2010 Chevrolet Cobalt Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 Cobalt, and includes Chevy Cobalt safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

If you wanted a Cobalt SS Sedan, we hope you pulled the trigger last year, because that model vanishes for 2010. Evidently, there were not many takers for a 260-horsepower, compact sedan with a manual transmission. The SS Coupe remains, and gets the four-door variant’s reconfigurable performance display and a power sunroof as standard equipment. At the opposite end of the scale, the Cobalt XFE is treated as a separate trim level for 2010. There’s also a new MyLink Package offered for the Cobalt LT, bundling Bluetooth, OnStar, a USB port, cruise control, and alloy wheels. The LT model can also be equipped with a new Sun and Sound Package, which includes exactly what you think it does: a sunroof and a premium sound system.

Four different versions of the Cobalt Coupe and Sedan are available for 2010: XFE, LS, LT, and SS. The XFE model is designed to maximize fuel economy, the SS model is designed to maximize performance, and the LS and LT models are designed to maximize value.

If you decide you’d rather get 37 mpg on the highway and nothing else is important, the Cobalt XFE (Xtra Fuel Economy) is the model you want. It’s very basic and comes only with a manual transmission and skinny 15-inch wheels with low rolling-resistance tires, but it does include features like satellite radio, a CD player, an auxiliary audio input jack, OnStar communications, cloth seats, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and automatic headlights.

If you can’t operate a clutch pedal, the Cobalt LS is your solution, as this version can be equipped with an automatic transmission that also features a traction and stability control system. Standard air conditioning is another big benefit of choosing the Cobalt LS, and this model is offered with optional antilock brakes, an upgraded sound system with a USB port, floor mats, and bodyside moldings to protect against dings, and a rear spoiler.

Since the Cobalt LS is still very basic, most buyers choose the Cobalt LT, which comes with power windows, power mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry, and a set of floor mats. An LT Option Package provides antilock brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, and cruise control on this model, and a new MyLink Package adds these features plus Bluetooth, a USB port, and expanded OnStar services. A new Sun and Sound Package is also available on the Cobalt LT, adding a premium sound system and a power sunroof. There’s also a Sport Appearance Package for this model, which includes fog lights, a rear spoiler, polished 17-inch alloy wheels, white-faced gauges, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Finally, a Leather Package provides leather upholstery and heated front seats. Additional options include remote engine starting and a Bright Chrome Appearance Package for a little extra sizzle.

Take a Cobalt LT Coupe with a manual transmission, equip it with almost every option, and then add a turbocharged engine, a sport suspension, Brembo brakes, 18-inch forged aluminum wheels, performance tires, and stability control to create the Cobalt SS Coupe. Inside, sport seats with UltraLux upholstery and reconfigurable display with a turbo boost gauge are also standard. Options include a limited-slip differential and rear wing spoiler that makes this version of Cobalt more noticeable to the police.

All 2010 Cobalts except for the SS Coupe are equipped with a 155-horsepower, 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels through a standard five-speed manual gearbox or optional four-speed automatic transmission. The Cobalt XFE models (Xtra Fuel Economy) are equipped only with a manual transmission and feature low rolling-resistance tires and taller transmission gearing to get 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

The Cobalt LS and LT come standard with a manual transmission. Get the optional four-speed automatic, and your Cobalt comes with traction and stability control. These models are expected to get 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway with a manual transmission and rated 24-city/33-highway with the automatic.

The Cobalt SS is equipped with an extremely powerful, turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. Thanks to 260 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the SS accelerates like a sports car. An automatic is not offered in this model, leaving a five-speed manual gearbox that returns 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

Although it is 2010, Chevy continues to make antilock brakes, traction control, and stability control optional on all but the most expensive Cobalt SS. That way, it can keep prices low – and appealing. At least the car comes with six airbags to help protect occupants, along with an OnStar communications system.

Based on results from crash-tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Cobalt Coupe and Sedan share a 4-Star rating for the driver in a frontal impact, a 5-Star rating for the front passenger in a frontal impact, and a 4-Star rollover resistance rating. The two models diverge when it comes to side-impact test results, with the Cobalt Coupe achieving 4-Star levels of protection for both the driver and rear seat occupants and the Cobalt Sedan getting a 3-Star driver rating and a 5-Star rear passenger rating.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Cobalt is a crashworthy car, if not quite a Top Safety Pick. In these tests, conducted at higher impact speeds than the federal standard, the Cobalt Sedan receives the highest possible score of Good in the frontal-impact and rear-impact injury prevention measures, and an Acceptable rating in the side-impact test. The Cobalt Coupe also gets a Good rating for frontal-impact results, but both rear-impact and side-impact ratings are Acceptable.

Given what seems like terrific value and decent crashworthiness, it is unfortunate that Chevrolet is unable to improve reliability predictions for the Cobalt. This year, J.D. Power and Associates is predicting average dependability over time, but Consumer Reports still thinks that over the long term, the Cobalt will prove to provide below average reliability.

If you’re a driving enthusiast looking for terrific bang-for-the-buck and you’re buying a Cobalt SS Coupe, that’s fine. We get it. Your choice is crude, but undeniably fun to drive. Everyone else purchasing a 2010 Cobalt had better be getting a screaming deal on it, because most of this car’s competitors are superior in terms of quality and refinement.

By Christian Wardlaw