Well, my 1993 Saturn that I got when I started driving (10 years ago…) just finally died. The radiator cracked and it will cost more to fix than the car is worth, so now I’m car hunting.
So- the question I have-- does anyone have a Chevy Cobalt or a Mitsubishi Lancer? These are two of the cars I’m looking at. Any thoughts on these two?
My husband has a Chevy Cavalier, which is the original Cobalt. It’s over 10 years old and is still a great little car with over 100k miles on it.
I can’t remember how much they changed when they became Cobalts… but the chassis is so similar that I get them confused when I glimpse them on the road.
Have you test driven both of them? I find that Chevys can be awkward for short drivers (I recently test drove the HHR, but not the Cobalt).
I don’t own any of the cars you mentioned, but I did drive a Chevy Cobalt recently (rented) and LOVED it. My mom was my passenger and we’re both right around 5 feet tall. We were impressed by how comfortable it was.
BTW, we’d originally rented a Saturn Ion on this occasion. I have to say I didn’t like it at all. It was uncomfortable and I couldn’t get used to the instrument cluster being in the middle of the dashboard instead of in front of me. Due to some tire problems, our rental company switched us over to the Cobalt – a much, much nicer car.
Good luck car shopping!
I drove a cobalt recently on a work trip- liked it then, so that’s why I’m looking at that.
My friend’s husband sells mitsubishis and they’re getting rid of their 06 lancers for cheap (those they have left) and that’s why I’m looking at that one…
I thought I was the only one driving a '93 Saturn. I bought that thing new and still have it. Now I’m paranoid it will die off too. :hmm:
I drive a Mitsu Mirage (1998) and I just love it. It is a stick shift and really fun to drive. I think the lancer has replaced this model.ellie:happydance:
I drove a '92 Mirage over 100K miles and I really liked it a lot. Quite reliable, great mileage.
We got rid of it because it was getting old and then a one-year-old Civic because available to us – we had to jump on it! 
I had a '94 Saturn SC2 and loved it! In ten years all I had to do was replace the battery once.
But it was waaaaaay too small for my dog Cyrus so I bought him a 2004 Saturn Vue in Chili Pepper Red to flatter his beautiful black coat!
But you were asking about Mitsubishi and Chevy and I can’t help you as I am a Saturn customer for life!
Out of curiosity:
Those of you driving old Saturns…how many miles are on them (or were when they died)?
I’ve been driving a '98 SL2 for going on 5 years. Just got a tune up and other than replacing the battery, the muffler, and one of the exhaust pipes (since I’ve owned it, not all at once), it runs beautifully. The a/c is broken :ick: but I’m hoping to get significantly more mileage out of it…
171,000 and change when it died yesterday…
I got a misubishi galant… 2005 with 25k miles… yay! love it already!
:cheering:Congrats on the new car!
My Saturn’s got 140k on it and I’m definitely hoping it goes well over 200k. Fingers crossed!
Don’t have either, but I did own a Mitsubishi about 20 years ago, and it was the BEST car I’ve ever owned. The only reason I’ve never bought another is any time I look at a foreign car, I hear my Dad’s voice reminding me that I grew up in a union house (Teamsters), and I should buy American. My Dad is wrong about so many things, but it’s hard to purposely disappoint your parents if you can avoid it…
I drive an 07 cobalt. I’m 5’4". I think the seat is comfortable, but the headrest sucks. It pushes your head forward. (not as bad as the Aveo though, I test drove that, it was terrible)
I really like it’s info screen. It tells you how many mpg you’re getting (usually about 30 for me), how far you can go on that tank, avg speed, when you need to change the oil…
The back seats fold down, so it can carry quite a bit of stuff.
It’s a pain if you need to get a new key, but a lot of cars are like that now (I wanted an extra) and it likes to beep a lot- seatbelt, door, whatever.
No problems with it so far after 14,000ish miles. Well, some jerk put a small dent in the hood while it was parked.
Oh, if its unhappy with the gas cap it says something like “check gas cap” instead of “check engine” which is nice.
The battery is not by the engine.
Any specific questions?
I’d never buy American made. Every car I’ve ridden in that’s American made seems so much cheaper (Chevy, Ford, GM). And the resale value is a joke. My car is 5 years old and the American models I were looking at the time alook so much older than my car now. Plus it’s still worth over 10k! The only thing I’ve had to replace is the wiper blades.
I’d get a VW, Honda or Toyota or something similar. Check out consumer reports, kbb, and those places.
I have two friends, one got a new Cavlier and one a slightly used Jetta. There’s a night and day difference, and they spent about the same amount.
Haven’t ever driven the Lancer, but I do drive a Mitsubishi 3000 GT, which is pretty similar, or so I’m told. the handling is pretty good on it.