Sometimes though, riding in style can be a little hard on the joints. I'll explain. Every Thursday we have a sports night and a group of us get together and you guessed it, play sports. Dodgeball was the game of choice when I had the Cobalt SS. Because I rarely exercise my upper

I enjoyed romping around town in the peppy yellow SS with its 16-valve, DOHC, supercharged 2.0-litre, ECOTEC four-cylinder. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

body, I'm a runner or an elliptical trainer kinda gal, I wasn't used to using those muscles. And what do you know? I was completely sore the next day. I was so sore that I had to use two arms to put the car's short-throw shifting 5-speed manual into reverse. No, I'm not a wimp, I just rarely play dodgeball.

Pain or no pain, I enjoyed romping around town in the peppy yellow SS with its 16-valve, DOHC, supercharged 2.0-litre, ECOTEC four-cylinder. It produces 205-horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 200 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, decent power for a compact car. The chrome-tipped exhaust note isn't too throaty, like the overly aggressive Dodge SRT-4, so it's not attracting unnecessary attention. In fact, the Cobalt SS exhaust system has a nice note when inside the car, but outside it's quite subtle. I think this balance works quite well, because the car itself is anything but.

Other aspects of the Cobalt SS weren't so great. I've already mentioned the lack of rear seat room. I also found that the deck-lid spoiler was directly in my line-of-sight when looking out of the rearview mirror. It's almost like it cut everything in half. Mind you, I sit lower than most drivers

The wingspan was in my way and the rear end is angled up quite high, so visibility out the back was a challenge. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

because, well, I'm not tall, so not all who drove the SS would experience the same vision obstruction. Furthermore, I could barely see where I was going while parallel parking this puppy. Again, the wingspan was in my way and the rear end is angled up quite high, so visibility was a challenge. Of course, I don't think there's a coupe on the market with great rearward visibility.

In the end, I'm glad the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS exceeded my expectations. It would have been hard not to, what with its healthy dose of performance, sporty looking exterior and leather-trimmed cabin. And that engine, in its supercharged glory, and the car's nimble suspension system? It's a winning combination. GM did a good job on this one and should be applauded.