Used 2016 Chevrolet Sonic Consumer Reviews

Really surprised at how nice it road

Since owning the sonic I have had many people comment on how nice it rides. Even had one person say they want to get one. Very nice quiet smooth ride for its size. I bought this in 2016 but it was a 2015 sitting on the lot with a manual transmission, so I was able to get a terrific deal. 13k out the door for an LT sedan. Huge trunk which is important for me because my wife and I do a lot of road trip vacations. Back seat space is pretty small with front seats all the way back, but not a big concern for us cause the kids are grown and gone. I am 6'1" and the seat still has plenty of room to go back. I was also considering the fiesta sedan and this car won out due to the better safety scores AND it was made in AMERICA. Only complaint I have is I wish the mylink system allowed you to mirror google navigation onto the screen. You have to down load their app for navigation and it is a subpar app. Oh well, just use the phone to navigate. Terrific little car for the money.

Don't buy a Sonic

Worst Chevy I have ever owned. Replaced the water pump, thermostat housing, and another major coolant part at 65k, I have replaced the coolant resivour 3 times. Fuel sensor at 48k. Valve cover gasket, camshaft actuator seals, oil filter housing/oil cooler assm, turbo oil return hose at 74k. And now that I'm at almost 76k my transmission is taking a crap. I'm over it. Car isn't worth half of what I bought it for, the depreciation of the car is unreal! Would not recomend this car to anyone. The up keep is more than the car is worth.

An American Built Success Story

After hitting 8,500 miles with my 2016 Sonic, I think it is time to review this surprisingly well put-together car. I commute over 100 miles round trip a day in upstate NY, so the Sonic and I have spent a lot of quality time together over the past months. Before the Sonic, I drove a 2013 Honda Fit, a car which the Sonic has blown out of the water (I decided to part with the Fit after it was out of commission for a total of 6 months for an airbag recall-and there will be another to follow). First of all, for what you get, the Sonic is priced exceptionally competitively. I paid just over $11,000 for my LS Hatch, brand new. True, it didn't come with a lot of bells and whistles, but it's an American built car that is a top safety pick, had Bluetooth and Onstar, and looks stylish to boot. Though I looked at getting a new Fit, I couldn't spend 5k-7k more for a car with the same features built in Mexico. Second, driving wise, the Somic outperforms the Fit as well. For a subcompact car, the Sonic is fun to drive (while getting an average of 35 mpg) and you sit fairly high up in comparison to other subcompacts. My wife has a Subaru Impreza and when riding in her vehicle one sits noticeably closer to the road. Third, the Sonic's interior design is functional and well thought out, however the materials could be of higher quality, though if I cared about being surrounded by "soft-touch" materials, I would have opted for a more expensive car. Overall the Sonic seems like it will be an excellent vehicle that will last a long time.

Engine failure, car broke down 4 times in month

I bought a 2015 Sonic LTZ, certified pre-owned with 14,000 miles, under manufacture warranty. I traded in a 2006 Jeep liberty, purchased for my 19 year daughter in college. The car ran fine action you can take.er.Then all the lights were on the dashboard so she brought it back a week later to the dealer. The engine had many problems,they replaced everything on the engine they could, was in the dealer for 2 weeks.One week later back in again with engine problems. Now back in again with over heating problems light on the dashboard. This car is under warranty so they have to fix it at no cost to us but, GM told me they can only help by fixing it won't have anything to do with trading it in or providing a swap out. I told them this car was built wrong why does a consumer have to suffer this,wanted to get rid of it. They will not help you if you have a lemon of a pre-owned. Some states do support certified pre-owned law suits,so research out further action to take. The dealer I bought it from washed their hands of the sale of this car as i shipped it from PA to Arizona. Don't bother to buy this car its a real piece of junk.

NOW SOME REGRETS

Never thought I'd own a Chevy. I bough a 2015 Sonic after buying a 2013 Buick Encore. I was so impressed by the Encore (never thought I'd own a GM product) that I got the Sonic as a second car because its the same engine and drivetrain. It's a small car, got the RS version with 6-speed manual tranny. Fun to drive! It's a "sporty" car that is meant to hug the road and it does, so the downside to that is you feel every pothole and bump. But you have to expect that with a sport suspension and a car that is low to the ground. I'm 6'1" and I have no difficulty getting in and out or finding a comfortable driving position. Love the heated leather seats and moonroof. Instrumentation is laid out perfectly, and the My Link info-tainment system is great. Have had the car for a year and had no issues. Mostly used as a city car and get overall combine city mileage of 29 mpg. The RS is a fun trim model and I enjoy it, even if I'm not the intended buyer (I'm 55 years old). On a good stretch of road the car is quiet and smooth and hearing while using Bluetooth for your cell phone is never an issue. Very nice build quality. If you're looking for a fun, sporty hatchback, I recommend the Sonic. And despite Edmund's thinking there isn't much room, with the back seats folded down, you'd be surprised how much cargo you can carry! Two years in, still no complaints. Still enjoying the car & the look and still no rattles despite driving on poorly maintained Wisconsin roads. Three years in and build quality still holding up. Fun can to drive with the 6-speed manual transmission. Lots of pep. I still think it's a good value for the $$ UPDATE: So, there have been some changes to my opinion three years in. Inside coating beginning to peel off of passenger door. Info-tainment system abruptly blacks out for no apparent reason. Had to replace a radiator hose for $330 at 35,000 miles. Had to replace the heating/cooling fan motor at 35,000. Seems was too soon to be having to replace those kinds of parts. Overall, I have soured a bit on Chevy. Don't think I would buy another one.

Deceptive car

Cannot lower the front of the driver seat nor tilt the headrest after 3 years I've replaced half of everything that makes the car run water pumps $200 fan assemblies hoses belts air intakes metal lines after 3 years a car should not have to have this much work done where I live the speed limit does not get over 55 miles per hour my car still looks brand spanking new but is falling apart

Better than expected.

Pros: spacious yet compact, good mpg (especially for where I live), responsive and nimble, 1.4 turbo, value for dollar. The cons to the vehicle include: Harder than usual plastics (they do fit well and look nice). No full armrest (seriously, Chevy? Not even on the LTZ model?) Hushed, but still louder than preferred road noise. No padding where your elbows rest (again, Chevy, seriously? The car was $23,000 new...you can pad the door panel where elbows rest!!!) Base engine: awful! Sounds like a lawnmower. Buy the 1.4 Turbo! It beats the 1.8 engine in every way. Overall, if you want something easy to park, that is fun to drive, delivers excellent MPG, and has lots of room for the size, you won't be disappointed with the Sonic! **Update 2017: I'm still quite happy with the car. MPG is holding at 27.9 combined since purchase. Replaced junk OEM tires with premium Continental's which quieted the car down significantly.* **Update 2018**. The car is still running well but I have some unresolved issues. A squealing serpentine belt & pulley assembly that was replaced under warranty and is still squealing (taking it to Chevy once again). Rattling rear window shelf replaced under warranty - still rattling. Plastic surrounds around the door locks pop up, cigarette outlet pulls right out of the housing. Not exactly confidence inspiring for future reliability.

2016 Sonic LTZ 2 Cracked Cylinders, bad turbo

I bought my 2016 Chevy Sonic LTZ Turbo Hatchback Brand New so I wouldn't have to deal with all the issues of owning a used car: $17.000 ( I was looking at Used Honda Fits) I really Liked the "Appearance" and design of the Sonic. It ran good for the first 30,000 miles, Then it had a cracked cylinder, They replaced all the cylinders the first time around because it was still under the warranty, Then it had another cracked cylinder again JUST OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY at around 63.000 miles. Even though they repaired the first one, they made me pay the 2nd time around. I was extremely disappointed with the way GM handled this. After paying to get this fixed my Turbo had zero power. Ive had other mechanical issues I won't go into but after this experience, The Sonic is a great "Looking" Design but don't be fooled... Its a POS GM Product. I will not buy another GM product unless it was given to me or too cheap to pass up. I mean REALLY CHEAP. Do your research and buy something better.

Low cost fun!

I bought this car out of necessity in October 2015 to replace my 2005 Ford Escape, which was in need of major repairs. My criteria was to find the least expensive Chevrolet I could by that was actually built in the United States. I have the base LS Sedan 5 speed, and my only factory option is a cargo net. Let me begin by saying I had no idea how much I would enjoy driving this car! It is by far my favorite of our family drivers, which include a 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude, and my daughter's 2011 Chevy Cruise. My Sonic Sedan sits family high, it has great sight lines, it is very easy to get into and out of, even for occasional front seat passengers well over 6' tall. The trunk is cavernous, and with both back seats folded down, you can carry a ridiculous amount of stuff in this car. The Sears are comfortable, and with four average size passengers, there is more than adequate room in the car. The real pleasure of this little car is in how nicely it drives. I have the base 1.8 liter engine, with a 5 speed. The transmission is very good, and goes easily and almost crisply into gear. The gear spacing (ratios) are perfect, with just the right amount of performance overlap from one gear to the next, and this car will go 75-80 mph all day, without you the driver feeling like you have been beat up in a small car. The suspension is interesting. The car has a nice compliant ride over any road surface, and the ride quality is surprisingly good. You'd be tempted think it was sprung too softly, and then you hit a curve, and you take that curve in complete control. Amazing for a car with a beam rear axle; but then again, I read that Chevrolet had the suspension team for the Corvette set the spring rates and shock damping for the rear suspension. My combined mpg is 34.5 mpg. All day long. If I reset the mpg display before a hwy trip I can get 40 mpg. That's the truth, and may be due to manual transmission. So, that's all the stuff I like. - - What I don't like is the quirky LED instrument panel. The only analog gage is the tach; everything else is digital. My biggest complaint with it is that there is no temperature display, which is a pain in the winter time. I'm not a fan of the instrument panel, and I think that Chevy has fixed that, and gone more analog in 2017. Also, the base "infotainment" system is pretty lame; front door and A pillar speakers only, nothing in back, and am-fm only. I have to use an aux cord with my iPhone. There is no USB port in the base car (LS). I use a 12 Vdc adapter to charge my phone in the car. The Bluetooth, however, does work great, and I use that feature all the time. The car is also a WiFi hot spot, which is pretty cool. I should also say that I have had absolutely ZERO problems with this car, from a maintenance or build quality perspective. I is very tight, and very quiet. -Surprisingly so. In summary, I like this car A LOT! I bought it as "BT" - basic transportation, but it has turned out to be way more than that. Finally, on a recent business trip, I had the chance to rent a 2014 Sonic LT sedan with 42,000 miles. That car had all the stuff I like about my car, but with power windows, an automatic transmission, and a decent factory sound system, and with 42K on the click it was still tight and quiet. These are great little cars, that live a lot bigger than they actually are.

A Big Car in a Small Car Body

After dumping a 2015 Honda Fit that proved to be unreliable and felt flimsy, the Sonic has been a breath of fresh air. We were able to get our 2015 in early 2016; a left over LT with the manual transmission for $12,500. It was a steal! Compared to the Honda, the Sonic feels like a big car wrapped in a small car body. The interior is extremely quiet at all speeds and there's minimal wind, road, or engine noise that comes into the cabin. The 1.8 liter isn't the fastest, but does fine getting up to speed, and hasn't ever felt slow. The 5-speed's well-spaced gears certainly help and the shifter slips into gears easily. The clutch is light and forgiving. The ride is on the firm side, but pays off with pretty good handling and steering feel. It doesn't match the Fiesta or Fit in that regard, but can still be a lot fun on a windy road I love the design, and prefer it over the newer, more generic 2017 Sonic. The exposed headlights, and circular theme within the tailights stand out from the crowd. The same goes inside. Many either love or hate the digital, motorcycle-inspired gauge cluster. I personally love it; it's unique, quirky, easy to read, and being digital, makes staying at a certain speed a simple task. The rest of the interior is also user friendly and straightforward. Interior space upfront is generous and the footwell area has enough leg room for tall folks. The rear seat doesn't match the Fit, but is still better than most small cars. The trunk is pretty shallow with the seats up, but the hidden shelf below the load floor is clever, and there is loads of space if the seats are folded. The seats are very comfortable and make long trips tolerable. Reliability has been good, and in one year and 3,000 miles, the only issue has been the carpet in the driver's footwheel started to bunch up. It was replaced under warranty with no questions asked. Is it perfect? No. The rear pillars are thick and there is a significant blind spot. Some of the plastics inside are a little low-grade. But overall, it's a fantastic car. It's a great value, built in America, has interesting style, and is a small car with few of the small car compromises. It's just an easy car to live with.

GARBAGE. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY

Hasnt stopped leaking coolant over the past three years, Chevy is evil for taking advantage of the situation. The engine was replaced at 70k miles and I have seen more of these POS on the side of the road than any other car. Someone is lying if they say this is a reliable car. My friend has a 2014 and same cooling problems. Garbage! and the "service" 3 dealerships have provided is disgusting. Spend your money on a Toyota or Honda and pay attention to the fancy commercials Chevy distracts you with. Youll have wifi, butt warmers and amazing speakers, but your car will be sitting, waiting for the tow truck while you enjoy.

Disappointing for sure.

I owned this 2015 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ, Turbo, since it was new. The last 3 summers in continuously ran hot. First, the hoses and pumps for the cooling system needed replacement. Then the thermostat went bad and was replaced. It then, would remain losing coolant over time and I constantly had to stay on top of the water level to prevent the car from running hot. Even though I had all my work done at the Chevrolet dealership, you would think they would naturally find the cause of the constant loss of coolant. But no. Last summer, the coolant got so hot, it cracked the reservoir and I had that replaced. There is.no temperature gage to monitor on the dash. Why?? Because it's all digital. So you don't know its running hot, until an alarm sounds and you have to shut it down ... obviously to prevent further damage. In the end, my now worth 4800 in rough condition with 100k miles on the dash, has a cracked head from blowing a head gasket. The quote to fix? Chevrolet dealership said 7500 for motor replacement and installation. I sold it with a bad motor for 1700 and just paid it off in November. Incredibly disappointing. Although I loved the interior .... The touch screen screws up and gets stuck on seek. If you have a good Bluetooth connection at all. Handles well and fun to drive. When gas is cheap, I could fill her up for $16.00 and get from Shreveport to Dallas on half a tank of gas. But if it was summer in the south and your A.C. was blowing, you were on the side of the road within a couple minutes with no water to cool your engine, because it was spitting it out of the tail pipe. I don't recommend anyone to ever buy this car. It's a money pit and because of this car, I will never own another GM vehicle again.

Good for a little run about car, a bit small but b

Acceleration sucks, fuel economy in the city not so great, hwy mileage ok as long as you keep your foot out of it. Would probably go for the turbo version since it has more low end power. Overall safe, easy to zip in and out of small areas.

Excellent small car for the $$

Although it is a Turbo, it is not neck jerkingly fast off the line, however it is more than adequate for a vehicle this size. The Sonic has minimal turbo lag and is a fun car to drive, with excellent road composure for a vehicle of this size, and excellent handling . Coming from a life of VW Golf's/GTI's, we now own 2 Sonics, a 2014 & a 2015, and couldn't be happier. These cars have proven very reliable, built very good and solid, with excellent interior comfort. We have not had one issue, change the oil and go! As far as looks, that is subjective, but we get a lot of compliments,people are shocked at how nice they are, and they don't feel like a cheap vehicle. We test drove the following before purchasing our 2nd Sonic, they were all 2015 models, Toyota Corolla- ok on the outside, bland/unappealing inside, very slow and awful CVT. Mini Cooper Countryman- good looking, blast to drive, unfortunately bad reliability history and $10K more than a Sonic made us pass on that, VW Golf, great car in/out but not as good a deal as the Sonic and didn't feel "better" enough to justify a big difference in price, to get all the options on s Sonic RS, Hyundai Elantra GT-Hmmm, not a bad car but seemed bland and basic for the price, not very good MPGs with the 173hp engine.

Zippy The Turbo Sonic from Anacortes WA.

I researched fun to drive hatch back cars for months. I HIGHLY considered a VW Golf or GTI. I thought for sure, I had to have a stick shift to have any joy. Then I read the reviews of The Sonic which mentioned it was fun to drive. They were not kidding. It is a blast! The cheaper trim interior was not for me. I bought a used LTZ. It has heated seats, remote start, blue tooth, and of course lots of air bags. This is a little thing, but the right arm rest, I really dig. You will notice the attractive motorcycle inspired lamps and touches. I don't feel like I am sitting too low, but still fell like I am getting a driving experience with the road. I do not generally accelerate fast and average 34.1 mg on normal roads, hills, and state high way. My only gripe is the touch screen my link. Yes, I listen to loud music and it sounds good, but I need an actual volume dial not some screen to touch. I want to turn up the dial (I am over 40 might have something to do with it)! I bought a used 2015 with less than 15000 miles and saved on bundle the depreciation. So every time I see that GTI go buy, I think about the money I am saving and the fun I am not missing out on. 5/30/2018 update The water pump went out.. Also, a crack was found in the engine head. The controls on the steering wheel stopped working with the radio. They told me I would have to pay to run tests on the controls, but I reasoned with them that since the car is having the above mentioned defects, that the should do it for free. They agreed. I’ve owned and still own Hyundai’s. You are better of with a Hyundai!

Was fine at first....

This car was used for my local commute in Colorado. The odometer just stopped working one day. I drove it from there to Virginia and it’s been nothing but problems since I’ve arrived. It immediately began leaking coolant- repaired it..2 weeks later the overheating symbol came on... then 1 week later, the car decided to shake violently While I was waiting at a stoplight. Once you hit 70k miles on this vehicle- it seems to fall apart all at once.

Great car for a first car, otherwise not so much

I bought this car as the second car I have ever owned. To be honest, I loved it at first. However, I live in Utah and this car is awful in the winter. It is way to light to have decent traction in the snow and rain. It also takes forever to defog.

Worst car I have ever encountered

I really do not understand how such a simple car can be so awful. I bought this car private party with 86000 miles and everything looked fine. NO codes, no pending codes, the only clues that anything is wrong was low coolant. I drove the car drove well. The car is so simple I didn't really research it. That is my biggest regret because the next week later the car fell apart. The first time the CEL came on it threw code P0599. Ah okay, the thermostat is bad that explains the coolant loss. No big deal, 300 for a new thermostat. Car drives ok for just 3 days. CEL comes on AGAIN... Ok maybe it the wiring or something, but now it has thrown a P0011 code. This code could be something simple or something awful. So I replaced both VVT oil solenoids. Car was okay for a week. then the CEL comes on again. P0011 again. Now I'm worried. I change the oil and found the guy before used the wrong filer and wrong weight. I cange it and the car is okay for a week. I start reading the maintenance schedule on this thing and that was the moment I realized this thing has a friggen timing belt that has to be replaced at 97000 miles. Okay, no big deal I still have 10k miles, I'll do it next year. Well the car starts making noises from the belts, it's obviously a pully so I assume it's the water pump. So I order the stuff for the timing belt since you do them together. but when I get the belt off its the alternator pulley. So I do the timing belt kit the water pump and the alternator. Now I should have tested the battery but the next night it left me stranded luckily I walked a mile to auto zone and the Auto zone dude was cool enough to drive me there and install it and take the core. The car behaves for a week so I decide to another 90000 miles maintenance item to change out the fluid. I start going through the forums on these cars and I' m shocked at what I see. I was so deflated and disappointed as I scrolled endlessly looking at crazy problems at low mileage. Engines have been replaced twice at low mileage, tons of cooling issues. Several thermostat replacements, constant over heating, head gaskets, transmissions. I took it to a mechanic and had him do a bunch of tests they all come back good, compression, combustibles in the coolant check, oil analysis. Nothing out of the ordinary. So we go another week and the car is doing better, it's smoother, then all of a sudden I'm at a light and the car starts stumbling so I turn up the AC and it gets worse. Then I turn the AC off the lumpy idle and misfiring goes away, I don't have a CEL so it can only be one thing.... The expensive AC compressor..... 300 dollars again. So now I'm at 300 (500 for a shop to do it) for the Thermostat, $200 (300 for a shop to do it) for the VVT oil sensors, 350 (900 for a shop to do it) for the GATES belt and water pump kit, 200 (450 for a shop to do it) for the alternator. 200 for a new battery. So 1100 if you DIY and over 2500 for a shop to fix and now there is another expensive component going out. I had a suspicion that this may be a high mileage junk yard engine but no, it's the original powertrain. I have never seen a car fall apart like this at 90k miles. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS CAR. DON'T EVEN TAKE A FREE ONE.

No zero star option?

This is the worst car I've ever owned. The engine cooling system is awful. Every other month it was in the shop because the entire cooling system is made if plastic. The thermostat housing failed twice in less than 90K miles, the turbo cooler failed, the coolant reservoir broke. Things started breaking before the 3 year warranty expired. I had to spent over $7,000 in repairs out of pocket after the warranty expired. When the transmission started going out at 95,000 miles I sold it to Carmax for $4000, which paid off my loan, but left me without a car. They are made by GM Korea, which used to be called DAEWOO!! STAY AWAY

Fun And Unreliable

I had a 2015 Chevy Sonic for just under a year. It was my second car. I drive over 40,000 miles a year, so I wanted something cheap and with better gas mileage than my Buick. Got a good price on mine with just over 11,000 miles on. It was very fun to drive with its quick turning, and I loved going to the gas pump because of how cheap it was to fill up. Within a week the thermostat went out. Covered by bumper-to-bumper warranty. No problems for awhile after that. Then I had to get a purge valve replaced and a new gas pedal due to a failing sensor within a short amount of time. Later on I was with a friend when it was cold out, and my heat wouldn't come on. I'd fidget with the car and it wouldn't come back on, then out of nowhere it'd turn back on. Got the blower motor replaced, still only worked when it wanted to though. Took it back to the shop, couldn't find any further problems. Then after this I was nearly stranded at a friend's house I was house sitting at because the car wouldn't start. When it finally did start after 28 attempts, I took it straight to the mechanic and dropped it off. Got the starter replaced, still acted funny when trying to start it sometimes. I've never seen a car that's air only worked when it wanted to, or sometimes would struggle to start even with a brand new started that only had a little over 40,000 miles on it. I shortly got rid of the car after the starter was replaced. I now have a 2018 Chevy Impala that I've had for over a year and hasn't been in the shop yet!

Sonic the Hedgehog

My girl and I bought this car in September of 2017 a used car that was a 24 month lease before us. We got lucky it was a lease from a large corporation that took great care of it. About 1 year of driving and no complaints at all, just love this car. UPDATE 02-07-2019 The car is still running perfect no complaints at all, This was a excellent purchase. Steve UPDATE 08-08-2019 Only one small hiccup so far, The purge valve after filling the tank with gas was stuck, seems to be a common problem with this car, Replaced Purge Vale, cleared the code, car is running perfect, Solution ,do not fill the gas tank full, very easy thing to do. Excellent Auto!!!

Costly repairs in fewer than 75K miles

I bought the car with 2000 miles on it. Within two years the radio broke and cost 1000 bucks to fix. A couple years later the air conditioner crapped out and some valve needed to be replaced. 1800 dollars for that. Now at 75 thousand miles the catalytic converter is having problems. I haven't taken it in yet. I'm thinking of maybe just trading it in and cutting my losses and never buying another chevy again. I get the regular oil changes and flushed the transmission. It's either just my bad luck or this car is just crap from the start.

Great car

This is my second Sonic, and I really like the car. My first one was broadsided by a guy at 40mph and I walked away!!! Liked the car so much that I bought another one. Edmunds search helped a lot in finding me a car, thank you.

Horrible Parts

I bought a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic LT Sedan brand new with 7 miles on it. Affordable, good gas mileage, easy to drive, great audio options. However, my indoor blower motor for air and heat went bad twice. Also my front driver side wheel bearing has gone bad twice and my passenger one has gone bad once. All of which was covered under my extended warranty or parts warranties. So...if you buy this car. Be prepared to spend some days in a dealership dealing with dumb repairs. Wheel bearings SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR! Horrible cheap parts.

Good daily

Has decent room for being a compact. I average "29 mpg" city/ highway at 97,000 miles. No real maintenance issues besides normal wear and tear. No mechanical failures.

Good size for Tall People, but cheaply built

This car had more problems than my Chevrolet Cobalt. Every winter when there is a cold spell, the engine light comes on because there is water buildup somewhere in the motor and freezes. When the temperature gets warmer the light goes off. Had the waterpump and coolant lines changed (under warranty) now have to have the suspension replaced (we mostly do highway driving, why would it need replacing?)

A good cheap car. Having the Hatchback is very gre

Compare prices with many dealers. They are all different.

I wouldn't suggest anyone buying a 2016 Chevrolet!

I bought my car brand new in 2016. Within the first 2 years, I had it in the shop for defective equipment 5 times. My car had 67,000 miles on it and has a blown motor! No warning lights or anything indicating I was losing antifreeze or the motor overheating! So disappointed about this car!! I basically gave more than $20,000 away!

Room and power, with quirks 2015 LTZ Hatch

I bought the car mostly for the interior. The hatchback offered the space I wanted for cargo and the dash was nicely arranged and constructed. Felt Cozy. The car seats are comfortable and heated and cup holders are a fast food junkies dream. Though the center cup holders seem better suited for the rear passengers than the front. I drove the car often from San Antonio to Baton Rouge and back. The car lacks in handling just bit over slightly more expensive models in the GM lineup, it's probably the suspension and the distribution of weight front and back.The stability control can be a nuisance and really hurt off the line acceleration when making a turn after stopping at an intersection. Otherwise it operates great in wet weather to prevent the rear end from spinning. The slight turbo lag added to the computer applied brakes means you might be sitting still, longer than you anticipated. Running on octane 93 or above does make a difference since it requires 93 octane before the stock computer even feels like upping the performance. I feel deeply cheapened by the fact there are no temperature gauges for the oil/water as those would be crucial in getting a heads up on potential engine damage. Forget keeping the stock entertainment. Swap it out for the latest Double Din with better navigation and rear camera support and get a few gauges if you're so inclined to monitor the health of your ride. I took great care of the car before I moved to a different country and had to sell it. Changed the oil (full synthetic Mobil 1) and filter every 3k-5k. Never had any issues with it.

Lemon Timebomb

Thought this car was pretty great, then at 30K miles engine started losing compression. Waiting for the dealer to resolve this issue. Also may have a leaking heater core. While the engine repair is covered by warrantee the heater core may not be.

When it’s not breaking down...

Three major breakdowns in 9 months! Otherwise it’s a good city car.

2016 Sonic 1.4T LT Hatch 100K review

Back in 2016 I stacked a bunch of discounts and got this car in 2016 for 14.5K new. Was torn between a 2017 Cruze RS and a Sonic but chose the Sonic as it was 7K cheaper. Pros: I do like the quirky gen 1 styling a lot better than gen 2. Good reliability (1.4T is considered to be less reliable than the 1.8 but haven't had a problem). The 1.4T is a much more fun car to drive tho and has nice acceleration w/o turbo lag. Comfortable seats, sunroof doesn't leak, decent amount of space for a compact. Road noise is probably best in its class (its quieter than a same year corolla). Doesn't start rattling like other small cars at high speed. Enough room under the hood that w/ a bit of know-how and youtube you can easily fix and/or do preventative maint at home. 6-speed automatic is solid, quiet and doesn't get lost. Cons: only real problem I've had is w/ the cooling system, had to change a thermostat and did some preventative maint replacements, what finally fixed the leaks was LOL a bottle of stop leak. LT is higher to the ground and puts a lot of strain on the front suspension, the suspension is still fine and can prob last another 75K but hits potholes a bit harder. The tradeoff for comfort/styling/quietness is that you pay more at the pump. Car avgs about 29mpg combined. Very poor for its class. Overall: Its fun to drive and can't beat the price. Advise if you buy a used Gen 1 sonic: use synthetic oil especially on the 1.4. Change the Turbo oil feed line ($40 OEM part, can do it at home or a mechanic can do it for 1hr labor). There is no option for 1.4T hatch LT so put it as an RS model.

LOVE IT! Would not choose twice.

It is a fun car to drive and it is very comfortable. Interior is much bigger than the exterior would lead you to believe. I love zipping in and out of traffic in it, but getting around in snow is next to impossible. It also has very little cargo room. I have never gotten the 38 MPG that the dealer said but I can live with that because she knows how to put the power down. would have been nice to have a CD player, other than that the stereo system is incredible for a dinky little "economy car" I love this car but my next choice will be something much bigger with a V8

Has been an excellent car for my local needs

I am selling because i no longer need two vehicles.

Great For College Student, Many Standard Features

I own 2 Sonic LT's one a 2012 and the second a 2015. I bought both new and they are currently used by the students away at College. It's hard to find a car with these features for the price. Standard on the LT is PW, PL, Cruise, Alloy Wheels and Remote start. The 2015 has the option package that includes 16" wheels, fog lights, backup camera and touch screen infotainment display. The Sonic comfort and ride is better than the Corolla and Ford Fiesta. Plenty of room for 4 with luggage space in the Sedan. The other great feature is On-Star's free basic system for 5 years which allows for Remote Start and Locking/Unlocking the vehicle from your Smart Phone. My only complaint is the factory tires are really bad in the snow. I replaced the OEM tires with good all-season tires and traction is much better.

Sonic a great car for a college student

Outstanding car

Love everything about this car and ability to flat tow is a bonus

Runs too hot for its own good

This is specifically for the 1.4 Turbo engine. Chevy used plastic parts in the engine that runs extremely hot due to the turbo. I've replaced all parts in my cooling system (reservoir tank, hoses, thermostat housing, water outlet) and already 3 years later the thermostat housing went again. I replaced the plastic piece with an aluminum aftermarket replacement, and it's going great. The check engine light rarely comes on when there are problems, so you really have to be in tune with your car and check your coolant and oil monthly to catch problems. There is an extended warranty for the camshaft cover but Chevy won't replace it until the engine light comes in. I nearly destroyed my car waiting for that moment just so I wouldn't have to pay for it myself. The paint fails on the roof and most hoods of these cars, no matter the color. The radio screen fails as well and you'll be stuck with phantom beeping for months until you replace it. On a positive note, they are really fun to drive and have great handling. I felt I had plenty of storage, and they are relatively inexpensive to fix when things go wrong. If you are handy, this is an easy car to work on yourself despite it being a really small engine. If Chevy had put in a bit more money to the engine parts, I'd have a better rating.

Nice car up to about 50,000 miles

Catalytic converter needed replaced. Car rattles and vibrates terribly. I have a 2016 Sonic and was told by dealership that this is normal for these cars. Feels like I am riding in a comfortable go-kart. Still only have 75,000 Mike's on it and it's pretty rough.

My Cheverolet sonic

Chevrolet Sonic is a great car.

Lots of engine lights

Check valves on the valve cover and intake manifold fail often (design failure) would not recommend this car for reliability much much much better options out there

Fun car.

Get the 1.4 turbo.

Great Car

Suspension SUCKS

Nothing but noises from the suspension. I have had to replace the sway bar links 2x on one side and 1x on the other. Still making clunk and rattle noises. Took it in to be fixed. Replaced front left strut. Still making noises but now I can hear the clunk rattle from all around.