Used 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe Consumer Reviews
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Fun First Car
I bought my Cobalt new and have put 56,000 miles on it. I love it! I'm religious about servicing it and have had zero mechanical problems. I get 40 mpg highway easily. For a relatively inexpensive car it handles great and has decent power. I live where it gets cold as hell in the winter and it starts every morning, and it does alright on the snow and ice. There is pretty limited storage space, and the blindspots are pretty significant. Everything seems pretty solid still. Of course there are little rattles here and there, but nothing crazy. Everything has stayed pretty tight and sealed up. The ride on the highway is smooth and fairly quiet. Overall, I think this is an awesome car!
fuel pump defect: message from Customer Service
Dear Robert, Thank you for getting back to Chevrolet Customer Assistance. Please accept our sincere apologies for our delayed response to your email due to the high email volume. We have processed the information using the vehicle identification number (1G1AS58H197166725) and found out that there is a special coverage #12191. This is to make you aware that some 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt may have a condition where the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump cracks and leaks fuel or fuel vapors. Fuel vapors, in the presence of an ignition source, could potentially cause a vehicle fire. The symptoms of this condition are: - A noticeable fuel odor while the vehicle is being driven or after it is parked - The Check Engine Soon light may be illuminated on the instrument cluster - If the crack is large enough, fuel may be observed on the ground, or vehicle performance may be affected We are conducting a program to address this issue. The program is a special coverage and under it should a vehicle ever experience this condition, the owner must take the vehicle to their GM dealer and have the dealer inspect the vehicle, confirm the condition, and then repair that vehicle for free. Repairs and adjustments qualifying under this special coverage must be performed by a GM dealer for diagnosis and inspection. We also found two open recalls #14092 "Ignition Switch Replacement" and # 14133 "Replace Ignition Key".
Wow
Really surprized with this car. I needed an inexpensive car to drive to and from work. The gas mileage is unbeatable, it is averaging 39 mpg. I really like the 5 speed. It has plenty of power. This is a much better car than the Corolla I was looking at and a lot cheaper.
2009 Chevy Cobalt
I have been driving my cobalt for the last two years with out any significant problems. This is the first and only car I have ever had, and it has served me well. I find it to be very comfortable, even for long car rides. I especially enjoy how quick it accelerates. ;) In my opinion the vehicle has held up really well against all my wear and tear.
Great Car!
My daughter purchased this car in March and after recently completing an 8 day 3200 mile cross country trip I have to say this is an extremely comfortable vehicle to drive and I am impressed with the overall quality and performance. The front seats are VERY comfortable, there is plenty of room in the back seat and it averaged 38 mpg on our trip. The car handles great, is very tight and has a quiet cabin. Her car is equipped with a smooth shifting 5 spd and has a light clutch that makes for smooth starts and effortless shifting. The gauges are easy to read, controls are well laid out and the AC worked great even in the 115 degree desert heat. This is a great car that I highly recommend!
A Great American Made Car
I was in the market for a new compact gar with Great MPG. When I went to Vegas in 2008 I rented a Toyota Corolla, Then in 2009 I rented a Focus for a Week then My next Trip I rented a Cobalt, Each one I rented for 7 days & I put on close to 1000 miles in the week going to the Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyons. Even drove through the Dessert. The Toyota is a death trap,the accelerator stuck on me. The Focus (Mexican Built 1.8 engine) is not as fast and struggles to get up. to speed and has noisy acceleration. The Cobalt 2.2 is the fastest 0-100 & Top Speed hands down. I drove it hard & it impressed me with 32 MPG with Auto Trans.Paid about 11K with all Rebates combined & my 4K GM Card Rebate
My baby was a lemon
My dad bought be a pretty blue one brand new in 2006, loved it, but I recked it in 6 months at 17,000 mi. In 2009 I decided to purchase another at Redman Toll in Langhorne PA. I bought a pretty slate metallic 2lt coupe w/ sunroof, foglights, premium sound system, remote starter, everything but leather. Within the first couple weeks I had an issue with the O2 sensor. They fixed it, no problem. After that it was one thing after another, little creaks and noises that drove me crazy, sunroof rattling, engine breaking, shimmy at high speeds. I ended up filing a lemon law suit against GM. They paid the car off and my dad convinced me to keep it. Ive had the car for almost 7 years and I don't think a year has gone by without me putting it in the shop for minor stuff. The engine and tranny are strong, though. I've never had problems with the car running but I've had a bunch of other issues, the biggest one being the steering rack rattling (which was replaced twice). Recently I got the head repaired. I drive the car pretty hard but I do take care of it. I do a lot of driving and she's been on long trips south numerous times. The inside is in mint condition, I make sure the fluids are changed and it's inspected by the dealer periodically. I refer to put anymore money in it and will drive it until the wheels fall off lol.....I prefer to buy American cars, but they really need to do much better with their economy cars. If you're looking at a Cobalt, buy an SS model, they were built waaay better....or just get a Honda or Toyota lol.
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Snowing in July?? Paint is flaking everywhere!
Purchased NEW 2009 Garage kept Cobalt LT Black coupe. After only 6 months - clearcoat on aluminum rims bubbling and flaking. Steering wheel/system rattles & thunks over small bumps after about 10K miles (same problem as my '06). Recall "fix" made no difference. I Drive a lot. 64K of today's writing... just noticed a half-dollar sized area of paint bubbling on the roof.... and chrome on the inside passenger door handle that is NEVER used is bubbling. I know I drive a bunch - but these are cosmetic issues GM will not cover after 36K warranty is up. I have 36K in the first 6 months!! Cheap car with cheap plastic parts - and paint issues not isolated to Cobalt. Black is bad on Camaros too.
BUY AN LT IF POSSIBLE.
This is a follow up to my last review (which I cannot edit) on this car.. This is a scatter-brained review from someone who was used to a V6 engine. **NOTE: I mod my cars. This car has no major mods, yet. I use my car for: work, travel, picking up dudes.** In 2012 I bought my 09 LS Coupe (base everything- even fake hubcaps!) mostly for the the price (22k miles and under $7.5k.) Second car. THIS CAR IS STRONG. I have put over 25k miles on it in under 3 years.. and have driven it off-road, over things I can't identify but sound like explosions, etc.. and it hasn't affected it at all.
So far so good
Only had car for a few weeks, so I will write another review in a year. I may not know much about this car yet, but I do know that the gas mileage is fabulous. Better than any 4 cylinder compact car I have owned. However, that only goes for the manual transmission LS models. The manual transmission is fun to drive, it shifts smoothly and the engine is peppy. Great if you need to pass someone. The trunk is roomy but the back seats are not. Overall I do like this car.
Hated Chevy, But Now..
In 2008 I purchased a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo. Never-again. I had it into the shop 15+ times in a single year. I swore I'd never buy another GM car until I laid eyes on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS Coupe. I was drawn by it's style and yellow color. After test driving it and looking at the specs, my boyfriend and I decided we'd give GM another try. WONDERFUL, idea. I love its get-up-and-go power and handling. XM is awesome as is 1 free year of Onstar. This car has been completely reliable and I enjoy driving it. The price was reasonable, and the fuel economy is excellent. At 20 miles on the odometer when I first purchased the car I was getting 30mpg and it's still going up. Great car.
This is my 2nd Cobalt!
What can I say - I bought a 2005 because I needed a car (my '92 Lumina Van croaked at 218000 miles). There was nothing wrong with the '05 but GMAC wanted to get rid of their leases and they made me a good deal! The '09 feels like it has a little more power and is a bit more solid overall than the '05. Never had a problem with either car.
09 Cobalt LS Automatic
Wanted a base coupe to replace an 04 Cavalier coupe automatic. Other than looks, not too much has changed. Same basic layout with a few more features. Nice car for way cheap money. End of year pricing and rebates put this less than the competition (Kia- Hyundai- Nissan-Focus). Only drawback - 6 year old design. Looks like a '10 to me. I might buy one more before the Cruze swings into production. (or they move the Cobalt tooling to Mexico)
Good little car
This little ecotec engine rocks. It can outrun most comparable cars on the market in its stock form. (we know because a lot of younger people want to race it for some reason). It is a basic little car with a lot of power. We have never have had a problem with it in 15,000 miles.
Few Problems
Speakers are.. well, they're there. LS Coupe is considered a sports car (Grr..) and it lacks a lot of power my 2000 Malibu had. The front of it is dated.. but the body itself is magnificent. It says 25 mpg BUT my readings say 23. The LS I purchased has no cruise control or power windows/doors. BUT. For the price of this car, it's great. Fun fun to drive once you get up in mph and it hugs the curves with its spoiler. Breaks are great, it turns heads, and you get away with people believing you're in a sports car. This is NOT for tall/wide people. It's a very narrow car. It is GREAT for safety- everything is solid.
Best Car
I absolutely love this car! Before this car I had a 2008 Dodge Caliber and I am so happy that i traded it. I recently got in an accident with it and it did not cost me more than 500 bucks to fix it myself! and it still runs awesome just like it did before! The manual transmission in it too makes it so much fun to drive and race others all the time cause im first off the line. Fuel economy is great my tank will last me two weeks and im driving everyday to school and work and its only 45 bucks to fill her up. Wouldnt trade her for anything
Very happy
So far I love this car. Fun to drive, sharp looking and excellent fuel economy. I purchased the LT 2 door coupe with the automatic. Plenty of power for regular driving and the interstates. Passing power is more then good enough. I am getting lots of compliments on the style of the car. I got a black one with the 16" rims and spoiler and chrome package. Lots of heads turn to take a look as I am driving. Rides and handles very nicely. It looks and drives great. I am very, very happy. No problems at all after the first 2 months. For the money it's an excellent car to buy. I am more then pleased.
Excellent car
I bought a bottom of the line Cobalt for commuting. The price was unbeatable and the MPG is wonderful. Chevrolet has come a long way in quality. I have never really been happy with GM products , but this one changed my mind. It a pleasure to own and drive. The interior is wonderful and it has plenty of comfort. I love this little car and I'm glad I didn't settle for an import. Thanks Chevrolet. It's a wonderful and reliable car!
Good value
Great price. Overall good features with the LT package, great fuel economy, smooth ride and comfortable even for a tall person like me.
Two months later
With just over 2200 miles, I'm noticing the MPG going up.. average has gone from 31 to 35. Acceleration is a real kick, and with the windows now tinted black, this little white coupe looks even sharper. A/C works like a champ, and cools the car in about a minute with fan speed initially set at 3. From there it drops to 1, or it's too cold.. and we're talking So. Ariz. The engine runs cool.. about 195 in the heat of the day. The ride is great, and was complimented by a friend who drives a Volvo. I love this car, and as an old motor head, I rate it right at the top with some of my past hot rods and trucks, even my Sentra. Killer mileage, and it doesn't get hot. What a relief.
Happy Camper
I bought new in early '09, had a '01 Malibu w/ over 260k mi. Wanted the XFE, 1LT package. It took a bit to find car. after delivery, I found it comfortable, roomy for that size of car, great mileage, 36 has been my low, 40.9 has been high. I drive 150 a day, commuting to work. gas usage went from 5 gal a day to 3.2. started with Mobil 1 a 5k mi. went 11.2k to second oil change. I drive at 60 - 65mph, keep foot off the floor, expect over 200k and not a lot of cost. good car! also set up car for towing behind motorhome. Great Towed
Love the XFE
I've had my Yellow XFE coupe for about 4 months and 10,000 miles. I commute about 120 miles per day and average 38.5 and 39.1 MPG...you have to love that! The car is very comfortable and has great pickup when it's time to hit the on ramps. I was about to buy a civic, but saved myself 6 grand and get better mileage. I expect it will be a great car for years.
My Cobalt
I bought my Cobalt 38 days ago. I only have 803 miles on the car. I get 23.3 MPG... seems low but I work 2 miles from home and don't do any highway driving. Work, home and the grocery store is the extent of where I take my car.One tank of gas lasts me 2 weeks. I took my cobalt on the highway one time and got 40 MPG so I know I don't get as good millage because I drive such short trips. I am very happy with my purchase. I spent 15,000. My only complaint is when the A/C is on, my dash vibrates a little when I am driving slow in a parking lot or backing out of a driveway or sitting at a light! Other than that its great. This is my first new car and I would recommend a Cobalt to anyone!
5000 mile Chevy Cobalt review
Nice little car to get around town in. I don't like the seats or interior. I think the seats are made very cheap. I bought for gas mileage and the price range was what I could afford to keep maintained. I think the interior is really cheap.
Immaculate 88 Sentra to this....
Compared to the old Sentra, this thing rocks, until you talk interior. The lack in braking with the LRR tires is also a bit of a drag. Got the XFE, and on the highway, it's getting an amazing 44 mpg. Overall I couldn't be happier. I love this car. Thank you GM for not going hybrid, and for building an affordable little mileage monster. I'm also way happy with what the base model comes with. Crank windows, manual seats.. no biggy. I love the DIC, and the stereo is great. While shopping, I saw others that wanted 3K for A/C, and used an idiot light as a temp gauge. Had no where near the gidup, and I seriously doubt they could match the MPG. Also used a timing belt.. I'll take a chain anyday.
Love my Lil Red Coupe
I traded in my 00 Mustang V6 that was a piece of junk for this 09 Cobalt. It is my first new car and I am really pleased with my decision. The OnStar and XM are my favorite features plus the XFE sticker on the trunk is cool even though I'm not sure what it means. I assume it is the sport package? At 6'4 and 330 lbs I fit very comfortably and dont feel cramped like I was in the mustang. I drive 100 miles to college and then 20 to work. so the gas mileage is very important. I am getting double what the Mustang was. Great car and worth the money.
Great Commuter Car and Fun To Drive
For the past two months I have been happy to get into my 2009 Chevy Cobalt and drive. There are three things that have impressed me about this car the most, and they are the quietness of the cabin, the strength of the engine at 155 HP and the transmission, being how smooth it is and quiet. There is little to no wind noise at 80 MPH, the engine really responds well and has great passing power when you need it. And the transmission is so smooth whether you are going up or down hills or just cruising on the freeway. The base sound system is great and the steering wheel radio controls make it easy to control when driving. There is plenty of cabins space for a two door.
decent value
I did not test drive other brands, so I don't know how this one would compare but with gm rebates/incentives it's a good buy, good acceleration, good ride and fairly quiet, with auto trans. getting around 29 mpg combined city/hwy, poor rear vis. in the coupe version, esp with spoiler, so far with 5K mi., no reliability issues, check with your insurance co. re: premiums, may be higher than you expect, esp. for the 2 door version..
BUY THE CAR - GET IT LOADED UP
Love this car. I purchased the LT package with all the bells and whistles. The pioneer stereo is more than adequate. It sounds as good if not better than some Bose systems Ive heard. Love the XM radio. Love the Onstar (Incase of a serious accident)- Has great comfortable leather seats with the 2-stage heat option. (VERY NICE) and airbags everywhere. I got the 17" Chrome style wheels with the Pirelli tires. This car sticks and corners SWEET!!! And I have owned 5 Corvettes!!!! You can take a 40mph curve at 70 and it will rail right around. Awesome!!!Traded a 07 Civic EX and yes the dash was prettier and may last a bit longer but I hands down LOVE the Cobalt much much better. Smooth/Quiet/Awesome
Nice for the money
It's quieter than my 07 Honda Civic. So far no problems. I have 8000 miles on it. Gas mileage on the highway is very good. I can maintain 40 mpg on a relative lt flat highway at 60 mph. I do not like the spare tire. There is none. Chevy now provides an air compressor with a bottle of stop leak attached to the compressor. What happens if I get a flat when it's 20 degrees outside? What happens if I get a blowout? I'm going to start calling junk yards for a real spare tire. It will fit in the spare tire wheel well. So why not just provide a real spare and a jack?
2009 cobalt
Car looks and handles alright and mileage is very good. The problem I am having is the exhaust system makes lots of noise when you turn off the car and the pipes cool off. Two dealers have told me this is normal, but this is way to loud and needs to have a fix. Has anyone else had this problem and had a dealer fix it?
New car
I am getting 35 MPG and the cabin is quite. Best of all, I got it brand new for $10,000.
My gas sipping money saver
I love the gas millage this car gets. I have had it a year and it still gets 37mpg highway and 26-27 city. I do 65mph on the highway, not 55. However, to keep the gas mileage great you must change the oil and filter once every 3,000 miles, not 6,000 miles like the dealership tells you to. THIS IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO A HYBRID CAR. I couldn't afford a hybrid so I bought this car and it really does get the gas millage Chevy advertises. Not to mention it's a lot better looking than a Toyoda Prius. The lock cylinder on the car did go at 16,000 miles but my warranty covered that.
let's do it again
Okay, here we are with almost 10K, and with have no complaints. MPG is rising, as expected. Took a day trip two weeks ago, and averaged 38. Got my letter from GM re: steering motor, and so glad they FINALLY claimed it. Also still happy with the dealership. Took the little car in recently for it's third oil change, after having been there a week earlier for a nitrogen refill on the tires. Noticed that somehow, they left grease on the interior, mentioned it, and it was gone when I picked the car back up after the oil change. Little things do matter...
I love my Chevy Cobalt LT Coupe!
It is my first car! Love love love it! It is the best. Hands down. Others are jealous. It's a sexy car. I named him Lou. It has good gas mileage. Never had a problem with it :) Chevy for life!
2009 Cobalt LS #2 Automatic coupe
Loved the first 2009 Cobalt I bought in January, bought a second one. Different color same equipment. Same ride, same great mileage, this one has a spare tire and spoiler- luxury. 36 mpg hwy with the automatic- measured on fill-ups, not the trip computer in the car (which shows 33.8 avg.)
A Great First Car, Easy Manual
I got this car back in May as my first car. I had to learn how to drive stick, but this car was easy to learn on. This car is fun and comfortable to drive and, in my opinion, looks much nicer than any other vehicle in this price range. I'm only 5'11" and I hit my head on the ceiling while sitting in the back but who cares, I wont ever have to sit back there, she's mine. The biggest issue I've had so far was with the dashboard, after six weeks it started rattling loudly. My local dealer said the problem was with the original design of the dashboard, which causes it to warp, and they improvised a solution. Of course, the repair was free. A dash-mat will make the interior look much nicer.
Cheap parts but reliable ride
LT 2 sport coupe review: sexy car+reliable under the hood+exterior panels were loose+interior steering wheel neck was broken+new leather seats wouldn't move forward+steering ratio limited>tire too big for wheel space, difficulty making U turns or parking+gas mileage not so good for small car
Great, reliable car until it wasn't.
I bought my 2009 Cobalt in June 2014 when it only had 7500 miles. It was my only car and served me well for a long time. I followed all the recommended maintenance and never had to replace anything except for my struts, control arms, and the ignition recall. One weekend morning, in October 2022, I got into my car to go grab breakfast. I got a mile away from my house and my engine shut off. Unfortunately, I was on a road without any shoulders and had to block the lane while I got it sorted out. My car started back up a couple minutes later and I drove it back home. I proceeded to periodically fight with my Cobalt for the next 8 months. It would run perfectly one day but the next day it would shut off 10 times in a 15 mile drive. There was no discernable pattern and the codes were different with every other scan. At a measly 119k miles, I junked the car in June 2023. I refused to pawn that burden onto someone else. If you check the Cobalt forums you'll find plenty of people that have experienced the same gremlins I did. Most of them lost the fight and got rid of their car. I've had three GM vehicles from that era and they all had electrical problems. Please don't buy this car. It's not worth the gamble.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value