Initial Test Drive Impressions & Questions For Sonic Owners

[MicroEngineer]

Hello there!

I was passing through a dealership today and had the opportunity to test drive a Sonic LT hatchback (1.4L turbo, 6 spd. manual, 15" wheels w/Hankooks, cloth interior, no sunroof).

We took the car up interstate I-85 and I was surprised how quiet & easy to drive it was. We were comfortably going 85 mph before I realized it!

Overall, a nice car. However, there were a few things that greatly concerned me and I hope some Sonic owners can chime in on my questions & comments:

1) I noticed it seemed as if the air conditioning did not produce very cold air...this was after about 15-20 mins of driving, with it on max, upper vents selected. My other vehicles in the past have done better. It was "fair" at best.

2) On the interstate, I felt a slight instability from the car "moving", even though it wasn't a windy day. Did not feel good. A bit of an unexpected surprise!

Has anyone noticed similar issues? Any ideas?

..and questions:

3) Is the sedan version noticeably more quiet than the hatchback? If so, in which way(s)? [one review claimed there was a difference, but not how much]

4) Any headroom issues with the sunroof? And was the noise level affected?

Thanks a lot as #1 & 2 would be deal-breakers for me.

 

[rdss]

1) My A/C works great in my 1.4t sedan. It wasn't hot before I deployed but it seemed to cool off quick.

2) I haven't noticed any issues on I-95 running 80 mph (70 posted), it drove great and I didn't notice anything that wouldn't be expected from a small car. I wasn't as stable as my 5,500 lbs Sierra crew cab with a 5.3 V-8, but that's a different story.

3) There wasn't a 1.4t hatch to drive so I can't help you on a comparison, I prefer sedans anyway.

4)I don't have a sun roof so I can't comment there either.

 

[Sonic]

The air in mine gets ice cold, so that was an isolated incident. The Sonic is a smaller car. It is going to feel the grooves in the road caused by heavy trucks, and will buffet when behind a tractor trailer or on a windy day. The steering, with its electronic assist also makes things a bit sensitive.

 

[laborsmith]

I have found the HB to be as stable as the small sized SUVs ('74 Cherokee and '85 S10 Blazer) I have owned. Even the SAAB Sonetts, which were as aerodynamic for the early seventies as you could get, were skittish. My now lowered Sonic shows no sign of being skittish at highway speeds; even the steering is improved, but before lowering it was there although I did not notice until posters on this forum brought it to my attention.

The air conditioner functions as expected in temperatures in the eighties, we have not gotten to the nineties yet tho yesterday we got close. It does not reach Cadillac levels, which I suspect are designed to keep a coat and tie wearing driver comfortable and let the tee shirted passenger beware.

Final thought on highway stability: I find that the Sonic of today is by far more stable than the J cars of yesterday. But just as the Sonic responded favorably to suspension modification, so did the Js. I think both Cadillac and Buick make cars that meet the OP's two deal breakers. Neither brand makes a car based on the Sonic architecture.

Laborsmith

 

[Wolfhound]

Ice cold ac here in Phoenix Arizona !

 

[MicroEngineer]

Thanks!

Well, thanks everyone for the replies. I really appreciate it.

I should clarify I don't expect "freezing cold" A/C but definitely better than what I saw yesterday. Sounds like from the replies that I should not worry too much. That's good.

It gets pretty dang hot here in Georgia in the summertime, you know!

I'll have to find a dealer who actually has some equipped models in stock & drive a few more.

Also really curious about the upcoming RS...looks nice.

Have a great day.

 

[AndrewGS]

My A/C is pretty good, but not as good as the A/C in my Silverado was. I'll be anxious to test it when it gets over 100° with a dew point in the 80°s.

My car is very stable, especially after adding 17" wheels.

Welcome, BTW!

 

[gsxr1000]

my AC works fine so far on a black car.... as far as the stability... it is far better then my old geo metro lol... it is a awsome handling car (for what it is) but the steering seems a bit touch with no play so even the slightest steering input the car dives that way... 10,000 miles later totally used to it and it is gone... brakes are senisitve like that also... took some getting used to... but once driving style adjust dirve great... last trip to OKC i was following a nissian titian for about 60 miles going 90-107 MPH.

 

[SteveSonic]

On highway handling: My LTZ HB on the stock 17's and springs is rock steady. I notice nothing when driving near semi's. The front toe-in setting has a lot to do with highway stability; the more the better (to a reasonable limit). The car you test drove may have had nearly zero toe-in and therefore showed signs of wandering.

My sunroof takes about an inch off the available headroom but at 5'10", I'm still two or more inches away from the liner. I'd guess that the sunroof slider & glass, versus the standard headliner covering the entire area, probably allow more sound into the car. However, the system is tighly sealed and gasketted and seems very quiet when closed.

I've only used the A/C two or three times and mine provided the cold air I expected. But it hasn't gotten over 82*F in central VA.

 

[Luv2xlr8]

The tire and rim package you drove were the steelies with hubcaps? If so, thats the answer for the instability because thats the problem i had when i purchased mine but quickly i replaced them with some 16" rims i had lying around. Problem went away.

 

[gsxr1000]

The tire and rim package you drove were the steelies with hubcaps? If so, thats the answer for the instability because thats the problem i had when i purchased mine but quickly i replaced them with some 16" rims i had lying around. Problem went away.

I thought all chevy sonic came with aluminum wheels atleast in USA

 

[Luv2xlr8]

Im not sure, I got the basic model up here in Canada and they have 3 wheel options.

 

[laborsmith]

Canadian Sonics have steel wheels and the aluminum wheels are optional or part of an upgrade package.

Laborsmith

 

[itsphil]

I have 17" wheels on my Sonic Hatchback. It corners perfectly hitting ramps at 60 MPH. I pull my Sonic out of the garage with air on 2 and I am immediately am nipplly. A 5 year old told me that. I cracked up. Although my Sonic is a hatchback and I have auto in it ,I can speak for those that have stick/1.4 . My Sonic is fast enough for me. Previously had a Dodge Dakota R/T with all the goodies on it.

 

[SonicChris]

My A/C works good. It doesn't cool as fast as my Focus, but it gets plenty cold. As for the highway speeds, I've had it to 100(wanted to see if there was a 3rd digit on the speedo. lol) for about a half a mile and it was fine. I have the LTZ with 17's.

 

[Chevrolet Customer Care]

my AC works fine so far on a black car.... as far as the stability... it is far better then my old geo metro lol... it is a awsome handling car (for what it is) but the steering seems a bit touch with no play so even the slightest steering input the car dives that way... 10,000 miles later totally used to it and it is gone... brakes are senisitve like that also... took some getting used to... but once driving style adjust dirve great... last trip to OKC i was following a nissian titian for about 60 miles going 90-107 MPH.

Great to hear you've gotten use to your Sonic and are enjoying the drive.

Vanessa, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

[oldertech]

I'm not having any issues with stability on the highway. I do find the profile of this vehicle higher than my previous, and I think there is more wind to catch as a result, but I feel the car does a good job with the standard suspension keeping it all in check. Some have mentioned that the steering is sensitive, but I think it's brilliantly designed to do what it needs to do at various speeds.

I've only had a few trips with AC on for the whole time at highway speeds. I *guessing* that engineers are finely making an AC system that is economy minded and as has been mentioned in this thread, not Cadillac level. I've had gripes in the past with the concept of an AC compressor that runs at a pre-determined cycle and if you are too cold, you have the choice of switching the compressor out or "blending" in more hot air with the temp control. Seems very inefficient to me as we are trying to eek out the most for our gallon of gas. I *think* the Sonic is reducing the duty cycle of the compressor when it thinks less cold is needed. That's the way it seems to me. Anyone else? The end result would be more minimalist system that gets the job done, but less waste.

 

[MicroEngineer]

I can see why you say that. Unfortunately whatever it was (in the case of the hatchback I drove) it didn't seem to cool sufficiently, as although it was on the tail end of a warm day at that particular time it wasn't near at all like it will be in summertime here.

Next time I'll roll the window(s) down and listen for the compressor to cycle on/off maybe. And maybe measure the temperature rather than guess about it, in case it's me.

Also I'll be sure to drive the next one on different highway pavement. Seems like you need more than 20 minutes to really know what you're dealing with.

Also sucks that no one seems to keep one in stock (at least not within reasonable distance) with a sunroof. Not a single one! (???)

 

[simple2me]

My A/C cools just fine (not like the Cadillac CTS though). Once my car cools down I generally put it on 1 or 2 for the rest of the trip. As for stability on the highway, I do notice buffering and when someone is riding my tail the car feels a little loose in the backend. I didn't test drive my car before I bought it, I saw the car and just bought it. The sales guy tried getting me to drive it but I didn't care, I just wanted the car so I bought it and drove it home. The car had me at Turbo and "Z".... so I didn't need a test drive it.

 

[Eric Smit]

I'm currently in El Paso in June, I'm not sure if anybody has the heat worse. You can say its humid, but the humidity doesn't make your car hotter when you leave it parked. My AC works plenty well for me.


-Eric Smit