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2012 Chevy Sonic Philadelphia

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2012 Chevy Sonic Overview

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic comes standard with 10 airbags, including seat-mounted thorax side-impact, head curtain and knee airbags. Other nice touches not often found standard on a sub-$15K car include a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and 60/40 folding rear seats. The Sonic standard will get you extras like a sunroof, heated seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Those who drive hilly terrain need not fear, as Sonic comes standard with a hill-hold feature on both transmissions (especially welcome on the manual gearbox). When the driver is stopped and releases the brake pedal, the brakes electronically hold the car in place for two seconds, thanks to a sensor that detects the tilt of the body when the car is stopped on a slope.

2012 Chevy Sonic Lineup

Sonic LTX sedan and LTZ hatchback upgrade with leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, wheel-mounted audio controls, a connectivity package with USB port and Bluetooth phone and music connectivity, fog lights, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Select features that come standard on the LTX are available on lower trim levels.

Sonic LT sedan and Sonic LT hatchback add upgraded cloth upholstery, heated outside power mirrors, power windows, rear floor mats, and a six-speaker premium sound system with CD player and satellite radio capability. Options include a connectivity package with USB, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control, and 16-inch wheels with fog lamps.

The Sonic LS sedan and Sonic LS hatchback come with cloth upholstery, manually adjustable seats, trip computer, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, 60/40 split folding rear seat, OnStar telematics service and a four-speaker, AM/FM stereo system with auxiliary jack, a roof spoiler, front floor mats, remote keyless entry, power door locks, 15-inch forged alloy wheels. All hatchback models come standard with rear washer and wiper.

Interior of the 2012 Chevy Sonic

Cargo space tops out at an average 14 cubic-feet for the sedan and a decent 19 cubic feet for the hatchback. A shelf in the rear of the hatch stows away for tall items and is completely removable for more space when the 60/40 folding rear seats are down, for a total of 30.7 cubic feet. In the rear, there is enough headroom and legroom, even for taller passengers. The cloth seats are comfortable and are easily adjustable. We especially like the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, which is often tough to get as standard equipment on more luxurious cars. Dash and trim materials (mostly plastics) are attractive and the colors and textures are well-executed.

Handling of the 2012 Chevy Sonic

Steering was surprisingly responsive. While the Sonic lacks the go-kart handling of a Mini Cooper Clubman, it offers enough sportiness to feel engaged on the road. The suspension was compliant enough to handle bumps and railroad tracks, yet still firm enough to let us round corners with minimal body roll.The Chevrolet Sonic delivers spritely acceleration performance with the standard 1.8-liter engine. Power from the 1.8-liter engine is sufficient off the line, but we found throttle tip-in to be overly sensitive and that made for jumpy standing starts until we got used to it. Braking is responsive; the pedal bites down quickly enough for those who like instant feedback, but is perhaps a little too bitey for those who like a more progressive pedal feel.

Conclusion

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a peppy, well-executed subcompact car with lots of standard features and surprisingly good performance at a reasonable price. We think the new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is one of the segment's top picks, with it's winning combination of Comfort and power, along with fuel efficiency. You won't be dissappointed.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com