I'm buying a new car and narrowed it down to an 07 Chevy Cobalt or an 07 Hyundai Tiburon - which should I get?

Question

Before you say American cars don't last, keep in mind my previous car was an '88 Cavalier - which my parents bought brand new in 1987 and then handed down to me - lasted me 19 years with 230,000 miles and had no major problems. This is why I'm considering the Cobalt, because I know Chevy puts out quality economical vehicles that can last until about 200K. Fords are out of the question; I've had 2 Ford cars, including a Lincoln, which both died on me before reaching 100K. I think the Hyundai Tiburon is a better looking car, and I'd rather have it, but I have heard bad things about Hyundais and I don't want a car that's going to give me problems around 40K. Honda Civics are cool and I know they last, but they're not as fancy and sporty as the Tiburon and the engine is too small for my liking. So, what would you pick, a Cobalt or a Tiburon?

Answer 1

I would pick the Cobalt SS for sportiness if you can afford it. It has the relatively reliable Ecotec I4 engine with a supercharger slapped on it so its actually really quick.

Also, handling wise, the Cobalt SS is much more agile than the Tiburon. It's actually one of the most agile FWD sports sedans around $20K. It beats out the famous Honda Civic Si in acceleration and handling tests.

You seem to enjoy a sportier character and if you cannot afford a Cobalt SS, I wou7ld suggest a Mazda 3. It is attractive, and handles incredibly well. It's one of the more fun to drive and communicative cars, and for $22K, the Mazdaspeed 3 is not a bad choice, in fact its one of the quickest FWD cars in production right now, and one of the benefits of forced induction cars like the Cobalt SS and Mazdaspeed 3 is that its very easy to cheaply increase horsepower, by simply increasing boost.

The Tiburon reliability is not great, but is also not the worst. It's alright, somewhere in the middle of the pack.

So in summary, my choice from most wanted to least wanted would be:
Mazdaspeed 3
Chevy Cobalt SS
Mazda 3
Hyundai Tiburon V6
Cobalt I4
Hyundai Tiburon I4

Answer 2

The simple answer is that you need to make the decision yourself. I have worked in dealerships for more than 15 years. I am currently a parts and service director for Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Subaru dealer. Prior to this I was in a similar roles at a GM franchise. Ihave driven both vehicle and have had to service both vehicles. The truth is that these vehicle are very different from each other. Have you driven both? The Tib has more power hanldes better and if you buy it brand new you get a 10 year 100,000 mile power train warranty on top of the basic 5 year 60,000 mile warranty. The cobalt does get better fuel economy and has more cargo space. Also GM has increased their warranties over the last couple of years. I am not sure what their warranties are stated at now. They were 3 years or 36,000 miles in total, but that has probably increased over the last few years. Both vehicles have their own appeal and problems. The Tibs biggest issue was that on the 03 model v6 standard it had clutch problems. You can find issues of this all over the internet. But, it was only a problem with the 03 model. All the other years have been fine. If you do choose the Hyundai please make sure that you also purchase the Hyundai extended warranty. It is call HPP. HPP actually can extend your regular factory warranty out to be as long as your powertrain warranty. It will also alows you to have rental coverage while under factory warranty. Hyundai does not supply rental coverage while under basic or powertrain warranty. With the HPP however you are covered. The HPP contract has no deductable and is actually mantained by Hyundai not an outside company. It is valid at all Hyundai Dealers nation wide. Whatever car you buy I would highly recomend that you purchase that manufacturers extended warranty. The other thing you might want to consider is that two of the three cars that you mentioned are asian market vehicles. The asian market vehicle are highly maint driven. If you take care of them they will last for a long time. Remeber also that the Cobalt is actually based on the older Daewoo chassis. Just a bit of info for thought.

Answer 3

Go for the Cobalt,I have an '06 and I love it. There's lots of after market stuff you can put on it to make it look even cooler. With the Tiburon,there's not much you can do to it to make it "your's",know what I mean? Besides Chevy is a way better made car. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Answer 4

I own a 2006 Chevy Cobalt, and wish that I would have bought either a Ford Focus, or Toyota Camry. For what I paid for that Cobalt I could have got the Focus or Camry with more features standard. Mine is the 2.2L 4cyl 5 speed. Its great on gas, but wish it had cruise control and MP3 capable stereo, which both come standard on the focus and camry.

37MPG mixed city/highway.

Answer 5

Check out the Dodge Caliber, or Dodge Avenger. Both are more stylish than either of your choices. And they both get great fuel economy. My Avenger is getting 24.5 mpg with the 2.7L V6 engine. I drive 25 miles one way to work in a combo of hwy and city mileage. Opt for the i-4 world engine produced jointly by Mitsubishi and DCX and get even better gas mileage.

The Caliber has a CVT(continuously variable transmission) that is smoother and more reliable than a traditional trans. (Less moving parts and no gears to grind)

Good luck. Car buying sucks.

Answer 6

Cobalt Hands down!
Better car all around

Answer 7

chevy chevy chevy chevy chevy get a chevy you have to think how long has hyundai been out compared to chevy and yea i agreed with you ford sucks i have a chevy trailblazer ltz love it
P.S. this is for """BILL S""" its your own fault it doesnt have those options you should of got them when you bought the car

Answer 8

every make has good and bad but hyundia has a real good warranty although the interior feels cheap i think the cobalt is overpriced

Answer 9

go with the the bow tie. like a rock.

Answer 10

my advice do not buy a hyundai ,i had 3 of them.