Good morning! Today we’re looking at two sporty-ish coupes that are so brightly colored, they’re practically visible from space. Lovers of beige and silver, avert your eyes; today is all about color.
The results of yesterday‘s Fox-body double feature surprised me. Not so much that the chance to own both of these FoMoCo classics didn’t appeal to more of you, but the fact that the cop-movie stakeout-mobile LTD took such a decisive win. The combo platter was a distant second, and even fewer of you wanted the Cougar by itself.
For me, I think it would come down to an undercarriage inspection. If the Cougar is still structurally sound underneath, then I’d fix the brakes, clean it up, and enjoy it. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, and while I prefer the Thunderbird’s fastback style to the bolt-upright rear window on the Cougar, you can’t see the styling from the driver’s seat. I’m afraid the LTD would just make me sad as it is, and as intriguing as the drivetrain swap sounds, I know me, and I know I’d never get around to actually doing it.
Today’s choices were inspired by two recent trips to the store. On one occasion, I was driving my old Chevy truck, resplendent in Forest Service Green – a color designed to stick out like a sore thumb. This made it easy to spot from across a Lowe’s parking lot. Not long after, I took my metallic-black Chrysler 300 to Target, and went down the wrong aisle looking for it when I came out. It just disappeared into a sea of dark-colored cars all parked in the vicinity. I finally found it when I spotted my bright orange Opposite Lock sticker in the window from two rows over.
These two, you could easily spot in a big-box parking lot. Of course, then you’d have to be seen driving off in one of them. It’s a trade-off.
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt LS – $2,995
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Longwood, FL
Odometer reading: 113,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Yep–another GM economy car. What can I say? They have treated me pretty well over the years, and they have an underdog quality that I like. They’re plucky. And to GM’s credit, they really did get better from generation to generation. Yes, I know, the Cobalt was recalled a whole bunch of times for a whole bunch of reasons, but that’s all water under the bridge now. Right?
This isn’t the pocket-rocket Cobalt SS; it’s just a basic LS model, with a 2.2 liter Ecotec four-cylinder and a five-speed stick. It has only 113,000 miles on it, and the seller says it runs like a top. It’s being sold by a dealer, so we don’t have any history for it, but you could look up the VIN and at least make sure all the recalls have been done. One photo of the dash shows the car running, however, and I regret to inform you that both the check engine and the airbag warning lights are on. That will require some explanation.
It’s nice and clean inside, with no obvious wear and tear, and no weird stains. One of the advantages of a base model like this is that there isn’t much to go wrong; typically on a used car you have to worry about broken power gadgets, but this one doesn’t have any. The seller says the air conditioning works well, though.
The outside is in good shape, and oh so very yellow. There are a couple of blemishes, including a pretty good crack in the front lip, but for the price, it’s not worth worrying about.
2007 Ford Mustang “HEAT Limited Edition” – $4,200
Engine/drivetrain: 4.0 liter overhead cam V6, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Boynton Beach, FL
Odometer reading: 220,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Even almost twenty years later, I still can’t decide whether I like these retro-styled fifth-generation Mustangs or not. I think Ford did a good job of updating the old ’60s fastback style, but it’s also a little like a decades-old band still playing the same five hits: all it does is remind you how cool they used to be.
This is one of many special editions of the Mustang, one that I’ve not seen before. I’m assuming from the location that it’s a tie-in to the Miami Heat basketball team. The seller says it was built by Roush Performance, but I didn’t know Roush ever did any V6 Mustangs. As far as I can tell, it’s just a body kit and some special paint. Weirdly, it looks like this car started out yellow. The door sills have been painted, but the underhood area has not.
Under that hood is the overhead-cam version of Ford’s Cologne V6, which puts out 210 horsepower to the rear axle through a five-speed manual. This one has a lot of miles on it, but these are generally pretty reliable engines. They do have a truly bizarre timing chain arrangement, which sometimes causes problems, but otherwise they’re stout. It runs and drives great, according to the seller.
Inside, it looks like a Mustang with over 200,000 miles on it. A couple of seams are popped on the driver’s seat, and it’s sort of disheveled-looking. It may have started out as some special edition, but now it’s just a used Mustang.
Yeah, I know–they’re both kind of crap. But at least they’re colorful crap. And what were you expecting, good cars? Nope. Maybe tomorrow. Today, you must choose between the GM econobox and the cheesy Mustang.
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
I kind of like both, but the Cobalt is cheaper and in better overall shape. The Ecotec is solid – had one in a manual Saturn VUE and it was trouble free and pretty peppy. But the Mustang isn’t bad either. The V6 and stick is more fun as a daily driver than the hot rod V8 anyway – driving a fast car slow isn’t that fun. I wish I could see the codes the Cobalt is throwing, but parts are cheap anyway.
id buy that cobalt in a heartbeat. i miss mine. i had an 05 base manual coupe that was only 13.1k new. i got over 40mpg and drove it 207k miles into the ground in a little over 7 years. then i blew the motor because i didnt put oil in it for 14k miles. i still had the factory brake pads/discs and clutch. only other problem i had was a ignition coil around 105k miles.
Those Cobalts will outlive us all. They just don’t break.
I had that spec (and year) of one, though mine had the automatic. In my two years of ownership, the only thing that ever went wrong was the 76 cent clip that held the window crank on.
Those seats were also *insanely* comfortable
Gotta go w/ the (manual!) Cobalt since my wife and I used to have one (w/ automatic) and it was ok (besides all the recalls!) and the other car is a Fix Or Repair Daily ugly generation Mustang
On the Cobalt the oil filter is directly behind the dipstick in the pic…I still have the huge socket that goes on that rubber cap and the filter attaches to that inside; it’s only the paper part of a regular filter…there’s no outer shell
I actually would have considered the Cobalt if not for the warning lights on the dash. A friend’s last car was a red G5 coupe with the same drivetrain, the stupid Cobalt SS-style trunk wing, and its steelies rattle-canned white; apart from a rubber bushing in the shift linkage giving up and the clutch being stupidly heavy, it wasn’t a bad car apart from the northern New England rust.
I actually love the color of the Mustang, though (hey, I grew up in a Tobago Green ’95 Contour) and it’s a five-speed too. I’ll roll the dice on needing to deal with/expensively farm out timing chain repairs and/or a new clutch down the road over getting that Cobalt safe enough to pass a legitimate inspection. (Edit: Yes, I know Florida doesn’t have those, but we do, and I’d at least like to have apparently-working airbags if I have to drive through half of Florida and then most of the rest of the East Coast to get it home.)
That’s not paint under the Mustang hood, that’s yellow primer. That means the car won’t rust. I’ll take the Cobalt. It’s clean and a safer bet by 100,000 miles.
I like the idea of a turquioise Mustang but this time I just can’t. If it was cheaper, then that but now I have to choose the Cobalt. I would never touch either if I wasn’t in very dire situation like stranded in a banjo playing village middle of the desert and only way out before the hurricane carrying seawater and sharks arrives would be buying a car, I would choose the Cobalt. It would be less of a loss to get rid of after all.
I really really don’t want that Mustang. Really don’t. But it’s up against a Cobalt and rules are rules so Mustang it is.
Looks like I’m walking this week.
Since you made this about colour, I’m voting on that alone. Yellow it is. Turquoise stood a chance before I saw it was a respray.
However, I’m just going to grab my yellow hiking shoes and avoid the CEL and Airbag lights.
No SS, no sale. I drove from Toronto to Miami in a Cavalier and it was misery.
Sea foam green pony car, please.
I seriously considered buying a new Cobalt EXACTLY like this. A yellow LS coupe, with a 5-speed manual. The dealer had so much cash on the hood, they only wanted $13k for that car brand new. Unfortunately, I had to choose the Mustang today, for the same reason I didn’t buy the new one. As a wide fellow, 2nd gear jams the shifter into my hip.
CEL on the Chevy? Not surprising, but also moves it to the “No” column.
I have driven a very similar mustang that some ex’s Grand parents. it was very agricultural feeling, surprisingly terrible turning radius and overall very cramped inside. I don’t know that the Cobalt would be all that different to be honest, but FWD for winter and the manual trans, both make me have to swing that way this time.
I will forever have a hatred for the Cobalt. Some stupid guy drives up and down the road with a black Cobalt that has one of the worst fart can exhausts I have ever heard.
Mustang for me!
That Ecotec + 5 speed is a rock solid powertrains. Gimme the cheap Cobalt
I hoped the Heat edition was a movie tie-in
As someone currently dealing with the silly timing chain arrangement of Ford’s 4.0L V6 in an Explorer, I vote the Cobalt out of spite. I’d never willingly buy a Cobalt that isn’t an SS, and even then I’d probably not buy one, but trying to replace the timing chain guides on the rear timing chain of the 4.0L has me very frustrated even though I otherwise generally like the engine quite a bit.
Neither.. gross.
I think I can responsibly pilot a Mustang from a C&C: I voted turquoise