Ride Report - '12 Chevrolet Sonic 2LT Sedan
Jan 7, 2013, 4:13 am
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Ride Report - '12 Chevrolet Sonic 2LT Sedan
On May 10, 1869, the symbolic Golden Spike was driven into the ground at Promontory Summit, connecting the east and the west by rail. A little over 143 and a half years later, I decided to pay the site a visit myself. The spike itself is now at a museum in California, but they still have a nice exhibit at the site itself, not to mention that it's a beautiful area in general. I also found a nice surprise nearby which you'll see in some of the photos. Originally I was offered the Cruze I had back in October, but since I saw the Sonic sitting next to it I asked if I could try that out instead.
http://www.chevrolet.com/2012-sonic-small-car.html
Car Description: 12 SIR SONIC S (2012 Chevrolet Sonic LT w/ Sirius)
Class: YB (Special Compact 4dr)
This sonic was a 2LT trim, with a MSRP of $17,735 (per chevy.com) or $18,170 (per KBB); I got it with 17,217 miles on the clock and in just over 23 hours I took it 243 miles. Another report about the Sonic was written by drzoidberg and is definitely worth a look, although I believe my Sonic was slightly better equipped.
Powertrain: The Sonic comes with the "LUW" GM "Famly 1" Ecotec 1.8L straight 4-cylinder engine. Producing 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, it's just enough of push for this small car, but by no means special, taking it from 0 to 60 mph in a little under 10 seconds. Higher trims come with the turbocharged 1.4L 4-cylinder engine -- these options are actually identical to those of the Cruze. The Sonic also comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission with a fantastic manual mode. Rated at 25 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, I averaged 29.8 mpg with mostly highway driving. I only refilled the tank if I found a good price, since the 12.2-gallon tank was more than large enough.
While the manual mode was very responsive, the rocker switch, mounted on the side of the gear lever, was in an awkward position to reach or hold, especially if you had the armrest down. In its defense, however, I liked that when in manual it would stay in gear down to barely 1,000 RPM.
Ride/Handling: The Sonic shares engines and specs with the Cruze, but on this smaller frame the horsepower gets you going a bit more quickly. It's not very powerful, per se, but it's enough to get you going. The steering wheel was lighter than I would have liked, but then again it really is great for driving around a city with lots of turns. There was the expected body lean in turns, but it's not too bad. Bumps are absorbed well -- good for city streets with potholes. Surprisingly, road noise was decently muted.
Interior: Fully loaded? For an LT trim, I suppose so. Fitted out in a Jet Black/Dark Titanium "deluxe cloth" trim, the manually-adjuusting seats had an interesting design on them and weren't too uncomfortable. The steering wheel was tilt-and-telescopic adjustable but its range was somewhat limited, creating a slightly awkward driving position. The Sonic isn't something I'd want for a very long drive (but of the ECAR/CCAR options, this isn't too bad I guess).
The entertainment control layout is very similar to the Cruze and as such is very functional. Sound quality from the speaker system is pretty poor IMHO but XM sounds better than no XM so I wasn't complaining. The Sonic also came with Bluetooth phone and audio, and I had no trouble pairing my phone with the car.
The Sonic has some unique features. The gauge cluster consists of an RPM dial, but the rest of the information is digital. The air vents are round and resemble jets -- this was all done on purpose, according to Chevrolet, and I like it ^
Remember, it is a small car, and it's definitely noticeable from the inside. This is the smallest car I've ever driven (other than perhaps driving a Hyundai Accent my parents rented a few years back for several minutes). The back seat must be torture if the front seat passengers are tall; taller people I don't think would want to sit in the rear, period. The trunk however is unexpectedly large.
Exterior/Design: It looks awfully small, no matter how you look at it. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you live in a city. The Silver Ice Metallic suited it fine, and worked well with the 15" painted aluminum wheels. It's not very memorable from the outside, but I think it will grow on me as more of these join the fleet and the Aveos (a.k.a. Daewoo Gentra/Kalos) disappear.
Features: The Sonic 2LT comes with quite a bit of stuff off the bat, including a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, automatic headlights, and so on -- stuff you'd expect in a larger car. The Sonic also has the flip-key used on the Cruze. This particular car also came with a front license plate bracket ($15) and the Connectivity Plus Cruise Package, which includes remote start, AM/FM/XM/MP3 radio with USB, auxiliary, CD, and Bluetooth inputs, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and cruise control. Many of these controls are mounted on the steering wheel. FWIW, back in September I was told by a station manager that he had yet to see a Sonic without XM ^
Value: At $14.99 a day, one could do a lot worse. I feel like I got my money's worth. Although a larger car would have been nicer, I was given one initally and voluntarily downgraded.
Summary
PROS:
CONS:
Final Verdict: A great economical CCAR for zipping around town, with nearly all of the features of larger vehicles. It's not the best for longer drives unless fuel economy is the top priority, in which case it's a winner.
However, when I got back to my HLE and the assistant manager asked how I liked it, I told him he was right -- I should've taken the Cruze
I could have done a lot worse, though, and I certainly won't complain if I'm given one of these again.
What I don't understand is why Hertz keeps the Aveo as the CCAR class label, and doesn't change it to this
Photo info: the photos in this report were taken in November at the Golden Spike National Historic Site (as mentioned prior) and at the ATK-Morton Thiokol Rocket Garden in Promontory, Utah.
-J.
http://www.chevrolet.com/2012-sonic-small-car.html
Car Description: 12 SIR SONIC S (2012 Chevrolet Sonic LT w/ Sirius)
Class: YB (Special Compact 4dr)
This sonic was a 2LT trim, with a MSRP of $17,735 (per chevy.com) or $18,170 (per KBB); I got it with 17,217 miles on the clock and in just over 23 hours I took it 243 miles. Another report about the Sonic was written by drzoidberg and is definitely worth a look, although I believe my Sonic was slightly better equipped.
Powertrain: The Sonic comes with the "LUW" GM "Famly 1" Ecotec 1.8L straight 4-cylinder engine. Producing 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, it's just enough of push for this small car, but by no means special, taking it from 0 to 60 mph in a little under 10 seconds. Higher trims come with the turbocharged 1.4L 4-cylinder engine -- these options are actually identical to those of the Cruze. The Sonic also comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission with a fantastic manual mode. Rated at 25 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, I averaged 29.8 mpg with mostly highway driving. I only refilled the tank if I found a good price, since the 12.2-gallon tank was more than large enough.
While the manual mode was very responsive, the rocker switch, mounted on the side of the gear lever, was in an awkward position to reach or hold, especially if you had the armrest down. In its defense, however, I liked that when in manual it would stay in gear down to barely 1,000 RPM.
Ride/Handling: The Sonic shares engines and specs with the Cruze, but on this smaller frame the horsepower gets you going a bit more quickly. It's not very powerful, per se, but it's enough to get you going. The steering wheel was lighter than I would have liked, but then again it really is great for driving around a city with lots of turns. There was the expected body lean in turns, but it's not too bad. Bumps are absorbed well -- good for city streets with potholes. Surprisingly, road noise was decently muted.
Interior: Fully loaded? For an LT trim, I suppose so. Fitted out in a Jet Black/Dark Titanium "deluxe cloth" trim, the manually-adjuusting seats had an interesting design on them and weren't too uncomfortable. The steering wheel was tilt-and-telescopic adjustable but its range was somewhat limited, creating a slightly awkward driving position. The Sonic isn't something I'd want for a very long drive (but of the ECAR/CCAR options, this isn't too bad I guess).
The entertainment control layout is very similar to the Cruze and as such is very functional. Sound quality from the speaker system is pretty poor IMHO but XM sounds better than no XM so I wasn't complaining. The Sonic also came with Bluetooth phone and audio, and I had no trouble pairing my phone with the car.
The Sonic has some unique features. The gauge cluster consists of an RPM dial, but the rest of the information is digital. The air vents are round and resemble jets -- this was all done on purpose, according to Chevrolet, and I like it ^
Remember, it is a small car, and it's definitely noticeable from the inside. This is the smallest car I've ever driven (other than perhaps driving a Hyundai Accent my parents rented a few years back for several minutes). The back seat must be torture if the front seat passengers are tall; taller people I don't think would want to sit in the rear, period. The trunk however is unexpectedly large.
Exterior/Design: It looks awfully small, no matter how you look at it. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you live in a city. The Silver Ice Metallic suited it fine, and worked well with the 15" painted aluminum wheels. It's not very memorable from the outside, but I think it will grow on me as more of these join the fleet and the Aveos (a.k.a. Daewoo Gentra/Kalos) disappear.
Features: The Sonic 2LT comes with quite a bit of stuff off the bat, including a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, automatic headlights, and so on -- stuff you'd expect in a larger car. The Sonic also has the flip-key used on the Cruze. This particular car also came with a front license plate bracket ($15) and the Connectivity Plus Cruise Package, which includes remote start, AM/FM/XM/MP3 radio with USB, auxiliary, CD, and Bluetooth inputs, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and cruise control. Many of these controls are mounted on the steering wheel. FWIW, back in September I was told by a station manager that he had yet to see a Sonic without XM ^
Value: At $14.99 a day, one could do a lot worse. I feel like I got my money's worth. Although a larger car would have been nicer, I was given one initally and voluntarily downgraded.
Summary
- Ecotec 1.8L I-4 engine (138 hp, 125 lb-ft)
- 6-speed automatic transmission w/ manual mode
- 25/35 mpg (regular fuel, 12.2-gal. tank)
- LT trim (mid-level trim) w/ 2LT
PROS:
- Surprisingly comfortable seat
- 6-speed with manual mode
- Excellent fuel economy and driving dynamics
- Loaded with features
- Enough ground clearance to hide a rabbit
CONS:
- Loud 4-banger is loud
- Stereo quality is pretty poor
- Awkward armrest (or perhaps gear lever) positioning
- Embarrassing-sounding horn
- You need to check under the car for rabbits
Final Verdict: A great economical CCAR for zipping around town, with nearly all of the features of larger vehicles. It's not the best for longer drives unless fuel economy is the top priority, in which case it's a winner.
However, when I got back to my HLE and the assistant manager asked how I liked it, I told him he was right -- I should've taken the Cruze
I could have done a lot worse, though, and I certainly won't complain if I'm given one of these again.
What I don't understand is why Hertz keeps the Aveo as the CCAR class label, and doesn't change it to this
Photo info: the photos in this report were taken in November at the Golden Spike National Historic Site (as mentioned prior) and at the ATK-Morton Thiokol Rocket Garden in Promontory, Utah.
-J.
Last edited by GW McLintock; Jan 7, 2013 at 4:48 am
Jan 7, 2013, 3:20 pm
#3
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There have been sightings of hatchbacks at other Hertz locations (DCA and EWR come to mind), but at my HLE that day it was this, the Cruze, or a Mazda3 which they know I'm not interested in.
Today the lot was LOADED (I had to park nose-to-the-garage door it was so full) and I saw what could have been a Sonic hatchback or a sedan with a lot of snow on it, but I think it was indeed a hatchback. The Sonic in my report wasn't there anymore, but I think the Cruze was. And that damn Mazda
-J.
Today the lot was LOADED (I had to park nose-to-the-garage door it was so full) and I saw what could have been a Sonic hatchback or a sedan with a lot of snow on it, but I think it was indeed a hatchback. The Sonic in my report wasn't there anymore, but I think the Cruze was. And that damn Mazda
-J.
Jan 7, 2013, 3:21 pm
#4
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I had an early Sonic Hatchback rental....... report here .
Massive improvement on the deeply dreadful Aveo, for sure.
It beats me why the Aveo went back from being the Group A sample car to Group B. Since seemed to keep the Aveos for a season beyond the natural expiry date, you would have thought they would have become the obivous cheap and nasty bottom of the rung rental vehicle. If a Rio is now Group A, I would far rather have one of those than an Aveo.
Massive improvement on the deeply dreadful Aveo, for sure.
It beats me why the Aveo went back from being the Group A sample car to Group B. Since seemed to keep the Aveos for a season beyond the natural expiry date, you would have thought they would have become the obivous cheap and nasty bottom of the rung rental vehicle. If a Rio is now Group A, I would far rather have one of those than an Aveo.
Last edited by Red Scorpion; Jan 8, 2013 at 2:51 am Reason: Correcting html error
Jan 7, 2013, 3:29 pm
#5
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I had an early Sonic Hatchback rental....... report here.
Massive improvement on the deeply dreadful Aveo, for sure.
It beats me why the Aveo went back from being the Group A sample car to Group B. Since seemed to keep the Aveos for a season beyond the natural expiry date, you would have thought they would have become the obivous cheap and nasty bottom of the rung rental vehicle. If a Rio is now Group A, I would far rather have one of those than an Aveo.
Massive improvement on the deeply dreadful Aveo, for sure.
It beats me why the Aveo went back from being the Group A sample car to Group B. Since seemed to keep the Aveos for a season beyond the natural expiry date, you would have thought they would have become the obivous cheap and nasty bottom of the rung rental vehicle. If a Rio is now Group A, I would far rather have one of those than an Aveo.
I once got a carfirmation text saying I'd get a Camry on an ECAR reservation, and when I saw a Kalos... err, Aveo... coming down the street to pick me up I got so scared! Luckily I did get the Camry. The Aveo looked, sounded, and felt old. Glad I wasn't the one driving it.OTOH, somebody not too long ago (I think it was you!) said the Spark (which is smaller than the Aveo/Sonic) was also a CCAR
To be honest though I didn't see any Aveos at SLC on Saturday, nor did I see any at my HLE today. I did see Sonics though ^-J.
Last edited by GW McLintock; Jan 7, 2013 at 4:44 pm
Jan 7, 2013, 4:35 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 4,396
I had an early Sonic Hatchback rental....... report [url=http://themotor.net/?p=414] here [.url].
Massive improvement on the deeply dreadful Aveo, for sure.
It beats me why the Aveo went back from being the Group A sample car to Group B. Since seemed to keep the Aveos for a season beyond the natural expiry date, you would have thought they would have become the obivous cheap and nasty bottom of the rung rental vehicle. If a Rio is now Group A, I would far rather have one of those than an Aveo.
Massive improvement on the deeply dreadful Aveo, for sure.
It beats me why the Aveo went back from being the Group A sample car to Group B. Since seemed to keep the Aveos for a season beyond the natural expiry date, you would have thought they would have become the obivous cheap and nasty bottom of the rung rental vehicle. If a Rio is now Group A, I would far rather have one of those than an Aveo.
Did either of you have a problem with the low ground clearance of the Sonic?Curses, jzweighaft, for getting a better optioned car than I, haha.
Jan 7, 2013, 4:48 pm
#7
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And did you mean to write "curses" or "cruises" (i.e. cruise control, which came in very handy)?
-J.
Jan 7, 2013, 5:08 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 4,396
Nothing worse than any other cars I've had, but my school's parking lot has an awful driveway and it's tough to get through without scraping something. OTOH I didn't get to ask the rabbit (in the second-to-last photo) what he thought since he got away too quickly. He didn't go under any of the other cars though so I guess it was good enough for him.
And did you mean to write "curses" or "cruises" (i.e. cruise control, which came in very handy)?
-J.
And did you mean to write "curses" or "cruises" (i.e. cruise control, which came in very handy)?
-J.
