Review and photos by Steven Bochenek
Starting at $22,645, the Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door Automatic is nearly top of the line for a subcompact and surpasses many of its competitors in price. That said, it’s still a pretty good car with more positives to share than negatives.
 2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door . Click image to enlarge |
Firstly, it boasts an effervescent 1.4L four-cylinder turbocharged engine that, following a touch of lag, leaps to attention and rewards the driver. Compared to its four-door sister, this tester hatchback is cheerfully peppy looking. That’s why, each day during the week I had it, there was a slight disappointment when my leg reached for a clutch and found nothing – because it was automatic.
Predictable segue: If you’re buying this for yourself, consider the standard transmission. It costs $1,350 less, suddenly taking it much closer to its competitors in price. If you don’t know how to drive stick, get lessons. You’ll never regret it.
But if you’re sharing this with someone who insists on automatic, don’t despair: in Sport mode, the Sonic LTZ is a whole other customer. It enters the realm of fun, which is really what you want most from a wee city car.
If you like a bit of fun, don’t be afraid to turn off the traction control. The button is conveniently to the right of the handbrake. (On the left is the safety lock for rear doors, whose icon is a creepy big-headed, alien-looking stickman. ‘Oh, it’s supposed to be a child,’ you’ll realize.)
 2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door . Click image to enlarge |
Take off the traction control with the transmission in Sport mode to maximize your pleasure. You can also do it when stuck in snow because, by design, it doesn’t allow your tires to spin fast enough to unstick you.
Perhaps less predictable segue, re all-wheel drive: I’m a patient guy; I’ve waited decades for Madonna, Don Cherry and David Hasselhoff to go away – and continually and futilely to await the end of North Americans’ love affair with AWD. The LTZ doesn’t have it and doesn’t need it. Riding on 17-inch Michelin X-ice winter tires, it handled well on the slippery sludgy streets during an interminable winter driving season.
More about the drive: like a lot of miniature cars these days, the Sonic’s wheels are placed almost in the corners of car. This longer wheelbase allows for a bit more legroom inside and, more importantly, better stance on the road. I often liken this design to driving a table, which, when you think about it, would be quite hard to flip. That sturdiness translates into confidence behind the wheel. Not that you want to push it too hard in the corners. The steering’s a bit loose for that tight sport suspension and aggressive little turbo engine.
With a curb weight of just 1,259 kilos (2,776 lb), it’s no surprise that the soundproofing is underwhelming – especially if you like to push that engine.
The published fuel economy stats for the city and highway are 7.7 and 5.5 L/100 km. I typically was over 8, even on the highways. However, all my highway driving was daytime within the GTA, which involves a lot of braking and little cruise control.
With so many places to store things in the Sonic, Chevrolet seems to have the Honda Fit in their sights.
    2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door . Click image to enlarge |
The five-door Sonic hatchback is 4,038 mm long and 1,734 mm wide with 1,061 mm of legroom in front and 879 mm in the back. Maxing out at 1,516 mm tall, it leaves 538 L of cargo space in the back. That expands to 1,350 L when you fold the back seats to almost flat. There’s also an extra level for storage in the trunk. Remove the false floor and there’s a long and wide storage area about seven inches deep. It’s no Fit, but is also no slouch for storage. When it comes to folding away and inventing space, the Fit is closer to Transformers than to any other subcompact car.
Nonetheless, the Sonic is designed for someone who carries a lot of little things and is fashion-forward enough to accept that cargo pants are over. On both sides of the telematics screen, you’ll find cubbyholes large enough to store some CDs, maybe gum, other keys, phones and so on. There’s also a smaller but extra glove compartment above the regular one. Within it there’s an upper tray that would accommodate a pen and tire pressure gauge (though the overall price includes a computerized tire-pressure monitoring system) beside the USB port. Atop the dashboard, formed into the plastics, there’s a shallow tray for change, tokens, ammunition, and so on.
   2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door . Click image to enlarge |
Now let’s talk design. The Sonic hatchback stands taller than several other city cars (although not as tall as its otherwise smaller sister, the Chevrolet Spark). So it’s not easy to get into if you have a delicate back but isn’t nearly as challenging as some others.
On profile, it’s an efficient look, capsule-shaped, like a truncated rocket. Its pugnacious stance, accentuated by the rear liftgate spoiler, promises sporty fun – although the drive doesn’t quite deliver. (Take the advice regarding Sport mode and nanny controls off.)
The wing mirrors have a fish-eye bubble for eliminating your blind spot. The design, tiny as it is, takes some getting used to but quickly proves its extra value. The rear door handles are cached flush to the surface of the windows at their top corners, not unlike the Hyundai Veloster.
Inside, the two-tone design of the plastics spilling from the doors into the dash is fluid and attractive. The leatherette seats are cheap looking and feeling but far easier to clean than cloth. That price – again, not cheap for the category – does not include a sunroof.
While on the topic, let’s discuss the extras. The heated exterior mirrors are very useful during a winter like the one we had. Same goes for remote start. It’s strange that more manufacturers don’t offer this and heated steering wheels (which the Sonic LTZ did not have). In a wintery country you get to really appreciate these.
   2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door . Click image to enlarge |
This tester came with six months of OnStar service, which some people love. Others, like me, are indifferent. It also included three months of XM Radio. (That’s just enough time to be utterly addicted. You’ll never go back to regular radio again.) The telematics touchscreen is very sensitive but the power and volume controls beneath it couldn’t register my bony fingers’ touch. I had to depress them deeply and for extended periods to operate them. Fortunately you can also control the volume from the tactile leather-wrapped steering wheel. That screen is a part of the $265 MyLink Sound Package, which includes your Bluetooth-streaming and USB connectivity.
If you’re considering this category, you probably don’t have a lot of money and will want to check all the warranties. The Sonic LTZ includes a three-year or 60,0000-km new vehicle warranty; five-year or 160,000-km powertrain component warranty and same term or distance for roadside assistance coverage.
What to read next? Recently this same Sonic model was featured in a comparison article here on autos.ca in which it placed third out of six. This is a very competitive category and price factored into the overall scoring. So don’t write the Sonic LTZ off on price without investigating its value. If you’re in the market for a zippy wee hatchback, check out the City Cars comparison now — and enjoy the introduction.
Pricing: 2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ 5-Door Automatic
Base price (LTZ 5-Door Auto): $22,645
Options: MyLink Sound Package includes AM/FM radio with seven-inch colour touchscreen with BlueTooth audio streaming and USB port $265
Freight: $1,500
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $24,510
Competitors
Ford Fiesta
Honda Fit
Hyundai Accent
Kia Rio5
Mazda2
Nissan Versa
Toyota Yaris
Crash test results
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
