2012 Chevrolet Sonic Review

Attention Millennials: GM wants, seemingly more than anything, for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic to be your car. And they actually make a good case for it.

The Sonic is Chevrolet's substantially upgraded Aveo. It's been redesigned, rebadged and reengineered to better compete for those elusive younger dollars in a segment containing the likes of the Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Mazda2.

But so far, no one has quite gotten this car right. In fact, an entire generation of younger buyers have been passing up these Sonic competitors. Small car buyers tend to be a lot older, averaging somewhere in their 40s.

So can the 2012 Sonic buck the trend and truly become a "young person's car?" I traveled to San Francisco to find out.

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MSRP: $13,735 - $18,495
Invoice: $13,392 - $17,570

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-Comes in hatchback or sedan
-1.8-liter, I4 engine or 1.4-liter, turbocharged I4 engine
-138 horsepower, 125 lb-ft of torque (148 lb-ft with the turbo)
-Standard five-speed manual transmission, available six-speed manual and automatic transmission
-28 mpg City/40 mpg Hwy with the manual, 29 mpg City/38 mpg Hwy with the automatic
-Built in Orion Township, Michigan

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Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris, Mazda2, Nissan Versa

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Michael: This car feels like it costs a lot more than it actually does. Many economy cars lack refinement in the driving experience, and GM execs said they did not want to succumb to this same flaw. They use of lots of sound deadening materials, a comfortable and spacious interior and nicely tuned suspension. Those changes make the car feel like it's made from a stately oak while other B segment cars are made out of balsa.

Autoblog: Noise, vibration and harshness have been reduced to levels we would've enjoyed in the luxury set five years ago, with the combination of the chassis, suspension, tires and interior insulation all working in concert to provide a ride that's quiet and composed, but never isolating.

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Michael: I actually didn't find much about this car that I didn't like. I'm not a huge fan of the large taillights on both the hatchback and sedan. Considering how well the rest of the car functions, however, I'm willing to forgive the rather bulbous look.

Autoblog: The only issue we found [inside] was the rear locking mechanism that's designed more for keeping kiddies in then letting adults out. What's wrong with a traditional toggle switch? We don't know, but Chevy insisted on reinventing it.

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Overall, the Sonic goes a long way in exorcising the ghost of Aveo and "old" GM. This is a legitimate young person's car. The combination of value, great ride, fuel economy, tech and turbocharged engine availability could be just right for Millennials.

But it's going to be an uphill battle convincing consumers of this, who have for years associated GM with subpar products in this segment. To my fellow Millennials (and everyone else) who default to Fit and Yaris when shopping for an economy car, I would strongly urge you to give Sonic a chance. This car seems to have passed them up.

AOL Autos Score:
  

(4.5/5)

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