While picking up my wife's new '08 Malibu LTZ yesterday, I thought I would try out a new Victory Red SS with the auto tranny. Normally I always drive a manual but the 2 SS's the dealer had in stock were both autos. I was really disappointed in the acceleration and was quite frankly shocked it wasn't any faster. I don't mean to ruffle any feathers but my wife's new LTZ would have spanked the SS. As far as that goes, I drive an '06 2LT 5 speed with an after market intake, muffler, swaybar, and a reflashed ECM and I guarantee you I could give the SS I drove a run for the money. I know the 5 speed SS has more ponies available and I would like to drive one of those also. I was thinking about selling my '06 and buying a SS when the brake option becomes available but I am having serious thoughts about that now. Based on driving the SS and the LTZ back to back I think Chevy should have used the LTZ's 3.6 V6 and 6 speed auto w/paddle shifters in the SS as their preferred drivetrain and then offer the manual tranny with that engine for people like me that like to shift gears.

 

Something must have been wrong with the SS you drove.

 

since the auto only has 235 HP in 1st and 2nd gear and only gets 250 in 3rd and 4th gears.. you know the manual gets all 260 HP. So that means there is quite a bit of difference in the zero to sixty time. Something like 4 tenths different.

I would think then, the manual will be plenty spunky enough for ya.

 

IIRC the 5-spd is like 1.2 seconds faster 0-60, not just a couple tenths. could be wrong, but i think it's like 6.2 vs 7.4 or something like that.

 

That`s about right I read 6.3 and 7.5 just leave the new Cobalt SS 5 speed alone 0-60 is 5.7

 

Pretty close.... But I think it's....

SS auto 7.5
SS manual 6.3

2.4 manual 7.9, so, you probably didn't notice all that much since you have added a fiew items including a tuned PCM.

 

oops....

 

I test drove both an Automatic and a Stick SS last Week and to me both are very Quick......I liked the auto because I thought it was smoother......
I was not really happy with the stick car because I didn't like the shifter much.....Clutch is nice though! I want to drive another Stick car though because it may have just been that car......I do however, not like the No armrest/console on the stick cars

 

I too test drove an auto it felt fine to me but maybe i ned to drive a stick

 

If the 0-60 time for the Auto is in the mid 7 range my wife's new Malibu will most definitely spank it. Road and Track magazine did a road test in the March '08 mag and the Malibu LTZ turned a 6.0 0-60 and a 14.6 @ 96.6 MPH 1/4 mile. Also I stand by my earlier statement about my '06 mildly modified 2LT. I'm not saying that I would beat the SS auto but I 'll bet you it would be close enough to cause some sweating by an SS owner. Also, if someone didn't know how to drive the SS I'll bet I'd get them.