Car and Driver reviews the (pre-production) 2012 Sonic

[Daox]

It seems like they really like it too. They even took it out on the track and compared it to a few other vehicles:

The Sonic’s turbo pulls well above 3000 rpm; there is noticeable lag at lower engine speeds despite a low torque peak of 1850 rpm. Still, it’s a strong, smooth engine. This is not the second coming of the Volkswagen GTI, but the Sonic turbo injects some serious fun in a segment that usually puts performance on the back-burner. Chevrolet had a Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta on hand for comparison, and the Sonic held up well. In terms of lap time, all of the drivers present went almost two seconds quicker in the Sonic than the next-fastest Fit, but some of that is surely due to superior acceleration at higher speeds. The Honda, which is geared shorter, feels better at low engine speeds. And the Ford offers less body roll. But the Sonic looks like it will acquit itself nicely against the Fit and Fiesta, as well as the Mazda 2. The Chevy’s steering is light and reacts quickly on turn-in. Handling eventually gives way to understeer (the Honda can be tossed around more), but up to the limit the Sonic is responsive and behaves predictably even under trail braking. We’d like a little more feel in the shift lever, but it’s acceptable for this price point.

Of course, they have to say something bad about the car...

The Sonic is an economy car, which means sacrifices in creature comforts. The rear seats don’t have an armrest or cup holders, but they are acceptably habitable even behind a six-plus-footer in driving position.

What ever would we do without cupholders in the rear seats?!?




2012 Chevrolet Sonic First Drive

[MoneyMike]

I've never used the armrest in the backseat a car (exluding minivans) if it had one before. Not even on long road trips with my parents. The cup holder is a bit of a different story, but I could manage without one if need be.

But if I get the money, I would buy this thing in a heartbeat and mod the holy crap out of it, performance wise first. Would be a pretty nice & fun first project car. I'd keep my Aveo because I love it, and it'd be my main car while I'd work on the Sonic.

[RiderOnTheStorm]

I think it's lines are awesome! And I struggle to trust some of those reviews. While often they are on point, I think there are biases, IMO, against GM.

For example, the reviews for this car were not so great, but some of the frustrating points, like the horn, is similar to Hondas and Mercedes. I guess they forgot to mention how terrible that was on those cars...???

I think what is most important in an ECONOMY CAR is two things - price point and gas mileage. The Aveo's starting price of 13k makes it a good bargain car. If the mileage is good with the Sonic and the price is fairly equitable, I think I found my next car.

[RoRo]

I'm not sure about the front end any more. I guess I could get used to the look of the speedometer/tach. The stereo looks like it will be a pain to swap in an aftermarket head unit in. I'm sure crutchfield or someone will come up with a kit. Lastly, I'm sure the turbo version of this will be closer to $20K then I want it to be.