Compact sedans are like vanilla ice cream. Utterly unexciting yet one of the most popular flavors, vanilla is available in many variations and at multiple price points to serve a broad cross-section of consumer needs. Take Breyer’s ice cream, for example. All-natural, wholesome vanilla goodness, Breyer’s has no preservatives or additives. It’s clean, simple, and always gets the job done, kinda like a Honda Civic. Then there’s vanilla bean, creamy smooth like a Toyota Corolla. French vanilla adds pizzazz through color and flavor, like a Mazda 3. And then there’s that six-month-old, half-eaten, freezer-burned box of discount-priced, store-brand vanilla that’s been moldering in the fridge since your sister’s 25th birthday party. Think Chevrolet Cavalier.

To distance itself from the stigma of the Cavalier nameplate, General Motors christened its all-new, completely redesigned compact sedan Cobalt. The 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is still plain vanilla, and though Ben & Jerry might sniff their noses at it, Breyer’s wouldn’t hesitate to slap a couple of mint leaves and red script on this new flavor from GM.

Like a Honda Civic, the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is clean, simple, and appears poised to get the job done. There’s nothing exciting about it – we didn’t drive the SS Supercharged model – but there’s nothing seriously wrong with it, either. The sticker price, which appears to be deliberately set high enough to preserve profit after incentives and rebates, is too steep. But assuming that big discounts can be had, the new Cobalt makes a case for itself if pizzazz is a low priority.