Let’s talk about butts. Your butt. My butt. Really anybody’s butt, so long as it’s planted in the driver’s seat of Chevrolet’s new Sonic. I’d argue that, while I can’t say the same for the entire human body, a Sonic driver’s butt is a happy butt.
I don’t adore the Sonic’s seats. They’re mildly bolstered, firm and adequate, even “better than adequate,” which is a characterization that pretty much sums up this car. Really, I think that’s praise. Beginning at a very decent $15,000, the Sonic, for starters, has a great looking front end (particularly the lights), amusing performance, a roomy interior, and a lot of airbags. I prefer the squat and roomy hatch, though the sedan blessedly avoided any encounters with an ugly stick.
The Sonic is also bucking history: It’s Chevrolet’s latest attempt at making an inexpensive yet compelling small car, and the consensus among car reviewers is that everything Chevy previously tried to sell in this category—most recently the Aveo—has sucked. Chevrolet’s tiny-car missteps have looked all the worse in the wake of solid rides like Honda’s Fit, Kia’s Rio, and Ford’s Fiesta. Good, interesting, cheap transportation is doable. The new-for-2012 Sonic got off on the wrong foot, too, when potentially 4,300 of the square-ended, 15-foot machines reached dealerships sans a brake pad. New car plus safety recall equals stubbed corporate toe.
But we’re here to talk butts, not feet. The Sonic’s most redeeming quality is its ride, and I—more specifically, my ass—was reminded of this driving goodness every time I manned the Sonic, whether through turns or over highways, bumps, and potholes. In bends, around quiet neighborhood corners, and in deserted parking lots, the 2,800-pound Sonic’s prosaic setup—MacPherson struts up front and a torsion-beam rear—absolutely behaved itself. Body lean was negligible, and the 205/50 Hankook tires on 16-inch rims were uncomplaining and sticky. Alternately, everything was tranquilo at Interstate speeds, and over crummy pavement.
Let’s see, lower-brow tires, unspectacular suspension design, short wheelbase, bargain price. How’d Chevy do it? Backbone, for one. The Sonic’s new steel platform, lead development engineer John Buttermore told me, adds tremendous torsional rigidity—reportedly far better than that of the forgotten Aveo. In short, the suspension provides suppleness because it’s more isolated from the car’s robust frame.
Chevrolet also collared Corvette engineers to work some of their road-holding magic on the Sonic’s springy parts. And the bonus: The stiff structure recently helped the Sonic to earn an impressive, five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA’s revised-for-2011 procedures, for those keeping score). There are air bags for your thorax to boot.
The 1.8-liter, 138-horsepower, transverse-four engine was fun the way that a tractor engine is fun. It pulls OK, and it groans in a droning, you-will-not-break me way at higher RPMs. I would’ve preferred the 1.4-liter turbo, and its additional torque (though unchanged horsepower), as well as a manual transmission. The six-speed automatic was bipolar—decently smooth when left in “D,” often abrupt as a manu-matic. I say leave the lever alone, which will go a ways toward you achieving gas mileage in the high 20s or low 30s.
The Sonic’s interior doesn’t bend and fold nearly as cleverly as Honda’s Fit, and the underpowered XM/Bluetooth audio/connectivity system operates like it’s been squeezed into the dash—like it wants to grow into a much larger screen and system. But let’s not forget, the Sonic is basic transportation, which for many buyers will be a first car (or a first new car). My somewhat upscale, LT model tester came in at $18,580, but I could’ve easily saved $700 in unwanted options. The sportier and more done up Sonic RS is on the horizon, as is a price that will likely break the $20k barrier. The Sonic in dealerships now already represents an entry-level success. And a kick in the pants.
Price as tested: $18,580
Andrew Tilin has been a writer and editor for national publications for the last 25 years. He’s been on staff at Outside and Time Inc.’s Business 2.0 magazines. Andrew is longtime car geek—over the years he’s written car reviews about vehicles ranging from EVs to McLaren’s Formula One cars. His third book, “The Doper Next Door,” was published in the summer 2011.
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