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.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Cruze 

              The Chevrolet Cruze is a new car to Chevy’s line up. It replaces the Aveo this year and with the new name it can set up its own reputation.

 Styling 

              The Cruze is a very handsome car. It has a bold front end with a grill split by the Chevy bow tie and decently sized head lamps. The tail has a chrome strip in between perfectly shaped tail lights. All in all this car makes statements that I usually don't hearing from this American car company. The Inside of the Cruze is also very well done. The screen is nice and high and the layout is relatively simple. There are a lot of plastics but that is what you should expect in this class.

Trims

The Cruze has a total of four trims. The base trim is the LS and then you have 1LT, 2LT, and the LTZ. Then they have an ECO trim which is a super fuel efficient engine.

Power-Train

The Cruze has two engines. There is the 1.8 liter I-4 that gives you 138-hp and 123 foot pound of torque and the 1.4L turbocharged the has 138-hp with 148 foot pounds of torque. Technology

My Chevy Cruze tester did not have a navigation but it did come standard with the On-Star system which is pretty cool I guess, but in my opinion nothing compares to the nav screen but if you can’t afford the nav screen On-Star works great. Without the nav screen you get a smaller screen that gives you simple outputs on what station you are on, volume, and other basic things. If you would like to know what I think about Chevy’s navigation system stay tuned for the next Chevy review or the review of the system its-self

Driving Aspects

My favorite part of this car is how it drives. The steering is perfect for me it's not too stiff but not too loose. Chevy seemed to master the evenness of the steering. The feel of the pedals are great as well. When I think of American car companies I think of very weak pedals but this car quickly whipped that thought out of my mind. Seating on the driver’s side is great. The reclining lever is pretty far back and for someone who is getting in this car for the first time will probably have troubles finding it, but when you put your seat into position few times finding the lever will become second nature. For some reason Chevy like to have curved mirrors which I don’t like

because it enhances your blind spot. If you are going to cut off parts of the mirror they should cut it were it is not needed and in my opinion that means don’t cut it at all. 

Purchasing 

I am pleased to hear that you have decided that the Chevy Cruze is the car that you want. Well if I was you I would go with the middle trim level 2LT or the Eco. Then I would add he audio with navigation it’s a good price and even if you never use the navigation it still makes other features in the car easier to use. I would also go with the well price sunroof and stop the add-ons right there. Now be warned that when you get on the lot there will be some Cruzes that stand out more than others because of little chrome placed in perfect places. But don’t be fooled by the shine make sure you watch your price; I would never spend more than $22,800 on this car with navigation and sunroof.