25/09/2008 02:20. The Chevy Cobalt sedan starts at $15,010, and our lightly optioned test car came with precious few add-ons—such as ABS ($400), a spare tire and wheel ($75), floor mats and body color-moldings ($180) and a destination charge ($660). The grand total ($16,325) makes our XFE $250 more than the cheapest Honda Civic you can buy.

The XFE package consists of 15-in. wheels when ordered with a manual transmission. Though premium LT trim can be had with the XFE package, our test car was a base LS—stripped of amenities like power windows and power door locks. Incidentally, LTs are slightly heavier, yet have essentially the same performance and fuel economy as LS models.

The Cobalt XFE is unassuming on the outside and spartan on the inside. Hard plastic blankets everything from the doors to... // Popular Mechanics