Chevy Cobalt vs. Ford Focus

The 2008 Chevy Cobalt

The Cobalt is the quietest, most refined small car GM has ever built. It's based on a strong, stiff platform, a key element for crisp handling and a smooth ride. In the Cobalt you will find an inexpensive, high-value transportation with a new-car warranty.  With its expressive styling the Cobalt competes effectively against the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Ford Focus.  The 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt is available in two body styles: a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan. The 2008 Cobalt comes in LS, LT, and Sport trim levels. Gone are the premium LTZ and SS Supercharged models, at least for now. The LS and LT models are powered by a 148-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine and ride on the softer FE1 suspension, which includes a 19mm anti-roll bar in front and a16mm bar in the rear. The Cobalt Sport gets a 171-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder and benefits from the firmer FE3 suspension, with 22-mm front and rear stabilizer bars, four-wheel-disc brakes, and 17-inch wheels and performance tires. All models come standard with a five-speed manual transmission and offer a four-speed automatic as an option. XM Satellite Radio is now standard, along with AM/FM/CD stereo with an auxiliary input jack.

The Chevrolet Cobalt offers premium features, such as heated leather seats, a sunroof, and a seven-speaker Pioneer sound system. A remote vehicle starter is available on models with an automatic transmission. The Chevrolet Cobalt is a pleasant car to drive, especially the Sport model. It's quiet for a car that retails for less than $20,000. Chevrolet put considerable effort into special door seals, sandwich steel panels, thick carpets and pads, noise blockers and noise absorbers throughout the front, middle and rear of the car. As a result, normal front-seat conversation is possible at speeds above 90 mph . The Ecotec four-cylinder is a thoroughly modern and refined engine that provides good power and a smooth delivery. Safety Safety features include dual-stage front air bags, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, rear center shoulder belts, and the LATCH child seat retention system. Head-curtain side airbags are now standard on all models, as is a tire pressure monitor.  OnStar is standard on 2LT and Sport, and optional ($295) on 1LT.  It's a good safety feature because operators will direct emergency crews to your exact location should your airbag go off and you fail to respond. For 2008 it includes the General Motors Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) system, making crash data available to participating 911 centers to help them dispatch the appropriate live-saving personnel and equipment.

The 2008 Ford Focus

The Ford Focus has been reworked for 2008 with a new look, but not greatly changing many of the dimensions. The result is slightly awkward and a bit dull. The new design shares a family look with Ford's other cars, distinguished by a two-bar version of the company's characteristic razor blade-like grille. The big change for 2008 is the introduction of Ford's new Sync entertainment and communications system. Developed with Microsoft, Sync provides a hands-free link to cell phones and MP3 players through a series of voice commands. It recognizes your cell phone's address book. It can even read text messages to occupants through the stereo system. This amazing system offers a taste of state of the art technology often found in pricier cars. With 140 horsepower, fuel economy is quite good, with up to 24 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway.

The Ford Focus has been known as a car that offers good handling since its introduction for the 2000 model year. This 2008 Focus, though different in appearance, still handles well. The 2.0-liter is competitive with most engines in this class. It has decent power for most needs, but passing maneuvers will require plenty of space. The automatic transmission downshifts quickly to give you what power the engine has.  While the engine does whine under heavy throttle, it is no louder than most competitors. Likewise, road noise and wind noise are noticeable, but not out of line for an economy car. Safety Antilock brakes do not come standard, but it is strongly recommend to opt for them; ABS is optional with traction control.  Safety features that come standard consist of dual-stage front airbags; torso-protecting, seat-mounted front side airbags; head-protecting side curtain airbags; tire pressure monitor; and LATCH-style child seat anchors. Four-wheel antilock brakes with traction control are optional for all models Style The highchair seating gives everyone better outward vision and excellent leg room in all positions, including the back. The front seats are comfortable, with plenty of head and leg room. Thanks to large mirrors and small rear pillars, the driver's seat affords a good view to all corners. The rear seat has decent room with shorter people up front, but leg room disappears as the seats are moved back for taller front seat occupants. The trunk is fairly large at 13.8 cubic feet. That's as big as or bigger than some midsize cars. Something usually found in larger cars, the trunk has struts, not large sickle-shaped hinges that can crush packages. The second row seats fold mostly flat to allow loading long, flat packages. Plastic-like trim bits fail to equal the rest of the car's overall quality. The dashboard is dominated by a shiny plastic silver inset that covers the middle of the dash and leads into the center console. This is surrounded by black plastic top and bottom. There are no soft-touch materials here, but the graining looks nicer than it did in last year's model. The center console is deep, though not especially wide. The front end is dominated by a two-bar version of the three-bar, razor-like chrome grille that first appeared on the Fusion. The grille is flanked by headlights that wrap around to the sides and follow the curve of the hood toward the windshield. A too-large expanse of bumper is located under the grille and below that is a large air intake that houses fog lights at the corners on the topline SES model. The overall result is a look that seems like a poor attempt at a family design statement. Trim The 2008 Ford Focus is offered in two-door coupe and four-door sedan body styles, each with the choice of three trim levels: S, SE, and SES. The lone engine is a 140-hp four-cylinder. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard; a four-speed automatic is optional ($815). The S coupe ($14,075) and sedan ($14,375) come with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, AM/FM /CD/MP3 player with four speakers and auxiliary input jack, 60/40 split folding rear seat, tilt steering wheel, a tire inflation kit, antitheft system and P195/60R15 all-season tires on steel wheels with hubcaps. Options for S include cruise control ($215), Sirius satellite radio ($195), and a temporary spare tire ($60).

The Chevrolet Cobalt has an economical of price and operation, and a nice, quiet ride. It is a well-equipped car that carries four people comfortably, five only in a pinch. The Sport model is the most fun to drive. Handling is quite good for a car in this class, with a reasonably good ride around town.

The handling refinement of the Focus is also high class. The new Ford Sync system offers the latest in entertainment and hands-free communications and technology and may be the Focus’ best edge over others.

The Chevrolet Cobalt has a MSRP staring at $15,070. The Ford Focus starts at $15,605. The Cobalt's fuel economy is excellent, with 36 MPH City and 25 on the highway. The Focus gets 35 MPH in the city and 24 on the highway.