Anyone use their Sonic for high mileage duty?

[Klayfish]

Hey gang! Do any of you run the wheels off your Sonic? I'm a big time "car guy". Have had all kinds of fun stuff over the years, and now do some road racing too. I'm browsing for a new daily driver, but have some specific needs. In my mind, the Sonic RS will fit my checklist well, but I wanted to hear from current owners. Haven't test driven an RS, but have had several LTZ rental cars, which I really liked. Here's my checklist of wants/needs.

My commute is 55 miles...one way. About 47 of them are highway. In the morning, it's wide open cruising at 75-80mph, but in the afternoon it's in the heart of Atlanta rush hour traffic.

Then when I get home, I shuttle my kids too/from football, lacrosse, cheerleading, tumble practices. And weekends are driving too/from games, running errands, etc... So in summary, I'll put about 35-37k miles per year on my car.

Because of that, fuel mileage matters.

With my life being that busy, I want a reliable car. Sure, all cars need maintenance, but I don't have enough time to do much. "Diva" cars need not apply.

Because of all that driving, I want fairly low cost of consumables like brakes and tires.

I'm a huge hatchback/wagon fan, hence my interest in the RS. Plus I need that cargo room to haul football pads, Costco trips, etc...

Has to be fun to drive and comfortable. I spend 3 hours per day in my car, I want to enjoy them. On those same lines, I'd like some nice touches...I realize the Sonic doesn't have a Bentley grade interior, but I'm happy with leather, sunroof, Bluetooth, etc...

My current daily driver is a 2009 Chevy HHR 5spd. I have to say from a practicality standpoint, it's awesome. I picked it up not all that long ago dirt cheap. It's decently fuel efficient (30mpg), reliable, comfy and has awesome versatility. But it's a basic LS model and isn't "fun" to drive. Otherwise, if it were an SS, I'd be in love with it.

On my shopping list are the Focus ST, Fiesta ST, and Mazdaspeed3, all used. I can get a nice example of either one for $18k. But my major hesitation with them is that I'm going to take an $18k car and whip the snot out of it. I'll take a beating on resale. I've seen nice 2013 Sonic RS models for around $11k with low miles. That's a huge chunk of change, and it would seem less wasteful to run miles up on. My thought would be to get a Trifecta (or whatever) tune to give it more power, and if really needed do a few small suspension upgrades. Even with that, I'm many thousands less than the others.

So do any of you run the wheels off your Sonic? How is it for long commute duty? Can it stand the abuse? How would you compare a tuned Sonic RS to a Fiesta ST?

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Welcome to the family Klayfish!!

So do any of you run the wheels off your Sonic? How is it for long commute duty? Can it stand the abuse? How would you compare a tuned Sonic RS to a Fiesta ST?

I currently have 105k+ on my 2012 LT and I'm averaging 36 mpg with a tune and bolt-on mods. I traded my HHR Panel for the Sonic. I liked the Sonic so much that I got a 2013 RS for my son and a 2014 LT for my daughter. My daughter now drives for Lyft and uses the Sonic. A tuned RS will wipe the snot out of a Fiesta ST!

:banana:

 

[Swordsmith]

The RS is not a sportier model of the family. It is mostly an appearance package. You can get the same engine (which is certainly the better of the two engines for your purposes) and the same hatchback body in the LT and LTZ trims. The gearing for the RS is shorter though, which means worse gas mileage and a lower top speed. It is arguable whether it works better for racing, either, but it's possible that it does... I just don't know that in your circumstances sacrificing 5mpg or so for a slight improvement in low gear torque is a worthwhile trade... particulary when you can save a good chunk of change by going with the "lower" trim.

This is not the case with the Focus ST; the ST is indeed a sportier trim of the Focus line. There is no equivalent trim of Sonic. However, with the help of some of our forum supporting vendors, you can give the car the sort of boost that you would want from such a trim; lowering package, engine mounts, handling mods, intakes, intercooler tubing upgrades, exhaust and most importantly, a tune... all without reducing available mpg at all (you'll acquire the ability to spend gasoline faster by abusing all that extra power... but if you keep a gentle foot for your commute, the mpg won't suffer)

 

[Klayfish]

Yosemite,
Perfect, since you owned an HHR, you're a great person to give perspective. As I said in my post, I think the HHR is a great car for practicality. I'm a bit hesitant to give it up, only because I paid less than $6k for it and it does what I need. I can throw my kids dirty/smelly football gear in the back, haul groceries, etc...and it's comfortable enough for spending hours in rush hour. But it's not fast, is a bit wallowing and doesn't have some of the luxury things I want. How quick are your Sonics? How is cargo compared to the HHR (I know it's smaller, but do you find it still useful)? How reliable has it been over the 105k miles? How many of those miles are with the tune? Have you had carbon build up issues?

Swordsmith,
Former lifelong PA resident here...over 40 years in the Philly area, just recently relocated to Atlanta. I like it here, but I sure do miss home. I should have clarified in the original post. I wouldn't intend to use a Sonic for any road racing. The racing I do is in a series with a dedicated race car. If I got a Sonic, it would be 100% daily commuting, kid hauling, errand running. I know the RS uses the same engine, my interest was more for the different suspension tune and the trim upgrades. I want nice leather seats, etc... But the LTZ is certainly a consideration. Is the gearing difference between the two really 5mpg in real world driving? I don't want to modify my car too much. First, I'm way too old for that boy racer look, it's not my taste. I'm also way too old to want to deal with a teeth rattling ride. I just want to firm the suspension up some, but still make it comfortable for long trips. I'd definitely want to crank up the power, but not so much boost as to make the engine a ticking time bomb...after all, I'll need to get at least 150k miles out of it. Need to find that balance. To me, the Focus ST is a whole different class of car...it's more like the Mazdaspeed 3. Tons more power, bigger, etc... The Sonic is more like the Fiesta ST, which is about $16k used.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Yosemite,
Perfect, since you owned an HHR, you're a great person to give perspective. As I said in my post, I think the HHR is a great car for practicality. I'm a bit hesitant to give it up, only because I paid less than $6k for it and it does what I need. I can throw my kids dirty/smelly football gear in the back, haul groceries, etc...and it's comfortable enough for spending hours in rush hour. But it's not fast, is a bit wallowing and doesn't have some of the luxury things I want. How quick are your Sonics? How is cargo compared to the HHR (I know it's smaller, but do you find it still useful)? How reliable has it been over the 105k miles? How many of those miles are with the tune? Have you had carbon build up issues?

The HHR definitely has more storage room but the Sonic holds enough. My HHR was a panel so it had no rear seats and had storage compartments. My 2012 and my son's 2013 RS are pretty peppy and comfortable. My daughter's 2014 is better than stock but not like the other 2. my 2012 has been pretty reliable. I had the water pump and valve cover replaced under warranty. The water pump was at around 60k and the valve cover at 98k. I've been tuned for over 2 years and the only casualty was the pcv which is integrated into the valve cover. We blew it on the dyno a few months ago!

 

[sonic_braaappp]

I drive an ass ton. Twice a year I drive to texas (1800 miles round trip) and I couldn't tell you how many road trips I make for car shows and to race. In 1 year of owning my sonic a max of only 5,000 miles was from commute to work, and I put a total of 22k on it in the first year lol

 

[Swordsmith]

Looking over your list again I'm thinking your best bet is a turbo LTZ trim HB auto, with a tune and suspension mods. That way you get sunroof, sporty ride, but don't take the mpg hit for the RS gearing, and you probably end up with more power and a better ride for roughly the same money.

I use my HB as a cargo vehicle or a people mover. I am astonished at how much cargo I can carry around with me, and at how well I can carry three or even four passengers. However, if your needs involve carrying passengers AND cargo (as opposed to OR) then the HB is a tiny tiny car, and you may want to consider the sedan version, which has a tardis like trunk worth of extra room.

I also got a removable roof rack, and a trailer hitch. I enjoy my tune and other power mods... but sometimes I actually need all that power, hauling an extra couple thousand pounds around.

 

[Klayfish]

I definitely think if I go Sonic, the RS hatch is the way to go. I'm just a hatch/wagon person. I've had a ton of cars over the years, and in the past 10-12 years, only one or two have been sedans. I'm just not a fan.

My cargo hauling needs are not huge in the literal sense. I've got 3 kids, but rarely if ever would I need to carry all 5 of my family in it. We've got a minivan for that. I typically need to carry 1 or 2 of my kids, along with their sports gear...football or lacrosse pads, sticks, water jugs, etc... Even on a trip to Costco, all 5 of us wouldn't be going. It would probably be just my wife or myself. So we could fold the back seat down.

I'll keep reading up on the forum, but my free time is very limited. Where's that "sweet spot" for the balance between upgrading and still keeping it daily use comfortable? I know that's subjective, but I'd tend to lean towards the conservative end. I'm a fan of all things cars, but the "stanced" look is just not my personal taste at all. I want to retain a stock look. Will the Trifecta tune get me significant power upgrades but still make the engine capable of slogging through rush hour? What suspension upgrades to the RS do you do to help handling a little, but not make it a teeth rattling ride?

For me, I see the Sonic as a potentially good compromise for what I need and want. I'm very much a bang for the buck guy. I like the thought that I can get a '13 RS hatch with low miles for around $11k, then spend a small amount in upgrades. Given the beating the car will take, that makes more financial sense to me than beating an $18k Focus ST into the ground. Or the Fiesta ST, which is the size of the Sonic, but $5k more. I did test drive a Focus ST yesterday. It's a whole different class of car than the Sonic, but given the price I'd expect that. My big concern with the Focus is the Recaro seats. They're really awesome for short drives, but I'm a bit worried how a 2 hour commute will feel on my back.

 

[rsSteve]

Welcome to the forums Klayfish!

I too have a long commute and i picked the RS for it. I have 50 mile one way commute for work and I don't regret getting the RS. The seats to me are very comfortable for this long ride. Cargo space has yet to be an issue for me.

I personally love the shorter gearing of the RS for the city driving, to me it is much more fun. At first i was nervous going with manual with all the city and stop and go i do but this car is really easy to drive and i have yet to get tired of shifting in it. Now the one down side is I do a lot of highway as well and with the RS gearing you will drive at 3k rpms at around 65-70 mph. This can get a little droney with full exhaust if you are susceptible to it. For me it wasn't bad until I did the TTR motor mount (Trans mount was fine)

I can usually hit 36-38 mpg's with out trying but if I granny drive it 40's aren't out of the question. When i looked at other members mpg's for the non RS it was actually pretty similar, maybe 1-2 difference.

I also like the nice seats and better suspension in the RS. I test drove a LTZ and it had much more body roll and less pep down low.

As for your other question i pulled this from Prelaoders build thread.

I'm actually kind of excited to methodically restore my Sonic to responsible levels once I get the fresh engine in.

I'll be doing away with the downpipe, aluminum flywheel/stg 4 clutch, trans temp gauge, and tach/tach adaptor.

I'll probably keep the MZO, flex fuel, ported intake, and VT turbo.

My advice to anyone that wants to get a thrill out of their Sonic, but doesn't necessarily want to set any records or chase Dodge SRTs, is this list:

Tune
SRI
Forge BOV
Coilovers
Wheels
Exhaust
MZ0
Appearance upgrades
STAHP

I still frikken love my Sonic, but now I'm looking at the long haul. opcorn:

You can also look at my build thread for some of the things i have talked about in this post.

 

[Road Weazel]

I also have a very similar question.
My commute is closer to 150 miles round trip. The car I'm looking at is a 2012 LTZ Turbo with a manual trans. It currently has 77K on it and I need it to get to 150K without any major issues. With any luck Elio Motors will have their car ready by then (I've already got a deposit down on one).
How many owners have taken their Sonics up around 150K?
Thanx,
Weazel

 

[Klayfish]

Road Weazel,
I've been very closely watching the Elio saga for almost two years now, but I think their chances are 50/50...they've already had delay after delay.


Thanks rsSteve, if I do grab a Sonic, I'll keep any upgrades to a minimum. For me, I wouldn't do exhaust or appearance mods. I'd probably do just a tune and some minor suspension.

 

[boydnhere2]

High Mileage Daily Driver

I currently have a 2012 Sonic Hatchback LTZ turbo, manual tarnny. I drive 114 miles each day for work [57 miles each way]. I bought it new and have 115k miles on it. With mostly highway driving, I still have the original brakes and they will go many more miles. This has been a great car for me, being a commuter vehicle. I did do some mods to make it a little more peppy, CAI, EFI BNR tune. I average 40+ mpg with just highway driving and no errands. City driving drops it to about 37 mpg, still great. This car had everything I wanted in a daily driver, and is more fun than I thought it would be. I typically only buy GM cars, but I did look at others and none came close at this price point. The room this car has is better than any other small hatch. I am 6'3" and husky, and have plenty of room. This car is still fun to drive and has really been dependable. The only ongoing issue, and it is with most direct-injection engines, there tends to be a carbon build up on the engine which can cause some rough idling. DO the suggested 30k maintenance at the dealer, for me that is once a year, it is a fuel system treatment running about $130.00, and it smooths the idle back.

 

[RMinNJ]

We don't have direct injection engines. Sounds like the cleaning service works for you though...surprised it needs it at 30k though.

 

[carsNskis]

I'm at 24,500 and bought last year at this time with 150 on it. Only issues so far were o2 sensor at 3500mi and needing the head unit update. Been very happy "fingers crossed"

it's not the size, it's how you drive it....

 

[Stew]

I didn't see this thread at first but now that I have I'll chime in. Yep the RS does have some nice features you can't get on the lower trims, well not without putting them on yourself anyway. I also do a lot of highway miles and I would not trade my LTZ for anything, at 70 mph you're only around 2200 rpms or so, awesome highway gearing! As others said (and you probably know) the RS freeway rpms will be significantly higher. I've only had a couple minor issues and am at 66k miles in under three years. Being tuned I still get combined averages around 38-39 mpg in the summer and closer to 35 or so in the winter. And that is not babying it.

 

[sonic_braaappp]

For all the requirements you've listed, I would personally suggest either the mazda or the focus. The sonic gets great mpg and I've driven my rs from south carolina to texas and back more than once with no mechanical issues, but as for hauling kids/sports gear around, it simply lacks space. Ever since I got my truck running right 3 weeks ago, I've only driven the sonic once simply because the truck is more convenient in every way except fuel economy obviously. Overall I love my sonic, its a great fun car that does amazing on long drives, gets awesome fuel economy, and has decent power forbwhat it is, but it simply no longer suits my needs and I'm looking to get rid of it as soon as I can.

If you DO decide to buy a sonic rs, don't waste your money on a brand new one, buy slightly used and save yourself thousands of dollars, value on these cars drops exponentially.

 

[lousypirate]

If you DO decide to buy a sonic rs, don't waste your money on a brand new one, buy slightly used and save yourself thousands of dollars, value on these cars drops exponentially.

Found that one out a little too late. Tier 1 supplier codes and a decent trade in helped ease that pain. My wife and I plan to keep this for about 10 years anyways (@20k/yr)

 

[zacjoiner]

WHATEVER YOU DO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE TURBO.
The only mistake I made when I bought my car is that I did not get the turbo. I like a muscle car guy, was only looking at the HP production when I bought my car. I was like, "Oh the HP is the same, well no need for a turbo if it doesn't produce more power" But what I did not realize is that the turbo gets better gas mileage. I am only averaging 28mpg where most turbo owners claim in the mid 30's. I drive about 100miles a day now and have about 70k miles on mine with only one repair. The hose from the air intake ripped and moisture fouled the sensor. $300 repair. Which to me was cheap. I know tires and brakes and oil changes are much cheaper than my vette.

 

[Swordsmith]

Stock, the turbo makes more torque but not more hp. However, the turbo also benefits far more from tuning and other mods than the NA engine. So if you want more power, it turns out the turbo is the place to start. And, as you say, better MPG to go with it, win win!

 

[carsNskis]

Anyone shopping for one, it's supplier pricing for All until January 4th

it's not the size, it's how you drive it....