. like 1899 down, 159 a month on an LS. I would fully expect the LT1 to have a better residual and if you used that 3500 to cover the down payment and tax and title and license, you could lease with intent to purchase. That is, just know that all you are doing by leasing is buy down the loan at a slower rate than if you borrowed the full amount, but if you hate the car after 39 months give it back. With 3500 down on a lease, the balance after 39 months may not be all that much more than what would be left on a 5 year loan at high percent after 39 months. After 3 years, the residual on the Cruze you lease is no doubt going to be less of a price for a buyout than a 3 year old used Cruze sitting on a dealer lot with a 5,000 dollar markup over wholesale.

If you are seriously just looking for a cheap drive for 3 years and won't exceed 12 or even 15k miles, it may behoove you to just consider the Cruze. You spend 17 on a cobalt, after 3 years if you try to trade it, you'll get offered 5 grand and you may still owe 7 or 8 grand. You lease that cruze now your payments may be cheaper and unless you beat on the car you will have the option to just say goodbye to it or buy a really nice used car you know the history on for less than what a dealer will charge for the same thing used and several thousand less than new.

I had 3k in GM car dmoney built up I was saving for a new Regal or Cruze lease but then my Aztek sorta f`orced` my hand `before those 2 cars came out. I am still upset over settling for the cobalt. the cobalt fine, but it is what it is. If you get a Cobalt just make sure you are not putting yourself in position for future remorse about paying too much for what you get. as it is for me now, the cobalt was literally the most cost effective option for me, and in return i get a car that is actually fun to drive sometimes. And, I can beat the snot out of it and not worry about ruining a 'nice car'.

In no way would I have paid for say, a Jetta. The Jetta is dull and drab and not worth close to what it sells for most of the time and the Cobalt has a personality where the Jetta really doesn't. So in that respect its a bargain and more interesting to boot.

I drove an Aztek for like 6 years. But I never could look with remorse on it, because i didn't lose my ass on it. The running costs were requisite with how nice of a vehicle it was. I probably saved 15 thousand bucks vs. a Pilot or something that was similar. I look at a cobalt the same way. It's fine as long as you don't overpay or put yourself in a box with it. I can drive mine for 3 or 4 years and still not lose any money on it I figure.

Be sure to look at those Regal leases too.

Bluetooth is a cheap option on the LS. Chevy deserves major scorn and outright ridicule for not having made Cruze available on the LS. THat is the old bad GM still tainting the matter, and really people should lose their jobs over that blatant disregard for the customer. Yes, whoever was responsible for that ultimate decision should lose their job.

Edited December 28, 2010 by regfootball

[Dsuupr]

I've had a 2005 Cobalt and 2006 HHR. The Cobalt was near bullet proof in the 40k super rough miles we had it. I had a recall done right off the bat and that is all. A good friend, who was 18 at the time, used it frequently and he railed on it harder than one would with a rental car (I didn't know this until years later). To this day it still gets serviced at the same place I get my cars from and the guys in the service department say they only see it for standard maintenance. Amazing, considering how roughly it was treated.

The car was a little noisier than I like, the seats stain easily (make sure to pay extra for the scotch guard), we averaged 38 to 42 mpg (manual transmission), and always loved the car. The HHR was another story. I liked the function ability of the vehicle but never was comfortable in it. The dash got a fair amount of "buzzes" right of the bat and though we never had any major problems, it did eat brakes and rooters.

At $11k, you couldn't go wrong with a Cobalt, though from a safety and insurance cost perspective you might be better off getting a slightly used Malibu or waiting for a Cruze.

[Cory Wolfe]

At $11k, you couldn't go wrong with a Cobalt, though from a safety and insurance cost perspective you might be better off getting a slightly used Malibu or waiting for a Cruze.

You brought up a good point... Cobalts tend to be pricey, insurance wise, especially with those of us under 25. I had mine insured under my Mother for that reason.

[regfootball]

Cruze, top safety pick, 10 airbags, 5 stars all around. Stab control standard. I just can't imagine turning a key on a cobalt now that the cruze is out, aside from having one already in my garage to antagonize me.

I think if my cobalt didn't have the steering wheel audio controls and the bluetooth and USB i really wouldn't want to drive it much.

[Northstar]

I suppose leasing is an option, but the car is probably going to college with my brother and I'm not sure that it would be in great shape after sitting outside on a college campus for 3 years.

I also forgot to mention that we got $10.5k for the Maxx, so we have that to put down for the car in addition to the $3500 GM credits.

So, the Cobalt we found is available for $16k, the Cruze I don't think we'd get much off of it (might as well wait til Jan 4th to see if it gets any incentives. So after factoring in tax and such, the Cobalt is $3200 after GM credits and the $10.5k for the Maxx and the Cruze is $8200 after both as well. So, is the Cruze worth $5k more? is the question. And also, we need to consider used cars at $16-17k and compare to the Cruze.

With that in mind, I poked around on eBay and found that you can get low mileage, used 2010 Civic EXs for around that price. That means some bells and whistles that he is used to like a sunroof, and perhaps leather and heated seats (Maxx had all that). We went and test drove a LX coupe (dealer didn't have any EXs), and I have to say besides the somewhat odd interior styling, it blows the Cruze away. It accelerates more quickly, handles better, the Cruze may ride smoother, interior materials are just as good, and the seats are better. The digital speedo is odd at first but really makes sense and isn't bothersome as I thought it would be.

We still haven't bought anything, and the parents haven't driven the Civic to compare it themselves, but I think it is significantly more refined than the Cruze.

[Northstar]

reg, can you link me to those lease rates? The dealer said with nothing down and no first month payment the Cruze is about $320 a month for 39 months. Seems ridiculous.

[Dsuupr]

reg, can you link me to those lease rates? The dealer said with nothing down and no first month payment the Cruze is about $320 a month for 39 months. Seems ridiculous.

It should show up at Chevrolet.com. http://www.chevrolet.com/tools/currentoffers/results.do?zipCode=97401&region=10&county=41039

[regfootball]

yeah chevy has that info on their site.

I can understand the caution on a new car on a college campus.

The cruze must be fairly loaded for an 8200 dollar diff.

Remember, Malibus and HHR's are great buys too but I know the appeal of a simple small sedan as well. Just saw an ad today from where i bought my Cobalt. New Malibus are like 5 and 6 grand off. 17 and change for an LS. I wonder how many Cruze buyers Chevy is upselling into Malibus right now.

[Northstar]

yeah chevy has that info on their site.

I can understand the caution on a new car on a college campus.

The cruze must be fairly loaded for an 8200 dollar diff.

Remember, Malibus and HHR's are great buys too but I know the appeal of a simple small sedan as well. Just saw an ad today from where i bought my Cobalt. New Malibus are like 5 and 6 grand off. 17 and change for an LS. I wonder how many Cruze buyers Chevy is upselling into Malibus right now.

It's a $5k difference. The Cruze is $8200 after GM card and money from the Maxx, the Cobalt is $3200.

The Cruze is a much better vehicle than the Malibu. We drove the Malibu and were thoroughly unimpressed. Yes, you can fit more people and stuff in it, but it's terribly slow and loud and it's way overpriced in terms of MSRP. The $3000 rebates make it competitive price wise, but that doesn't discount the fact that it's an inferior product (at least compared to the Sonata).

I don't personally like the looks of the Civic sedan, which is why we drove a coupe, but my brother doesn't mind the look. We found this one about 80 miles away, and my aunt lives there so she can check it out for us if we decide to buy it. Great deal though. 12k miles and fully loaded except NAV for $15.5k is hard to beat: http://hondaofillinois.net/Preowned-Inventory/2009_Honda_Civic_Sdn_SPRINGFIELD_19XFA16929E008818.aspx

We'd only owe $5k (that's $3200 savings over the Cruze) and the only thing that the Cruze has over the Civic is that it has a power seat (you can't get one on the Civic for some reason). Still it has alloys, leather, heated seats, sunroof, and a better stereo than the Cruze, plus it's Honda Certified so it has a 7yr/100k powertrain warranty. Probably going to drive the sedan at the local dealer tomorrow.

[regfootball]

For a used compact, that CIvic is nice, but it still is a Civic....lol

The dash on the Civic is a deal breaker for me.

I would think the Cruze will be quieter, etc.

True regarding the Malibu. The Malibu is decent, but myself I would even pick a Cruze over a Malibu I think. And once you factor in those Koreans the Malibu does lose its luster.

When I mentioned the 8200 dollar diff, I meant your GM card + Maxx money from the price of the car. Does that mean the Cruze would be over 22k? Ouch.........

My mind doesn't always process right away.....

Whatever happened to stellar resale on Hondas?

[Northstar]

For a used compact, that CIvic is nice, but it still is a Civic....lol

The dash on the Civic is a deal breaker for me.

I would think the Cruze will be quieter, etc.

True regarding the Malibu. The Malibu is decent, but myself I would even pick a Cruze over a Malibu I think. And once you factor in those Koreans the Malibu does lose its luster.

When I mentioned the 8200 dollar diff, I meant your GM card + Maxx money from the price of the car. Does that mean the Cruze would be over 22k? Ouch.........

My mind doesn't always process right away.....

Whatever happened to stellar resale on Hondas?

The $8200 figure was on a $20.8k Cruze with tax added on as well.

Most Civics seem to have good resale still. That one is listed for $3k below NADA value and is much cheaper than pretty much any other EX-L I can find anywhere. Why they are selling it that cheap is weird, but it is certified and has a 7yr/100k warranty, plus Honda Care extended warranties are available and prices I've seen are about $1k to get the warranty extended to 8 years, 120k miles. For instance, the dealer about 2 minutes from my house has a 2008 LX for $15995 and it has 42k miles. That one is probably overpriced but still. Most EX-Ls were around $18k.

What is it you dislike about the dash on the Civic? I thought it was bizarre in pictures and even when I was first sitting in the passenger seat, but once I got in the driver's seat and drove for a couple minutes I actually liked the pseudo-HUD that shows your MPH and remaining fuel.

The Cruze is probably a little quieter, but the engine noise on both is pretty similar.

I'd give the Cruze the advantage on design, both interior and exterior, and I think it soaks up bumps a little better. However, the Civic handles better and is much quicker, which are both probably a result of it weighing 400lbs less than the Cruze. Both vehicles have good interior materials, I'd probably give teh Cruze the slight edge, but I'd give the Civic a slight edge in fit and finish, and the EX-L may change some of the materials (door panels for instance) on the Civic. I guess I will find that out tomorrow.

I think right now the Civic is probably in the lead, but neither of my parents have driven it and we are definitely waiting until the 4th/5th before deciding (current incentives expire on the 3rd), though I'm not sure how much the Cruze would potentially get on the hood. Around $1500 would be nice, I feel that it's probably about $1500 more than it should be.

Getting the EX-L with 8 year, 120k warranty for $16.5k, which is the same price as 1LT Cruze with nothing but power seat, upgraded stereo, spare tire, with all the bells and whistles is pretty nice. Plus I guess you would want to get a warranty for the Cruze as well. Also, the Honda Care warranties can be resold (prorated) if you get rid of the car, and if you never use it, you get it all back at the end. I don't think GM has anything like that.

[daves87rs]

I've got a 2006 LS, and besides the poor seats , it's been a good car. No issues to report.

[Northstar]

Well, the dealer with the Cobalts sold them, and there are very few within a reasonable driving distance now, so that got thrown out.

The Civic EX-L with 12k miles for $15.5k I found that was about 80 miles away was sold yesterday, so I found another EX-L in the Chicago area (about 2.5 hours away) that has 25,000 miles and was priced slightly lower. My parents are driving there right now and they are probably going to buy it. The NADA value is $18175 and the dealer came down slightly to $15299, so we're getting it for nearly $3k below NADA value (KBB value is $19585). From the pictures it looked like the Civic had brand new tires as well (had green dots on them). I'm really surprised both of the Civics were available for $15.5k or less. The next cheapest one within 250 miles was $17k, and when I tried to find an LX in an effort to save money, the cheapest was $14k. For an extra $1300 the EX-L made more sense.

My mom, brother and I all thought the Civic was better than the Cruze in pretty much every way. The Cruze seat controls are terribly designed (you have to reach between the side of the seat and the B pillar to adjust the amount it is reclined) so despite the seat being power (Civic doesn't offer a power seat), it's actually harder to adjust the Cruze's seats. The Civic seemed roomier, perhaps because it's center stack and console aren't so wide and integrated together, which does make the Cruze interior look nicer. The rear seat is also more comfortable in the Civic. We also drove an LX Civic, so the extra bells and whistles on the EX-L will only add to that, plus it gets leather on the door panels, steering wheel, and shift knob, where the LX has hard plastic in all those places.

GM definitely needs to work on refining the Cruze. The steering is too touchy, and while that is somewhat a good thing, the Civic's is nearly as responsive but doesn't lead to it feeling somewhat "herky jerky" like the Cruze. The brake and gas pedals are the same way. In the Cruze you can go from barely moving to being "thrown" back in your seat. The brakes can do the opposite. Perhaps you would get used to it, but the Civic's pedal feel yielded more linear increases in acceleration and deceleration. Overall, the Civic is simply a more refined driving experience, or as my mom put it "it is easier to drive."

The fact that we lost out on the other EX-L, that they are hard as hell to find (there are only 30 2009 EX-Ls on AutoTrader within 300 miles, while there are 900 Civics within 300 miles), the great price, and the fact that the Cruze has no incentives here but apparently dealers near reg are offering close to $3k off all pushed us to buy the Civic today if it turns out to be okay when they drive it. We had already decided that there was no sense in buying the Cruze before the 4th or whenever the new GM incentives come out because if there's any money on the hood then we would get screwed by buying a few days earlier. So, not wanting to lose out on this deal as well, we decided not to wait on the Cruze incentives, if there even are any.

[regfootball]

essentially another thing to factor in to small cars with big prices, as you say the used can often become more advantageous.

all the companies then use incentives to tweak the price month to month. when gas is 5 bucks i suppose there will be no incentives on the cruze.

Edited January 2, 2011 by regfootball

[pow]

Good luck with your car search. 2009 EX-L Civics have stability control as standard, something to keep in mind. The lesser models don't.

Edited January 1, 2011 by pow

[ocnblu]

Last Civic I drove (a late-model coupe), felt solid, had a stiff ride, and boomed a bit like an empty drum. The seats were nice, but the dash was too gimmicky.

[Cory Wolfe]

The Civics aren't bad.

[Drew Dowdell]

The only Civic I like, and it swings the needle from dislike to like, is the Civic Hybrid because the power train noises are greatly diminished while also helping out a lot with around town torque.

[Mike The Canadian]

Haven't driven this generation of civic.

Have driven the last gen...

The last thing I'd call that car is eager.

Around town it's impossible to get the car motivated without having a lead foot.

Not that this is a problem for just normal driving; just don't look to pass anyone at a light without revving to high heavens.

It sucks to hear that the Cruze can't stack up to an old Civic in your test drives, guess GM still has work to do

[frogger]

Good to hear you didn't limit yourself to one make or model, found a car that you all prefer and hopefully get a good deal and car out of it.

[regfootball]

Well, the dealer with the Cobalts sold them, and there are very few within a reasonable driving distance now, so that got thrown out.

The Civic EX-L with 12k miles for $15.5k I found that was about 80 miles away was sold yesterday, so I found another EX-L in the Chicago area (about 2.5 hours away) that has 25,000 miles and was priced slightly lower. My parents are driving there right now and they are probably going to buy it. The NADA value is $18175 and the dealer came down slightly to $15299, so we're getting it for nearly $3k below NADA value (KBB value is $19585). From the pictures it looked like the Civic had brand new tires as well (had green dots on them). I'm really surprised both of the Civics were available for $15.5k or less. The next cheapest one within 250 miles was $17k, and when I tried to find an LX in an effort to save money, the cheapest was $14k. For an extra $1300 the EX-L made more sense.

My mom, brother and I all thought the Civic was better than the Cruze in pretty much every way. The Cruze seat controls are terribly designed (you have to reach between the side of the seat and the B pillar to adjust the amount it is reclined) so despite the seat being power (Civic doesn't offer a power seat), it's actually harder to adjust the Cruze's seats. The Civic seemed roomier, perhaps because it's center stack and console aren't so wide and integrated together, which does make the Cruze interior look nicer. The rear seat is also more comfortable in the Civic. We also drove an LX Civic, so the extra bells and whistles on the EX-L will only add to that, plus it gets leather on the door panels, steering wheel, and shift knob, where the LX has hard plastic in all those places.

GM definitely needs to work on refining the Cruze. The steering is too touchy, and while that is somewhat a good thing, the Civic's is nearly as responsive but doesn't lead to it feeling somewhat "herky jerky" like the Cruze. The brake and gas pedals are the same way. In the Cruze you can go from barely moving to being "thrown" back in your seat. The brakes can do the opposite. Perhaps you would get used to it, but the Civic's pedal feel yielded more linear increases in acceleration and deceleration. Overall, the Civic is simply a more refined driving experience, or as my mom put it "it is easier to drive."

The fact that we lost out on the other EX-L, that they are hard as hell to find (there are only 30 2009 EX-Ls on AutoTrader within 300 miles, while there are 900 Civics within 300 miles), the great price, and the fact that the Cruze has no incentives here but apparently dealers near reg are offering close to $3k off all pushed us to buy the Civic today if it turns out to be okay when they drive it. We had already decided that there was no sense in buying the Cruze before the 4th or whenever the new GM incentives come out because if there's any money on the hood then we would get screwed by buying a few days earlier. So, not wanting to lose out on this deal as well, we decided not to wait on the Cruze incentives, if there even are any.

i think that touchy steering you refer to, it does initially feel touchy but i think you'd also get used to it really quick and i think that's an asset for it, actually. might be an issue in slippery conditions that way, but i don't think its to the point of too fast.

[Northstar]

They did end up getting the car, it's pretty nice, the leather on the doors and steering wheel help spruce up the interior a bit.

It is also surprisingly quick around town, and the 300 watt sound system is pretty nice as well. One thing I did notice is that the heated seats seemed to take a little longer to heat up then most.

[CSpec]

Congrats on your purchase! Not a great sign for GM if the 5 year old Civic is better than the Cruze.

[the_yellow_dart]

I've stated what I think about mine many times now, but I will reiterate.

Bought my 2005 LS coupe new in August 2005. I have 210,000 km now. Fuel efficiency readout tends to average about 7.5L/100km (=31 mpg) with daily Toronto traffic jams. Typical highway trips outside rush hour are more like 6.0L/100km (=39 mpg). These numbers have not changed noticeably over the life of the car, which I'm very impressed with.

I've been reasonably happy with it, but have had some issues:

1. My shocks needed replacing rather early (at about 100,000 km) - however, very rough road surfaces were everywhere that winter. Sometimes on the highway I would hit bumps so hard that the CD player would skip.

2. The closure mechanism on the storage bin on the left side of the steering wheel broke. Some store bought velcro strips fixed it, looks perfect from the outside.

3. My right turn signal doesn't always cancel anymore, I've gotten used to turning it off manually.

4. The "chrome" on my manual shifter knob is peeling off. Every once in a while I have to pull off another sharp piece.

5. My remotes both died, each one having a life of about 100,000km. Not a dead battery, but the whole remote.