Used 2017 Chevrolet Sonic Consumer Reviews

Great Surprise

The 2017 Sonic Hatchback has more passenger & cargo room than the new Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The Sonic LT/RS comes with power drivers seat and heated seats and pushbutton start. You have to step up to Corollas XSE hatchback model to get these features. The Sonic comes with a sunroof not available in the Toyota. The Sonic has a turbo charged cast iron engine with a 6 speed automatic. The corolla did not offer a turbo and has a cvt transmission. The sonics 7 inch screen is built in where the corollas looks slapped on. The sonic electric steering is better than the Toyotas... The ride is also surprisingly better than the corollas. Visibility is better in the chevy Sonic. The sonic cost less than the Toyota and is built in America. The sonic has a larger back window and can hold more upright luggage. The Sonic is quieter inside the a Mercedes S class. The one issue I have is the sonic lacks a temp gauge. Why?

great value

Bought it and have not regretted it. It is an inexpensive car, but has great technology and drives well for a small car. I also think it is a good looking car.

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.

An fun and safe sub compact, with a catch.

I've had my Sonic for around three years. The seats are comfortable, the dash is modern. It is equipt with an infotainment center which poweres some lacking, but alright, sounding speakers. It has a smooth ride, as well as a very well build set of struts and shocks. The brakes are more than adequate, even when you decide to drive it more aggressively than usual! My specific model has the 1.8l inline four, it isn't the largest nor the most powerful motor, but it can be fun at times! I enjoy knowing that I, as well as my passengers, are safe. The full surround airbags truly give you an unparalleled sense of security. Now for the bad It treated me great, with the occasional visit to a shop for minor repairs. First the rear brake drums locked up while driving in icy conditions. Next, my driver side weather strip pulled away while I was on the freeway. This caused some minor body damage. The stock speakers lack depth of sound, and the infotainment center appears to lack the power necessary to drive better aftermarket speakers. The pump to my windshield wiper nozzles completely failed. The fuses that controlled my radiator fan failed, causing my vehicle to overheat. As it is a smaller displacement engine, it runs quite a bit hotter than its larger counterparts. As the fan was not engaging, the engine overheated. This could have made the engine fail. I have had several coil packs replaced, as they stopped working in rapid succession. As I am typing this, I am still waiting for an appointment to a local shop to fix yet another faulty pack. This has all happened 40,000 miles into its life. As this car was purchased new, I know that it has been very well maintained. My verdict? I might have purchased a lemon, these things do happen. When it runs, it runs well and drives like a dream. When it doesn't, it gets towed to a shop. I'd recommend seeking a other vehicle.

A Amazing Sporty Battle Tank With That Luxury Feel

I bought the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic LT (Auto) RS Hatchback and added the Convenience & Drivers Confidence Packages to match the goodies of the Premier Trim. There is a reason why I chose the trim I chose; the Hatchback only comes in 2 trims, the LT & Premier, there is a slight difference between the two trims. The LT has an amazingly quiet cabin equal to the highest trim of a $70k+ luxury vehicle, while the Premier has a more lowered suspension and as a result the Premier's cabin is not as quiet. The automatic can also be driven in manual mode without the annoying clutch pedal! The Performance is amazingly sporty for both engines as they both easily pounces from a stop. When applying the breaks it also comes to a smooth stop and when applied quickly It's very fast too! If you want a car that is amazingly quiet and caters to the highest safety standard's, quality and convenience of a luxury car and at the same time not only looks sporty but actually is sporty with the attitude to show inside and out, this is a car worth test driving with the optional packages I have chosen. I call it my mini Lambo because it sits and pampers you like one yet its silent but deadly. It takes Unleaded gas and I get 30-35 MPG with mixed driving, now If you drive it sporty and have fun you will get about 24- 28 mpg which is still amazing. There is a reason this car has muscled It's way into the sports car scene and has been officially recognized. It is the only car so far to get a 5 star rating, the highest across all ratings for the Institute of Highway Safety Standards for such a small car. Everything in the car from the smallest button to the engine, inside and out is amazingly built and solid. You can tell that Chevrolet takes pride in every part of the car even to the smallest stitch. Take a test drive with the optional packages I have chosen and you will see that Chevrolet has built this amazingly rare gem to prove you don't have to spend a fortune to be pampered. I sure hope that this particular model will continue for years to come. There are many mixed reviews about this car in particular often nit-picking at it It is best to go and test drive it.

Blue Fire

The car I bought was a Chevy Sonic (four door Kinetic Blue Sedan) and it's so cool looking. I've gotten compliments on it already. It drives well and I love the bluetooth features. Plus it's great on gas.

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.

Sonic Surprise!

I bought a 2017 Sonic Premium Turbo Sedan used with 46,000 miles on it. I have 66,000 miles on it now. The car is fun to drive, has a peppy motor as far as acceleration goes (that's the turbo). The seats are amazingly comfortable for a little car (i've owned pontiacs so this was nice). I owned an Acadia before I downgraded but didn't suffer in the convenience department with a premium. I have heated seats, heated steering wheel and plush seating. Husband and I have had SUVs before and this is our first "car" together and it is a cramped car for two grown adults. It is hard to grocery shop, even though it has ample trunk space it doesn't seem to fit a lot of stuff. The low profile tires are cheap and I had one bubble on me that was a factory tire. I also had to replace the water pump after mysteriously losing heat and the engine overheating (no temp gauge so I was freaking out about cracking an aluminum head). This is a problem with the Sonics as I researched. It is a rough ride due to the smaller diameter tires and rims. I've considered switching them out. Also, parking is great BUT almost everyone owns a SUV or a big truck where I'm from so you cannot see anything nor can they see me. It's like I'm an ant. There's a lot of road noise in the back seat area. I don't expect luxury from a car I paid $10k for. I am looking for another vehicle to better suit our needs at this point, but I would recommend it for a single person who commutes! Before you buy one, drive over a bumpy surface and also, remember the water pump. It cost about $300 incl. labor to replace. I love cars and I've owned a lot of them and drove a lot, husband was also a valet so he has driven lots of cars and was impressed by this lil car. And if you buy one make sure it has the Turbo, I test drove one without it and was like, just throw the car away. Thank you for reading, hope it helps you.

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.

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.

Catchy Title

Nice car for an "inexpensive" car. Would not want to drive it long distances on the expressway but is a reliable car;

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

A Proper Car at a Proper Price

55K on my Sonic Premier and absolutely no issues at all. It has the 1.4 ltr turbo which has more power than most cars in this segment. The Apple/Google Car Play is nice on the big screen. I use Waze or Google Maps for Navigation. The Stereo is surprisingly good at this price. It feels solid in your hands at the wheel. The brakes after 55K still feel the same, very good. I bought it because my Dad asked me to give an American car made by American's a chance. I have not had any regrets.

Straight LEMON

I bought my 2017 sonic in June 2017 and as of today July 2019 I've only had it 2 years first owner and I have been to back and forth to the dealer 4 times all less than 30 days or 20 days apart for the same problem engine light on and the car cuts off whenever I'm at a red light, stop sign or just sitting in traffic while in drive. It just went back to the dealer 07/3/2019 for the same issue and jerking while at a stop and they told me the diagnosis machine read no problem so they did nothing. Now it's 07/24/2019 and the freakin car has been jerking at every stop engine light back on and cut off on me and my baby st night while driving on the parkway. CHEVY SOLD ME A LEMON AND MY CAR HAS ON 14,668 MILES WITHIN THE 2 YEARS OF HAVING IT. ACTION IS GETTING READY TO BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM WITH THE LEMON LAW SUIT. I WILL NEVER INVEST IN ANYTHING CHEVYBIN MY LIFE AND I DON'T RECCOMEND ANYONE ELSE TO PURCHASE EITHER

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.

Was happy

We bought this car in Sept 2018. Had around 49,000 currently about 100,400 kilometres. At around 98,700 the “engine light” came on took it to get checked out was told O2 sensor and use “premium” fuel. Spent the extra .10-.18 per litre helped for a bit then again light back on around 99,200 km’s. In December changed oil. Again helped no light then on again. Took it in February 26th 2021 had O2 sensor replaced and told All was fine after paying $528 to also have spark plugs replaced (manufacture warranty says good for 156,000k). Told took it for a couple test drives no issues. Didn’t even get it home (less than 50 kilometre Drive) light back on, also back the RPM dropping, the car almost stalling, and the jerking at stop. So took it to another place had oil changed (still 67%) life, changed spark plugs as the “new” ones were covered in fuel and oil and told everything wreaked of gas under the hood. Had asked shop A to make sure no fuel in oil or worse engine was laughed at. Shop B repairs $400.99. I’m now replacing the purge solenoid valve on my own as part costs under $40 but would’ve been charged $200-$300 by a shop and may not actually replace the old parts. This car with the sensor issues is obviously a lemon as my version is no different from reading similar stories online especially around the 100,000k mark. Will be the last sedan I buy as clearly they are trash for commuting on highways daily. Also our 2008 Kia Rio has better fuel mileage. Definitely not happy anymore with this car and not happy as a Chevy owner

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?)

Constant Coolant Leak Problems

*disclaimer I live in the Mojave desert in Las Vegas so it’s a very hot and dry climate* I bought my car a few years ago in January of 2019 with 41k miles on it from a Chevy dealership here in the city as a certified pre-owned car. The car ran fine up until April of 2021 when my car had around 63,000 miles my engine overheated out of nowhere with no warning. My dash lit up saying my engine was overheating and the computer is programmed to cut your power in half when this happens to prevent a true overheating incident until you pull over. (This is extremely problematic since the design of the dash has NO engine temperature gauge like other cars, so you do not know how hot your engine is while driving until it just overheats and you need to pull over.) I took it to the shop and the infamous thermostat module needed to be replaced since it was leaking coolant. Then two days later my engine overheated again. This time it was my water pump that was leaking. In total these two repairs costed me around $1,000. Then in February of 2022 (71k miles) my coolant reservoir cracked and had to be replaced for around $300. Then the big one a few months later in April of 2022 (73k miles). My coolant flange, water pump flange and Radiator fan all needed to be replaced. They also said the other components could’ve broke because the radiator fan wasn’t even running when the A/C was on like it’s supposed to. This was another $1,000. If you do buy this car make sure to get a good warranty as my warranty wouldn’t cover anything because I didn’t call them beforehand and take it to a shop in network (long story lol). In total over the past few years I’ve spent around $2,500 on repairs which includes a messed up window seal when I first got the car because it melted from being parked out in the heat. If you live in the desert DO NOT get this car at all. In general if you do get it no matter the climate, always have coolant in your trunk just incase. Other than the features and the value of what you get, the cars overheating issues are not worth it. GM also apparently only acknowledges this being an issue for the 2012-2016 model year sonics and not the 2017-2019 models even though it definitely is an issue.

Lemon

Do NOT buy a Sonic. I’ve had two and both cars have been an absolute headache. The first car didn’t even last 5 years with numerous issues. The second is a 2017 and already is having me back and forth to the dealership who has done NOTHING. Always back with the same issue. This shouldn’t be happening with a brand new vehicle. The first car was costing me $400 extra every few months and this one is still under warranty for 20,000 miles but I’ve been back three times since Thanksgiving for a camshaft issue. I will NEVER buy a Chevy again till the day I die.

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!

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.

Sonic a great car for a college student

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.

great for what we need

it's a great car. Can do all that we need it to do. It has no problems. Thanks

Awesome inexpensive hatchback.

We purchased this new because of the sale price and outstanding features. This is an RS Sonic Hatchback that came with a power drivers seat, heated front seats, heated outside mirrors, fog lights, backup camera, 10 airbags, remote keyless entry and start, custom seating material, a full featured entertainment/info touch screen display, RS aluminum wheels, etc., etc.. It drives great and has performed flawlessly for 3+ years. Love this car.

Hilarious Vehicle

The Sonic Turbo Premier is hilarious to drive (for a day or two) while my ten year old BMW X3 is in the shop for age-related repairs and maintenance. "Hilarious" as in "It's a joke", not it's actually fun to drive. First off, my 10 year old Bimmer, worth about half of what you can buy this Chevy Sonic for, still vastly outperforms it and is a ton more fun to drive and feels safer to boot. So much for "Would I ever consider owning this vehicle?". The answer is a resounding NO! Why not? I mean first impressions are of this car are not so bad. The exterior styling is not crazy or terrible. It is not good either. It just is. The Sonic sedan has a very basic, neutral car shape, the kind you get when you ask a toddler to draw a car. It is somewhat narrow and short but tall when compared to our BMW 328i, almost like Chevy took a Malibu and just trimmed off some excess fat on the sides, rear and front. The cabin is not a terrible place for an econo box. It appears roomy enough, has quite a few gadgets, buttons and a touch screen (in this trim level) and the plastics LOOK decent. All of these judgements, however, vanish when you start driving it. While there is plenty of headroom, even for tall people, legroom is cramped, not just in the back but also annoyingly in the driver seat. I am six foot tall and my legs are too long for a comfortable use of the left foot rest or the accelerator and brake pedals when I adjust the seat to allow a normal arm distance to the steering wheel. (Gorillas with really long arms might do better.) Visibility is not great either. Although the windshield is large, the short stubby hood just vanishes from view and it is very difficult to get a feel for where the front of the car starts. Rear visibility and right side visibility is severely compromised by the enormous headrests (which clearly come from a full size truck and take up most of the airspace of this small car). Once you start touching the visually decent plastic trim you realize that it is not the softer, richer material it masquerades as, but very cheap, basic hard plastic straight from a Yugo. But now to the truly hilarious part of driving this car, its performance. I drove it mostly in town with speed limits around 45 miles per hour. At first I thought I was going way too fast until a look at the speedometer informed me that I was actually chugging along about five miles below the speed limit! The car feels strained and bothered when driven at speeds greater than 35 - 40 mph. Still this is not yet the most fun you can have with the Sonic Turbo. Go find an empty stretch of road without speed bumps (like the access road to my work's parking lot) and floor it. I did just that, going about 30 mph I floored the accelerator and ... absolutely NOTHING happened for at least a second, then the little beast huffed and puffed and lurched forward at the breakneck speed of 40 mph, I almost died laughing. This lack of performance is unfortunately less laughable when you have to pull out into heavy, fast-moving traffic, then just pray a Rosary (or two) while you wait for any acceleration to quick in ...

Cruze

Great car for the price

ALOT OF GET UP AND GO!! MY FAVORITE PART

I bought my Chevy Sonic straight off the lot at my work... It had no miles on it. I told my husband every time we buy a used car we pay it off and it falls apart so this time i want a brand new car!! It has a turbo engine so it has a lot of get up and go and can get going pretty fast.I love the color its Krypton Green and can find it anywhere its so bright and hasnt lost its color at all. Gas mileage I dont think its great.I guess sort of average but not nearly as good as other little cars!! Handles curves and turns like a champ.Unfortunately didnt handle the snow too well because the front is so low, we kept getting stuck and i had to rock back and forth so much of the way home because we kept getting stuck. We also had chains on at the time. What I dont like though is I feel its really small inside. After having a PT Cruiser this car is dinky inside!!. I cant fit hardly anything in this car!! When i went to visit my brother I let him drive and I absolutely hated the back seat, there was absolutely no leg room and were sort of short folks too!! Overall I do love my Chevy Sonic very much. I have had a few issues though. My air conditioner went out after 2 years and had to have it fixed before summer a couple years ago!! Everyone said it shouldnt have went out but well it wasnt blowing cold air!! Anyways Shes my baby and I love her!!

2017 Chevy sonic premier turbo

I got mine with 97,000 miles for less then $8000, I’m averaging 36.5 combined mpg and the little turbo engine is peppy and fun to drive. It has sxm radio, heated leather front seats and steering wheel, hands free control 2 one up touch windows and a nice infotainment system. It’s a huge upgrade from a 2003 Nissan Altima I used to have. Couldn’t be happier! His name is Sonic btw