2009 Chevy Cobalt LS Coupe XFE
 

I posted many details in the thread of a driver here that has an XFE and beat 50mpg.

I bought my Cobalt XFE for about $13,00 after many discounts all taxes paid, everything out the door for that price. I knew XFEs were rare in my county, and I did not really expect to get the EPA rating of 37 highway. After 2,000 miles my car started getting better and better avg MPG. No, I'm not up there with the members here that are getting 50 plus MPG YET! But I am seeing a trend with my car. For some weird reason it seems these XFEs get better mileage once there broke in. One week ago my avg started going up a few tenths a MPG on every drive I took. My car is still new and being broke in, and I'm not even due for an oil change just yet. But I already have seen my avg MPG climb to 37.6 - And I almost freaked when it made it to the EPA rating of 37!

My point is that I read where many other drivers say that once the XFEs are broke in that they get much better mileage, and that is what I am seeing now. I gain almost 1/2MPG each day I drive right now. It seems my mileage is now going up up and up, and I do not doubt I will soon be over 40MPG and I hope further.

Drivers often think that level ground is better than mountains for good mileage. Here in the foot-hills of the large mountains of east Kentucky, I think I have found a way of making the best of going over large mountains. Whenever I am going up a steep mountain, no matter what speed I am going I keep the RPMs lower than 2,000 and maybe as low as 1,200 RPM at times- when I do this my avg MPG seems unchanged. Next, whenever I am going down a long steep mountain I TRY to shift to neutral whenever the incline is just right so my car will coast for literally miles as the engine idles near 900RPM. I do Down-Shift to avoid smoking me brakes, or at least avoid some wear on the brakes. But as much as I can I coast to a stop and avoid jackrabbit starts/stops.

I'm at 37.6 avg MPG, but the happy story is how this car suddenly started climbing up and up in MPG- I'm now gaining about 1/2 mile a day and have little doubt of passing 40mpg soon- even in the hills.

Other drivers here claim 50MPG plus with these cars, and I believe it. I may not be there yet, but I certainly can see that these XFEs do better as they get broke in from being new.

As far as I know I must be the only Cobalt XFE-stick owner in this county. I see hundreds of Cobalts on the roads, but I have yet to see even one car that has the XFE badge on the right/rear.

I feel more drivers/customers should look at the PRICE of a car before looking at it's MPG. The Honda Insight HYBRID is said to get 43MPG and sells for $20,000. It's interesting to me that a $20,000 hybrid can get the same or less MPG than a car selling for $13,000- all gas engine. $7,000 can buy a lot of fuel. - But I do like Hybrids and electric cars. I could not afford one. So as much as I like the Prius and I hope the Chevy Volt, like all of us here, I had to buy what I could afford and try to get the best mileage out of it. I hope I can do as good as the drivers that claim to of beat 50MPG in their 2008 XFEs.

:)

I hope it's not against the rules here to update a thread that has no replies. I have not read of anything like this, so I guess it's ok.

I just wanted to say that it has became a contest for me to try to get as high of a avg mileage as possible with my XFE. And, as expected, it's still going up with each time I drive it. Yesterday my average was 37.6, TONIGHT my average is 38.3 avg MPG and climbing.

Thanks for reading.

Glad to see another XFE owner around here.

I have an '08 XFE and in my 28,000 miles have had a couple tanks pop over 50 mpg.

I'd like you to join the mpg team I formed (Team Chevy).
EcoModder Team Competition

I noticed the same things with mine and contantly climbing MPG as that car got broken in.

As long as you don't have a lot of stop and go driving and aren't forced to go 70 mph on the highway you should be seeing 40+ mpg before you know it.

Feel free to message me so we can share any tips, tricks, mods, etc....

Thanks Fr3AkAzOiD, it's always nice to meet new friends anywhere. I'll have to check out the group you speak of. I'm also a fan of yours in how you got so many miles out of your 2008XFE. If I ever beat 50MPG I'll have to post PICTURES (on other sites) of my Dash-Computer because many seem to already be doubting that my car is getting as good as it already is. I'm almost ready to invite people to my dash-computer so they can tell me my computer is wrong (not from this site). lol - But, I did calculate a 1/2 tank of gasoline today- 6 &1/2 gallons got me 260 miles, which makes it 40MPG exactly.

I do have 70MPH interstates here, with all other major roads normally at 55MPH which is fine for my XFE. I was hoping this car would be capable of getting high MPG at such 70MPH speeds, but I'm starting to think it just not possible with such a design. So if I end up having to work far away again I'll have to choose the fast interstate which will cost me $$ in gas, or taking the slower old road that would take me longer at 55MPH but be able to maximize my average fuel economy. I am currently unemployed in a part of the country that was the last to be hit hard by the recession, and likely the last to ever pull out. So I am looking for jobs far away and I may very well have to travel 100 miles or more a day ONE WAY to find work. This is the area in which I really need the highest mileage the most. But now I know I can take an older 55 MPH road which would take me longer, but I could still get to the big city and be able to afford gasoline and FOOD, even if it does take me another 40 minutes to get there! haha

Congrats with the improving mileage, there's probably a few miles left on the car before it finally breaks in completely. As has been discussed, slowing down (and aeromods) will help you get even better mileage.

Good luck :thumbup:

2009 Cobalt LS Coupe XFE
 

Thanks SVOboy. It seems like a cool site here.

Fr3AkAzOiD: I sent you a PM here. I seem to be having problems joining Team Chevy, whenever I click to join all I get is the over all scoreboard. Maybe I don't fully understand how it works.

Peace.:)

...also takes time for the brand new tires to "wear-in" before their rolling resistance stablizes (before becoming minimal and bald!)

A big second to SVOboy's comment about slowing down. At 55mph, my scanguage shows that I can get as much as 55mpg (car at running temp, flat road, warm weather, dry road, calm wind, not drafting). In the same conditions, I barely scrape 43mpg when I'm running 70mph. Besides the huge difference in drag forces, most car drivetrains are at their most efficient between 30 and 55mph.

The 70 mph speed limit areas will kill you.

I used to jump on I-95 in a 70 zone and I'd be lucky to get 45 mpg on the flat, usualy more like 40-42. Got on Google maps and found some back roads that actualy cut out a few miles of my trip and I am able to do 45 mph and get 55 mpg on the flat.

Also I'm sure your 7ft CB antenna isn't helping much with your areodynamics.

I did a test run through several tanks with different styles of driving to show what I got when I first started. May give you an idea of what to expect.

I did these within the first 3,000 miles in July and August in Maryland before the car was even completly broken in and I moved to North Carolina.

30.14 mpg
This was my tank for your average driver. Tires we deflated down to around 28 - 30 psi, I ran with the A/C 90% of the time, reved higher, didn't time traffic lights, generaly accelerated away from lights at whatever pace the person next to me did. My mpg was actualy pretty close to what the average estimate is and if this is how most people drive no wonder they are complaining about gas prices.

36.15 mpg
This was my Conservative tank. Pretty much just a public service announcement style "check your tires air pressure and slow down". NO EOC or P&G just slowing down and timing traffic lights as best as possible and used the A/C like a normal person would but my tires were inflated to 2 psi under sidewall max. Considering I would still go 58 - 65 on the highway getting over 36mpg was pretty damn good since 36 is the highway rating and I only drive about 60% highway. Even though this tank I allowed myself to use the A/C whenever I wanted it wasn't a hot week and I didn't need it that much.

37.87 mpg
Eco driving without EOC or turning off engine at lights. Hot week, A/C may have lower mpg a little bit.

40.33 mpg
This tank is EcoDriving with engine off at lights. Tires were inflated so once warm were 2psi below sidewall rated max, P&G but no EOC, stuck to speed limit on highway and would kill the engine when coming up to a red light. Hot week, needed A/C.

48.03 mpg
Hypermiling tank. The works, P&G, EOC, no A/C. Only thing I didn't do was drafting.


So depending on how you are willing to drive you can see a wide range of results but once broken in you should be able to see lifetimes averages in the low to mid 40's.

Just don't let winter cause you to stop eco driving, I got frustrated by falling mpgs and let them fall even further to the mid 30's.

Cobalt XFE Info
 

Good advise there, thanks for the post.

I too thought my Wilson 5000 cb radio antenna would impact my mileage, but I can not tell that it has. The wire slices through the air like a knife, and the base unit with the coil is mounted very low and directly to the ceiling of the car allowing the wind to go around it's circular shape. I have a mighty fine cb radio that I use for long range travel here on the big roads, and I just can not shed it. It's actually pretty cool to be able to talk to the truck drivers in their own lingo and hear their voices of surprise when they learn what I am driving. I often hear "I thought you were driving a big rig all of this time"- that's because I have used cb radios most of my life to get to far away jobs on time. The only problem with a cb radio is like a car in general- they need maintenance when little things break or wear out. I would even go as far as to say that a cb radio on channel 19 can be eco-friendly by alerting drivers of large traffic jams of stop and go traffic many miles ahead. Many times I avoided traffic jams and found away around it all because of the help I got on my cb radio. -- Otherwise I am a MUSIC MAN, and currently am playing The new mixes of The Beatles. lol- It's not easy, but I still keep my cb on at a very low volume in case anyone yells for me.

I hear what your saying about the 70MPH zones killing the gas mileage. It;s ironic that the sticker gives the highest rating to "Highway" driving, when around here the interstate robs a lot of fuel by just trying to keep up with traffic (and not many here speed past 70mph either- perhaps due to the cost of fuel).

So far I don't have enough evidence from my car to say the higher tire pressure is doing much more than making my tread wear faster and give me a poorer to handle car. I'm at 34-37 ppsi depending on temps. I'm not to keen on maxing out my pressure, but to each their own. Your the one that got over 50mph, so I can not say it's wrong to to what you did, I just prefer they way the car handles and less than MAX tire pressure.

My Current avg Dash Mileage is 39.00MPG exactly.
(UP from 38.6 this morning)- I have driven about 405 miles on this tank, with a RANGE OF up to 145 Miles left. A 550 Mile journey on a 13 gallon tank would really leave my jaw on the ground, as this is well over twice the distance I ever got in cars and trucks prior to this one- and most of them had 20 gallon fuel-talks too.

I have 28k miles on my car and have been running my tires at 38 - 42 psi most of the time and have not noticed any uneven tread wear though I think you have different model tires then the '08 XFE so the tires may act a bit differently but you should still get benefit form having them at 34 - 37 instead of 28 - 30psi.

You have a 13 gal tank? I rode my car 40 miles after the gas light came on and I still was only able to put 11.5 gal in the tank.

I can definately see the usefullness of having a CB and I doubt it's causing you to lose any more then maybe 0.25 - 0.50 mpg average. Now the people that fly those sports team flags from the car are the ones really dropping their mpg by 1 or 2.

Well the book says 13 gallons, and it seems correct. When on flat land and my needle shows 1/2 tank exactly it takes very close to 6 1/2 gallons to fill it up. So far the math agrees with the tank size, but I will check the book again to be double sure. Fact is who knows what we really have for a gas tank size? I hear of gas tanks that are really larger than advertised as, but never smaller.

On the 70MPH interstate I think I would be alright if allowed to go 60-MPH, but man.... rush hour will get me killed if I go 60 in the 70 zones here!! Also in seeing that many serious accidents are because of a large difference in speed, I do not feel too safe going much less than say 65 in a 70 zone. One never knows when somebody will rear-end ya here! BAAAAm. - Naw, I better stick to the 55mph side roads, many which were interstates decades ago.

Safety first and all...

Chevy Cobalt LS Coupe XFE
 

Computer dash now is up to 39.6 avg MPG. I had gone 450 miles on a tank and the computer claimed I could go another 119 miles with what I had left. But I came across a fire-sale on gasoline (no pun) and HAD to but in another 7 gallons (all the money I had) which brought the needle up to 3/4.

I have a 2009 G5 XFE. The G5s and the Cobalts are great cars; I don't know why they get disparaged so much in the press. Hey Jammer, how many miles are on your car? I've got less than 3K and today I got 35.8 mpg over 5.1 miles (city) going into work today (went in early and hit almost all of the lights). I'm hoping it'll get better as it breaks in like you say.

When in the trip did your engine get warm?

I don't know. Would I look at my coolant temp? I keep my DIC (that's what GM calls it, really) on instantaneous MPG while driving. I can switch it to coolant temp, will that info help me somehow?

I had a DIY warm-air intake for a while (to help my engine warm up faster), but my MPG seemed to drop slightly so I put it back to stock. I'm thinking when the weather cools, I'll go back to the WAI.

Chevy Cobalt XFEs and Pontiacs G5s
 

Some of the press will never like American cars no matter what. But some of the press IS giving these cars credit, and I could pass a link too ya when I find it. I too am at less than 3K. I still have some driving tonight, last I looked I was at 39.7 avg MPG - and I dont feel its a joke nor that my dash computer is off some hoe. My GPS confirms my odometer and speed too. All math shows OVER 40, more like 42 MPG, but my avg, as of this moment, has not broke 40 on the car computer just yet, but I expect it just might tonight before I get back home.

It would be nice to find a method of putting the G5 drivers and the Cobalts together somehow. Im already getting some remarks from others that make it seem like they dont believe my Cobalt XFE is really getting 40 MPG- but all the math points to this direction, and I believe it is a serious crime for a car maker to jack up a car computer to show too high an avg MPG. The mechanics and auto workers I know claim the new cars by GM have computers that are very close to being on the spot with avg mpg- but I realize some have shown this to not always be true. It may vary car to car, method of driving, or even the generation of car.

Excellent! Beats my best highway tank of 38 (my worst is 34) and that was pure highway driving. I'm sure 40-45 avg is reachable by mortals even without EOC at 60 MPH. By the way, I tried EOC and my DIC showed 0 MPG, so if you do try to coast with the engine off, I think you'll have to compute MPG the old fashioned way.

Cobalts and G5s
 

I can't coast with the engine off because I would lose power steering. The RPMs idle at around 900RPM when I coast.

Nobody ever thought GM could do it, but they have. In 2010 it will become obvious that GM is serious about having the best fuel economy based on all that is in their pipeline. THE Cobalt and G5 where the first sub-compact cars GM has ever built of such quality with some awesome devices thrown on as standard stuff. I ALWAYS changed the stock radio before, ever since the old Delco days of car stereos. I planed on replacing this stereo but I can't, it's too damm nice! Lots of power, plenty of speakers, can hear the entire range, very low distortion-CD/MP3 XM AM/FM All STANDARD Equipment! This, indeed was a first from GM on a sub-compact!

Tonight I got 40.7 AVG MPG!! Wahooo My first 40 mile MPG drive!!

****Say gang, instead of a Chevy Team, what amount calling it :)The GM Team so we can include drivers of G5's??****

40.7- Oh Happy Day-Aye!!! :D

40mpg pshh

try 55mpg... ;)

Hey good job with that, you may be able to do a manual steering conversion. That would help with EOC.

It was a lot easier for me to hit 55mpg and hold it there in my 1997 Metro than 40 mpg in my 2008 Cobalt.

Geo Metros
 

Say what were those Metros rated at back in the '90s anyway? I have to take my hat off to that kind of mileage your all REALLY getting. My car was rated at 37 on the high side, so 40 is not so bad for me, especially given the fact my previous "car" was a med size 4X4 that got about 17MPH in 2WD mode! Also my avg MPG is still going UP. It has yet to show any sign that it is near it's peak, but I doubt I will ever hit 50 MPG.

BUT, I do have a little more power and can go 110-120 MPH, maybe more, I don't dare risk the ticket. Can your Metro do THAT? :D

Hey, my speedo goes to 140 MPH; I assume I can do at least that, but like you, I've got nowhere to try it. I'm as cheap as the next guy, so I like the great fuel economy (for a modern car) but I also like having all that power as well. Just a wonderfully engineered set of vehicles!

Oh yeah 40mpg is good, i'm not denying you that in the least bit. You do have air conditioning and the ability to pass cars. (something I can't do)

Oh, 110mph? Why do you need to go that fast? haha I might be able to pull of 100 with some aeromods. I'll never know, i'm about as fast as a :turtle:

Top speed doesn't really matter, I think there is a govener installed to cut you off at
115 mph.

When in EOC your computer will say 0 MPG instant but miles are still being added up on the odomiter. Reset your average mpg and then EOC down a hill and when you turn it on it will shoot up.

I EOC with power steering all the time, would like to know if a manual steering conversion would be possible though.

As far as I know we are not able to change the team name on a team once created.

Just installed a prototype lower grill block and looks like I'm getting a good 1.5 mpg better. Just logged my second 50+ mpg tank in a row.

EDIT: My average mpg is always within 1 mpg of what my tank math is so I would hold it to be pretty accurate.

Chevy Cobalts
 

My spedo goes to 120, and I have not heard of any chip to govern going that fast, so as far as I know it can do it. I have gone 85 on the interstate and based on the RPMS it would seem 120 could be done well before redlining the thing.

Say, is yours an 08 or 09? It is an XFE right?

I'm just wondering why my speedometer stops at 120 and yours goes to 140. Maybe we should compare engine specs, of which I understood the 09 model XFE had a higher displacement than the 08's. hmm...

So many things to learn about my own car, by the time I figure most of it out I'll be ready for a plug-in HYBRID!! HAHAHAH (I think the hybrids have potential, but the fact the 90s Metros beat them shoes us how far they have to come if they are to ever replace today's old school technology.

I do hold out HOPE for The Chevy Volt which I believe should of been on the market in 2008 NOT 2010!!- But for over $40,00 for a first generation new technology makes this buy a gamble, on one hand Chevy claims 230MPG!! OTH: People buying cars in that price range can likely afford the price of gasoline and care more for luxury and comfort/the finer quality things in cars. Not to mention many smart car buyers are scared of first generation cars due to bugs that take years to find and fix.

That's why I like my Cobalt XFE- Over 40MPH and climbing, yet if I have a medical emergency I still have the power to get to the hospital fast (at the expense of lower avg MPG). Also I have enough storage space based on a short vacation with 2 people and the back seats folded down from the trunk- We carried a ton of stuff and the mileage never seemed to suffer! All of that with the New out the door price of near $13,00 after all discounts. A previous insurance settlement bought me this car, it's all paid for- no payments. I LOVE IT! :thumbup:

New CObalt Grill
 

Very interesting... I need to learn more about the grill you installed.

What does "EOC" mean?

Even 115MPH is fine by me. Just think if some loved one needs to get to the hospital in time to have their life saved. Thats why it is so nice knowing your car can go over 100mph. Otherwise A Chevy Cobalt is NOT a race car. haha :D - Well, it can go 0 to 60 in I think less than 8 seconds... I forgot the figures, but their not too shabby.

My G5 is a 2009 XFE. My engine is the 2.2L ECOTEC, same as yours. I guess my speedo has a higher top end cuz mine's a Pontiac (The 'former' performance division), so GM is either lying to you or lying to me!

I planned to buy a Volt this year but they kept postponing it, so I bought the most fuel-efficient car I could (at an affordable price), the G5/Cobalt. I paid the same as you, except I actually paid $2700 less because of my GM card earnings (final price $10,400, woo-hoo!).

And a note to MadisonMPG: I loved my Geo, but I gave it to my oldest daughter when I bought the G5. I told her she better take care of my baby or she'd never get a car from me again!

You are exactly correct. The G5 in all trim levels uses the same speedo, although the face may be a little different) as the Cobalt SS. The GS XFE will not do 140, nor will the Cobalt XFE.

It's a lot faster than my Metro. I promise you that.

EOC is Engine Off Coasting

Most GM cars (that i've road in/owned) cut off at 108-111 ish. The cobalt probably won't redline because of the gearing. I wouldn't drive 100 ANYWHERE for any reason, on public roads. I live too close to a hospital to risk it. Geos are painfully slow, I kind of want one with a V6 in it for my weekend car. :P


My dad is looking to buy this car, any pointers for him? What features to get/not to get?

EOC is Engine Off Coast. When I have a long downhill stretch I'll just kill the engine and then when I need to start it again I'll just pop the clutch in 5th gear.

Pulled my front bumper to remove the license plate mount (no front tag required in NC) and I made a plexiglass insert to cover the inside of the lower grill opening and zip tied it in.
Temps used to run 188 - 198 and now they run 190 - 203, though the radiator fan doesn't even kick on till 225 so the slight increase in temp doesn't even matter, over at yourcobalt.com there are plenty of people in places like Florida and Nevada where there normal coolant temps in the summer run up to 212 so I'm not concerned in the least over the few extra degrees.

The current lower grill block is only temp untill I can get to the junkyard and piece together something a little better looking, longer lasting, and more stock looking.

Finally I own a Chevy that can go over 45MPH- See Pic!
 

My Dealership family (as in they are close to our family, we seem to be real close friends) SAID THEY HAD A POLICY OF not ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS OVER $500. Now my father has done much business with these guys, and I bet they would go along with the GM Credit Card discount in a heartbeat if he pushed it. BUT, dad said I was getting a good enough price (using my insurance settlement money) and he had just as well wait and save his card for his own next personal car purchase- He is not a hi tech guy at all, he is lure-y of first generation stuff- except for the Pontiac Fiero back in 84 to 85. But something deep inside me makes me wonder if he wont end up with buying one of those Volts- they should be right in his price range! He has seen how excited I am over saving all of this gas without too many hard sacrifices- Like I have a ton of storage area for a sub-compact, it's beyond belief.

I bought my car from the dealer and salesguy because I knew I could trust all of them. Other sales guy tried to pull stuff on me, and dont you know, I caught it- I aint that dumb! But my salesguy had to have ME TRAIN HIM in how to search for XFE on GM's own site!! He was waiting for Chevy to call him back- I told him to search by TRANSMISSION because manuals were XFE and visa versa. Thats how he found my car in another state and he gave me the $1000 from the OTHER dealer that was trying to push the car off the lot because it had sit their too long. (I guess Indiana is not green....)

Today was a challenge for my car. we got hit with flash-floods while I was driving in a city over-ran with traffic due to a local music show called Poppy Mountain- It is the Wood Stock of BLUEGRASS MUSIC! Its nutts, people bringing trailers and beer (not outside or busted) likely drugs, but it's pure BLUEGRASS!! I went once and really thought it was 1969 and I was looking out for the brown acid man. - The point is my car was driven in high wind and hard rain today which knocked my mileage down a lot. BUT- the good news is when the rain stopped I went out for a long cruise and I think I have FINALLY topped of what my car can get. And I think I may be starting a new job that I so badly need right now!! Anyway I did take some time driving the car AFTER the bad traffic and weather went away. Here is the picture from my dashboard:
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...illeage452.jpg
IF THE PICTURE FAILS TO DISPLAY IT READS "45.2 MPG AVG".

I think thats not bad for a $13,00 new car that has enough power to go 0 to 60 in 7 1/2 seconds("Unheard of for a car of this class"-MotorTrend) and open up to at least 115MPH, or as one says, 140MPH, and looks like it would burn much more gas to drive in such way too. The days of econo boxes all being microscopic with jacked up Lawn and Garden Tractors owners wanting to race, and those tiny 3 cylinder engines will be in the past. I believe there is now NO STOPPING the electric / Hybrid car rush by the world's cars engineers. Another form of electric technology will replace the all gasoline engine, but I do believe in a few years ALL NEW cars sold will have at least some form of hybrid electric, or all electric components within the engine design. America is driving this GREEN thing, and many Americans want to drive a giant 4x4 BigFoot truck and get 80 MPG too. This is why the engineers are trying to combine the two technologies. The idea is to go ALL ELECTRIC in enough time. But we only have liquid fuel pumps so far, we have no FAST CHARGE PUMP at a fuel station YET. - Just my 2- cents. :cool: :)

Nice post. I know what you mean about the dealerships having no idea what a XFE is. I talked to several around here, and they looked at me like I was speakin Russian. I finally found mine used at a small dealership. They even had the wrong mpg on the window. They had it listed as 22 city and 30 hwy with a 25 average. Yes, that's the mpgs for the Cobalt SS.

I filled them in on their mistake after I bought the car.

The upsides, see Jammer's post, the downsides:

• not the best visibility out the back end
• trunk, while very large, has a small opening
• AC is so good, you can get some serious condensation on side windows when its muggy (not really a downside)

The visibility problem is only for the 2-door coupe. The 4-dr version (Chevy Cobalt only, same gas mileage) doesn't have this problem, but the coupe is such a great looking car. Classic sports car wedge. It doesn't look as nice as a Mustang, but nothing does.

Since pontiacs are heavily discounted, you can usually get a higher trim level at the same price as a Cobalt. Avoid automatic transmission, since it's not a six-speed, but MT is very hard to find (not so hard with the Cobalt). Wish I had ABS and Stabili-Track, but those are the only two things I'd want that doesn't come with the base trim level. I have cruise which is sweet, but I don't use it much (the wife does).

I started out wanting a Kia Soul, great gas mileage and a way funky look, but the wife nixed that idea. The Ford Focus was a close second in my search and the Mazda 3 is up there too, very nice looking. IMHO, the corolla and civic are just too darn ugly, but I'm sure are good choices. But nothing beats the quality/price ratio of the G5/Cobalt.Plus better gas mileage than all of the others.

GM has a 60 day return policy if your Dad doesn't like the car.

Ah thank you, I think we may go car shopping today. :)

Jammer -

That's a really cool picture. I saw a Pikachu-Yellow Cobalt a month ago that was mighty tempting. I think my engine shares some DNA with your Ecotec :

Saabnet.com: 9-3SS BB Post: L850/Ecotec (2.0L)
CarloSW2

Downsides to Cobalts / G5
 

I'm so sorry that I did not read your question before now, some how I overlooked your last sentence. lusth is right on the money, spot on in all ways. The condensation issue is a problem for me if I use the air conditioner or not, but we all know that all we need to do is to turn on the defrost (rear defogger is standard) on either windshield. Sometimes cracking the window can help, and the rear view is not so much a problem for me personally, but I'm used to driving large 4x4 trucks, so anything beats that view!The thing that sets this problem apart from most other cars is it can happen in temps as high as the mid 60's, so it takes getting used to when it comes time to turn on the defrost. It's true about the trunk being large for a sub-compact yet has a rather small opening. - However the rear seats do fold down and things can be stored through the doors into the trunk area if needed.

lusth is also spot on when it comes to price/performance ratio. I could not find a better buy for my $13,000 and I searched hard. Always ask about discounts, because sometimes GM will have them out their and not advertise them very much. The new 60 day program is great too because it allows one to return the car with less than 3,000 miles and get back their money (for the most part). You wont lose anything if you buy the car and find out you hate it because GM is throwing all they got into marketing and WILL take a car back within 60 days of use now. There is some fine print involved, but the customer does not lose out on anything considering they use the car for 60 days or less.

lol, I have gone through the same problems.
When I went looking for mine they kept trying to sell me an automatic and I had to explain that the manual is more fuel efficient and has low rolling resistance tires.
Strait faced the sales guy then told me that I shouldn't have to worry about rolling over an automatic Cobalt.
I nearly died and had to explain to him what rolling resistance was in a tire.


Awesome run on the Cobalt, I was so happy when I had my first 45+ mpg run!



That is untill I found out it could do something like this........
(warning e-peen moment)













http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8...altmpg2.th.jpg


This was a 72 mile run to and from work after filling up on Labor Day morning, there was no one on the roads and I drove 42 mph all the way to and from work in perfect weather.

Rain and traffic on the following days lowered it but I still ended up with a 50 mpg tank.

MPG in Cobalt XFEs
 

I think I will have to add more pressure to my tires to come close to your mileage. Thats the first difference that comes to mine between our cars, I tend to run almost 10ppsi lower than you claim.

Thats a cool site seeing an odometer reading that high for that many miles! My picture was an average of more miles than I can remember, ' not sure I even tried re-setting the MPG meter yet. :thumbup: