Considering replacing one of our cars at some point in the future and have been browsing Ions and Cobalts reviews if we were to go used. Any one care to share reviews? Model years to stay away from? Common problems? Biggest caution I've seen is the transmissions in the '03-'04 Ions.
Considering a Cobalt or Ion - Thoughts??
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My sister has a 04 Ion Quad Coupe 2.2L/CVT (formerly my Mom's) and it has been great. My family has owned it since the mileage was in the teens and it is now over 100k. The CVT has held up well and I think this CVT has issues more focused around the Vue due to the extra weight.
I had a Cobalt I really liked, I think they are great for cheap, reliable transportation. They ride nice, fairly quiet, the 2.2 has a good amount of power and gas mileage is nice. I wasn't a fan of the armrest/center console, and I think the backseat was a little tight. I'd pick up another one in a second.
From what I understand, they have two issues - shift interlock switch on automatics, and the EPS motor. Both are cheap and easy DIY repairs. The powertrains and everything else on these cars are rock solid.
I prefer the Cobalt over the Ion due to styling, and I would avoid the CVT. I think the mid-cycle refresh on the Ion came in 2006, which made the interior a little less goofy and switched to a conventional 4 speed auto.
From what I understand, they have two issues - shift interlock switch on automatics, and the EPS motor. Both are cheap and easy DIY repairs. The powertrains and everything else on these cars are rock solid.
I prefer the Cobalt over the Ion due to styling, and I would avoid the CVT. I think the mid-cycle refresh on the Ion came in 2006, which made the interior a little less goofy and switched to a conventional 4 speed auto.
The pre 2004 ecotecs have occasional timing chain issues.
The cars sure are dowdy and ought to have low resale just because of this.
I put my BIL in an 04 cavalier ecotec a year ago, $700. The Ion/ Cobalt should have a better chassis-- I hope.
I don't have any experience with stick shift ones. The DBW automatics have good torque management to keep abuse down.
The cars sure are dowdy and ought to have low resale just because of this.
I put my BIL in an 04 cavalier ecotec a year ago, $700. The Ion/ Cobalt should have a better chassis-- I hope.
I don't have any experience with stick shift ones. The DBW automatics have good torque management to keep abuse down.
If it were my money I wouldn't go with either. However, to answer your question I would look at the Cobalt and stay away from the Ion. The Ion's have always been rattly, poor fit and finish on the body panels and any unique parts (body panels) will become obsolete due to Saturn's folding. Oh, and it is ugly as sin. I even test drove an Ion back in the day and was shocked that there were sharp mold lines all over the plastic in the interior... even on the steering wheel!
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
I take one over the new Cruze rental I had in FL last week. How can a car with 17" 225's have such sloppy steering?
Get the supercharged/turbo model and have a little fun.
I had an 06 Cobalt as a loaner for weekend. It was a bit noisey from the tires, video game steering feel. But it felt very solid structurally, much more than my Focus for sure. It also handled pretty good and would even rotate a bit when chunking it into an off ramp. I think with a manual and some quiet tires it would be a fine commuter car. Stupid small trunk opening though, it was hard to get a recycling box into it...
As an owner of the L61 ecotec: I say avoid it. Scratch the Ion off the list.
All other ecotec engines are great.
All other ecotec engines are great.
I would opt for a CU Honda Civic.
If you really want a Saturn, I have had excellent luck with my 2003 L-300. German made V-6 engine, regular auto trans. Bought it new in 2003 and still driving it 10.5 years later with 111,600 miles on it as of today. Burns ZERO oil between oil changes (I always used Mobil1) and other than my replacing a tranny solenoid at 94,000 miles, my only money outlay was for maintenance items like tires, brakes and shocks.
Originally Posted By: dishdude
From what I understand, they have two issues - shift interlock switch on automatics, and the EPS motor. Both are cheap and easy DIY repairs.
Haven't had any shift interlock issues with mine, but the EPS issue is covered under a recall. Mine started to get flaky about a year before they announced the recall, and I was able to fix it with a new motor in about ten minutes. Easy job but like I said, there is an open recall on them.
Anyway, I've cranked out 160K miles in my 2.4L Cobalt since new. Its reliable, easy to work on and gets great gas mileage. Easiest and cleanest oil change you'll ever see. Starts right up this week in -15 degree F weather with the original AC Delco battery.
Like was mentioned above, trunk opening is small although the space inside the trunk is big. Large items usually have to be sort of turned sideways to go in.
From what I understand, they have two issues - shift interlock switch on automatics, and the EPS motor. Both are cheap and easy DIY repairs.
Haven't had any shift interlock issues with mine, but the EPS issue is covered under a recall. Mine started to get flaky about a year before they announced the recall, and I was able to fix it with a new motor in about ten minutes. Easy job but like I said, there is an open recall on them.
Anyway, I've cranked out 160K miles in my 2.4L Cobalt since new. Its reliable, easy to work on and gets great gas mileage. Easiest and cleanest oil change you'll ever see. Starts right up this week in -15 degree F weather with the original AC Delco battery.
Like was mentioned above, trunk opening is small although the space inside the trunk is big. Large items usually have to be sort of turned sideways to go in.
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Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I take one over the new Cruze rental I had in FL last week. How can a car with 17" 225's have such sloppy steering?
The Cruze has never been known (at least from the reviews I've read) to be a particularly engaging car to drive. Most reviews call it soft and under-damped.
But beyond this, a rental could very well have an alignment issue, and a FWD car with a toe-out alignment could drive very messy.
I take one over the new Cruze rental I had in FL last week. How can a car with 17" 225's have such sloppy steering?
The Cruze has never been known (at least from the reviews I've read) to be a particularly engaging car to drive. Most reviews call it soft and under-damped.
But beyond this, a rental could very well have an alignment issue, and a FWD car with a toe-out alignment could drive very messy.
Between the 2, I'd pick the Cobalt. I wouldn't be able to get past the funky center gauge cluster in the Ion. You may also want to consider 2nd Gen Neons. They were quite reliable, and very easy to maintain.
The GMs had decent powertrains... it was all the other things that had issues (trim, suspension components etc).
My fam has the Gen2 Neons. Better than other Chrysler products but they "wear" horribly. Many had long-geared 3-speed which would give you SUV like gas mileage. (mid 20s even on the interstate). Also, I consider it a death-trap... it has barely adequate "you might survive but only barely with the dependence on a tube" crash testing.
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/dodge/neon
My fam has the Gen2 Neons. Better than other Chrysler products but they "wear" horribly. Many had long-geared 3-speed which would give you SUV like gas mileage. (mid 20s even on the interstate). Also, I consider it a death-trap... it has barely adequate "you might survive but only barely with the dependence on a tube" crash testing.
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/dodge/neon
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I take one over the new Cruze rental I had in FL last week. How can a car with 17" 225's have such sloppy steering?
OEM S speed rated tires that have 30 PSI in them. Mine came OEM with 17" V speed rated tires, and handles better.
My friend has a '05 Cobalt coupe. It has less than 100k miles on it and ate through a clutch already. The shifter was also like stirring a bowl of pudding, and that was with a B&M short shifter. Then again, the previous owner hot-dogged it (previous owner's a friend also). The rest of the car's held up just fine, though.
Cobalts, especially manual Cobalts, are sort of like cockroaches. Not the most pleasant, but darned hard to kill.
I take one over the new Cruze rental I had in FL last week. How can a car with 17" 225's have such sloppy steering?
OEM S speed rated tires that have 30 PSI in them. Mine came OEM with 17" V speed rated tires, and handles better.
My friend has a '05 Cobalt coupe. It has less than 100k miles on it and ate through a clutch already. The shifter was also like stirring a bowl of pudding, and that was with a B&M short shifter. Then again, the previous owner hot-dogged it (previous owner's a friend also). The rest of the car's held up just fine, though.
Cobalts, especially manual Cobalts, are sort of like cockroaches. Not the most pleasant, but darned hard to kill.
As the owner of a 2007 Saturn Ion I can tell you what my experience has been with it. I don't like telling others what they should and shouldn't buy but I like to share my experience so maybe it can influence their decision. I bought mine a year old with 28k miles on it. It was a former rental so in my case the struts were a bit abused because everyone knows how most people drive rental cars. I had a problem with a steering clunk when I bought it but it was still covered under the 3/36 warranty so the dealer gladly replaced one sway bar end link that was noisy. Not an expensive fix even if I had to pay for it, I think they are around 30 bucks each. Had the front rotors turned once probably around 40k. The car now has 89k on it. I just gave it to my mom since she needed something to drive. It is not fancy, it is not a Lexus. But it does everything well. Quiet enough on the highway for an economy car, very good fuel economy (regularly approaching 40 MPG) Plastic body panels do not show any dings and when the car is washed it looks showroom new even as it approaches 100k. Only thing I have had to do on this car is tires and oil changes.Not hard on tires either. Still on the original brakes and they are at about 50% last time I checked. The thing I did replace was the struts at 70k simply because for the time it was a rental car I imagine it had seen some curbs and potholes and they had been a bit squishy since I bought it. I replaced them with new struts and shocks from the Cobalt SS and put springs in from the supercharged ION Redline. Made it a much more pleasant ride since I prefer things more on the sporty side and handling was way better. I did have some issues with it recently after giving it to my mom but they were expected. The fuel pump went out leaking fuel which I knew was an issue from a recall notice and chose not to replace until it started leaking. Dealer replaced it for free no questions asked, even washed the car and topped off my washer fluid. And more recently the power steering went out as well which is a known problem and the dealer replaced it no questions asked as well. So it has been a great car, I enjoyed mine and wouldn't hesitate to own another. The 2007 was a better year than the rest because they got the upgraded electronics under the hood but I have not heard any complaints about the older models either. Tranny fluid was done at 60k and was just as red as the new fluid so I don't forsee tranny problems in the near future either. The last model year and the end of the line for powertrains is when they are usually most refined and trouble free. I also like the dash being in the center because it gives you very good visibility all the way to the bottom of the windshield since nothing is in the way. As long as you are not expecting it to be some luxurious super padded float mobile you would be pleased with the purchase. Decent sized trunk, easy entry and exit for all passengers. It is nothing spectacular but does everything well and has been 100% reliable. Also easy to work on if you need to do repairs/maintenance. Best of all at this point they are going fairly cheap and there are still some low mileage examples out there that are just getting broken in. Just figured I would share my experience.
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