Just a few of the major publications... I wonder which ones you were reading.
Wow... you really went through a lot of trouble... hope it was worth it.
http://www.caranddriver.com/previews/8207/2005-chevrolet-cobalt.htmlone more universal small sedan, but the interior is a mini-Lexus in its shapes, tones, and textures.
Dude... you serious? This article came out in 2004 and is a 'preview'. more on that later...
http://www.caranddriver.com/previews/9020/chevrolet-cobalt-ss-supercharged.htmlAs it happens, it's astoundingly goodan Olympic long jump for GM, from dead last to the head of the class, right up front with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. You may have already gleaned that from our first Cobalt preview last July. We alluded to superb interior trim that mimics a Volkswagen's; the fancy hydroelastic rear-suspension bushings that pacify the ride (and cost GM $30 extra per car, according to vice-chairman Bob Lutz); a cabin soundproofed to luxury-car stillness by multiple door seals, molded acoustic pads, and 37 pounds of laminated "quiet steel"; and the Euro-'spensive Continental and Pirelli tires.
Same thing here... just a year newer and the article is actually focused on the SS model
The car has the looks, but given the choices sport compact buyers have, how does it drive?
Quite well, as it turns out. As we said, if you're a Cavalier owner the Cobalt will blow you away. It's a huge step forward. The chassis rigidity of the international Delta platform (also shared with that exciting new Saturn Astra) is leagues above the J-Body, and gives the car a nice, tight feeling. For the Cobalt application, the Delta underpinnings come alive; it seems perfectly suited to its sporty demeanor. People often talk about rigid structures as a vital starting point to tuning the car dynamically, and the Cobalt SS doesn't disappoint. Not only does it have a solid feel, but you feel just as confident tracking straight and true on the highway as you would on a twisty back road.
A decent article... from a decent publication. but let's get back to the point here. nobody's faulting its performance capabilities or chassis rigidity. the argument was based on its low rent interior and shoddy build quality. show me what part of the quote you pasted above addresses this.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...cobalt_ss_supercharged/steering_interior.html
Inside, standard leather seats, an A-pillar boost gauge, Pioneer seven-speaker stereo, and leather-wrapped shifter are pleasant surprises. And the optional Recaro seats are among the best at balancing sporty firmness and long-distance comfort.
This one takes the cake... funny how you left the last sentence of the quote above off.
Maybe it's because the actual paragraph reads...
Inside, standard leather seats, an A-pillar boost gauge, Pioneer seven-speaker stereo, and leather-wrapped shifter are pleasant surprises. And the optional Recaro seats are among the best at balancing sporty firmness and long-distance comfort.
But interior plastic, though better than Cavaliers of old, is hard and hollow and has a way to go to match lofty Japanese car standards.
Anyway... nice try but that was rather weak.
The thing about 'previews' is that (contrary to what some people infer) they're not actually reviews. At best, the writers spend a minimal amount of time in and around the vehicle while the PR guy/gal from the mfg chirps in their ear. At worst... they merely echo the sentiments of the mfg thus making it nothing more than a psuedo-advertisment... usually ending the (all too glowing) article with "while things seem promising, we'll hold out our final judgement until after a full review."
Regardless of that... here's one of the articles I was referring to.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=117762
It goes from worst to best... so you won't have to scroll long to find the Cobalt. (it finished in last place) The MS3 on the other hand... yeah, it was 1st.
Here's a portion of the article... note, I didn't chop it up to make my case.
"Unfortunately, there's still a lot of the worst of GM in the Cobalt SS Supercharged. This short-coupled coupe offers the least usable passenger package in the group, and its interior materials (aside from the Recaro seats) are far below the quality level set by the other contenders. The double-throwdown, combat-style rear wing just shows you that a styling clich can't disguise a weak people package. Add it all up and despite the Chevy's encouraging performance, it lacks the refinement and utility necessary to compete here."
