Stylistically, we take issue with the Cobalt’s excessive front overhang and the tiny little 15-inch wheels on base and LS models. The small wheels make the Cobalt look cheap, like a rental car, and the distance between the front tires and the Cobalt’s nose is not proportional to what’s happening at the rear of the car, where the wheels are pushed out toward the back bumper. The Cobalt is better balanced than a Pontiac G6, but isn’t as well proportioned as it could be.

Like the interior, the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt’s exterior quality deserves praise. Panel gaps are almost impossibly tight, like a Honda Accord. And despite the fact that our test Cobalt exhibited a sloppy joint where the front left fender, windshield pillar and door skin met, the outside was almost as impressively assembled as the interior.

Pictured above is the Cobalt LT, with larger brushed aluminum wheels, fog lights, and additional chrome exterior trim. It’s amazing what a few little surface details can do for a car.