2009 Chevy Cobalt SS - The Turbocharged Manual You Need to Drive (POV Review)

[@TedwardDrives]

Which would you have from the era? Neon SRT-4, Civic Si, Cobalt SS, SVT Focus?

[@TT92348]

Si. High revving NA over turbos any day of the week

[@triston5540]

My brother has an 05 Si. It’s pretty awesome😂 one of the easiest cars I’ve ever driven.

[@blindfoldedmissile]

Ford.

[@chaz9675]

8th gen si or ss

[@tyhyhh]

Si or cobalt svt focus has too long of gears

[@landonscott16]

Loving the all the topher collabs. Both substitute and original

[@TedwardDrives]

Couldn’t ask for better friends!

[@justmoonwithamustache]

Fun Fact: The Cobalt SS was the fastest FWD car on Virginia International Raceway until the FK8 Type R came,and it was also the fastest FWD car around the Nurburgring when it came out

[@Sha-Ayo]

NFS Most Wanted 2005 memories 😢

[@Filu92]

My go to starter car!

[@Foizfawzyfooozyelfaizabuelfawa]

Yep true

[@moosesurgeon]

Yes! I remember beating lambos with it lol

[@user-bq6vh9fk8r]

indeed

[@schwuppdiewupp7]

Real Racing 2 for me :)

[@boots_n_coots]

Make no mistake, C5-era GM engineers were a brilliant bunch. My respect to them 👏

[@ChevyBuddy]

Exactly! They were on top of their game. Awesome era. 👍 It was all about performance, simplicity and affordability... people often forget how awesome these cars were for the amount of money spent and focus only on the negatives, which are usually blown out of proportion completely anyway.

[@jonathangodin4775]

The 2 best vehicles I ever owned in terms of reliability where my 08 gmc envoy and my 09 Chevy cobalt!

[@edalder2000]

I laugh because the base Cobalt was a commuter "meh" car. The base car just existed. The Cobalt SS is a riot. Total sleeper that looks like a fleet rental car and can skin other cars alive!

[@anthonyantoine9232]

My sister owned a cobalt for a long time and I bought it from her. Always wondered just how different the SS felt, because the base cobalt was horrible to drive aside from being ridiculously reliable.

[@dieseldiesel9292]

@@anthonyantoine9232 I've owned 2 "regular" cobalts. They are pretty zippy cars compared to other economy cars. They came with 150hp to the wheels or about 180hp to the crank.

[@turbo_co27]

@@anthonyantoine9232I have both, and they’re WAY different. 1. All of the suspension is different- different shocks, springs, ball joints, control arms, etc. 2. The steering rack is tighter. 3. The brakes are (obvi) WAY better. Just to name a few.

[@anthonyantoine9232]

@@turbo_co27 I figured they must feel way better to drive, suspension wise. When I still had it, imagining the thing making significantly more power and driving as sloppily as it did made me worried lol.

[@equitium]

I had this car brand new in 2009 in my early 20's. Completely decked it out, tune, injectors, sensors, downpipe, chargepipe, exhaust, etc, etc.. That thing flew and I sure surprised a lot of cars. It also handled and braked so well. I traded for a BRZ when they came out in 2012 and it was never as fun as the SS. These days I have a 700hp C7 Grand Sport, but I'll never forget how much fun I had in that little slobalt.

[@lilnapkin462]

That's because driving a fast car slow is not fun.

[@Ben-jz3mt]

No joke, I beat Razor in one of these

[@junktoyota]

Not hard to believe since it's prolly the best handling car on the game

[@StevenMMMM]

@@junktoyota huh? really?

[@phil_zupra_b5880]

I did a Cobalt SS only run in Most Wanted. This car rules!

[@phil_zupra_b5880]

@@StevenMMMMOne of the best but the Lotus Elise has the best handling overall.

[@Katsu_ragi]

​@@phil_zupra_b5880yes, the Elise is the goat of handling in that game. Honorable mention to the RX-7 and the Ford GT, which are really good with the right tuning.

[@adamyahya4638]

2005-2010. Peak era of technology. Perfect mix of convenience without being overly invasive. We really had it great back then.

[@mattkroening7964]

Today I learned that the Cobalt SS is 67 lbs. lighter than my '08 Sky Redline lol Side note: having Tedward doing the Michigan route feels like an alternate universe

[@barretclaude]

I can totally relate to my parents giving me a $21k budget for a car in 2005, but in a completely unrelated story, my budget for high school car was $2,600 from washing dishes at a local bakery.

[@billylaguana2098]

he did not get the car new, check out his own video on the car

[@EconomyElk]

i had 800 bucks lol still snatched a v8 rwd american coupe tho. 96 thunderbird, very underated car fun and rides like your floating it was so comfy.

[@Addison0526]

@@EconomyElkmy first car was $600 lol my wife’s first car was over 30x that. Funny how differently we can grow up.

[@JTube571]

Bought my first car bagging groceries for a summer. Paid $1600 for a 1985 Mazda RX-7 GS automatic. 😄

[@Tony-dn8xu]

@@Addison0526 i paid $1500 for an e46 manual with rot and 190k miles for my first car, spent about a year fixing it and refreshing the engine and suspension, just to register it, drive it for 150 miles, and some indian guy pulling out of a church decides to smack my rear passenger quarter panel and total the car. ended up cutting out the fenders putting body kit over it and drifting it in the summer

[@Nick.Pellerin]

Need for Speed Most Wanted 2005 is the reason I own one of these cars today. Grew up playing the game. I have the 2007 supercharged model. Not as fast as the turbo ones of course, but it is still a blast to drive

[@Yorker1998]

This was my go-to starter car in that game everytime

[@natemathewson5200]

Did not expect to wake up this morning and see Tedward doing my drive to work every morning lol

[@ryanpatterson9526]

I had a brand new 99 Cavalier Z24 my senior year in high school. It was the first thing I ever financed with credit. Bright red, manual. I thought I was the SHIZZLE! Burning rubber in a front-drive car is a wild sensation.

[@CJBMAGGOT94]

Financing anything is dumb.

[@sagemabry5351]

​@CJBMAGGOT94 imagine not understanding how credit and good and bad debt works

[@CJBMAGGOT94]

@@sagemabry5351 imagine not understanding that credit is retarded to begin with. If you finance it you can’t afford it.

[@TimFilmsCars]

I remember having an RSX Type S with a tune + race header on it, and getting absolutely SMOKED by one of these with only a drop-in air filter. That recalibrated my gauge pretty quickly.

[@acalthu]

My first car after I landed state side. The turbo had just arrived and I was bouncing between the previous Cobalt SS and the Neon SRT 4. Barely had enough money on me at the time, but I made it work somehow.

[@trentd9963]

I bought my Chevy spark at the same dealership! Definitely wasn’t as fun as a cobalt though. Glad I traded it in

[@dacasman]

I really love this era of small sporty cars. This seems like it drives really similar to my MK5 GTI of the same year. And both cars seem to nail the perfect balance of playfulness with not too much assists and modern stuff, but at the same time are still modern enough to be a good place to be in for daily driving and road trips.

[@alpe6228]

Very underrated car.

[@JS04]

Shame that GM didn’t really lean hard into the Sport compact market. They easily had the best car on the scene.

[@PS3enjoyer2005]

That's my first car (in need for speed most wanted 2005)

[@zacharylewis7905]

And with just a Tune, downpipe, charge pipes, and MAP sensors. They make 300whp on 93

[@DailyDrivers]

Just got rid of my Turbo back in November and I'm regretting it. Was my childhood dream car as well!

[@TheRedline9]

You should totally do a review on an Ion Redline!

[@shodancat1000]

auto rags raved about how these turbocharged 2008-2010 Cobalt SSs performed. iirc GM even put a pro driver into one for a Nordschleife hotlap and it was ridiculously fast for the time.

[@detailingintheokanagan]

beat an r34 gtr.. and thats stock.

[@erocker78]

A friend of mine had one of these back in the day. He had an intake exhaust and tune. I rode in it a number of times and got to drive it once. It went 13.1 in the qtr mile on street tires, and it handled very well around turns.

[@chrisdafurz]

I was so close to getting one of these last year with less than 30k miles on it, STOCK, but it JUST sold before I could get me hands on it. I was a bit bummed because I knew I let rare gem slip away, but I did end up with a stock Focus ST with similar miles, so I guess I still win

[@randoawesomemix9501]

You COULD get an automatic "Cobalt SS" in the 4 door with the 2.4 N/A motor. The Cobalt SS TURBO was only available as a 5 speed.

[@TedwardDrives]

Kind of in name only. Without forced induction it was silly to call it an SS

[@torres3800]

I agree that was a Cheap GM interior. But that was a level up. I feel that anything GM built after 2005 with that grainy plastic was miles better than the ultra thin plastic used in the 90s early 2000s. My 2000 camaro interior dash shattered when I touched it one day, and the window switch bezel came apart. All the while, my 2006 HHR interior still looks great and feels more solid.

[@Gosbecol123]

my cobalt ss turbo is just as fun to me as my c6z, only 30k miles on my imperial blue 2010.. my 3rd LNF & will own it forever. these cars make a ton of power with little mods and only weighing 2900lbs makes for a good time

[@CubanRider]

Super clean! I remember when they came out, it was a super exciting car for the enthusiast, setting a real quick lap around the Nordschleife. I was very close to getting one myself, the local dealership had a new one with LSD marked down to just over $20k, but ended up getting another MkV GTI.

[@williamlong2682]

Tedward is a knowledgeable automotive enthusiast who provides entertaining content on KZbin. I appreciate his passion for cars and his ability to connect with his audience.

[@jamesrather1510]

Even AIs love Cobalt SSs!

[@Nanomachines69]

Would you look at that? It's everyone's favorite starter car in Need For Speed Most Wanted (2005)

[@buhketz]

Funny enough I literally only picked between the other 2 on all my play throughs. I just hate staring at the rear end of that Cobalt.

[@keeganplayz1875]

The blow off valve on the cobalt SS Turbo....SO COOL! I would love one of these things..

[@lflcoast]

In 2008, me and 2 of my friend bought 3 new cars. Civic SI sedan (me) Cobalt SS T/C and Caliber SRT4 I clearly remember how it was to buy a car for its engine, seats and sound system and that it (no high tech back then) The civic was the slowest but the cooler to drive The Cobalt was a true rocket for the time

[@firasalzharani4328]

Did the caliber SRT4 come in manual?

[@lflcoast]

@@firasalzharani4328 manual only yes

[@firasalzharani4328]

@@lflcoast That's sick! Is it like a successor to the neon srt4?

[@lflcoast]

@@firasalzharani4328 yes it was. Dodge did 2 model of srt4s. Neon and caliber. Both was pretty fun. The caliber was a little boaty compare to the neon tho

[@firasalzharani4328]

@@lflcoast Haha i shoulda figured it'd be more floaty since it's bigger. It's cool how many cool cars you guys got, too bad none of them made it here to my country...

[@cdarwin2024]

Loved the video, thanks. I'll drive my 2010 with dealer installed stage 2 turbo upgrade to work tomorrow only because there's no chance of rain. Just 42K miles. Keep that piece of history looking and running nice and I'll try the same.

[@VisionCityMayor]

toph really has kept it looking factory fresh over his years of owning it- funnily enough, similar to how he wanted the cobalt bc of NFS prostreet, i want an FG2 civic si for the same reason lol the collabs between yall are gonna go crazy i can just tell

[@yarqwan]

Raced a type r on the highway yesterday. Made him regret picking on my little slowbalt. 😂

[@RenshoYT]

I miss this era of sport compacts so much. All of the brands were making such fun little enthusiast cars that were really affordable and accessible to young people. I love my Type R dearly but its a shame that 30k-45k+ has become the entry point to enthusiast motoring

[@crazyjoe1540]

It's rare that i get jealous over a car that was on sale in america but we didn't get in the uk, but here we are I guess

[@turbo_co27]

If you want an SS, get an Astra J VXR. It’s the same-ish motor, but with a 6MT and a hatch.

[@Beaver-be8vk]

The ignition has not been fixed. Because the “fix” was putting a plug in the key so you couldn’t put anything more than the fob on.

[@Dappersworth]

I own a heavily modified ion redline keeping the supercharger and man it's absolutely a blast to daily drive.

[@jamesrather1510]

Owned one of this car's chief rivals back in the day, the mighty Mazdaspeed3. These SSs were highway missiles, stupid fast for the day once moving.

[@The_journeyy]

It sounds like an incredible car 👌

[@JeremiBulakowski]

2:09 - I remember Cobalt SS from Most Wanted in 2005. Since the beginning it reminded me a Civic Si, just done by GM.

[@woomyrune]

i've wanted one of these soooo bad lol, grew up using this in midnight club. great car !!

[@jacobyo99]

10:36 GM being GM, they put this engine in the Buick Verano instead of the Cruze on which it was based. A Cruze SS would have been awesome. However, you could get the Buick with this engine and a manual!

[@SCP--dt2hf]

i own a 06 supercharged imo one on the most slept on and fun cars you can buy under 10k

[@hawkeye454]

I had an 07 Cobalt manual. Not an SS but still fun.

[@alpe6228]

the 2.4 n/a ss was a turd.The 2.2 wasnt bad,very reliable engine.

[@BDMassachusetts]

Topher uploading at the same time as you was awesome!

[@TedwardDrives]

Haha we planned it. Was actually staying with him this weekend!

[@ndeclari]

Modern cars aren't as playful, exactly this. I bought my Cobalt SS in 2009 new from the dealer. I still own it. My current daily is an ATS-V. As fast as the V is, it's just not playful. I get in my Cobalt SS again and it's always a fun romp. I'm at a point where my SS has seen so many track days and daily duty it's in need of some more serious work. I keep saying I should move on but it's still in my driveway and I drive it almost everyday still.

[@chibha96]

I discovered this car model only through NFS MW 2005 video game and NFS ProStreet 2007 video game😀. Recently I got into replaying NFS ProStreet as an adult and realized how this simple car can be tuned/modified in depth for racetrack racing. It had better handling than a powerful Corvette even if my car experience was a simulation.

[@YoshiV819]

I had a 2005 Supercharged with the first retail sold Corsa exhaust on it. Sunburst orange with the LSD/Recaro performance package. 2nd owner wrecked it...

[@Mike.Macmyazka]

You asked which I would have from this era. I had an 07 Cobalt LS sedan auto. I know. Groan. I was 23. I got it a month before my daughter was born. I needed something reliable and affordable. Later I spent a ton of money working on handling, brakes, etc. It had every bolt-on you could get for the 2.2 NA auto. Even had a tune. I upgraded a lot of the suspension to the FE5 (control arms, shocks, struts, and more). I had aftermarket springs though. Eibach Sportline at first and I didn’t like them. Too soft. Later got Powell YYZ springs which were perfect. I had a friend who owned a Z06 C5 at the time. It was modified slightly and made WAY more power and of course those can handle, but I shit you not, the way I built my little sedan, it could hang with that C5 through any corner. Of course you know what happens when the corner ends….he was gone and I was way behind. Did not matter to me. Speed gets me in trouble. Handling is fun. Lightweight cars are fun. Even if you don’t have a lot of power. After this I had a Cruze 1LT and just a tune made that car faster but it has too much weight. So the answer is anything lightweight and nimble. Whichever fits the bill is fine with me. I was too poor to get what I wanted and now, I wouldn’t go back and get one of those. I’d find a Miata.

[@zeckor.]

Yo prostreet is my favorite racing game to this day! Chris knows what’s up 🤙🏾

[@justinkrizenesky]

Love this car. No life shift was a big deal. This was going to be the car before I settled on my Camaro.

[@lohostege]

Technically, there is was an auto cobalt ss, made for two years. 06, 07. They came with a 2.4 LE5 Ecotec with forged internals. 08, and later, it got reduced to the name of sport instead of SS, and lost the forged internals. I have a yellow NA Auto SS from 07. Little heavier than the manuals, and slower from the long gearing. My first car. I *love* it though. Really good handling, fast enough to have some funny while not going illegal speeds, great noise from a 4 cylinder. I kinda wish the steering response was a bit faster, but I think I just need to replace all the old bushings.

[@HarryDB]

Good lord! What an amazing car. Thanks for the review Ted!

[@TedwardDrives]

Thanks for watching!!

[@jehl1963]

In 2008 in the real world (as opposed to F&F or video games), Eric Curren got 3 wins (4 podiums) in a Cobalt SS in Ithe Grand Am, Koni Challenge GT series, against Acura TSX's and RSX's, Mazda RX5's and RX8's, BMW 330s and Mini Cooper S's.

[@The_Casual_Nerd]

I owned so many of these cars. Was so disappointed when Chevy switched to the 1.4t. These cobalts were stout.

[@convenienze]

Used to have a silver turbo coupe, now I have a silver turbo 4 door :)

[@timramich]

The block display you're talking about. If it's the one under the tach, it's a vacuum fluorescent display, not LCD. Same on the radio.

[@jacobyo99]

The supercharged SS was in Need for Speed Most Wanted also!

[@Gnik4144]

0:52 I don’t know all the details but there was a 06 SS automatic version of this car.. I only know cuz I was looking into buying one lol

[@williamlong2682]

The 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS, what a fantastic vehicle! It was a true gem from General Motors during the Great Recession. The Cobalt SS was known for its sporty performance and sleek design. It really showcased Chevrolet's commitment to producing quality vehicles even during challenging times. Plus, the Mark of Excellence badge just added that extra touch of pride and craftsmanship. A great choice for any car enthusiast!

[@ligerzeror3539]

This was my main car in Need For Speed Underground Own The City because it was the closest thing that looked like a Skyline lol

[@Ford4life885]

I drove a 2005 cobalt SS but it was the NA one no turbo or supercharger but it is nice

[@AMRBeatz1]

im throwing a supercharger in my 2008 LT to get some SS like performance 😎

[@danieldykstra4885]

Need to drive the supercharged ones

[@TedwardDrives]

I’ve driven the ion redline version mannny years ago

[@Jacob.C.9397]

the shifter is the same as my SAAB 2006 9-3 2.0T!

[@rishavdhar1676]

saw one of these at a car meet one time. Owner said it was pushing 400 wheel. That must be a little scary in one of these cars

[@ChickenC0re]

TBH, the SS Cobalts with the 2.4 kept up with the Civic SI’s of the same vintage.

[@apratimdixit7723]

My first car in nfs most wanted 2005

[@mtshark7]

Looks like a fun car

[@Dusty204]

Tell Chris to never sell it 🎉🎉🎉

[@sesh3508]

I’m sure he won’t, it’s such a clean example with low miles. Only going up in value too

[@daftcow706]

weird watching you drive where i live

[@EconomyElk]

love the induction sound. I cant wait to weld in my ZZP ultra quiet resonator and quiet down my mazdas exhaust a little so i can hear more induction noise. I love the deep raspy induction noise inline 4s have buti cant hear it to well on my mazda cause my crappy res delete flowmaster super 10 muffler exhaust set up is like 200 decibels and drowns out the induction noise even with a "cold air" intake slapped on. Thats after i fix my CV axles that are about to fail cause my parts are taking ages to ship.(ordering OEM parts from mazda directly takes forever for them to show up) Like theyre so bad now idk if it will get me to work tomorrow lol.

[@ominona7479]

If you knew what Cobalt is sold in Brazil, you would cry!

[@alskooper3319]

Guaranteed to beat any Honda to the junkyard too.

[@wr1ght939]

It really does sound the same as in NFS.

[@ChrisKim3310]

Midnight Club 3 Edition on the PS2 flashbacks are real

[@tglizzy]

gotta drive the ion redline now lol

[@mazda_miata_]

I’m actually shocked that of all cars, a 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS has no lift shift. Not even many new manual performance cars of TODAY have no lift shift

[@sdlausen1]

That engine bay needs a SERIOUS detailing.

[@faunastation5147]

These cars were hilariously fast stock in nfs Most wanted

[@denisetemovic4532]

Damn i really want one, but it would take me a lot of money and connections to get one in Serbia sadly hahaha (this is my fav car after BMW in NFSMW 2005)

[@rhodrhodhere]

This car is basicly "fast" version of Deawoo/Chevrolet Lacetti, that was only produced in USA, so we don't realy see this outside videos like this

[@gibememoni]

2009 civic Si is slow, yet I still see them everywhere, and the owners are beating the hell out of them and they sstill run like new.

[@Yorker1998]

How long until it just completely falls apart? Because ya'know. GM and all

[@JeffCobalt]

Hell yea brother

[@connorlyon811]

Could you try to find a Saturn to film? Particularly the Aura

[@slocarfr]

pro street memories

[@junktoyota]

Do they have less boost in first gear? I've heard they do.

[@559]

Its funny that it has almost the same exact interior of the Malibu from the same year my 2008 malibu is truly one of the worst cars ive ever driven in, I used to have to get a rolling start for the freeway entrance in that car because it was so slow not to mention the random electrical issues It would throw at me I had the engine power disable on me on the freeway and i had to roll into the shoulder because the throttle was unresponsive and the service airbag light was always on i hate that car glad i replaced it

[@ricepony33]

This VS the Focus NOS edition!

[@Sladdery]

Fun backroads commuter! SOLID AXLE IS WILD. COME ON CHEVY

[@tyhyhh]

Dang youre in michigan you shouls drive my 97 starlet glanza v ima try to get topher tod drive it too

[@Sha-Ayo]

Omg 😱😳 Nissan Skyline

[@junktoyota]

Wish I could find one in that shape thats still stock for 10k lol

[@dre32pitt]

This was a good autox platform back in the day.. lots of goodies from the factory.. shamefully bad interior though.. probably more squeaks than quality cheese curds by this point