We got ours partially on desperation. Our sonic was quite literally a blessing from God. At the time we got it, we'd just gotten a 2013 ford focus used with 16K earlier in the year, replacing an older 2000 ford Taurus with 195K. We had a 2006 dodge stratus at the time that we'd intended to keep. Last summer the stratus decided to break the crankshaft on the way home from work, thankfully I was going low speed and was able to pull it into a motel parking lot and call a tow truck.
We ended up trying to fix the stratus, and when told it needed a new engine at 3K, just didn't do it. Car had other things, plus we still owed like 3K. Trying to walk into a dealer with less than perfect credit already, plus the previous car loan from earlier, and then trying to get them to eat 3K on a busted car. I say it was God that helped us get a loan, because the finance guy was basically down to his last option, and then was like I don't know how this went through. The really amazing thing was 2-3 months after getting it, we were able to refinance at a local bank for 150 dollars less per month.
For us though, the sonic was not a car we actually were serious about. The dealer I think wanted to put us in a cruze. I think we really wanted used or wanted a chevy spark, anything that ran essentially. With our situation, all the bank would put us in was the new sonic LT or higher because of the value.
That said, even though we would not have really looked at a sonic before, we like it. We actually got a cruze as a loaner when the sonic was in the dealer's for it's first oil change, and found we actually like the sonic better. The cruze is nice, but sits so much lower on the ground than the sonic. It feels like a poor man's malibu basically. The sonic we like because it's easier to get in and out of honestly, plus the styling we like a bit better.
As to what we'd choose, my wife would like an SUV some day. She really likes the Equinox. Myself, the Equinox is ok, I would not mind looking at the Buick verson of that, the Enclave I think? But when we went to family reunion recently, my uncle had a Honda CRV which looked nice also. Though not sure if I'd go for the CRV, have never owned a honda, always owned domestics. Very seriously doubt I'll ever own another Chrysler product after the experience with the dodge stratus however.
