MS3 vs Cobalt SS turbo, need advice

[metroplex]

I am ready to make a decision between the 09 Cobalt SS and 09 Mazdaspeed3 but the only thing making me lean towards the Cobalt SS is better all-season tire choices.

The 215/45R18 tires on the MS3 are limited to sh*t, summer tires, and squirmy dedicated snow tires. Although I plan to drive my MS3 in MI winters (up to 13" of snow which my RWD Crown Vic w/ Assurance TripleTreds handled). I prefer good all-seasons like Goodyear Assurance TripleTred or Continental ContiExtremeContact that work well in the snow. Snow tires are generally very squirmy on dry ground and tend to hydroplane in the rain, not to mention noisy (been there done that with studless winter tires).

What are my choices? I don't want to handle the logistics of separate wheels for the winter - been there, done that. It's a PITA. Can I swap in 17" or 16" wheels?

The Cobalt has a much better tire size: 225/40R18 where there are plenty of good tire choices that aren't necessarily snow tires.

The MS3 is better equipped and looks to have a much better interior, with HID headlights, LED tail lights, etc... the Cobalt SS has Brembo 4-piston front calipers, solid gearbox, and a 260 hp 2.0L turbo that can be upgraded to 290 hp with a dealer-installed "kit" (consisting of 2 MAP sensors and a PCM/ECU reflash).

 

[Circle9]

The SS is a beast no doubt about it, but one look at the interior and exterior quality and design seriously curbed any interest I might have had.

Quite a few guys have switched out their 18's for 17's and 16's, no big deal. If its mainly the tire quality you don't like about the MS3, just spend a few hundred and get some better ones.

 

[metroplex]

What other tire sizes can I fit onto the 18" wheels? I'd rather not switch wheels because I'll have to deal with selling off my 18" wheels and tires.

Will 16" or 17" wheels fit over the MS3 brakes? I know the Cobalt owners have a lot of trouble fitting proper offset wheels to clear the monster Brembo brakes.

 

[Circle9]

Yes, 16's and 17's will still fit, a couple guys use 16 inch steelies for the winter time. You can fit 225's on the stock 18, but no wider than that.

BTW, even though the SS has brembos, it doesn't stop as fast as the MS3

Edit for link: http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123732602

 

[TheRealDefman]

Wow, you're basing the decision on tires? Lots of people in this forum have a second set of wheels & tires they swap to in the winter. Or you could just swap them for ones you like, I'll bet someone on the forums will buy the stockers from you.

Straight up comparing the cars, year after year, review after review, the MS3 kicks the s*** out of competition.

 

[Rotus8]

I am running 225/40-R18s on the stock rims with no problems.

 

[chief_wiggum]

I am running 225/40-R18s on the stock rims with no problems.

Me too; my 'winter' set of Eagle F1 All-Seasons. they were pretty good in 3" of snow. However, they were not good in 8" of powder with ice underneath...took the CR-V that day.

 

[08MicaSpeed3]

Honestly my husband owns a Cobalt SS and I own an MS3. I am getting ready to get new wheels and tires and the tires will be the same size as those on the Cobalt with an all-season rating.

I have driven both and the MS3 feels more brutal (which I happen to like) then the Cobalt. Cobalt's power feels more linear but the MS3 hits much harder. The stage two kit that Chevy is planning for the Cobalt is not out yet. Chevy has put a re-learning computer in the Cobalt, so if you tune it with HP tuners it will slowly go back to your old stock performance (at least this is what I have been told). I like the interior of the MS3 better though I like the information center of the Cobalt better. One thing I will say that I will never give up my MS3 for my hubby's car. The seats in the MS3 hug you so much better the the Cobalts. They feel very flat and very hard in the Cobalt. Hope this helps.

 

[DarkSergeant]

You can go up and down in tire sizes.

Here, use a calculator like this:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

And the go to tire rack and look around. There are literally hundreds of tires in a 'size' that will fit your car. And in the worst case, buy a cheapo wheel for your winter tires and get them whatever size you want!

The basic deal is that the diameter of the wheel and tire should be the same. There's a bit more to it than that, like rubbing issues or tire vs. wheel width but if that's what's most important.

As an owner of TWO Cobalts... don't buy a new GM car. The Mazdaspeed is worlds better.

And if you really want a Cobalt, buy mine! It's quicker than an SS/TC and already has ContiExtremeContact Ultra High-performance All-Seasons on it!

Edit: And if you do buy a Cobalt, don't go with the 'GM' kits for anything. I don't know about the TC, but they're probably just doing a bit of tuning and not a damn thing else. You could do this yourself and save probably $500 over their astronomical figure.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

You posted this same thread multiple times?

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

This is also in the Wheels and tire section...

Triple treads are not considered by most a good all season tire for cars of this nature. I live in Walled Lake and have been driving my speed for 2 years. There are speeds around with dedicated snow and speeds with all seasons. The pirelli M&S is a GREAT tire and not that expensize in a 225/40 and I am running YK520's with GREAT success. If you can even debate the interior and build quality between the two cars then the tire choice is not your problem unless you are just getting a swinging deal with A plan. However, in this market and economy resale would be something to think about as well and the Mazda has the Cobalt beat hands down... Up to you. Come join the Michigan section here. We have a pretty cool scene. Might benefit you to talk and or hang out with us before you make that decision.

 

[PCspeed3]

cobalt ss is like the "new" neon srt-4. Sure its fast, but everyone is laughing too hard to care how fast it is cuz its a POS neon. Cobalt is a well balanced car in terms of performance but not as well rounded as the MS3 in terms of interior quality/comfort, useable space and so on. I dont know how you expect a non-biased oppinion on a Mazda forum tho... try going to vwvortex and ask which.

 

[squidmotion]

i drove the cobalt before i bought our ms3... i liked the power, gotta be a 13 second car if you drive it right. i even liked the handling and the brakes, and the ride wasn't as harsh as the MS3... but the thought of buying a small GM car made me cringe. i have not liked anything GM has done in small cars in a long time. and i'm a chevy kinda guy. i applaud GM for their direction with this car.

things i DID NOT like... the interior: not sporty at all.. just a few lame things done to set it apart. and i didn't fit in it as well as the MS3..... exterior: basically a rental car with nice wheels. if that is what you are into, it is the ultimate sleeper. usually i like that, but the cobalt just doesn't look right, and the fit and finish, inside and out, goes to mazda, hands down.

i chose the mazda, because if felt more fun to drive, more like the high powered go-cart i was looking for... i guess it is about what fits you best, and what you expect out of the car... key word here, YOU. i think it's great that there are a lot of fun cars out there for around 25k or under... it's bringing a lot of fun back into driving for all of us, not just the guys who can afford 40k cars (and i could afford one, i'm just not gonna shell out that kinda coin on a car... now a boat... hmmmmmm)

 

[Peter B]

Personally, when i looked at cars, I didn't even consider buying American. It saddens me but read the reports and do the research. I think Mazda is rated higher for over all quality and reliability then chevy is. I might consider a focus in the future but that it the only American car I would consider at the moment.

Besides the cobalt is just a coked up neon or it looks like one anyway.

 

[metroplex]

The current Focus is uninspired. It's based on the same C170 chassis that was introduced in 1998. The Mazda3/Mazdaspeed3 is based on the C1 chassis that debuted in 2004, which is what underpins the 2004-up Focus all around the world except in Canada and the US.

 

[madvillian]

i wouldnt be able to live with myself driving a new cavalier, even though its undeniable that they are beastlier. if you're going to mod the s*** out of one of the cars, buy the cobalt, you'll get easy power, if you're not, get the speed3. dont base it on the tires, thats just ridiculous.

 

[340CID]

You're set to buy the performance model of either the Chevy or the Mazda yet you want to handicap it with all season tires?

Perhaps you should consider a Mazda 3 GT or the non-SS Cobalt.

I've got a set of wheels and tires for summer and winter; stock 18"s with the factory Bridgestone's and Mazda 3 16" alloys with Honkook W300 snow tires. Swapping over the 18"s to the 16"s and vice versa each year is far from a PITA. It takes about 30 minutes (max) and it also gives me a chance to check out the brakes pads/lines/CV boots, etc twice/year.

Mazda also offers a performance hit with their CAI which gives another ~24whp (according to Road & Track).

 

[240ka]

i was in walmart today and saw that badass beachcruiser with the white wall tires.

i almost traded my MS3 for it and i would have had no gas expenses but it only came in magenta with purple poke-a-dots so i decided that MS3 would be saved another day

 

[60181]

I am ready to make a decision between the 09 Cobalt SS and 09 Mazdaspeed3 but the only thing making me lean towards the Cobalt SS is better all-season tire choices.

Choosing a car based mainly on what type/size it's stock tires are is a little short sighted don't you think?

The 215/45R18 tires on the MS3 are limited to sh*t, summer tires, and squirmy dedicated snow tires. Although I plan to drive my MS3 in MI winters (up to 13" of snow which my RWD Crown Vic w/ Assurance TripleTreds handled). I prefer good all-seasons like Goodyear Assurance TripleTred or Continental ContiExtremeContact that work well in the snow. Snow tires are generally very squirmy on dry ground and tend to hydroplane in the rain, not to mention noisy (been there done that with studless winter tires).

Blizzak LM-22's are readily available in the MS3's stock 18 size if you really want to run that wheel in the winter. I've had them and am currently running the LM-25's and can say they are far from squirmy. I would run my car as she stands up against the new SS with it's stock tires in any temp.

What are my choices? I don't want to handle the logistics of separate wheels for the winter - been there, done that. It's a PITA. Can I swap in 17" or 16" wheels?

PITA ? what's the most difficult thing about it? I find it's not a big deal as you're likely going to be rotating tires anyway. Find a local shop that stores them. Here locally, there's a shop that will mount and store your second wheel/tire set for $25. That's about as simple and clean as you get. Hell, maybe it's just me, but it's just as easy to mount and store them at home too.

The Cobalt has a much better tire size: 225/40R18 where there are plenty of good tire choices that aren't necessarily snow tires.

If you want all seasons, just head to tire rack and do a quick search.

Performance All Season Tires for size 215/45-18:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compa...&performance=PAS&performance=GTAS&RunFlat=All

The MS3 is better equipped and looks to have a much better interior, with HID headlights, LED tail lights, etc... the Cobalt SS has Brembo 4-piston front calipers, solid gearbox, and a 260 hp 2.0L turbo that can be upgraded to 290 hp with a dealer-installed "kit" (consisting of 2 MAP sensors and a PCM/ECU reflash).

Just an an intake to an MS3 and you'll see a nice bump in power. More than what most would even expect. I believe Road and Track did a few minor updates to their long term test car, ran a dyno and was even shocked at the gains with it.

Otherwise, in the end, the Cobalt is still.....a Cobalt. IMO, a pile of crap outside a nice little power plant. For me, I'd never in a million years drive one daily.

 

[jred321]

Wow, you're basing the decision on tires?

my thoughts exactly. and not even tires - tire size.


all season tires get their name because they suck in all seasons. a dedicated summer and winter set is the best option. winters save you from wearing down your summers for 4 months out of the year and if you buy a proper set are no noisier or less grippy in the rain than a normal tire. the biggest difference i've found is that they typically have a softer sidewall than summers so the ride is a little more compliant. if taking an hour twice a year to swap wheels is too much (you should be rotating more often anyways) then i don't know what to say.