With roughly 40 cars in the compact car category, you’ve clearly got a lot of choices. Surprisingly, even though names like Civic and Corolla probably come more readily to mind, one of the top five best sellers is consistently the Chevrolet Cobalt – which occasionally sells even more in a month than the Ford Focus, one of its closest competitors.

At just over $14,000, price and affordability are the Cobalt’s calling cards. The appeal of this car is further enhanced with standard OnStar and USB port and Bluetooth options. For strong performance, consider the SS model, with its 260 horsepower engine. Or, if fuel economy is your goal, you might want to consider the XFE package, which offers a modified engine computer, a manual transmission, and tires designed to offer low rolling resistance.

However, if you want fuel economy, you can get the same results from the Honda Civic and the Mazda 3, but with nicer interiors and better quality materials. The Cobalt is adequate, and that’s about the best thing you can say for it. For the same amount of money, you can get a car like the Civic, Elantra, Mazda 3, or the Lancer. These cars are more attractive inside and out, more comfortable, and just a whole lot more fun when it comes to driving.

The ride is smooth in the Cobalt and the power of the engine is adequate, but the suspension is loose and the steering slow – you won’t get a good feel for the road in this car. Those special tires on the XFD model limit cornering ability and mean significantly longer stopping distances. The ride is quiet, but the handling leaves a lot to be desired, unless you choose the SS trim. Here, you get first rate handling and braking and a 0 to 60 interval of 5.7 seconds.

There are two different body styles available on the Chevy Cobalt, a compact sedan and a coupe, and you can choose from the LS, LT and SS trim packages in each. OnStar, air conditioning, a CD/MP3 player with four stereo speakers, tilt steering, satellite radio, and a 60/40 split rear seat are all standard. You also get power accessories, remote door locks, and upgraded front seats with the LT package.

There are some nice options available with the LT package, from power accessories and remote door locks, to traction control wheels, a front spoiler, Bluetooth, a Pioneer sound system, sunroof, and even a remote start feature. You can also get four wheel anti-lock brakes, a cargo net, cruise control, and a leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls. In addition, the SS package brings in a sport-tuned suspension, 18 inch wheels, a turbocharged engine, Brembo front brakes, Bluetooth and an optional limited slip front differential.

Finally, you can choose from two inline four cylinder engine options – a 2.2 liter and a 2.0 liter turbocharged. A five speed manual transmission is standard, with an optional four speed automatic on all models except the SS.

In crash tests, the Cobalt got four stars for protecting its driver and five for protecting its passengers in front end crashes on both body styles. However, the two body styles got different results in side impact testing. The sedan got three stars for front passengers, five for the rear, while the coupe got four stars for the front and rear. Of course, this is assuming the cars come with their standard full length side curtain airbags which may not be available on rental models – keep that in mind if you’re ever renting this car.