I will be here to respond to any emails or comments and look forward to it but this will be the last post about the Chevy Sonic.
First, thank you! To everyone who ventured upon my little blog about a little car. I appreciate it!
Toward the end I disappeared because there was really not much to report. The hype appeared to drop off from what I could gauge around the web and the style changes recently seemed to push the car toward an early obsolescence. Additionally, my personal account of ownership has not been very post worthy. So for this last post I will try and include anything and everything I can recall.
So, why is the blog ending? We have made the decision to trade in the little Sonic. There are a number of positives but also some negatives to report over the life of ownership.
The little Sonic actually crossed multiple state lines during it's life and pretty much performed as expected. As I can recall now the Sonic did seem to struggle in some mountainous highway passes. It just did not have enough pep in its step to make it up some of the inclines. Aside from that it spent 95% of its life in the flatlands and did just fine.
From the beginning, in the domestic market the Sonic (late-2011) was a car that was a welcomed alternative to the field for a category of competitors that seemed to be lacking a styling edge (aside from the discontinued Scion brand). The Sonic design, from its inception was something that you could tell upon viewing was really well thought out. Having never met or spoke with any of the designers (whoever you may be) I believe there is a reasonable assumption the car was designed around a budget that needed to deliver a car that could be marketed to the under $20k segment. A reliable, affordable yet stylish ride. Considering the vehicle class, the finishing details is where the Sonic stands apart. You can appreciate the creativity needed from the designers working within those budget constraints.
The Sonic's sharp exterior lines, a true one-of-a-kind instrument cluster, segmented headlamps and equally impressive tail-lights really helped elevate the styling in a class that was wrought with mediocracy. These new elements collectively helped Chevy all but remove a consumer association with the first generation predecessor, the Aveo. Thats a conversation best left alone! Now, if you look closely at some of the newer models in that less-than $20k segment, you can draw similarities to the design elements the Sonic helped to shake up a few years ago. Respectfully, I do not have the same opinion about the Sonic facelift that occurred in the later years. It can also be said a grand opportunity to capture a greater market share was missed to compete with the likes of other manufacturers who offer faster, tuned versions. For myself, I was eagerly awaiting some versions from the SEMA concepts, Carmichael concept or any other trim packages/combos to jazz up the personalization. To this day Chevy still is lacking a true competitor in the hot-hatch category even though the Sonic I suppose falls into subcompact. To the RS owners, my aforementioned statement should be of no insult to you. I am simply illustrating that people were putting their heads together and kicking around some ideas early on that should have inspired alternative packages. Maybe, it was just a missed wave? Who knows? But I do believe there is still a chance for this to be expanded upon in the future.
As I move forward I make no illusion as to my driving habits. The Sonic may have a turbo but this is not a race car and was not driven as such. This is a little gas sipper and that is pretty much how it was driven most of its nearly 82k miles. I have owned and own other cars that allow me that sort of off-road recreational pleasure that is motorsports. So please do not jump to conclusions as you read this that I somehow must have been trashing or driving this car hard. Its engineered for economy not performance.
Below I will describe some of the part failures or breaks that happened over six years of ownership with my Sonic outside of normal service bulletins or recalls.
Noticeably, the gas milage had suffered a serious decline by the end of my ownership. It was common for my car to obtain 40+ MPG with ease on typical highway trips during the first years. But for whatever reason (not easily explained by mechanics either) the MPG average on the highway started to dip below 40, and eventually would hover in the mid 30's toward the end of my ownership. Changing fuel, compression check, monitoring driving habits, regular maintenance new tires or overall inspections would not do anything to improve this outcome for my vehicle. So it was ultimately chalked up as wear-and-tear or age as the reason for the decline in MPG.
One side of the roof moulding trim (part 95483059) flew off the car on a drive without warning. Luckily no other vehicles were traveling behind me. I was able to turn around and locate where the part had landed but by the time I found it the traffic had destroyed it.
The shift knob adhesion wore off and had to glue it back in place.
The coating on the interior door trim where the handles are wore off.
Water intake manifold failed. I do think a traditional water temperature gauge would have been a good option.
Leak at water pump outlet.
The handling on the highway I feel could have been more stable. And the road noise was a little louder than other vehicles at highway speed.
A frustrating aspect would have to deal with the paint. The paint on the hood and the roof all deteriorated badly over time. The clear coat cracked and the car looked as if someone took an orbital sander to the hood and roof. I understand, this is a $17k car new and the warranty period for paint had expired before I had an opportunity to address it. But the dealership I took the car to for inspection (UNNAMED) tried to shrug their shoulders and claim they have never seen anything like that before on any Sonics they serviced and in so many words tried to suggest that I somehow washed the car incorrectly. Really?! Yes that is correct! But, oh how funny things can become when you are waiting for the inspection to finish. The manager I was dealing with did not know but I had walked the used car section of the lot and found a same year sonic in a different color with surprise, the exact same issue. Needless to say neither the dealership or a contact to corporate resolved this issue as the warranty had expired. I accept that as my failure as an owner for not having the paint addressed during my warranty period. So my advice to any Sonic owners you who notice swirls in the paint on the hood or roof, address it immediately and do not let your warranty lapse. Sonic paint problems and issues need to be addressed quickly.
One day after pulling out of the gas station following a recent fuel up the Sonic engine started stumbling and ultimately stalled out while stopped at a light. I let the engine sit for a minute in the off position and restated the car. Everything seemed to correct itself and I figured maybe it had something to do with the recent fuel-up. No check engine lights. Did not overfill the tank. Just a random occurrence. A few months went by and it happened again, and again, and again. Each time there was no check engine notification or codes dumped by the computer and it was a random stumble that would occur. Sometimes resulting in a full stall or just a hesitation. The suspected culprit was thought to be the fuel vapor canister.
Sonic oil mixing with water in coolant reservoir was another head scratching problem to see on a car with less than 100k. This happened just a week or so before the decision was made to finally unload and trade in the little Sonic. Upon inspection the oil was somehow managing to enter into the water, but water was not mixing with the oil. So in other words there was no water getting into the engine block. Suspected issues ranged from oil cooler seals to turbo seals (not confirmed). The dealer was told of the issues with the little Sonic and we did not receive an attractive offer for the trade, the offer was more of a courtesy we will take the car off your hands.
Problems aside the decision to trade in the little Sonic was already talked about as our family situation changed and required something more suitable. At the time of its release the safety ratings were impressive from a car of this size and gave me a sense of comfort knowing that while driving. I do not foresee the little Sonic being a car that stands the test of time, but it can be a car that is perfect for the right now. We performed all the scheduled regular maintenance. Never even had to change a single bulb in the car. The mechanical issues appeared to accelerate in the higher milage and the paint issue was of considerable disappointment. So my final assessment on a scale of 1-10 overall I would rate the Sonic a solid 5 after six years.
Cheers and happy driving!
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