New 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt

The 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt is the bowtie-brand’s compact star, and is packed with great features and fuel economy.

Up front is a 155-horsepower, 2.2-liter inline-four or a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. Power is transmitted through either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Fuel economy is quite impressive with 24-25 mpg city and 33-37 mpg highway – that bests the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, and Nissan Sentra, among others.

LS, LT, and XFE models come in coupe and sedan configuration and seat five. 13.9 cubic feet of cargo room out back is better than most compact car offerings, and occupant room is mostly competitive. The XFE model is pretty basic with cloth seats and no air conditioning or power door locks, but has perhaps the most important feature of all: an unbeatable price tag. It also lacks traction control, but does come with a CD player and XM Satellite Radio.

The LS model includes air conditioning and air filtration. Antilock brakes and a traction control system are optional. The Cobalt features list takes a big step up with the LT model, as seat coverings are upgraded to a premium material and sunroof comes optional. Remote power door locks are standard, while a navigation system and an upgraded stereo are on the options list. For the final touch, you can add leather to the steering wheel and shift knob.

In NHTSA crash tests, the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt coupe received Four- and Five-Star impact ratings; the sedan received Four-and Five-Star ratings, except for a Three-Star rating on the driver’s side. While the antilock brake and traction control systems are not standard, they are an easy addition considering the Cobalt’s superior base price within the compact car segment.

When your priority is affordable, highly fuel efficient transportation, the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt really can’t be beat. Up to 37 miles per gallon on the highway make this as fuel efficient as some hybrid vehicles, but without the hybrid price.