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Cost of owning a Cobalt

I'm not so sure I agree that the hybrid will be cheaper given the potential cost for battery replacement

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Chevrolet Cobalt The conventional wisdom is that compact car shoppers are trying to save a little cash by opting for basic transportation. The problem is, sometimes that basic transportation can end up costing more in the long run. Take the Chevrolet Cobalt. Chevy's been offering it with zero-percent financing -- and with a starting price of $14,990, it's a pretty affordable option.

Over the long term, that changes. IntelliChoice says that over five years, the Cobalt will cost about $31,916 to own. That's more than twice the national average price of $15,042 that buyers are paying for the Cobalt.

For a better option, check out the Honda Civic Hybrid. Yes, it costs more up front than the Cobalt, but over five years, IntelliChoice says it only costs $26,993 to own. With car shoppers currently paying an average of about $23,000 nationally for the Civic Hybrid, that means the car's exceptionally low depreciation, fuel and maintenance costs make it a lot cheaper than the Cobalt. If you can't swing the upfront costs of the Civic Hybrid, opt for the regular Civic. In early October, the average price people are paying nationally for one is about $15,000. Plus, it has a total cost of ownership of $28,375, saving you over $4,000 as compared to the Cobalt.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski
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factor in the insurance cost differerence they might be even, factor in the lemon headache difference the honda will win hands down

Reply to
raamman

My dad's secretary back in 1979 bought a VW Rabbit Diesel to save a little money. HA ha ha, she spent more money repairing it than she saved buy buying a small car. Her husband too spent a fortune on repairs on his VW Schirroco. The Rabbit ate fuel injectors, requiring replacements of 4 at a time. It also ate glo-plugs and the brain box kept failing in both the Schirroco & Rabbit.

A new 79 Cadillac at that time was only $1000 more than the Rabbit and had my dad's secretary gotten that she'd of had years of trouble free service - as proved by the owner of the business next to my dads shop who purchased a 79 Cadillac the same week Rosie bought the Rabbit.

The Rabbit was traded in after 5 years of misery on a 1984 Pontiac 6000 and the guy with the Cadillac got close to 16 years out of it before he decided to get a new Cadillac. More his wife's idea than his...

harryface

91 Bonneville 320,204 05 Park Avenue 92,153
Reply to
Harry Face

All sorts of anecdotal experiences. I have owned two Passats, and both gave exemplary service....never a problem, BUT some friends of mine had electrical problems with theirs.

In northern Europe, the VW (Golf or equivalent) diesel is very popular and is not known to give problems to any extent.

I have always expected that the VW dealerships and VW corporate here in the USA are some of the biggest problems. They CAN produce a good car, but without proper representation and proper consideration to customer care, they will end up like some other companies we often thrash here.

Reply to
hls

yes, a PITA VW dealer at least traditionally is the rule not the exception. It is sad that they support such excellent products so poorly. They seem to have the attitude that their products are perfect and therefore if something goes wrong it's your fault and therefore you deserve to be punished by waiting a long time and paying a lot.

Maybe things have changed, I don't know, but the closest I have ever come to taking a swing at someone on the other side of a counter from me was at a VW dealership in Michigan... they were out and out crooks, or else spectacularly incompetent to the point that the stories they told as to what was wrong with/what they were doing to my car didn't even make sense.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

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