Mini Cooper Auto Insurance: Tiny Car, Cheap...
Green
Trucks
Luxury
Family
Brand
Muscle
See more sites from  HighGear  M E D I A  >>
Compare this car to others like it Try our car compare tool now

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Safety Review

July 8, 2008

SAFETY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Good, frontal offset; acceptable, side impact
IIHS

Four stars, front impact--driver; five stars, front impact--passenger; three stars, side impact--front; four stars, side impact--rear
NHTSA

The tall spoiler on the SS really restricts the view out back
ConsumerGuide

Stability control and four-wheel disc brakes are standard on the Sport and SS models
Car and Driver

The 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt scores reasonably well in federal and industry-sponsored crash tests, but star ratings vary by body style and seating position.

The Cobalt two- and four-door models get identical front-impact scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): four stars for the driver, five stars for the passenger. The two-door gets four stars for driver-side impacts; the four-door gets three stars for that position. The two-door gets four stars for passenger-side impacts, while the four-door gets five stars. Got it?

As Car and Driver reports, "Dual front airbags, curtain side-impact airbags, and tire-pressure monitoring are standard across the Cobalt lineup," and "Stability control and four-wheel disc brakes are standard on the Sport and SS models and are not offered on any other Cobalt models."

OnStar emergency services are standard on the 2LT and Sport and optional on the LS and 1LT variants of this Chevrolet 2008 model, reports Car and Driver. Also, models with an automatic transmission and optional anti-lock brakes get traction control as standard equipment.

Finally, ConsumerGuide states, "Visibility is a bit restricted to the right rear in sedans," pointing out that the "tall spoiler on the SS really restricts the view out back."

Conclusion

The 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt scores well enough in crash tests, but some models omit important safety gear.

SAFETY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:Good, frontal offset; acceptable, side impactIIHSFour stars, front impact--driver; five stars, front impact--passenger; three stars, side impact--front; four stars, side impact--rearNHTSAThe tall spoiler on the SS really restricts the view out backConsumerGuideStability control and four-wheel disc brakes are standard on the Sport and SS modelsCar and Driver The 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt scores reasonably well in federal and industry-sponsored crash tests, but star ratings vary by body style and seating position. The Cobalt two- and four-door models get identical front-impact scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): four stars for the driver, five stars for the passenger. The two-door gets four stars for driver-side impacts; the four-door gets three stars for that position. The two-door gets four stars for passenger-side impacts, while the four-door gets five stars. Got it? As Car and Driver reports, "Dual front airbags, curtain side-impact airbags, and tire-pressure monitoring are standard across the Cobalt lineup," and "Stability control and four-wheel disc brakes are standard on the Sport and SS models and are not offered on any other Cobalt models." OnStar emergency services are standard on the 2LT and Sport and optional on the LS and 1LT variants of this Chevrolet 2008 model, reports Car and Driver. Also, models with an automatic transmission and optional anti-lock brakes get traction control as standard equipment. Finally, ConsumerGuide states, "Visibility is a bit restricted to the right rear in sedans," pointing out that the "tall spoiler on the SS really restricts the view out back." ConclusionThe 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt scores well enough in crash tests, but some models omit important safety gear.  2008 CHEVROLET COBALT STYLING | [7 out of 10] Car and Driver: "The look of the Cobalt is forgettable and uninspiring" Edmunds: "a much more modern entry in the economy-car segment" Kelley Blue Book: "an attractive small car" Detroit News: "a tastefully designed cockpit with ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Nearly all of the Cobalt's rivals have been redesigned in recent years, except for the Corolla, which is due for a full face-lift for 2009. And like the Cobalt, the Ford Focus and Honda Civic are available in coupe or sedan versions; the Ford Focus was just restyled for 2008 and has a very refined, attractive, and quite roomy interior, while the Civic feels especially nimble and responsive on the road, though it's tight on backseat headroom. The Sentra, Elantra, and Corolla are each very well-designed small sedans, conservative and basic but more refined and just as roomy, if not more so. Ride comfort is one of few categories where the Cobalt has an edge.

Next Steps:

Check Insurance Rates

for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt

Check Financing Rates

for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt

Check Local Classifieds

for a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt near you

See the Chevrolet Cobalt in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Comments (0 total)

Be the first to post a comment

Post a comment

Post anonymously, or
(Required)
(Required - will not be published, sold or shared)
(Optional - your 'posted by' name will link to the URL)

Remember Me?

I have read TheCarConnection.com's privacy policy