AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC

On The Cover Review: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic

Not to be confused with the drive-through burger & tots chain, the Sonic is Chevrolet’s newest compact. This car is similar in dimensions and profile to the Aveo it replaces, but it is better in nearly every possible way. What’s improved over the Aveo? Looks, handling, power, size, build quality, interior materials, etc. . Engines include a 1.8-liter, 138-hp four, or a turbocharged, DOHC 1.4-liter four that whirrs out 138-horses. Some of the technology, including the power plants, are already familiar to Chevrolet Cruze owners, and that car has been getting rave reviews for the better part of a year. The Sonic is available in either five-door hatchback or four-door sedan configurations. If it can get past the bottom-of-the-barrel stigma that the Aveo conveyed, the Sonic should compete admirably against cars like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, or Nissan Versa. Plus, the Sonic is built in Lake Orion, Mich., U.S.A. A decent American compact built by an American company on American soil? Believe it.