Stratus to Cobalt XFE - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

roosterk0031 · 06-06-2012, 11:20 PM

Picked up a hail damaged 09 Cobalt Coupe XFE last weekend to replace/supplement the Stratus my old daily driver. Stratus has been good rated at 28 hwy epa, been running 36.88 last 3 tanks. Got Cobalt inspected & plated today so first day driving it to work.

Trip to work was a little longer than normal after 60 miles warm up to sheriff's office in one county, court house in another. My goal was the same 8 mpg over EPA I've been getting with Stratus, so 45 for Colbalt.

Extremely pleased to get a factory gauge indicated 47.0 once I was almost to work but decide to do a drive thru lunch before finally getting to work. Trip home 47.3 engine on whole time, just driving PSL or close and coasting, and I'll do better as I learn it's coasting distance.

Even with about 4 gallon smaller tank the Cobalt will have about the same range.

Flakbadger · 06-07-2012, 02:34 AM

Holy crap, that's some nice fuel efficiency! I had no idea that Chevrolet had vehicles that got that kind of mileage (well besides the Volt, and that's $$$) after having heard quite a few stories of disappointment about the Aveo's FE.

Looking forward to hearing your eventual MPG achievements, and congratulations!

~Matt

gone-ot · 06-07-2012, 07:08 AM

...yes, both the Chevy and Pontiac XFE models got great MPG. They're basically the forerunners of the Eco Cruze package, easily beating their EPA numbers!

MetroMPG · 06-07-2012, 09:50 AM

Good find, rooster.

Someone pointed out in another thread recently that the XFE cars deserve mentioning in those (frequent) threads where new members ask about relatively inexpensive, efficient, used cars. We tend to automatically say: Honda something or Toyota something. These cars are contenders. (Not sure how available they are though.)

roosterk0031 · 06-07-2012, 10:29 AM

I started watch salvage dealer sites for hail damaged for several months ago, this was the first XFE, 27,000 miles $7,000. Crank windows, manual locks, AC and spare tire only options.
Drove a little faster and different route after delivering daughter to drivers ed, at 58-60 mph dropped to 44.5 mpg. Driving it home after picking it up 65-68 it was still over 40 before fully inflating the tires.

Doubt I ever get close to Fr3AkAzOiD numbers, but going to have to bump my goal to 50 cause 45 seems to come easy.

I believe in 09 all manuals are XFE's not sure about 2010's but I doubt they'd changed anything being the last year of production.

jsatter · 06-07-2012, 11:05 AM

I used to be a driver for a rental car company and whenever I drove our Cobalts over long distances, I would get about 40 mpg on the in dash calculator, and that was doing 65-70 mph without any eco driving technique.

rmay635703 · 06-07-2012, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

I started watch salvage dealer sites for hail damaged for several months ago, this was the first XFE, 27,000 miles $7,000. Crank windows, manual locks, AC and spare tire only options.
Drove a little faster and different route after delivering daughter to drivers ed, at 58-60 mph dropped to 44.5 mpg. Driving it home after picking it up 65-68 it was still over 40 before fully inflating the tires.

Doubt I ever get close to Fr3AkAzOiD numbers, but going to have to bump my goal to 50 cause 45 seems to come easy.

I believe in 09 all manuals are XFE's not sure about 2010's but I doubt they'd changed anything being the last year of production.

Not all manuals are XFEs, you can get LTs (very rare) and SS versions with a manual. The SS would be sweet for lean burn with its GDI and manual.

I average about 48mpg year round with my 010, its fairly easy to peak 50mpg when its warm out but quite difficult in the winter months, I loose 10mpg easy in the winter.

I would love to get a 2nd cobalt XFE but sadly my $11k brand new 010 seems like a steal compared to the used market

Good Luck
Ryan

cfg83 · 06-07-2012, 01:33 PM

roosterk0031 -

Great find! The XFE showed that the Cobalt was an MPG sleeper. When you look at GMs mods you see it was also a vindication of all the things we do here on Ecomodder.

I want to see pictures. How bad was the hail damage?

CarloSW2

roosterk0031 · 06-07-2012, 02:18 PM

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt XFE - First Drive - Motor Trend

"The XFE treatment is offered only with a manual transmission (all Cobalts for 2009 ordered with a 5M trans are XFEs -- it's not a stand-alone package)"

They seem to have simplified the options to one engine (turbo version excluded) and one manual tranny in 09 & 10. Maybe all 5 spds are not XFE due to not having LLR tires, but they have the same final drive ratio I believe.

First tank just over 41 mpg, plenty of room to improve.

roosterk0031 · 06-26-2013, 10:58 PM

Just did a search for cobalts and mine was first. After one year about 35,000 miles, average was 41.3 mpg. Ran no ethanol most of the time trying for the best MPG.

Down's the steering seems to have 0 toe in, it wonders all over the road. Plus's it has 0 toe in, at over 60k, 2 of the original tires are going strong and have 10-15k miles left.