GM Lordstown says Consumer Reports' off-base

Consumer Reports’ below-average ranking of the Chevrolet Cobalt is based on old tests and not reflective of current models, General Motors said.

The magazine ranks the Chevrolet Cobalt 11th out of 16 small cars with automatic transmissions in a publication distributed to the media this week.

The Lordstown-built car was not among the eight small cars listed as recommended buys in Consumer Reports’ Winter/Spring 2007 Superchart. The information was released ahead of its annual auto issue, due out March 6.

The Cobalt ranking was based on the magazine’s performance tests done in 2005, so it doesn’t reflect improvements to the car since then, said Janine Froehan, a spokeswoman for General Motors on quality issues. The car was launched in fall 2004.

Since the magazine’s test, the Lordstown plant has added a new paint shop, which has improved the finish quality and reduced noise by improving the sealing of the car’s body, Froehan said.

She said new options added for 2007 models included a remote start and upgraded radio.

She also noted that the magazine’s quality rankings are a three-year average.

GM’s internal monitoring show that the car improved significantly in reliability and performance, she said.

“Is the car where it needs to be? No. But we are making improvements, and they are significant,” she said.

Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112, said the magazine’s ranking doesn’t fit with research being conducted at the Lordstown plant over the past month.