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Originally Posted by The_Blur
You responded with exactly the opposite of what we're looking to discuss in this thread. I am fully aware that the Corvette lacks the interior styling of a high-end exotic or even a modern sports car. It is behind the times. I agree. You even made sure to point out how the Cobalt SS doesn't convey refinement in its execution........I argue that GM also produces the world's greatest 4-cylinder engines, along with those V8s, and that the LNF is the best engine of that class. I compared it to the K20A, a very popular Honda motor. Let's discuss other comparisons to the LNF, and argue about performance rather than how cars look.
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I'm fine with the narrow focus, it just threw me off when you said....
Stop considering GM as a company that gave birth to some of the world's best muscle cars and trucks. That image is too limiting. GM simply makes the best cars across the automotive industry.
....No big deal.
As for the topic at hand, I agree that the LNF is one of the best four cylinders currently on the market, and I'm frankly a bit disappointed that GM hasn't developed more applications around this motor.
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Originally Posted by MrIcky
At least for the LNF version is not accurate. The LNF SS does ride and handle better then the MS3. It understeers less, has better numbers (not just bench racing either), handles bumps and transitions better (it's much more composed on rough roads). The chassis is actually very refined for it's class- only the GTI probably has a better level of chassis refinement (but lower numbers all around) for a car in this category.
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Having driven both I disagree here. The Cobalt SS goes very fast particularly in the corners, in fact I don't doubt that it is the best handling fwd car sold in the US when driven well....in terms of strict numbers......by a decent margin. That said, the Cobalt SS makes you drive the car the way it wants to be driven in order to go that fast and that isn't particularly rewarding IMO. My two biggest gripes with the Cobalt involve one that seems to be an issues for GM across the board in my experience, steering feel could be better, and another which I expected in a fwd car just not on this level....the reality that when driving really hard in the Cobalt SS I could never get the car to change it's line mid corner. If I picked the wrong line braking for a turn I was stuck with it as every time I tried to correct I simple ended up scrubbing off speed with understeer. Again, this is a typical fwd issue to be fair, the Cobalt just seems to suffer from this moreso than some fwd cars do including the MS3 which I could correct depnding upon how bad my line was.
Ultimately, I'll admit that I am a bit of a sucker for really good steering so this probably colored my opinion against the Cobalt SS just a bit. Still, all in all I liked the car and really great exterior styling coupled with a better interior might have swayed me into the drivers seat back when I was considering a budget, performance compact as a sort of fun daily beater.
Also, in the interest of fairness I'll give the Cobalt credit....torque steer wasn't anything like what the MS3 threw at you, a reality which I found surprising given the torque limiter in the Mazda. Whats more, I do think the Cobalt's highway ride was 'softer' than that of the Mazda, but the Mazda always felt more put together IMO.
Ultimately I am a bit surprised Chevy is starting from scratch for a Cobalt replacement. I genuinely think the Cobalt's chassis may be one of the most fundamentally sound on the market. But what do I know.