Perhaps the fairest description of the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt is that it pleasantly surprises.

I was prepared not to like this car, which the automotive press has batted about like a kitten playing with a ball of catnip, but came away impressed at how well it drives and and how far it goes on a tank of gas.

The complaints of my cohort were many: Not as refined or stylish as estimable competitors that include the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Mazda 3; uncomfortable seats, cheap materials.

To be sure, automotive writers rave about the high-performance $22,000...