Base Price: $20,530
Drivetrain: 1.4-liter, 138-hp, 148 lb-ft, turbocharged DOHC I4, FWD, six-speed manual
Fuel Economy (EPA city/highway/combined): 27/34/30
Curb Weight: 2,847 lb
Options: Advance safety package including forward collision alert, lane departure warning ($395)
Fun to drive at a good price point, but there's a lot of competition
The Chevy Sonic made its debut in 2012, replacing the aging and boring Aveo small sedan. The sportier Sonic RS model came online in 2013 -- in hatchback form only -- with the sedan following soon after.
The RS trim comes standard with the spunky, 1.4-liter turbocharged engine making 138 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. In this car, it's mated to a six-speed manual transmission; a six-speed automatic is optional. Other RS-specific parts include a quicker final drive ratio, sport-tuned and lowered suspension and four-wheel disc brakes.
Visually, the Sonic RS looks a little too tall for its width. The front end is where the RS makes its money, the double circular headlights, lower fog lights and split grille give off an air of sportiness, without being too in your face (we're looking at you Lexus spindle grille). In back, the stacked taillights fit with the rest of the motif, but again, the car's overall narrowness doesn't scream "sporty" to us. The 17-inch wheels are slick, but the wheel wells look a bit too tall. Lowering the whole car an inch or two more would do wonders for the overall look.
What's it like to drive?
We won't hedge here; the Sonic RS is fun. The little turbo four makes sweet sounds when revved, and seat of the pants impressions imply more horsepower than 138. There's no turbo lag to speak of, at least in normal rev ranges. Obviously in second gear at 5 mph it takes time to get it going, but when rowing through all six, it's fine. There is a bit of torque steer at full throttle, but the RS pulls all the way to its redline. The six-speed shifter feels solid in the hand, with no flex or rubbery feeling to speak of. The throw is a tad long, but the gates are easy to hit.
The RS gets a tighter suspension setup than the standard model, but we still found a decent amount of body roll during cornering. It did feel planted when loaded up, even over a few potholes. If it were up to us, we'd go even stiffer, but we get that this car isn't a hardcore track toy. Chevy needed to make it livable in everyday driving. Turn in is great, and we had no trouble hitting the checkered apex curbs on our local curvy roads.
Out on the highway, the Sonic has no trouble tracking straight, and a quick shift down into fifth gear will get you past most traffic. We did hear a fair amount of road and wind noise at speed, but no more than you'd expect at this price point.
Inside, the biggest thing the RS has going for it are the seats. They're a mix of suede and leather, and keep you mostly planted during hard corners. The flat-bottom steering wheel is a favorite feature of most of your Autoweek staffers, and the climate control system features three simple knobs as God intended. For the tech-savvy, the Chevy MyLink system is both handsome to look at and easy to use, but we were a little disappointed it doesn't feature the hidden cubby behind the screen as found on some other Chevrolet vehicles. Piano black accents on the dash offer a clean overall look, and we dig the video game-inspired gauges.
Do I want it?
The Sonic RS starts at around $20,000. It's hard not to compare it to the Ford Fiesta ST, which starts at $21,400, but the ST comes with 197 hp and would run circles around the RS on a track. On the other hand, the Sonic is more fun to drive than any of the small foreign imports, including the Mazda 2.
That said, if a Sonic RS was on the shopping list, we'd opt for the hatchback. It looks better and offers more utility than the four-door.
Source:
2014 Chevy Sonic RS sedan drive review
Photos By:
Jake Lingeman on 4/18/2014
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