FIT or Sonic?
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Almost verbatim here.
I originally looked at the 1LT 1.4L with connectivity package. That would have been considerably cheaper than the fit while maintaining cruise, better hwy mpg (my goal), and a more powerful engine.
I ended up with an inferno orange LTZ for a GREAT deal. It's a better looking car on the outside (subjective) and comes with more options than the fit for less money.
The fit has this car beat only in two places -- the honda transmission is way more refined. The honda's view is better thanks to the extra glass.
Reliability for Honda is built on old thinking. Ford is more reliable than Honda in plenty of studies now. I've owned two modern Honda/Acura and both ran forever drivetrain wise, but still had sunroof windowswitch a/c problems.
Source? I have owned both cars and have owned a million hondas and acuras. The Sonic is the best all around commuter car you can buy right now if you get the 1.4L engine. And especially if you want a stick -- the automatic is a dog that hunts for gears too much.
Chevrolet Customer Care
New member
I do apologize for the inconvenience caused by this concern. Please keep us updated on the situation.
Matt
GM Customer Service
Chevrolet Customer Care
New member
Thank you for choosing Sonic! It is a fun and exciting car to drive and we want you to continue to enjoy the benefits of Sonic!
I apologize for your frustrations and what you're experiencing with your Sonic currently. Hopefully you're vehicle will be back in action soon. It sounds like you're working closely with your dealership on having these issues resolved.
Please feel free to post or private message me any concerns or dealer issues while your Sonic is being serviced. Have a great weekend if you can!
Vanessa
GM Customer Service
I lol'd at this
I've been driving for 18yrs now, and have owned 11 different cars (IIRC). 7 of those were American; 6 of the 7 were GM, the other a Ford. Of the other 4 cars, 3 were Japanese, 1 was German.
I really REALLY hate to say this, but the build quality of my 3 Japanese cars was far superior to that of my American cars. The fit and finish, the quality of the interior materials, the smoothness of the engine/trans, the reliability- it all was better in my Japanese cars. The only thing that seemed to be consistently better on my American cars was the quality of the paint.
I always come back to USA made cars because:
1) I like to support the local economy,
2) Parts are cheaper and they are usually a bit easier to work on,
3) I don't mind tinkering and fixing little things myself when they break.
I'm about to buy a Sonic because they seem to be of improved quality over the American cars I've had in the past. But in all honesty, if the Sonic hadn't come out I would probably be looking real hard at Japanese and Korean alternatives.
I would hardly call anybody stupid, un-American or flawed in their character because they chose a car that was the highest quality option available at the time of their purchase. I will call people ignorant for dismissing American cars completely without seeing how far they've come with the latest offerings, but I would never fault them for going with a brand that has been good to them over the years. Cars aren't cheap, and people want something that's going to last. It will take time before American car companies once again gain the level of trust that people had in them back in the 50s/60s. Many people right now only have that level of trust in Hondas and Toyotas.
As for German cars... I don't think I'll ever touch one of those again. I don't see how a country can produce such beautiful vehicles that are so much fun to drive but just SUCK so badly when it comes to reliability (and they always cost $Texas to fix). This isn't coming from my single bad experience, but from the bad experiences of nearly everybody I know that owns a German car. I almost think the last one worth buying was the E30 3-series.
/long rambling post
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LS1notFOUND
New member
like the idea of the Suzuki SX4, cheap little awd! Hopefully we something like that for the sonic, its rear axle setup seems prime to be yanked for a drive axle.
Swordsmith
242hp/252 ft-lbs BNR EFI
To me this came down to just a few possibilities, the Fit, the Fiesta, or the Soul. I drove the Soul, and it was decent but underwhelming, same was true of the Fit. I came prepared to love the Fiesta, since I've been driving Ford's for about 3 decades now, other than a 57 Chevy (School bus), but it too was nothing but OK. The dealership I drove the Fiesta at is also a Chevy dealer, so just to be thorough I gave a Sonic a spin and it really blew me away, it was SO much more fun.
I've tried to remain rational, kept doing research, and on paper the Soul is clearly my best choice. But it has no... well, soul. The Sonic is roomy enough for my needs, so the better cargo room of the Soul or the Fit aren't actually important, I can fit my boxes of swords into the Sonic so I don't need a Fit.
Finally, this Forum is a big component; I don't see a community for the Soul or Fit that's at all up to what you guys have built here. I feel like I'll have serious aftermarket support from a bunch of nutjobs that's simply lacking for anything else I was interested in.
I've tried to remain rational, kept doing research, and on paper the Soul is clearly my best choice. But it has no... well, soul. The Sonic is roomy enough for my needs, so the better cargo room of the Soul or the Fit aren't actually important, I can fit my boxes of swords into the Sonic so I don't need a Fit.
Finally, this Forum is a big component; I don't see a community for the Soul or Fit that's at all up to what you guys have built here. I feel like I'll have serious aftermarket support from a bunch of nutjobs that's simply lacking for anything else I was interested in.
Opticon
New member
We're called "car guys", but I'll take that as a compliment. Car guys don't like beige transportation appliances. And even if we are reduced to that by some finanicial or wifey situation, we still find ways to have fun with the ride.
DrPhoton
New member
Thanks to all for all the info. I didn't consider the Fit before buying my Sonic, but after reading this thread and other sources, I'm confident that I'll continue to be glad I bought a Sonic. I've never even considered bying a Honda or Toyota, although my Dad did buy a Civic Hybrid. So I've ridden in that a few times. To me the Sonic just feels solid, especially in comparison to some of the Japanese makes. When I close the door I don't feel like a strong wind might be able to suck the top of the door open.
I went into my most recent new car search thinking that maybe it was time to by something other than a Chevrolet due to the whole Government Motors bailout thing. However, after looking at a new Fiesta and a Focus and then comparing it to a Sonic, I was strongly back in the Chevy camp again. The rear seat room in the Fords seemed much smaller than in the Sonic. In fact, the Sonic seems to have more rear seat room than by 2002 Cobalt had even though the Cobalt is ostensibly a larger car. Also, I strongly disliked the feel of the manual transmission in the Fiesta - I felt like I was shifting a truck due to the long throw.
As others here have said, I feel like I'm doing more to help my fellow citizens when I buy the Sonic than I would if I bought a Fit.
I went into my most recent new car search thinking that maybe it was time to by something other than a Chevrolet due to the whole Government Motors bailout thing. However, after looking at a new Fiesta and a Focus and then comparing it to a Sonic, I was strongly back in the Chevy camp again. The rear seat room in the Fords seemed much smaller than in the Sonic. In fact, the Sonic seems to have more rear seat room than by 2002 Cobalt had even though the Cobalt is ostensibly a larger car. Also, I strongly disliked the feel of the manual transmission in the Fiesta - I felt like I was shifting a truck due to the long throw.
As others here have said, I feel like I'm doing more to help my fellow citizens when I buy the Sonic than I would if I bought a Fit.
I can comfortably say that the Sonic is 10x better than the Fit. All you need to do is take both cars up to 70mph and see how much louder and harsher the Fit is. Then when you try to pass someone notice how slow the Fit is (0-60 takes 11 seconds). The Sonic also gets better mpg and it's safer. The Honda fit can never have DRL, which is standard on all Sonic's. The list goes on and on, it's no comparison to me.
sbpphoenix
New member
Bogus
Senior Member
The Sonic's are the normal yellow/white as all cars. But Honda's are dark piss yellow. I seen another yesterday, looks terrible to me.
sbpphoenix
New member
Are you talking about fog light yellow? Those aren't stock
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sbpphoenix
New member
I recall the drl on Hondas being that color. The low beams, however, are normal.
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jim_de_hunter
New member
They're not dim yellow on my wife's '11 Fit. She followed my home two nights ago.
Bogus
Senior Member
Hmm, I wonder, could it only be when the DRL's are on? Would they make the car send low voltage during the day? I guess that could explain the ugly yellow I always see. I don't recall seeing any at night though.
