Sonic sales taking a dive

[Ponchoguy]

Yes indeed.

And no need to keep reiterating. Especially on a 12 or 13 day old post.

Overall, the Sonic is no more trouble prone and in many ways better than competitor sub compact cars. Google a few like Honda Fit with the CVT, Mazda with rust and some transmission issues, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Kia, , etc.

And, the Sonic as a Sub Compact has as much or more interior room and comfort than many COMPACTs , not to mention better ride and handling.

It is always wise to not buy a first or even second model year in a new vehicle. They will all have some short comings.

That's my observation and finding easily verifiable online by reading.

Remember, without enough people buying model year one and two, you might not see a model year three or four.

Can't sell it, they will eventually stop making it......

 

[Sonica]

There are several factors contributing to he decline in sales for the Sonic. The car has been out for 6 years now and you can pick up a slightly used one for much cheaper than new.

The redesign also did the Sonic no favors. It now looks like a generic subcompact car just like every other car in the segment. One of the big reasons I was drawn to my '14 Sonic in the first place was the styling of it. It looked way different and much more exciting than its competitors.

Gas has been pretty cheap the past couple of years, so buyers are moving towards SUV/CUVs and away from smaller cars that get better mpg. Look at how many manufacturers that have come out with a new SUV or CUV in the past couple years.

I also think the new Cruze has cannibalized Sonic sales, especially the Cruze hatchback. Chevy now has 3 small hatchback options and the Cruze is the biggest, so most people will go with that if they can afford it.

Lastly, Chevy does almost no promotion of the Sonic, so a lot of people may not be aware of it. It's hard to sell a car that the general public is not aware of.

I do hope the Sonic gets a 2nd generation, as I think it is a great car and could be even better with the new Cruze 1.4T in it, but I understand if GM decides to cut their losses and not renew a 2nd generation.

 

[JTee2017]

There are several factors contributing to he decline in sales for the Sonic. The car has been out for 6 years now and you can pick up a slightly used one for much cheaper than new.

The redesign also did the Sonic no favors. It now looks like a generic subcompact car just like every other car in the segment. One of the big reasons I was drawn to my '14 Sonic in the first place was the styling of it. It looked way different and much more exciting than its competitors.

Gas has been pretty cheap the past couple of years, so buyers are moving towards SUV/CUVs and away from smaller cars that get better mpg. Look at how many manufacturers that have come out with a new SUV or CUV in the past couple years.

I also think the new Cruze has cannibalized Sonic sales, especially the Cruze hatchback. Chevy now has 3 small hatchback options and the Cruze is the biggest, so most people will go with that if they can afford it.

Lastly, Chevy does almost no promotion of the Sonic, so a lot of people may not be aware of it. It's hard to sell a car that the general public is not aware of.

I do hope the Sonic gets a 2nd generation, as I think it is a great car and could be even better with the new Cruze 1.4T in it, but I understand if GM decides to cut their losses and not renew a 2nd generation.

Agree mostly. Appearance, though is a subjective thing. Some might think the original design looks more retro and prefer the more updated look. And the added features inside are good to have.

You're right about the Cruze, but also the Trax has dented Sonic sales. The Trax/Encore are on the same platform as the Sonic. In fact, take a look at interior Dimensions and overall space. I did. The Sonic is within a cubic foot or so of the Trax. And I think the Sonic has more front leg room. But people are in love with the SUV/CUV styling. Frankly, I was amazed by the space and ease of entry/exit on the Sonic for a small car.

As for the Cruze. . . again, any increase in space is deceiving, especially with the low rear roof line. That cramps and hampers the hatch opening. But once again, people apparently prefer the more contemporary look that is similar to the competition. Also, back in September, I could have gotten a Cruze with more options, for just a bit more than a comparable trim level Sonic.

Lastly, the Sonic does not net dealers as much as other inventory. Even now, difficult to find more than 3 to 10 Sonics on a dealer lot and hatchbacks go first. But you will see lot's of the Cruze and even Malibu. So .. . not much inventory to choose from and people see a lot of the Cruze for similar money or payments and that's what they will buy.

Dealers in my area +200 miles stock 3 or 4 Sonics at a time. I had to shop that much area to find mine. I even looked in the Chicago suburb areas..

It is a lot like the chicken and the egg. No inventory .. . low sales. Low sales and profit . . . dealers only order a few.

 

[Gimpster]

My experience over the years of buying compact/sub-compact cars, primarily what I've owned, you can always tell the sales person immediately checks out of the sale. I mean, they'll do it... but they will whine/moan how they aren't making any money .. blablabla.

The whole small car market has been rotten from top to bottom for long as I can remember!

 

[Sailurman]

My experience over the years of buying compact/sub-compact cars, primarily what I've owned, you can always tell the sales person immediately checks out of the sale. I mean, they'll do it... but they will whine/moan how they aren't making any money .. blablabla.

The whole small car market has been rotten from top to bottom for long as I can remember!

Yeah. I had a pre-approved deal going in on 'a straight off the train' 2013 Sonic. Zero dealer applications had been applied and I told my sales guy he better not touch it. Tall about a temper tantrum!!! I finally let him tint my windows for $100 with a lifetime warranty. Then they wanted my SSN so they could run my credit for a loan. I told them it's not needed because I had check in hand from USAA. They ran it anyway. So I completely blew them up Finance guy and sales guy when I did my online survey. Then the GM bitched and I chewed him a new A-Hole too. When he said he'd just cancel the sale I brought up my knowledge of the BBB and the State's Attorney General hotline (does that exist). Nothing but love from the service department since then.

 

[albuquerqueith]

After much ordeal which I documented in another thread, I finally became a former Sonic owner today. I finally found a local Chevy dealership where the experience was fairly pleasant. I didn't get the 6M Cruze I wanted. Those are so scarce around here I pretty much gave up. I had to settle for a 6A, but for $17.9k out the door for a 2018 LT I can't complain too much. So why are Sonic sales down? This was basically the same price as the 2018 Sonic LT auto right next to it with a 1.8L. And while I enjoyed both my Sonics, 2012 1.8 5M HB and especially the 2015 1.4L 6M sedan if would have been difficult to pay this much for a 2018 (if I could have found one I liked) because mechanically they are pretty much the same as my 2012. Whereas the Cruze was all new in 2016 and has the updated 1.4L.

Hopefully they will do a real freshening of the Sonics before I am in the market again in 2021.

 

[JTee2017]

Why are sales down? The Sonic is pretty much mechanically the same car as 2012. How much has technology changed since then? Your cell phone. You got to keep up. Even if you stick with the same platform, you can at least freshen up the engines, transmissions, etc. The 1.8L is still sold with 5 speed manuals!

For some of us, the fact that the Sonic has Not mechnically changed is the very reason we bought it.

The 1.8L non turbo engine with Automatic 6 speed and the 3.47 final drive ratio, when properly broken in, is plenty responsive and fun to drive and can get 35MPG to 40MPG on the highway. It has much higher horsepower and torque than the 1.6L and smaller versions of the engine that Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world get in there Sonic versions.

The 1.8L is multi port injected and naturally aspirated. Has been in use in Europe and other countries since the early 2000's. The "family" of engines has had many refinements over the years and is basically very durable with only a handful of easily repairable parts.

There is such a thing as beauty of simplicity and the 1.8L engine exemplifies that. There certainly is a place for the higher tech and complexity, but with those things also comes the initial price as well as cost of things that can go wrong. Look at the number of problems the 1.4L has compared to the 1.8L. I won't list them here, but they are here in the forum and on the rest of the web for anyone to find.

Now if you want newer and higher technology, take the 1.4L turbo engine, add gasoline direct injection (GDI), Stop/Start engine function, etc, and you will also have more issues such as intake valve coking, even more PCV issues than the 1.4L in the Sonic and more.

In my estimation, the technology in most of the latest modern small engines is made to last a maximum of possibly 5 years or 50,000 to 70,000 miles before the maintenance and repair issues commence. If you look at what is covered under the 3yr/36,000 mile and even the 100,000 mile Emission Systems warranties, you will see many parts that are no longer covered as in past years. One can only wonder why. My view is that there are so many more "wear" items as well as the choice by car makers to keep costs down so less durable parts are used in many more places.

There are more things to go wrong with complex engine technology and some of them are just designed to last only so long. If an owner is not aware and keeps on top of signs that a part may be worn or failing, it can lead to premature vehicle demise. There is less wiggle room on turbo, GDI engines when a problem starts to surface. Too many people ignore changes in vehicle performance, "funny" noises, or even a CEL and then wonder why the car suddenly dies.

 

[albuquerqueith]

I hear what you are saying. I'd much rather have a crystal clear $20 landline than a $1k iPhone. Problem is to meet EPA Cafe standards, the world is headed the other direction. Cars will become more, not less complex as makers try to squeeze the most out of every drop of fuel. So to survive, Sonic is going to have to keep up.

 

[JTee2017]

Yes.... so buy one before the Sonic is all "Teched" up and subject to the issues.

 

[albuquerqueith]

This aspect of the car might sound stupid to some people, but here goes. The thing that really bugs me about the 2016 is the lack of a CD player, which my 2012 had, and the miserable excuse for a radio. What was wrong with the on-off knobs that they had to be changed to this stupid "infotainment" system? I have not been able to reprogram the radio to accept my preferred station choices from what the previous owner had, despite what the owner's manual claims. I do not have an MP3 player or a smart phone to plug into the one of the USB ports and no desire to get either, as I don't need them. I think the radio should be easier to use, especially when driving the car, and not require a PhD in computer programming or engineering to change station preferences.

There is a super, super easy fix for the lack of CD. Buy a flash drive for $5, plug it into your PC and use Windows Media Player (or whatever you prefer better) to sync your ripped CDs to it. In ten minutes you can have a dozen CDs (or more if the flash drive is high capacity) worth of tunes on it.

Just plug that into your Sonic USB and voila you are jamming without having to lug CDs around. The best part is if you are going on a trip, you just pack that flash drive in your suitcase and you can take your music with you without having CDs take up precious suitcase space. Plug into the rental car USB and you are set without having to screw around trying to figure out how to play music from your phone. Since I have started doing this, I don't even subscribe to SXM anymore.

 

[dannyg]

Seeing $2507 cash back for 2017s over at the Chevy website, maybe that will help sales:

Current Deals & Offers: Incentives and Specials | Chevrolet

I’m hanging onto my 2015...maybe next year...

 

[Papasonic]

Seeing $2507 cash back for 2017s over at the Chevy website, maybe that will help sales:

Current Deals & Offers: Incentives and Specials | Chevrolet

I’m hanging onto my 2015...maybe next year...

My dealer has two Sonic's in stock, a 2018 LT and a 2017 LS sedan in blue for $13,665 - $4000.00 off MSRP. Unbelievable as big as this dealership is, only one 2018 Sonic! The same dealer has 43 Cruze, and 19 Malibu's. Now we see why Sonic sales have tanked.
East Moline - New Chevrolet Sonic Vehicles for Sale < Here's the two Sonic's

 

[JTee2017]

My dealer has two Sonic's in stock, a 2018 LT and a 2017 LS sedan in blue for $13,665 - $4000.00 off MSRP. Unbelievable as big as this dealership is, only one 2018 Sonic! The same dealer has 43 Cruze, and 19 Malibu's. Now we see why Sonic sales have tanked.
East Moline - New Chevrolet Sonic Vehicles for Sale < Here's the two Sonic's

Here are 8 0f them . . pretty decent deals this early in the year too . . i think.

New Chevrolet Inventory in McHenry, IL | Gary Lang Chevrolet

 

[dannyg]

My dealer has two Sonic's in stock, a 2018 LT and a 2017 LS sedan in blue for $13,665 - $4000.00 off MSRP. Unbelievable as big as this dealership is, only one 2018 Sonic! The same dealer has 43 Cruze, and 19 Malibu's. Now we see why Sonic sales have tanked.
East Moline - New Chevrolet Sonic Vehicles for Sale < Here's the two Sonic's

My local dealers (Long Island, NY) also have very very few Sonics. Plus there's massive discounts on the Cruze: $4017 listed at the chevy website (Current Deals & Offers: Incentives and Specials | Chevrolet). You can basically get a Cruze for the same price as a Sonic. I'd take the Sonic but no question most people would go for the larger Cruze which also gets better MPG!

 

[dannyg]

Here are 8 0f them . . pretty decent deals this early in the year too . . i think.

New Chevrolet Inventory in McHenry, IL | Gary Lang Chevrolet

Glad to hear there's a dealer with decent stock! Plus, I'm liking it in green:

 

[JTee2017]

My local dealers (Long Island, NY) also have very very few Sonics. Plus there's massive discounts on the Cruze: $4017 listed at the chevy website (Current Deals & Offers: Incentives and Specials | Chevrolet). You can basically get a Cruze for the same price as a Sonic. I'd take the Sonic but no question most people would go for the larger Cruze which also gets better MPG!

We found it the same last September when we bought our 2017 Sonic HB. They only had 3 Sonics, but about 22 Cruze including hatchback models. We could have gotten a Cruze for the same money. We like the Sonic hatch more, even though the Cruze had a few more features. But when comparing actually interior and cargo space, the Sonic was comparable. We preferred the ease of entrance, exit and seating position in the Sonic Hatch. And, the Cruze hatch and roof line are cramped and not easy to get things in and out.

AS far an MPG goes, it is possible to get better in the Cruze, but if you check the Fuelly website, you will see not really better than we get in our Sonic 1.8L with no turbo especially in city driving. I suspect drivers find it hard not to stay out of boost with the 1.4L turbo in the Cruze (25 to 31 MPG). I have been averaging 30 in around town 50/50 mixed driving.

That said, this same dealer has a lot of Cruze sedans (no HM) for really low prices right now.

 

[albuquerqueith]

After 6 years owning 2 Sonics, one sedan and one HB and ten days in a 2018 Cruze sedan, here is how they compare:

Cruze pros:
1. Interior room so much more than the Sonic. I can change clothes inside the Cruze with ease. With the Sonic is was a challenge, even with the drivers seat all the way back.

2. Ride and interior noise. Sonic wasn't bad, but Cruze is even smoother/quieter.

3. Misc: I like the driver information center. It's like a an onboard computer. I luvvv the space age look and am even getting used to the auto stop/ start. Averaged just over 35 mpg so far with probably 60% freeway 40% city, which is comparable to both manual Sonics. Haven't had a chance for an extended road trip yet to compare highway MPGs. And that is with noticeably more ummph from the new 1.4L.

Sonic pros:
1. Simplicity. The Cruze massive battery is behind the spare tire. I hope I never have to replace it because it will be a pain. Also, I could replace the Sonic cabin air filter in two minutes. I am dreading taking apart half the dash to get access to the Cruze.

2. Entry. Sonic sits a little higher making it easier for someone 6'+ to get in, out.

 

[JTee2017]

After 6 years owning 2 Sonics, one sedan and one HB and ten days in a 2018 Cruze sedan, here is how they compare:

Cruze pros:
1. Interior room so much more than the Sonic. I can change clothes inside the Cruze with ease. With the Sonic is was a challenge, even with the drivers seat all the way back.

2. Entry. Sonic sits a little higher making it easier for someone 6'+ to get in, out.

Yes, that seems about right based on what we thought when sitting in and comparing the Sonic vs Cruze.

The actual specs are not that far off between the two except in the areas noted below. That said in terms of front leg room, front headroom, second seat shoulder and hip room the specs are nearly the same.
The Sonic has more rear seat head room and cargo area height. In the end, it is a matter of what works or what one likes.
For the money, the Cruze is a great deal compared to other cars in its category. I would buy it verses a Civic , Corrola, Nissan Sentra/Versa, etc. And, the Cruze is compact car and priced the same or better that most other competitor sub compacts when purchased with the generous rebates there have been on and off over the past several months.

And I agree with #2 above which was a key thing for us as well as ease of accessing the cargo area.

 

[dannyg]

After 6 years owning 2 Sonics, one sedan and one HB and ten days in a 2018 Cruze sedan, here is how they compare: ...

Good list of pros/cons, thanks. I assume you got a pretty sweet deal on your Cruze? In theory price should be another pro for the Sonic, but with the massive Cruze discounting these days it looks like you can pick one up for about the same price as a Sonic. Back when I got my Sonic, they were running an easy $2000 less.

I’ve never driven a Cruze, but I’ve checked out a couple at dealers. Overall, the Cruze seemed lower and wider (more shoulder room) versus the Sonic which was taller and narrower (more headroom). I guess the numbers bear that out. Comparing the hatch versions, my impression was the Cruze didn’t offer much more space in the hatch area.

Hey I hope you report back here about the Cruze once you’ve had it for a while. Certainly, I’d be interested since I’ve thought about bumping up to a Cruze hatch some day...manual tranny version doesn’t have Start/Stop...

 

[66roadie]

Seeing $2507 cash back for 2017s over at the Chevy website, maybe that will help sales:

Current Deals & Offers: Incentives and Specials | Chevrolet...

Not much of a deal if you must pay msrp and finance thrugh gmac.

What the deal offers, the fine print takes away.









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