Only 35 MPG...?

[Memphis]

Lol you can dispute it all you want

My point in using the eco as an example is that it closely resembles the sonic. Same engine,trans, close in weight,etc.

Therefore there is nothing to worry about as far as mileage is concerned. The sonic will best the accent. Simple put. For the cost of a sonic and the quality that you are going to het in it there is no comparison honestly. The sonic weighs more because of the QUALITY. 60% METAL body, 10 STANDARD airbags, optional turbo, suspension teased by Corvette engineers, the list goes on.

 

[buddy97]

Lol you can dispute it all you want

For the cost of a sonic and the quality that you are going to het in it there is no comparison honestly..

i will reserve judgement when i see the actual numbers for the sonic 1.4.

dont forget the cruze eco has a great aerodynamic advantage(less than .30 cd) over the sonic.

as far as the quality, i agree with you 100%. until chevy proves it, there is no comparison in the quality (and i consider reliability to be a huge component of quality) between the two cars.....and did you really just try to argue that the xtra weight the sonic is carrying in some way relates to quality and not an inability to engineer some of the wasted bulk from the car?

chevy has made some quality improvements, but they have no claim over hyundai on quality and/or reliability to this point.(and this is from the 3 year study, not the useless 90 day initial quality study). it wasnt by accident that i, a longtime toyota/honda driver, was swayed away from them.

and back to the original point of the thread, the 1.8 will be the model sold most by far, not the 1.4t. most of the general public are looking for reliability and mpg's at this price point. an econobox with 138 hp on a bloated platform isnt really too exciting for people in this segment IF the mpg's arent there. 25/35 for a subcompact in todays market is indeed shockingly disappointing.

the 1.4t had better be at least 30/40.

 

[Memphis]

Yes I did. The xtra weight on the sonic is because of quality.Tell me what the accent has standard over the sonic.

The advantages of the Eco besides the shutters is that it is stripped down. No spare tire, thinner sheet metal, shorter welds. You can name the lighter wheels, tires, and drag co. But that isn't what really saved most of those 300 lbs. The sonic retains all sheet metal, has a spare, and durant require shorter welds to achieve its weight.

You don't need report to see that the sonic offers so much more.

I'm really not hating on the accent because I like Hyundai and that car is quite nice itself.

Question have you sat in a Cruze? How was the quality of the interior to you?

 

[Memphis]

And pray tell what bulk are we talking about on The sonic? are we talking about the stronger sheet metal on the sonic compared to he accent? Or the lesser amount of plastic parts on the sonic compared o he accent?

 

[Memphis]

Back to he topic of gas mileage. Why are you reserving judgement again? When the Cruze has the EXACT same engine and trans? Just go to Cruzetalk.com and look at what the ecos are getting on there. Tjere your number or close to your number of what the sonic will get. Either way you look at it it gets just as good if not better gas mileage than the accent.

 

[buddy97]

And pray tell what bulk are we talking about on The sonic? are we talking about the stronger sheet metal on the sonic compared to he accent? Or the lesser amount of plastic parts on the sonic compared o he accent?

there are many places to shave weight. the engine is a good place to start. im not sure where you determined that the sonic has stronger sheet metal. because it is heavier?

how have you determined the sonic has less plastic parts than the accent or any subcompact for that matter.

since you asked what the accent offers over the sonic:

looks. no contest in favor of the accent hatch (imo). unless one was ok with the looks of the outgoing aveo hatch, because the sonic doesnt look enough different from that.

mpg's...30/40 for all models
space..epa rated compact for interior room
reliability...its been established until chevy catches up
the gdi engine in the accent is very refined in operation and noise.
i didint need to buy the most expensive model just to get a 6 speed manual.

im only reserving judgement because they havent released any numbers for the 1.4. of course it should be better than the 1.8, but im not ready to discount the aerodynamic advantage the cruze has over the sonic, especially in regards to highway numbers.

 

[RichieRocket]

You guys covered a wide range of subjects here, let me throw in my 2 cents...

I too will be diassappointed if the car comes in above 2800 lbs, I was hoping for more like 2600 lbs (I have not seen any official weights yet...just magazine estimates) but as I've said, I'll just deal with the Sonic quirks, it will be a commuter and toy hauler for me. I have my motorcycle to take on the track. The most important thing for me was to support the US auto industry and union workers.

About the trifecta "tune", you can do an internet search to find the before-after torque and hp plots. Super unleaded fuel is required (stock uses 87 octane).

MPG can go up with the tune because running super, ignition timing can be advanced and variable valve timing can be optimized for better 'off-boost' torque. When highway cruising, the turbo is not boosting.

Like Memphis said, you can search Cruze forums, they report +2 mpg with the tune. So cost wise you break even for buying the super fuel.

As to why Chevy didn't tune it this way, I believe they did not want to require super octane fuel. In these days of high fuel prices, they didn't want the perception of requiring higher cost fuel...
Also, insurance would go up for higher performance.

Memphis, you are going to tell your ins company about the tune, right?

 

[RichieRocket]

Forgot to mention aero effects:

The Cruze ECO uses the active grill louvers in lower grill, smaller upper grill opening, lower ride height, additional underside panels, low-res tires. I may be forgetting more...

For my Sonic, I'm planning to fabricate my own cheesy grill blocker and maybe some kind of smooth wheel hub caps (with venting for brakes) for long roadtrips.

Going crazy, I may rig up some kind of temp sensor for the coolant in the radiator and a cable to control some kind of sliding opening on the blocker...

 

[Memphis]

Here you go buddy. Just came out on autoblog. Your accent doesnt have anywhere near as much steel as the sonic hence the huge weight difference.

General Motors introduces a Chevy Sonic to a wall

Again, quality is part of the weight.

Standard on the Sonic are
alloy wheels
hill assist
10 airbags(really a lot of extra safety features)
power windows,doors
tuned suspension by corvette engineers (couldnt help it had too )
cruise control

All for the lowest price available.

We will pick up on the fuel mileage once the car comes out since you cant seem to look at the numbers given by people who drive cruzes.

 

[Memphis]

Oh and did I mention aux input standard as well? Did I mention air conditioning as well?

 

[buddy97]

Oh and did I mention aux input standard as well? Did I mention air conditioning as well?

no biggie. standard on the base accent hatch, as is keyless entry, power locks/windows, 30/40 mpg, compact sized interior...

notice you linked to a video of an offset crash (done by gm , not the IIHS).

again, i can gaurantee you the sonic will not score better than the accent on offset crash results since the accent got the highest scores possible on all components of the IIHS offset crash test.

you really seem stuck on the whole weight equals quality thing....the name of the game now and into the future is keeping weight down and still using high strength materials. it just takes engineering expertise, and the domestics have been behind there for quite some time.

for example, Hyundai has gained a strategic advantage by using in house metallurgists to develop the lightweight, high-strength alloys it needs to satisfy higher fuel economy and safety standards...yep, they are making their own steel, which will gives them so much more control over both quality and prices than the domestics. they have figured out how to keep the weight down and the steel strong.


if the best gm can do on the sonic is 2800 lbs then so be it, but a 2400-2500 lb sonic would be that much more fun and even more efficient without sacrificing safety. other manufacturers are proving they can built the safest subcompact possible without pushing 3000 lbs.

 

[Memphis]

Ah yes but they arent standard on a base accent sedan. That and autos (unfortunately) are becoming the norm and the chevy offers one standard compared to an accent that doesnt.

 

[SonicBoy24]

I have found that this car gets amazing gas mileage on the highway, but city driving is terrible.

I have the 1.8L with 6speed auto.
Going 65-70 I can get 26-38 mpg, but when it comes to city driving I get about 22-24.
I feel that I am a good driver when it comes to conserving gas, coasting to stoplights and turns, waiting to brake until I need to... The Sonics are not geared for city driving, which is where the Spark will reign King.