2012 Chevrolet Sonic vs. 2011 Mazda 2 Comparison Test - InsideLine

[Daedalus]

2012 Chevrolet Sonic vs. 2011 Mazda 2 Comparison Test - InsideLine

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2012 Chevrolet Sonic vs. 2011 Mazda 2 Comparison Test

The Fun Subcompacts Are Back

By Erin Riches, Senior Editor | Published Jan 3, 2012

Fun subcompact cars are a perpetually endangered species. If they don't go extinct (RIP, dear old CRX), they move upmarket and out of reach of the practically minded car guys who actually want to drive them.

That's why you should get into a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic or a 2011 Mazda 2 while you can. Both of these budget hatchbacks have some skills on back roads, yet unlike many of their forbears, they also offer enough comforts to make them bearable in the daily grind.

The Mazda and the Chevy remind you that a hard $20,000 spending limit needn't be a dead end or a pity party. There are still cheap new cars that are good to drive. You just have to know where to look.

Make a New List
The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and 2011 Mazda 2 probably aren't even on your list. No surprise there, as the Sonic is the successor to the forgettable Aveo, while the 2 is the less flashy (but slightly more expensive) cousin of the Ford Fiesta. But as we're about to prove, these aren't the runts of the budget-hatchback litter.

We weren't aiming for absolute pricing parity with this test. Instead, we've put the most performance-focused 2012 Chevrolet Sonic hatchback up against the most capable 2011 Mazda 2 and let the dollars fall where they may, so long as they land under $20K.

This strategy led us to a top-shelf 2012 Sonic LTZ hatch and its optional 138-horsepower, turbocharged, 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, which is an upgrade over the standard naturally aspirated, 1.8-liter inline-4 that makes the same hp but nowhere near as much torque — 125 pound-feet at 3,800 rpm versus the turbo engine's 148 lb-ft at 2,500 revs.

Of course, we could have saved $1,000 and optioned a midrange Sonic LT with the 1.4-liter turbo, but we prefer the LTZ model's lower-profile 205/50R17 tires. Nor do we mind the LTZ's handsome leatherette upholstery and heated seats, and its leather-wrapped steering wheel feels good in our hands.

You get all that, plus Bluetooth (with audio streaming) and a USB input, for $18,695. Had we chosen the less useful Sonic LTZ sedan and equipped it the same, it would have cost $17,995.

Hope You Like Three Pedals
One thing you can't get on a Chevy Sonic with the turbocharged 1.4-liter is an automatic transmission. A six-speed manual gearbox is mandatory with this engine.

Informally, the same is true of the Mazda 2. Sure, you can have a four-speed automatic instead of our car's five-speed manual, but with so few forward ratios, plus tall gearing, this automatic amounts to car-guy repellent. Remember, the 2 only comes with a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter rated at 100 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque.

You never have to worry about looking foolish on back roads in either of these cars.

Mazda also takes a sparer approach to equipping the 2. Our high-line Touring model has cloth upholstery (it's high quality, at least), a leather-wrapped wheel and an auxiliary jack, but no Bluetooth or USB input. Its wheels are alloys, but its 185/55R15 tires are comparatively puny.

Then again, the 2011 Mazda 2's price tag is punier, too, at $16,385. There are no changes for 2012, but a series of price increases has bumped an equivalent 2012 model to $17,690. So effectively, the gap between the 2 and Sonic is $1,000.

Full article here: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vs. 2011 Mazda 2 Comparison Test

 

[Watchdoc]

As expected, the Sonic performed very well and IL mirrored the sentiments of owners here. A couple things came to light while reading through the comments section.

1. There are alot of GM haters out there.

2. IL neglected to mention this car is built in the USA. I think the general public thinks this car is just the Aveo replacement coming out of the same south korean factories as before. GM marketing should be yelling at IL for not saying BUILT IN THE USA at least 10 times in the article. They do mention the Orion assembly plant in the spec section.

3. The public consensus seems that the 1.4 turbo manual is the "halo" version and the 1.8 5spd is destined for crappy rental duty. This is dead wrong. The 1.8 5spd felt nearly as good and has much better throttle response than the 1.4 turbo. I drove one pretty hard on a test drive and was very impressed. Sticker on the LS 1.8 5spd was around $15,300 before any discounts. All the looks with 90% of the performance and fuel economy for $3,500 less.....

 

[Sonic Boomer]

3. The public consensus seems that the 1.4 turbo manual is the "halo" version and the 1.8 5spd is destined for crappy rental duty. This is dead wrong. The 1.8 5spd felt nearly as good and has much better throttle response than the 1.4 turbo. I drove one pretty hard on a test drive and was very impressed. Sticker on the LS 1.8 5spd was around $15,300 before any discounts. All the looks with 90% of the performance and fuel economy for $3,500 less.....

I drove a 1.8 and agree with you, it is a fun and peppy car.
However, a LT with 1.4 turbo costs $1400 more than the base 1.8 LS (hatchbacks) and moves you from 15" to 16" wheels (among other upgrades).
The $3500 of buying a LTZ 1.4T over a 1.8 LS is paying more for luxury upgrades rather than the 1.4 turbo engine.

 

[theenico]

...and moves you from 15" to 16" wheels (among other upgrades).

Actually, the 16" wheels are only available on the LT with 1.8 and are tied to the fog light package for the LT. If you opt for the LT with 1.4T, you are stuck with the 15" wheels. Eventually there will be some accessory 16" wheels, but again, they won't be available as factory installed.

 

[leaky]

Just an FYI speaking of rims the LTZ comes w/ 17's.

That $3500 buys you alot of options - 6 speed manual, 1.4T, cruise control, power windows, leatherette/heated seats, 17's, Sirius, fog lamps, uplevel exterior cosmetics, and other things I'm sure I've missed (does the LS come with the steering wheel controls?)..

Typically too you are going to get a "better deal" speaking of actual selling price below MSRP as you go uplevel, so it's not gonna be $3500 more for that LTZ versus a strip-down, probably closer to $3000 more..

It's a much better deal if you ask me to take the loaded Sonic. Interior-wise for me inside an LT and LTZ it felt like night and day. I wouldn't even be buying a Sonic if they didn't option the LTZ how they did for that price. With the added luxury it became something I felt I'd be comfortable in day to day.

As far as the 1.8, I drove an auto with that engine and to me it vibrated and felt like it was going to blow up if I put the boots to it. The 1.4T does have a different throttle response but it absolutely pulls much harder when you drive it right and feels very happy in that > 5000 RPM range.

Jon

 

[wingman]

This is not a fair comparison test. Mazda needs to throw a little snail on that Demio, then it might be more fair.

 

[Sonic Boomer]

Actually, the 16" wheels are only available on the LT with 1.8 and are tied to the fog light package for the LT. If you opt for the LT with 1.4T, you are stuck with the 15" wheels. Eventually there will be some accessory 16" wheels, but again, they won't be available as factory installed.

Thanks for setting the record straight, I didn't realize the LT wheels were not the same between engines.

 

[silversurfer]

2. IL neglected to mention this car is built in the USA[........]GM marketing should be yelling at IL for not saying BUILT IN THE USA at least 10 times in the article. They do mention the Orion assembly plant in the spec section.

I agree completely, US built, innovative labor contract and innovations with production process were/are big selling points with me

 

[LS1notFOUND]

Must say I do enjoy the little 1.8L, does seem to have adequate torque, especially since the trunk is loaded up and doesn't seem to struggle much

6 speed and turbo would have been nice, but out the door price was damn good on my bare-bones model.

 

[Watchdoc]

Must say I do enjoy the little 1.8L, does seem to have adequate torque, especially since the trunk is loaded up and doesn't seem to struggle much

6 speed and turbo would have been nice, but out the door price was damn good on my bare-bones model.

My first test drive was in a base LS 1.8 5spd and I was really impressed. Sticker was $15,300. I'm sure I could have gotten it below invoice. I actually liked the simplicity. Even the manual windows didn't bother me. The 1.8 felt torquey and the throttle response with the manual transmission made it fun to toss around.

 

[jayrq2o1]

I got the 1.4 Turbo, although I would of been fine with the 1.8. Its the Six-Speed that really had my attention. I wouldn't have minded the 1.8 since, I could just pay off my car sooner, then use the money I save to turbo the baby myself.

And now that I see it came with manual windows and less a lot of other options, I'm thinking I should have opted for the LS, even if it was a 5-speed being that its got to be a lot lighter.

All is well that ends well. The only thing I don't love about my sonic is the percent of Korean bits and pieces, but I guess I can cope with that by finding out which ones they are specifically and build/replace them myself.