This is a major annoyance if you live in an area that has real winters, and you have to carry your winter emergency kit with you like a shovel, blanket, etc., at all times as there is NO room for anything else in the hatch. ", "The turbo experienced a cooling failure that was reasonably expensive to repair. Two engine choices are available. not sure if its related to fuel injector issue". The car never had a problem, I wish I had never responded", "IT WAS A RECALL BY THE COMPANY--THEY HAD THE CAR A WEEK TO DO IT", "RECALL CAUSE TUBINE INSIDE TRANSMISSION POSSIBE FAILURE", "Recall regarding Torque converter shaft". Plenty of storage. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. With either choice, though, consider that you'll be shifting more with the 1.8-liter engine. The left front seat lower side plastic trim coming off", "The chrome paint on the shifting knob has completely disintegrated. It appears to be when my gas is right above 1/4 of a tank. per Dealer it is the most likely to fail part of the system. The former Aveo was always quite good with respect to comfort—a trait that likely helped it earn a popular spot in rental-car fleets. We noticed none of the little trim-and-panel vibrations that seem par in this class. Replaced under warranty", "When I wanted to turn off engine, ignition key wouldn't rotate back fully about 25% of time. The worst complaints are accessories - interior, engine, and transmission problems. Quoted amount to repair issue is around 400 to 600 dollars. It has a large analog tachometer left of center and a large centrally-mounted digital speedometer that gives it a sporty feel while being easy to read. 2012 Chevrolet Sonic 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, Compare the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic against the competition. Seems I am not the only one that regrets buying this car. ", "It recently broke and they replaced the whole turbo for free. Replaced gearshift handle and solved ignition switch problem". CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. The Sonic has body roll through the twisties but offers lots of grip. 2012 Chevy Sonic LT. AOL user 2015-01-14 15:22:27. We tested a sedan with the base 1.8-liter engine and automatic, as well as the hatchback version with the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed manual. The one other perhaps more serious offense was that while brake performance was just fine, the pedal feel tended to be mushy. number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. Is distracting when making right or left turns", "1) hatchback unlock button does not work. Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across. Both body styles offer a decent amount of room for cargo and four adults. Get unbiased reviews and ratings for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and compare vehicles with Consumer Reports. ", "Shifting into rear is often difficult, and usually requires shifting into first and second gear before the gear box will allow the car to fully shift into rear. All hatchbacks come with a small rear spoiler. So is the new six-speed automatic, which we found responsive and quick to downshift while just leaving it in Drive. Enormous trunk. Looking for a different year of the Chevrolet Sonic? Powertrain refinement of a more expensive vehicle (1.4T). ", Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system, "Battery failed. Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure. In front and in back, you won't make any mistake in identifying the Sonic; it's adorned with huge Chevy bow-tie badges. obvious symption was 8mpg drop in fuel economy", "Leak in intake manifold, covered by recall", "hesitates on acceleration, idles very rough, sometimes dies at idle, the acceleration is very dangerous , sometimes doesnt want to mave , like when trying to get out of the way of on coming traffic. Seats are comfortable and supportive and the LTZ's heated leatherette front seats give it a premium feel. Replaced valve cover and problem solved", "leaking coolant from water pump, covered under extended warranty". "left turn signal light intermittently does not operate and indoor odometer panel goes out", "The electric heater for both the driver and passenger front seats stopped working. On the other hand, to extract the 1.8-liter's full potential you'll need to rev it up past 4,000 rpm—where it can get noticeably louder and somewhat boomy. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic replaces last year's Aveo subcompact. It averaged a respectable 0.80 g around the skidpad. Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust. The gas mileage has gone from "really good" to "majorly sucks" in the space of 4 years. Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement. That said, a loaded 2012 Sonic LTZ should still total below the $20k mark—a seriously good deal in today's market. It features so-called "motorcycle-inspired" interior and exterior design elements: large analog tachometer and large center-mounted speedometer; and round headlights and taillights. (138 hp). Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit. 4 It's also a very smooth, refined engine and feels a class above. Braking performance is excellent, too but this car is far from fun to drive. The 1.4T engine, which is a $700 option in LT and LTZ models, gets better ratings of 29 mpg city, 40 highway, although its ratings with the automatic—not available until later in the year—haven't yet been released. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Connectivity is one area where Chevy fails to keep up with many of the other latest models for availability, even if high-end tech features are optional or included on higher trims. I would not let my daughter drive more than two hours away, this on a new car. wholes are cut too big, trim piece gets pushed loose when vertical", "Plastic Chrome on drivers door latch statred to peel leaving sharp edges. Unless you have shorter front-seat occupants and can really scoot those seats up, you're only dealing with a child-size space. And in the IIHS roof strength test, which is related to the likelihood of injury in a rollover, the 2012 Sonic managed to withstand more than five times its weight—yielding a top 'good' rating. The interior of the Sonic--particularly its gauge cluster, is motorcycle-inspired. Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid? ", "Coolent leaking at hose connection to radiator. Satellite radio, USB, and Bluetooth are optional. And shockingly, all 2012 Sonic models, even the base LS, come with alloy wheels. Yet in looking at curb weight (about 2,600 pounds), the Sonic ranks as one of the heavier vehicles in this class. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey That might sound silly to those who can recall a laundry list of former Chevrolet small cars—Chevette, Vega, Spectrum, Cavalier, Cobalt, Aveo, Metro, Sprint, to mention a few—but most of those vehicles truly felt like halfhearted efforts that took second stage to the automakers trucks and larger cars. The 2012 Chevy Sonic Hatch LT/Connectivity Package feels more solidly built in comparison to the Ford Fiesta. Dealer found valve cover leaking air at PCV valve. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic has 642 problems & defects reported by Sonic owners. This is the button that you can push down to lock that door", "Driver side control to lower the seat very stiff", "Front windshield cracked entire width. Especially in the hatch, the upward side crease and shapely creased wheelwells help give it more of a 'hot hatch' look. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle. Braking performance is excellent, too but this car is far from fun to drive. The paint on the vehicle hood is starting to bubble". 4 While both engines are rated at 138 horsepower, the 1.4T makes 23 pound-feet more torque—and it makes 90 percent of its peak torque all the way from 2,400 to 6,500 rpm, so you often don't truly need to downshift. The Sonic's base engine is a 138-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission. With the MotorTrend Fair Market Price (powered by IntelliChoice), get a better idea of what you’ll pay after negotiations including destination, taxes, and fees. I am not a young teen who speeds and plays with the transmission. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is an all-new, from-the-ground-up vehicle, and while its size and basic proportions aren't all that much different than those of the former Aveo, nicely contoured sheetmetal, a more elegant roofline, and fine detailing throughout give it an entirely different, more upscale (and even somewhat sporty) look and feel. Transmissions: 5-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, 6-speed manual Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked. Rear seats fold flat opening the hatch from 19.0 cubic feet to 30.7 cubic feet. Front side and head protection air bags standard. I got it over to the side with much effort and had a tow truck come get it. The Aveo sedan adds a few more inches of overall length compared to the hatch, though the front half of the vehicle is largely the same—as is the wheelbase. The Sonic is equipped with 10 airbags standard: dual-stage air bags for the driver and the front passenger, head curtain airbags, seat mounted side-impact airbags for front and rear passengers, knee air bags driver and front passenger knee. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test. The Sonic was able to reach 60 mph in 8.l seconds and finished the quarter mile in 16.1 seconds at 84.1 mph. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? Ride and refinement are top-notch compared to other budget-priced small cars. In the front, Chevrolet's signature two-piece grille with chrome trim is highlighted. The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage. The 1.4T, unlike many turbocharged engines, has been tuned and engineered to run on regular unleaded fuel as well. The mid-level Sonic LT adds a six-speaker sound system plus XM satellite radio, as well as power heated mirrors and driver's side auto-up/down, while the top-of-the-line LTZ gets heated leatherette front seats, cruise control, fog lamps, and large 17-inch alloy wheels. Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic replaces last year's Aveo subcompact. There's also a pretty big difference in refinement between these two engines. 2) door lock button trim piece. 2012 Chevrolet Sonic Safety Ratings . "Water leak from the water pump on the engine leading to low coolant pressure", "The clutch begins to have squeaks after the first 2 years. I could not put the transmission in park", "The button on the automatic transmission gear selector was slow to come out after changing from park to drive.