Oh don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be in something new. And it does look cute and I like the handling. But boy, I can't help thinking in the back of my mind that this car looks and feels somewhat like an updated Chevy Chevette.In case you don't remember, the Chevy Chevette came out as a result of the demand for small, more fuel efficient cars after the energy crisis of the 1970's. People were buying smaller cars in droves, shucking their land yachts like Olds Delta 88s and Lincoln Continentals for Toyota Corollas, Ford Escorts and, yes, the Chevy Chevettes.
I remember when I first got in one I thought it was so cute and what I considered futuristic. When I was looking for a newer car in the mid eighties after coming into my trust fund inheritance (no I wasn't a rich kid, far from it, the trust fund amounted to just over $8,000...not a fortune by any means) I looked for an affordable used Chevette to purchase but found a cute, sporty-looking Escort instead. (You read about what happened to that in the previous post.)
But the Chevette was much-maligned if I recall. One of the smallest of the new trend in sub-compact cars, it was ridiculed by big car lovers as being nothing more than an annoying gnat on the road. Even small car enthusiasts were disappointed though, as the reviews of the day corroborate; it was cheap-looking, poorly-constructed and designed, unreliable and unsafe.
But this is a new era for small cars and for the "Big 3", especially GM, they can't afford to continue their bad reputation for poor quality, so we see cars like my new one being more than just an afterthought for the cheap car market.
It's a 2007 Chevy Cobalt and, according to several reviews, garners good to above average ratings for performance, fuel economy and styling for the class. The price was right too.
This one has 30,000 miles so that lowered the price compared to a brand-new one and it has a no-frills feature package. No power windows, locks and keyless entry like the Buick. Good bye luxury amenities! And, needless to say, it's much, much smaller.
But despite my large frame, I fit in it fine and I love the handling of a small car. Always have. What a pleasure to shift lanes and park in this compared to the Buick, or especially, the Chrysler 300!
How do I feel about carrying a car bill again? Eh, it's a better alternative to getting a beater with the $5000 I had to spend and getting stuck with a costly and frustrating lemon. C'mon, read the previous post for my experiences with crap cars and you'll see why I cow-towed to the Finance Man. My interest rate stinks, but, that's my poor credit rating. At least I got a 36 month loan as opposed to a 4 or 5 year one which would escalate the overall interest payments even further.
Still under a generous bumper-to-bumper warranty, and with my driving habits will continue to be under that protection for at least another year. The drivetrain is covered for 2 more years beyond that. Peace of mind is a good thing!
Well, it's lunch time and I think I'll take 'er for a little spin. I named her "Nugget", like golden nugget.
Hopefully, she won't turn out to be "fool's gold" like its progenitor the Chevette.