Cobalt SS vs. WRX?? Which one to buy

[finalfinish]

My 02 WRX put 383 down to all four wheels. This was after under $3800 in parts, another $2000 can result in 450 at the wheels, but isn't nearly as reliable as what I did. My WRX also weighed in at about 2810 lbs with about a quarter of a tank with no driver. I wasn't intending to say that a WRX is comparable to a Corvette, it's just easy to make faster than one. It's quite funny to see a four door Subaru beating new Z06's.

[NCZ13]

Originally Posted by Autofan

It is on the badge but again this is crank HP as stated above.

The WRX has something in the area of 227hp take away 15-20% of that and that is about what it will put down.

i know what drivetrain loss is. But someone said that GM never claimed 505hp (be it bhp or whp) but i was pretty sure theres a 505hp on the z06 badge.

i think the wrx has a little bit more drivetrain loss because of the awd.

[Labster]

I would recommend the Mazdaspeed 3. Great little car. I had an 04 Mazda 3s and it was the most bulletproof car I've ever owned and I've been through quite a few cars in my brief 23 years. No warranty work ever needed, great paint quality as far as low price range cars go. My 02 WRX had terrible paint and my nieces cobalt's paint isn't that great either.

[MASKDMARVL]

Originally Posted by Scottwax

MS3 carpet is garbage. Just vacuuming it is a huge chore.

Just FYI, the Cobalt SS already has a plethora of performance parts available since the Sky Redline and turbo Solstice have had the same engine for more than a year.

Amen; if you buy this car look to JC whitney for new carpet. Cause if you bring it to me to vaccume im going to point you down the street.

[thesacrifice]

No matter how fast the Cobalt is... it's still a Cobalt. I could never see myself in one, not until an exterior and interior redesign.

Though, you'd have the ultimate sleeper...if you slapped an Enterprise Rental Car sticker on the back.

[finalfinish]

I would also like to add that my WRX pulled a 4x4 F150 out of a mud hole, and it was on 33's with thick treads. I then proceeded to drive into the mud hole in my WRX and then pulled out on my street tires just to show that my WRX is better offroad than 99% of F150's on the road. I have it all on video that will be on youtube one day. Try doing that with a Cobalt and see what happens haha.

[askjeffro]

Originally Posted by finalfinish

I would also like to add that my WRX pulled a 4x4 F150 out of a mud hole, and it was on 33's with thick treads. I then proceeded to drive into the mud hole in my WRX and then pulled out on my street tires just to show that my WRX is better offroad than 99% of F150's on the road. I have it all on video that will be on youtube one day. Try doing that with a Cobalt and see what happens haha.

Call me when it is on youtube.

No offense, but having owned both cars in question, I find your story highly suspect. The AWD on my rex is great, but the 4x4 on my f150 is equally competent if not more so at any offroad utility. (Or was the f150 driver just a morn and refused to let you drive ti out?) I think its likely that if you did pull down into a hole, you came out on an entirely different path then what the truck was on.

[finalfinish]

It was my gf's dad's F150 FX4 with the 5.4l engine, her brother drove it down to this field so we could jump start a dead 4wheeler and then it got stuck. The reason it was stuck is because the F150 (along with most 4x4 trucks on the road) have all open differentials. If one wheel spins, then the truck goes nowhere, essentially making the truck 1 wheel drive. (I even took a stab at trying to get it out, but it would never move an inch, just because one wheel would keep spinning.) My point when it comes to this topic is that a 4x4 isn't really a 4x4 until it has either a locking center diff, some sort of traction control, or some sort of limited slip differential. What makes the WRX great (and 90% of WRX owner's never even notice) is the fact that the WRX comes from the factory with a limited slip center differential, and a limited slip rear. This essentially means that the front or the rear can get as much power as it needs to keep the car moving, and the rear left or right side can individually get power it needs to keep the car moving. It's not just the F150 that has all open difs, it is Dodge, GM, and all kinds of other trucks. I mean some do have decent drivetrains, but most don't. The WRX won't win any rock crawling events, but it will definitely be stronger in grass, snow, mud, etc. than 99% of trucks on the road today. That's definitely something to consider when people actually are somehow trying to compare it to a Chevy Cobalt. It's in a whole other league. It's like comparing apples to um . . . . steak.

[Accumulator]

Hmm, interesting. I suspect that WRXs have changed over the years, but my '02 was simply awful in the snow, even with snowtires. Compared to our Quattros, well, it simply wasn't a comparison; the Audis rewrite the laws of physics and the Subaru didn't (that was with the same size/model Blizzaks too)

I've had plenty of two-wheel-drive vehicles that were a lot better in rain/snow than that WRX, at least when I had the right tires on 'em....but again, I recognize that they might be completely different these days.

Sheesh, with all the snow outside this thread has me missing my *old* quattros with their lockable diffs and on/off switches for the ABS...sigh...

[TH0001]

FWIW, every domestic manufacturer offers limited slip rear diffs as an option on their trucks, with or with out 4wd.

While I appericate your enthusiam for your vehicle's off road ability is compendable, it isn't really something I would ever consider. If I wanted to have an off road vehicle I would buy a jeep (something I have considered) but I just want a fun little quick that makes me forget I am driving a cheap car. Notice I said makes me, not makes people around me.

[Accumulator]

TH0001- Back to the real topic here, I hope you're having some fun with your search. There are some really cool option in that price range these days.

You never really know just *what* you might end up actually liking (no matter what other people think ). People are often pretty by the cars I do/don't really enjoy, but hey...it's not about *them*, ya know?

[MASKDMARVL]

Like he said hes looking for something that makes him forget hes driving a cheap car. Let him buy the Chevy Cavil.......Cobalt (SS)? I WOULD NEVER CONSIDER THAT CAR.

As long as this thread has gone on todd has made his choice by now. Cool thread though.