1.4 Turbo Automatic available now

[SRGilbert]

Just got a call from my local sales guy and he said that according to what he was told at an official event last week that the Turbo Automatic will be available "after January." I realize that's a little vague, after all July is after January too, but I'm trying to be optimistic here!

Hmmm....February....happy birthday to me!

 

[Rand0m0sityxX]

If they pair the Turbo with a Auto, I just might decide to get the Sonic instead of a Cruze!

I'm still leaning to the Sonic, but I don't want a manual, not where I have to drive every day.

 

[SRGilbert]

If they pair the Turbo with a Auto, I just might decide to get the Sonic instead of a Cruze!

I'm still leaning to the Sonic, but I don't want a manual, not where I have to drive every day.

Oh, it's coming for sure, just a matter of when. The only other timeframe I've heard is "spring."

 

[98svtCOBRA]

If they pair the Turbo with a Auto, I just might decide to get the Sonic instead of a Cruze!

I'm still leaning to the Sonic, but I don't want a manual, not where I have to drive every day.

I'm on the same boat....want a sonic 1.4, but auto so my wife can drive it too. Same engine and tranny for thousands less...count me in!

 

[WD0AFQ]

When we bought the Vibe GT I taught my wife to drive the 6 speed manual in one day. We have hills and the Vibe does not have the trans brake that the Sonic 6 speed does. When I told her the Sonic will be another 6 speed but has the trans brake, she said "yes". Girls love 6 speeds when they learn to drive them.
Dan

 

[Rand0m0sityxX]

When we bought the Vibe GT I taught my wife to drive the 6 speed manual in one day. We have hills and the Vibe does not have the trans brake that the Sonic 6 speed does. When I told her the Sonic will be another 6 speed but has the trans brake, she said "yes". Girls love 6 speeds when they learn to drive them.
Dan

So true. My step-dad wouldn't let me get my license till I learned to drive a manual. I learned in a Toyota MR2 Spyder. I love manuals, and when I get me a project car that I really mod, it will be a manual, however my DD will be an auto

 

[98svtCOBRA]

my wife actually knows how to drive 5 speed, shes driven my cobra tons of times, but with kids in the near future auto is a must on her list...plus don't want trip stick cars either. But if it was up to me I would have a 6 speed already....

 

[JGP]

1.4t auto

Just got a call from my local sales guy and he said that according to what he was told at an official event last week that the Turbo Automatic will be available "after January." I realize that's a little vague, after all July is after January too, but I'm trying to be optimistic here!

Hmmm....February....happy birthday to me!

This is good news: the 1.4t auto is what I want. I plan on ordering my Sonic LTZ in March. This looks like good timing.

 

[2>4]

According to my local sales rep the official Word from Chevy is "midyear" (the actual word used in their publication), which he interprets as June. Guess we'll know when we know...

 

[SRGilbert]

According to my local sales rep the official Word from Chevy is "midyear" (the actual word used in their publication), which he interprets as June. Guess we'll know when we know...

You are quite right when you say we'll know when we know, but for what it's worth, my guy had specifically asked it for me during a thing at the factory. Again, "after January" is pretty vague like I said.

 

[TravsSonic]

i have never hidden the fact that i despise automatics. I see zero use for them unless you are physically impaired or for mass transit vehicles.

But I will tell you this... I have a very good friend that i've known all my life. He works at a large volume dealership. Him and I were discussing all the transmission issues the Cruzes have and he leaned in and in all sincerity told me that they have had DOZENS of cruzes transmissions burn up between unloading them off the trailer and prepping them for the lot. They have been pulling brand new transmissions in brand new cars, rebuilding them and putting them out there just as right as rain. His exact words.. " the automatics are ****"

not exactly a ringing endorsement from a guy that works with them everyday.

I will stick with my MT and not worry about weird idles, cars not moving when you sit there reving up the engine in gear, weird shifts, transmissions shucking out in less than 10k miles. Heck i think there is one guy on cruzetalk that his went 3k before its transmission was pulled and rebuilt and its already back in the shop last time i heard last week.

Driving these little MT's in traffic is so easy.. if you've never learned, just go do it. Find someone that has one, ask around.. someone will teach you. They are SOOOOooooo simple, and a heck of a lot more fun. AT's are mind numbing imho. Plus i seriously think alot of accidents happen because of AT's, people just zone out driving them. I know the couple i've had, thats what i did, as I was completely someplace else. But in a MT, you have to be right there, paying attention to whats happening.

/rant off

 

[Sonic]

Clutching and shifting has become second nature to me, so it's not "work" or "tedious" to me. But like Trav said, having to be on the gear selection does keep a person more aware of what's going on. And the hill hold feature does help those who live in hilly terrain. Other than someone who lives in very hilly terrain I can see no reason to get an auto over a manual, unless you are physically unable to shift. But, to each their own.

 

[laborsmith]

Mid year for Chevy would be mid model year. The Sonic year officially began October 3, so mid year would be end of March beginning of April. Dealers know this but always hope to sell what they have today and not take a chance a buyer will still be interested tomorrow. 1.4T w/ auto trans orders will probably be accepted by Chevy shortly after New Years Day, and production including those options should start in February. Remember, tho, some people ordering LTZ w/ 1.4T engines have been at status 3000 since the end of July, so there can be a very long lead tome from order being accepted to order being produced. On the other hand, we have seen new 1LT 1.4T orders shoot thru the system from acceptance to produced in just a few weeks.

Laborsmith

 

[SRGilbert]

Geeze guys, is it just impossible to mention that a person might actually WANT an automatic without someone else always throwing in unsolicited opinions about why they think that they suck?

The title of the thread wasn't "should I get an automatic?"

I thought there would be others here (and obviously there are) who might be interested.

Some drivers just don't want a ST, not sure why that's so hard to understand. There is a reason why they make ATs AND STs, because different people have different preferences.

Maybe you are trying to be helpful, but it just comes off as condescending.

 

[TravsSonic]

This is a forum, unsolicited comments are expected.

But i am curious about one thing.. why? why do you want the turbo/AT? They already have a AT version. Just go snag one.

 

[2>4]

This is a forum, unsolicited comments are expected.

But i am curious about one thing.. why? why do you want the turbo/AT? They already have a AT version. Just go snag one.

Because the turbo makes 23 more pound-feet of torque down where it's handy, and gets a few more mpg in the bargain. What's not to love, as long as you want an automatic?

 

[SRGilbert]

This is a forum, unsolicited comments are expected.

But i am curious about one thing.. why? why do you want the turbo/AT? They already have a AT version. Just go snag one.

Fair enough.

Why? Just because I want an AT doesn't mean I have to settle! It just sounds like the 1.4 Turbo is a much better all around engine than the 1.8 and if they were both released that the same time, it would be a no brainer.

Maybe I just don't want to be that guy a year from now when someone asks "Sonic, cool! Is it the Turbo?" I'll have to say "No.....it's not..... " I wanna say "Hell yeah!"

 

[TravsSonic]

Because the turbo makes 23 more pound-feet of torque down where it's handy, and gets a few more mpg in the bargain. What's not to love, as long as you want an automatic?

ohhh so you want more performance AND better mpg...

you should buy the MT.. plus you can get one RIGHT NOW.. how convenient is that?


NOW if you had said.. Trav, i can't drive a MT, and i want a engine with a timing chain instead of a timing belt. I would have been like.. "ohhh, well rock on, you should try out a MT sometime, but i understand why you want what you want"

/evilgrin

sorry i just can't resist tormenting an automatic lover

 

[TravsSonic]

Fair enough.

Why? Just because I want an AT doesn't mean I have to settle! It just sounds like the 1.4 Turbo is a much better all around engine than the 1.8 and if they were both released that the same time, it would be a no brainer.

Maybe I just don't want to be that guy a year from now when someone asks "Sonic, cool! Is it the Turbo?" I'll have to say "No.....it's not..... " I wanna say "Hell yeah!"

yeahhhhh but then they'll see its an auto... soooo that negates all coolness points given for the previous learned piece of information.

hahahaha. Okay, i've given ya'll enough **** for one night. i'm gonna go blow some **** up in World of Tanks. Then i'm headed out tomorrow to make some passes in my cruze. Should be making the first 14 second pass tomorrow night.

 

[2>4]

ohhh so you want more performance AND better mpg...

you should buy the MT.. plus you can get one RIGHT NOW.. how convenient is that?


NOW if you had said.. Trav, i can't drive a MT, and i want a engine with a timing chain instead of a timing belt. I would have been like.. "ohhh, well rock on, you should try out a MT sometime, but i understand why you want what you want"

/evilgrin


sorry i just can't resist tormenting an automatic lover

Ummm... not entirely my choice. My daily driver is a '99 Miata with a 5 speed manual, which I put to very good use humiliating drivers of "faster" cars on twisty back roads. The Sonic will be the replacement for my wife's car. She's currently driving a nicely restored '66 Mustang with a 200 c.i.d. six backed by a C-4 automatic. She's not enthusiastic about driving a car with a manual transmission, and yeah, all those arguments you so enthusiastically present, I've run by her a few dozen times already.

She's also the one who is wanting to hold out for the 1.4 turbo/automatic combination, because she's got this thing about getting 40 mpg. I on the other hand appreciate torque. So it's a win-win.

Speaking of torque, that looks like a Buell in your avatar. So you can also, apparently, appreciate torque. Seems a bit, uh, glass house-ish, though, to be throwing stones over cam belts when you ride a bike with pushrods. Seems there's this fancy new technology that involves overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, to say nothing of liquid cooling. You might find it, well, enlightening to ride something with technology that post dates the disco era... ;^P