Traded in the e39 530i....bittersweet

[Joeman892]

Hey guys I traded in my 2002 530i for a 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS turbocharged the other day. I know many of you are gonna get on me for this, but the car is an all out performer. Great stock sound system, 2900lbs with 260 hp / 260 tq and a 5-speed to wrap it all up. The car hold the nurburgring track record for fwd sport coupes at 8:22:81 so its well balanced. Achieving all that while getting 22 city and 30 highway!!

Needless to say It was not that easy giving up the Beamer.. took me 450 miles to the Cobalt and with out a hiccup. This has been a great forum and everyone has been helpful, criticism is always welcome. haha. But yeah $15500 for a new 2008 Cobalt SS/TC, I couldnt pass it up. Ill post up pics of the car if anyone cares lol but I doubt it.

[BMRSEB]

Good luck, you'll be back..:confused Just kidding, enjoy!! ;)

[amancuso]

Just curious... how old are you Joe? and good luck with the 'balt.

[jcdavis]

How do you like driving a FWD car?

[Joeman892]

I'm 21 years old, and I love FWD cars ive had the acura TL-s and it was good.

[Heybruck34]

even trade? 530 for Cobalt?

22 mpg city and 30 hwy aren't that much better than I get with my 530 now. I get 21 city and at least 30 hwy. Maybe the performance is that much better- 30 or so more hp with less weight....

21 yrs old- I think this explains it. Not that I'm old at 30 but at 21 no way I wanted a 530.

To each his own. Best of luck and glad you are happy.

[Joeman892]

Yeah, my 530i was getting 15-16 city and 25-26 highway. It was an auto. It wasnt an even trade, it was close enough for me. I have to say having a warranty was a big deal too, since cooling system was due.. brakes... they would of needed changing this summer. Now im good till 2013 in april.

[razahyde]

even trade? 530 for Cobalt?

22 mpg city and 30 hwy aren't that much better than I get with my 530 now. I get 21 city and at least 30 hwy. Maybe the performance is that much better- 30 or so more hp with less weight....

21 yrs old- I think this explains it. Not that I'm old at 30 but at 21 no way I wanted a 530.

To each his own. Best of luck and glad you are happy.

whats age have to do with this? im 19?

[Tony Soprano]

15.5k? was this after a down payment?

[BKphoto]

Hey guys I traded in my 2002 530i for a 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS turbocharged the other day. I know many of you are gonna get on me for this, but the car is an all out performer. Great stock sound system, 2900lbs with 260 hp / 260 tq and a 5-speed to wrap it all up. The car hold the nurburgring track record for fwd sport coupes at 8:22:81 so its well balanced. Achieving all that while getting 22 city and 30 highway!!

Needless to say It was not that easy giving up the Beamer.. took me 450 miles to the Cobalt and with out a hiccup. This has been a great forum and everyone has been helpful, criticism is always welcome. haha. But yeah $15500 for a new 2008 Cobalt SS/TC, I couldnt pass it up. Ill post up pics of the car if anyone cares lol but I doubt it.





its Bimmer...have fun with the shevie...


I'm 21 years old, and I love FWD cars ive had the acura TL-s and it was good.


yeah love torque-steer...

[FP5241]

I wanted my E39 since I was 17..... :az

Sorry to see you go, good luck!
:wave

[5fourteye]

21 yrs old- I think this explains it. Not that I'm old at 30 but at 21 no way I wanted a 530.

I'm 20 and no way at 21 would I want a 530.


That's why I got the 540 :redspot

[e39kiwi]

na!! dont worry about the pics!! we want e39 pics

[Joeman892]

15.5k was the price i got him down to.. as for torque steer, its nearly non-existent.. its not me saying it, its just that GM spent a lot of time engineering this. Mine has Limited Slip Diff, and that helps out too. The fastest 1/4 mile time of a stock ss/tc is actually 13.68 at 104, BONE STOCK. That is under perfect conditions with a highly prepped track, most drivers expect 13.9-14.2, still quick numbers for 15.5k and plenty of possibilities. Just throwing it out there, this car beats MANY expensive RWD cars around the track since it pulls .92 gs. 135i being one of them.

[Orxan4ik]

New TC-ed SS is a great car. Have fun with it and dont pay attention to fanbois :)

[curt2128]

YA man its a nice car for cheap. When it comes to performance and price its hard to beat

[Joeman892]

thanks guys, oh yeah in other news... my gf just bought an 09 335i xdrive 6sp sedan. That will be here in 6 weeks, since they are still building it over in Germany. (no this isnt why i bought a faster car with a turbo) hahaha.. but it really isnt :D

[RXWLLMSS]

whats age have to do with this? im 19?
+1 I'm 19. Old farts. Good luck with the Chevy! Post pics too, I wanna see. It's blue huh

[Tony Soprano]

15.5k was the price i got him down to.. as for torque steer, its nearly non-existent.. its not me saying it, its just that GM spent a lot of time engineering this. Mine has Limited Slip Diff, and that helps out too. The fastest 1/4 mile time of a stock ss/tc is actually 13.68 at 104, BONE STOCK. That is under perfect conditions with a highly prepped track, most drivers expect 13.9-14.2, still quick numbers for 15.5k and plenty of possibilities. Just throwing it out there, this car beats MANY expensive RWD cars around the track since it pulls .92 gs. 135i being one of them.
whas it new or used? if you got it for 15.5k please PM how you did it. thats a killer price on that car.

[IslandS62]

Congrats! I guess the real test is when you are older if you will look back and feel like you made the right choice. At 21, I guess I can see how an auto 530 might seem a little dry and "mature". A warranty and having a "tunable" car will probably mean its a good choice.

I went the other way, in high school I was a Chevy fanboy (Monte Carlo SS), went to a Datsun Z and then a E30 318i...from there it was pretty much no looking back, to either domestics or Japanese imports.

[Bonswa]

Should have kept the TL-S, IMO.

Cobalt's good, but that acura is great.

[JackEatsEmoKids]

even trade? 530 for Cobalt?

22 mpg city and 30 hwy aren't that much better than I get with my 530 now. I get 21 city and at least 30 hwy. Maybe the performance is that much better- 30 or so more hp with less weight....

21 yrs old- I think this explains it. Not that I'm old at 30 but at 21 no way I wanted a 530.

To each his own. Best of luck and glad you are happy.


Hey Hey, I'm 21 and I LOVE my E39.

Well Joe, good luck with the Cobalt, my 530 smokes them though :wink:

[razzy530]

New TC-ed SS is a great car. Have fun with it and dont pay attention to fanbois :)

+1 and post some pics of it. That SS looks HOT for what it is, ofcourse:devillook

[volodka1985]

I drove it. it's a different car. there's good power, nice suspension, clutch works fine.Interior is super cheap and crappy(some have plastic wood tho...)the optional recaro seats are good,but that you can put in any car.I would take it for rent and have fun with it , but there's no way I would pay my money for an american car( in a year this car wont be worth half what he paid for it and I think it's no corolla when it comes to reliability).If I had to buy a new car for 16K I would test drive a jetta( I like the 5 cyl sound).
but for me 16K= e39 M5 and thats that.

[LBMotoring]

I feel old, Im 22.


ugh

[Joeman892]

the cobalt was basically new, 8k miles on it. But the car couldnt of been in more perfect condition. Im the first owner of the car tho, it was a GM company vehicle.

[BrandonWA]

17 and I drive a 540 auto =]
Gets lots of attention in the school parking lot.

My mom owns a chevy. You'll regret it when it's 8 years old and everything begins to fall apart, door panels come off on their own and shit just falls apart. Oh, who's going to service your warranty when GM goes under next year?

-Cheers =]

[sleepy740]

e39 m5 is an expensive car to own if you dont have funds in the bank, or your parents arent helping you out any more.

colbalt SS is an awesome choice if you ask me, i dont like it, but its fast, looks alright, and is a perfect car for a 21 year old.

i feel old, im 23

:(

btw, are they turboed now?
i know they used to be SC when they first came out a couple years ago.

[Joeman892]

yeah 2.0 turbo (dual-scroll borg warner k04) direct injection as well.

oh yeah. GM isnt gonna go under in a year. Well, you did say you were 17 so I guess you would imagine that.

[sleepy740]

pics.

[jnyost]

The cars aren't even comparable. Does the cobalt run good? Yes. Does it compare to a BMW? Hell no.

As long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

[amancuso]

The Cobalt is a fine car, I remember thinking they were the most awesome thing in wheels when I was younger. I was into the J-Body scene years ago, but when I got my first BMW (323is e36) that hobby quickly fell by the wayside. GM's new cars are really quite nice, and hopefully they won't fall apart after the warranty period. My friend's mom's 2003 Grand Am SE with the 3.4 blew up it's water pump and head gasket at 41,000 miles due to the shitty dex-cool they use in their cars, and thats a common problem in every GM car with the 3.4 liter w/dex-cool. GM laughed at her cause it was just past the warranty, and they refused to fix it, which sucked. I hope they get their heads out of their collective ass soon tho. The G8 looks and drives very nice, but it's no BMW V-8 and that's for sure.

[mattmartindrift]

cobalt MOVES!

IIRC the Supercharged version won some lapping challenges in near-stock form against cars with 2x the horsepower, and supposedly supperior drive trains. I think John Heinricy was driving

[Joeman892]

ill post pics, just that there has been freezing rain since i got it, and i want to wash it up.

Oh yeah, since Ive owned both.. (BMW and Cobalt) I know that the two cars dont compare AT all, thats why I would never do so. The only car that compared to my 530i was my lincoln LS V8, and THAT didnt compare. Bmw is in a world of its own, and once I get a nice job, and my warrenty expires for this car the plan was to get another BMW.

On a side note, out of all the cars I have owned, (Lincoln LS V8, Acura TL-s with 6 speed, 530i, and Cobalt SS/TC), my favorite was the Tl-s as of now, we will see how the Cobalt grows on me.

Thanks for all the info, Pics will come.

[SHWELL]

Seems like you made the right decision for yourself.


As for the age comments, not too many older guys would be looking for a Cobalt anything, and I think that was the point being made. There will be some of you younger guys that will stay Bimmered out 4ever, but most in that age group will go for a smaller more affordable and tunable ride b4 buying a 5 series.... When I was between 18-25 I would have never purchased a 5 Series or anything that size, it just wasn't in my price range and not where my mind was at either....... Being able to do something and being able to afford something are 2 ttally different things.

[Joeman892]

Seems like you made the right decision for yourself.


As for the age comments, not too many older guys would be looking for a Cobalt anything, and I think that was the point being made. There will be some of you younger guys that will stay Bimmered out 4ever, but most in that age group will go for a smaller more affordable and tunable ride b4 buying a 5 series.... When I was between 18-25 I would have never purchased a 5 Series or anything that size, it just wasn't in my price range and not where my mind was at either....... Being able to do something and being able to afford something are 2 ttally different things.

You Sir are a Gentleman and a Scholar. Haha, but yeah ure right.

[amancuso]

You Sir are a Gentleman and a Scholar. Haha, but yeah ure right.

Joe, I wasn't trying to be condescending, personally I think you did the right thing as a responsible young man. The Cobalt should keep you happy and leave some $$ in your pocket. Here's a pic of my budget conscious ride... I remember when 125Hp was the bomb!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/amancuso/Z24%20Sept07/DSC01954.jpg

I had her untill summer of last year, when I replaced her with the Z3. We had over 10 happy years together.

-Al.

[Joeman892]

WOW. Im sorry but that thing is CLEAN! I like those, I may be biased because I am a GM fan at heart, but I give all car companies my respect. And I know you weren't being condescending, I dont think anyone on this forum trys to be. Im glad people say whats on their minds.

[amancuso]

WOW. Im sorry but that thing is CLEAN! I like those, I may be biased because I am a GM fan at heart, but I give all car companies my respect. And I know you weren't being condescending, I dont think anyone on this forum trys to be. Im glad people say whats on their minds.

Yeah it was clean, hard to believe it had 180,000 miles on it... The main reason I got rid of her was the rust problem in places you couldn't see it. IE under the doors, firewall, trunk. The only place they are rust free is in California!

-Al.

[Joeman892]

Yeah, we both live in NJ, and I know how hard it is to keep vehicles looking good. That 3.1 if well treated could have seen well past 200k, if it werent for the rusting.

[BKphoto]

i'd rather walk up hills than buy a car from a dying company...

[Joeman892]

Here are some pics, because some people are interested.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0981.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0984.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0985.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0986.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0987.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0988.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0989.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0991.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0992.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0993.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0994.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0995.jpg

Right when I was about to go inside... nice little present on 5 min old washed car.....

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0996.jpg

[5fourteye]

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s259/joeman892/DSCN0986.jpg


what happened to the acura?

[Joeman892]

I was hit while waiting to make a left, the other driver went around a guy making a right at the same corner as me, and well.. WHACK. 30mph hit to front right corner... The car looks really bad cuz i stripped it of almost everything, wheels, lights, trans, you-name-it, made me a pretty penny in the end. That car was nothing but good to me, even after it got totaled.

Side note, I had converted that car into a 6 speed manual 6 months before the hit....

[98 528i]

Looks good man, definitely good bang for the buck, I was a couple steps away from doing the same thing not too long ago, almost traded my buddy my 540 for his stage 3 20th ae GTI. I'd still like to pick up a srt-4 or a 04 wrx in a couple years as a beater, it'd be nice modding something that actually has an aftermarket.

[Joeman892]

yeah man, i believe I/E and a tune gets you 300-320 fwhp on this at like 22-23lbs of boost.

[fifthand]

I traded in my 2002 530i for a 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS
:nuts WTF?! Oh well, to each their own. Enjoy.

[TBar]

Should have kept the TL-S, IMO.

Cobalt's good, but that acura is great.


i have a 2.3 CL now.. and ive gotta say its just as much fun as my 528i torque steer isnt as big a deal as people make it out to be.. granted ive only got about 200 hp.. but its a 5 speed and have complete control over it.

However if i was going to get a brand new FWD car.. id buy the mazda mazdaspeed 3. holy shit that thing flies. my cousin has one and ive never been in an FWD car as fun as that one. i do believe the numbers are something like 283 whp// 276 tq.. plus a 6 speed and a tight ass suspension. and i dont think he paid more then 26k for it.

[Joeman892]

mazdaspeed 3 are great, this cobalt is a bit quicker and handles a bit better, but the mazda does have a better fit and finish.

[yacob555]

I'm 20 and no way at 21 would I want a 530.


That's why I got the 540 :redspot

same situation here


holla!!!!!

^^^^^I like the mpars

[TBar]

mazdaspeed 3 are great, this cobalt is a bit quicker and handles a bit better, but the mazda does have a better fit and finish.

yeahh i mean its coupe vs 4 door hachi.. i haul people and music shit around all the time so it would make more sense to go with the mazda. i also like the inteior of the mazda better as you said, doesnt feel as cheap.. plus the 6th gear lol

[dgz32]

Is it just me, or does that wheel look like an M wheel?

BTW, I'm diggin' the car. Interior looks pretty good. Far cry from my sweet '88 Cavalier RS back in the day :shifty

[Orxan4ik]

looks good, needs a drop :buttrock

[Gumbi4u]

Bro as much as I hate to say it, you did good. Today I was the victim of REALITY. I was driving my e46 330i and came upon an acura tl. Long story short he smoked me at around 110. Now I know it was at 110 and we ran out of road but the fact of the matter is that these cars are not keeping up anymore. Chevy or not, at least that will fry many cars on the road.

Im heart broken. This happened a couple of hours ago. Right now Im scouring for something with power. I need more then an m5. This really hit home.

Im being serious.

[Jason5driver]

Bro as much as I hate to say it, you did good. Today I was the victim of REALITY. I was driving my e46 330i and came upon an acura tl. Long story short he smoked me at around 110. Now I know it was at 110 and we ran out of road but the fact of the matter is that these cars are not keeping up anymore. Chevy or not, at least that will fry many cars on the road.

Im heart broken. This happened a couple of hours ago. Right now Im scouring for something with power. I need more then an m5. This really hit home.

Im being serious.

I know exactly what you are talking about...

I had a guy pull-up at my kid's daycare, with an Infiniti M35.
I asked the owner what he thought of the ride.
He replied, that he loved it.
He said that his wife has a BMW, and the Infiniti made the BMW look silly.

Look at the new G37's!
Naturally aspirated at around 330hp!
IMO, BMW better wake-up and look behind their shoulder, or they are going to get stomped on.

[Gumbi4u]

I know exactly what you are talking about...

I had a guy pull-up at my kid's daycare, with an Infiniti M35.
I asked the owner what he thought of the ride.
He replied, that he loved it.
He said that his wife has a BMW, and the Infiniti made the BMW look silly.

Look at the new G37's!
Naturally aspirated at around 330hp!
IMO, BMW better wake-up and look behind their shoulder, or they are going to get stomped on.


Well they came out with the 335's and what not. Thats something to look after and of course the M cars but some of these econo cars are really quick. Even Hyundai sonatas are packing a punch. HYUNDAIS!!!!!!! WTF?

I need to step up the game. I need a quicker car. The search is on.

[Joeman892]

Bro as much as I hate to say it, you did good. Today I was the victim of REALITY. I was driving my e46 330i and came upon an acura tl. Long story short he smoked me at around 110. Now I know it was at 110 and we ran out of road but the fact of the matter is that these cars are not keeping up anymore. Chevy or not, at least that will fry many cars on the road.

Im heart broken. This happened a couple of hours ago. Right now Im scouring for something with power. I need more then an m5. This really hit home.

Im being serious.

Hey thanks man, I appreciate the honesty, and I can reflect back. I know you will find something sickk.. Even tho Im not a Bimmer owner anymore, im sticking with this forum as well. I hope the next thread you post is something along the lines.. "Kill stories" hahaha


Ohhh yeah it needs a drop, and the wheels do look like M-Pars except they fit on 225s haha.

[JackEatsEmoKids]

The car is damn pretty though! I like it! enjoy it and don't get in trouble with it.

[weasel like]

The Cobalt SS is really no joke. I bet in a decade it will be a very highly sought after car for drag and racing.. modifying, etc... a 92-96 Civic Si equivalent.

Congrats on the purchase, you'll have fun with it.