C&D showed us that the MS3 is quicker than the Cobalt SS. I think a lot of the early SS tests were with "ringer" cars. C&D does not allow that.
Sadly, in the very same issue of January 2009 C&D, the same editors that had the MS3 mopping up all the other cars including not only the SS but also the GTI (which came in a distant second and lost to the MS3 in almost every category), ended up giving the dog slow GTI the nod over the MS3 for listing in the annual "Ten Best." The MS3 had been in 10 Best each of the two previous years.
That's BS not to list it again and we ought to let those jokers know that they can't sell the GTI as one of the 10 Best when the MS3 clobbered it in just about every category except for exhaust sound level. So, now quiet is better than zoom? The friggin GTI is 28 mph slower, gets worse gas mileage, stops slower, has lower skid pad and lane change speed, and is much slower in the quarter. WTF?