The limited-slip does a great job of getting the power to the ground and minimizing wheelspin, but you can still get smoke off the inside tire in first gear. I was pleasantly surprised by how composed the car was through turns at speed, but the limitations of front-wheel drive are still noticeable. Suspension is firm enough to tear up the corners, but not too harsh for daily driving duties. The torque makes up for the lack of a sixth gear, and because there are only five gears you don’t need to deal with the mediocre shifter as frequently. Some have bemoaned the choice of a five-speed by Chevy, but it works well in this car. I never had a problem finding gears, and there were no missed shifts, but if you compare it to a Honda Civic Si, the Cobalt leaves you wanting for more feel. This time I kept my foot in it and lived with the roughness. Last time ’round I would shift early to keep the engine in the smoothest rev range but missed out on the big power. The supercharger does give a healthy boost of power, though it does nothing to refine the wheezy four-banger. I put a lot more time behind the wheel with this tester than the last, both driving it hard in a variety of conditions and keeping my foot out of it for a while in town. Chevy came through, and I got my weekend in the SS. It offers style, impressive handling and braking and the open-air motoring experience of a sports car, all at a very competitive price.The hate mail poured in after my last romp with a supercharged Cobalt SS, so I begged Chevy to send another example our way in hopes of testing it over a weekend. If you are looking for an entry-level sports car that is fun to drive, then put the Solstice on your shopping list. There is a comfortable interior and a very responsive engine that produces the best straightline performance at a bargain-basement price. It has a solid foundation for further tweaking, although it offers plenty in stock form. However, the hatchback design combined with fold-down rear seats give the Eclipse the best utility of the group. Rear seating is very tight - look elsewhere if room for four is a requirement. The front seats are comfortable with an abundance of legroom and more than ample headroom. The Eclipse’s interior has a clean look with a well-laid-out dash and supplemental gauges on the top centre of the dash. Acceleration runs felt alittle pedestrian and you run out of engine before you run out of car.
#2006 COBALT SS SUPERCHARGED MANUAL#
The 2.4L Ecotec engine is smooth and the five-speed manual aids in getting the most from the engine, although fifth gear is a tad tall. How can this be a sports car? Well, it mostly works. I know what you’re thinking: It’s a Pontiac. The brakes feel solid and were fade-free during repeated abuse. The suspension is surprisingly supple, yet it enables aggressive cornering due in part to Bilstein coil-over monotube shocks and supersized meaty P245/45R18 tires.
The rear-wheel-drive Solstice has handling characteristics that will have you searching for twisty bits of road. After driving the new production version of the Solstice for more than 300 km through some very good sports car-friendly roads, I can attest that it does deliver on the promise. When the 2006 Pontiac Solstice first debuted as a concept, GM execs promised it would offer sports car performance and styling at an affordable price - a winning combination. Passive safety features include front and side air bags and optional head curtains. Cabin storage is limited and there is less trunk space than in the Eclipse, but it’s huge when compared with the Solstice’s. The rear- seat space is the best of the bunch, although it’s still tight. Outward vision to the front and the sides is good however, the high rear wing is a major impediment to rear sightlines.
The front bucket seats provide some side bolstering, and there is ample legroom and headroom. Gauges are readable and there is a boost gauge mounted on the window pillar, although you will need better peripheral vision than a kindergarten teacher to monitor it and the dash-mounted tach. The Cobalt’s dash and interior are a tad bland with limited splashes of metal. Fast cornering produces a strong hint of characteristic front-wheel-drive understeer and, when combined with touchy torque steer, you will want to keep two hands on the wheel during high-speed manoeuvres. The cardboard-stiff suspension setup helps handling and hinders ride comfort. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
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