2012 Chevy Sonic

Chevy Sonic

The Chevrolet Sonic is all new to Chevy, the only relations it has with the Chevy Aveo is putting it out of its misery. The Aveo had a bad rep of being cheap and good for nothing but a rental car. So let’s see if the brand new Chevy Sonic can get the nightmare of the Aveo out of our heads.

Styling

I like the look of the Sonic. It has an aggressive look and in my opinion comes in second in its class to looks. I like the two large grilles and how they match so perfectly with the headlights, and the headlights are greatly complemented by the perfectly sculpted hood. I am not a big fan of hatchbacks but this car in hatchback form is decent but you still won’t find one in my drive way. The sedan on the other hand looks awesome from the back but I feel like this car still has an Aveo look, and if you are going to keep the look it doesn’t make much since to change the name. The inside is very basic but nice. There are tons of hard plastics but if you check the others in this class that is all you’ll see.  The placement of buttons is wonderful but there is not an available nav and as we all know I think every interior looks better with a screen.

Trims

The sonic has a lot of trims, so many that it could make your head spin so I will break them down a little more than I usually do. They have the 1LS and the 2LS, the only difference is the 1 is manual and the 2 is automatic, the rest of the standard features are the same. The next step up is the 1LT and 2LT, and again the only difference is 1 equals manual and 2 equals automatic. I do not know why they do not just let you option the automatic on but anyway they do the same thing on the next level up the 1LZ and 2LZ.  Every trim on this car has a manual version and ten airbags which by the way is a lot for such a tiny car.

Power-Train

There are two available engines on the Sonic. There is I-4 1.8 liter which gives you 138hp and 125 ft-lb of torque. The real story is the I-4 1.4 liter which gives 138hp and 148 ft-lb of torque which gets this little car moving.

Technology

            There really isn’t much of a Tech story in the Sonic which shouldn’t be a surprise because there aren’t many cars in this class that come with nav or “higher end” items. This car does have options that are essential like Bluetooth and with the OnStar you can get there, in my opinion fake, navigation. If you are going to use OnStar you might as well call the person whose house you going to and ask them to give you directions. The Sonic has AUX and USB connections available and all you basic needs.

Driving Aspects

            This car just like the Cruse tricked me and made me look crazy trying to figure out how to move the seats around, I figured it out and it was very easy to find my driving position. It took me a while to get use to how small this car was. I thought I looked stupid trying to park my car in the middle of the spot and ending up too far up or too far back. There are all little things that you will get use to when own the car. Steering this car around town was great. I never felt like there wasn’t a U-turn that I couldn’t take. My tester did not have the turbo charged but the little engine that it did have tried its hardest to get the job done. I did find myself wishing it had more power on the ramp but stopping came easy and quick. The pedal feel is nice and the breaks are sensitive like I like them.

Purchasing
So you decide that the Sonic is for you or your newly driving teen. I would suggest getting the LT trim. I would also add The Connectivity Plus Cruise Package it is a great price and it comes with the safety of Bluetooth. If you are on a tight budget then drop that package and just get the Eco Tech engine, it is a great engine, but if you can afford both then you should go for it.