Used 2014 Chevrolet Sonic Consumer Reviews
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LT Hatchback (1.8L auto): All-around Solid
Mr. Geb, 10/18/2015
updated 10/22/2018
2014 Chevrolet Sonic LT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6A)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
Value is always going to be determined by the price you can get any given car at, but this is a solid vehicle I'm happy to have ended up in. I bought used, one year old with low mileage. ----- Pro reviews overstate the Sonic's cons. Notably, it has lower fuel economy than other subcompacts but it's also the heaviest subcompact out there at a sturdy 2700+ pounds curb weight. It's still lighter and more fuel efficient than any compact, so it fits right where it belongs. For me, it was the right balance of fuel economy and "doesn't blow off the road from a stiff gust of wind" peace of mind. ----- The cargo space is a bit horizontally-challenged but enough to hold a regular 6-8 sack load of groceries for one or a couple. There's a surplus of vertical space for tall/stacking objects, if you remove the cargo cover, and the back seats flatten for more room. Acceleration is fine at lower speeds, at higher speeds it's a bit sluggish but not really a big deal. Interior is adequate for an economy vehicle without feeling too cheap: Comfortable cloth seating; lots of hard plastics but really thick and sturdy; the so-called "egg carton" economy headliner has a soft dimpled cloth surface, and perhaps a layer of foam beneath it, that masks any cheap feeling to it. ----- There's but a few other minor gripes I have which are mostly just not in line with my preference, or non-issues that take some getting used to, as would be the case when starting to drive any new vehicle. The only legitimate complaints for me are the low-beam headlights feel angled a bit too low, might be an issue if you're navigating unknown territory, and the rear view is fairly narrow which is just a product of the small vehicle size and hatchback. Power-folding side mirrors would be nice, though. The "passenger" door lock is situated on the driver's side of the center console, making it a pain to access when simply reaching in from the passenger side to grab something before re-exiting the vehicle. ----- No major problems, though. The stock tires are supposedly horrible in snow too, so budgeting to replace them might be a good idea up north. (I wasn't about to personally put them to the test.) It accelerates smoothly, handling is responsive, seating is comfortable and decently spacious, general interior construction feels solid. The instrument cluster is compact and all digital, save the analog tachyometer (RPMs), but gives you all necessary information and then some. Safety ratings are top-notch. ----- After driving it for the past three years at this point, and putting roughly another 25k miles on it, the only repairs I've needed was body damage from a minor accident. Everything has held up well so far with regular maintenance.
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Best bang for buck!
mbro77, 09/30/2014
2014 Chevrolet Sonic LT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6A)
26 of 29 people found this review helpful
This car offers a lot for the $. We shopped around for months. Looked at/considered 1. Ford Fiesta-not impressed by performance, very cramped interior, nice front end, but ugly in back, price not that great. 2. VW Golf- nice car over all but felt very bland/cheap on inside and was a bit bland to drive, and more expensive than our Sonic, but with less features. 3. Toyota Corolla- great new design, very bland and not many features for the price, not spacious interior.4. Hyundai Accent 5-door- we really liked this car, but it seemed very soft and conservative in comparison to Sonic. 5. Nissan Versa- it's advertised as the "cheapest" car in America, the aren't lying. It feels/looks
2014 1.4L Turbo 1LT
tim87114, 10/10/2014
2014 Chevrolet Sonic RS 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
When I started looking for a commuter car, the sonic wasn't even on my radar. I read the mileage posts and the reviews. Well I happened onto this sonic at a dealer who somehow happened to have 2 of the only turbo 6 speed cars in the state. Yes, 1LT is the model, sedan 1.4L turbo with a 6spd. When I took it out on the freeway and hit 52mpg. I knew the turbo was the car to have. I commute 120 miles round trip each day. Solid 44.3mpg with premium gas at 80mph with A/C on. 52mpg at 50mph and A/C on. The 44.3mpg is normal in this car. 38-41 around town in stop and go traffic. Also I have over 10K on my car since july.
7 major repairs under 50,000 miles
JHammer, 10/25/2019
2014 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
This has the turbo engine, I was not given that selection under “model”.I loved this car for the first 24,000 miles. It looks great, perfect for inner city parking. Gas mileage sucks, around 22mph at best, but so much fun driving the turbo engine. The gear shift lever broke at 24,000 miles. At 24,500 the windshield washer tune came loose in the hood and ruined the under hood liner. No liner replacement but they plugged in the hose to fix it. I have fixed it myself at least 3 more times. I kept smelling coolant at 29,000 miles, but they kept telling me they could find nothing ( 2 days without a car and no rental offered ) At 38,000 my car suddenly overheated, I towed it to the dealer, it was a cracked thermostat housing. Under warranty, no car for 2 days and no rental offered. At 39,500 the air conditioning died and it was out of warranty for that. $400 from my own mechanic. He was very surprised it died to soon. I was too! At just over 44,000 miles, I smelled coolant again. It was time for a new radiator!! Not covered, the dealer wanted $1300. They were surprised it went to quickly, and got me a “deal” from GM to “only” pay $500. The water pump also was bad and replaced under warranty. At 47,000 miles the gear shift lever broke again, I replaced it myself with the help of eBay and YouTube for under $20. Now, at just over 49,000 miles I smell coolant again, take it back to the dealer where they replaced the radiator 6 months before believing it was under warranty from their previous repair, but now it is the coolant recovery tank that is broken and they want another $400 to fix a $47.00 part. They asked GM if they wanted to help me out again, since all this is happening under 50,000 miles, but I got a big NO. I paid $150 for the diagnosis and am taking it to my mechanic and having it done for under $200, so I save at least $50 and have the pleasure of never giving Chevy any more of my money.
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Loved the first one so much I bought another one!
DeJay Bailey, 07/10/2017
updated 01/12/2018
2014 Chevrolet Sonic RS 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
The only downside to this car (after putting $150,000 miles onit) is it's small fuel tank. I loved the car enough to buy another one exactly the same. The handling is superb the gas mileage is great. Not as good as they say it is, but good enough. It just has a really sporty Zippy fun-to-drive feel that it's hard to describe until you drive it. Very Euro feeling. Had to have another one. Didn't last 6 months in a Honda. Went back to my Sonic
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