Overview & Reviews

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is an all-new subcompact, available in both sedan and four-door-hatchback configurations.

• Attractive, livable cabin
• Crisp handling
• Low price
• Excellent power and fuel economy from optional turbocharged engine
• Top safety scores.

• The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is an all-new subcompact, available in both sedan and four-door-hatchback configurations.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 43.00

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  33k on 2012 Sonic - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By gnonnemacher - August 9 - 8:37 pm

  Bought this car new. Stock tires are useless in MI winters, so 4 snows are used in winter. Still gets 30+ mpg with snows! Good equipment package on LT models. We just got back from a trip to the UP of Michigan. Got 38.5 mpg overall and its rated at 35 hwy. Im picky about my cars and this one has had minor damage and repairs (others fault) twice. Drives very well at highway speeds and has usable seating for four. Holds a good amount of cargo with rear seats folded down, even in the sedan. No mechanical problems or issues to date. My only complaint is that it is not very forgiving on rough roads and we have a lot of those around here.

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  Decent little car that I recommend, but I had some issues - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By donovan1983 - July 9 - 7:34 am

  I got the base LT hatchback with no cruise control or bluetooth and with the 5-speed manual. Its a fun little car to drive due to handling and braking, though I came to dislike the drivetrain a bit. I took a lot of longer trips in the car and it is great for that, both in comfort and in gas mileage. I recently traded it in, however, mostly due to a need to get something with an automatic transmission so I could share the car and to get something a little larger. I feel build quality could have been a little better, though many of my issues could have been due to having a first-year model. Despite my issues Id still recommend this car and think its a great value.

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  Plastic Toy Car!! DONT BUY!!! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By carman_ - April 1 - 8:13 pm

  Do not buy this car, I repeat do not buy this car!! This car is hunk of junk. The out side design and interior are unique and appealing, but dont let that suck you in. You feel every single bump no matter what, and the suspension is horrible. This Car Has Terrible heat, absolutely terrible. If you live in Canada like myself, stay clear. The gas mileage is good as its 90% hwy driven. The gears shifting are very noticeable, and acceleration is very slow (1.8 L). The sound system is terrible and most LS, and LTs dont even come with rear speakers. Besides the appealing look it, its horrible to drive, Its like driving a plastic toy car! Not worth the $, buy a cobalt, anything, but not this!!

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  Nothing Exciting - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By nick_scott - February 22 - 5:19 pm

  We bought this car because of the price and advertised MPG. Since owning it, we have noticed that the MPG is no where near what it claims to be, as much at 7 MPG less at times. The look of the car is interesting to be kind. The front end is UGLY and the rest is bland. The inside has some nice features such as leather, heated seats, bluetooth, and power everything. However the cabin is very cramped and the driver seat is painful at times. The arm rests are at different heights which can be awkward. Do not expect to be comfortable if you weigh more than 150lbs. Performance of this car is a joke. The non-turbo has no throttle response at all and struggles on even small hills.

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  I Wouldnt Buy One Again - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By jaxjack92 - October 25 - 2:24 pm

  For a small car the Sonics fuel economy is poor. The cars computer claims I attain 5.6 mpg than I actually get. (eg the computer tells me I am averaging 30mpg when manual calculations reflect 24.4mpg. Pretty darn poor considering I drive 60% hwy. The car is comfortable for the driver & front passenger but if either is 6 feet or more only children will be comfortable in the back. Shifting gears in the automatic transmission is VERY noticeable & I only have 5,000 mi on the car.

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  Solid Dependable Economy Car-Love it! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By chevysonicfan - August 11 - 12:03 pm

  I knew that purchasing The 2012 Chevy Sonic was a bit of a gamble as it was the first model year replacing the Aveo that only survived a two year run,and there werent any consumer reports. My two prior cars were the Monte Carlo and the Impala I was tired of getting fleeced at the gas pump with the 6 bangers though. In March I drove all the way from NH to FL and it was a comfortable ride. The car handles very well and has great fuel economy on the highway. It only costs me about $32 to fill up the tank, and I almost made it to PA on a single tank of gas! In retrospect I am happy I took the gamble with My Sonic LT! It is my 9th car and my 6th Chevy I have never had a problem with a Chevy

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  Awesome little car! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By sooogud - February 4 - 12:44 pm

  Its an awesome small car that doesnt drive like a small car. Ive had it for over 7 months and 10,000 miles and its been a great experience. The 6-speed manual turbo is a must for this car, though. I test drove the 5-speed auto 1.8L and it doesnt cut it for highway driving. The turbo engine is pretty responsive makes on-ramps and passing a blast. MPG is pretty decent at about 36–40mpg on average, and thats not taking it easy on the accelerator. In cold weather (i.e., 32F or lower), however, mpg drops to about 30–34mpg. Great little car, definite recommendation from my experience.

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  I had hoped for more . . . - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By kebleil - January 22 - 11:57 pm

  We purchased this car - actually its the LT Turbo 6m - in July 2012. Right away we were disappointed with the mpg and the discrepancies with the digital read-out. On average, we probably get 2-3 mpg less than what the car says we do. It seems like the mpgs are all over the place as you read the reviews. Some getting fantastic - some getting terrible mileages. We are usually in the 30-32mpg range. What is confusing is that we got better mileage at first but it seems to be declining. We are nearly 7000 miles. The disappointment was accentuated when after 7 weeks of ownership we were pelted with extensive hail damage - not gms fault, of course, but it lowered our excitement.

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  LOVE my Sonic! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By lagrinceri - January 10 - 5:22 pm

  I bought my Sonic LT Hatch in April and Ive loved every minute of it. From its exterior design that stands out daily, to the comfortable interior with neat features (came with the bluetooth and conv package) I wouldnt change my mind for anything. I spent a year+ researching cars and I finally found a match with the Sonic. Coming from a 2005 Ford Focus manual, it was different getting used to the automatic transmission. Once you get past that hump, its a win-win for everyone.

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  Great Buy! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By themrchen - December 20 - 11:42 am

  bought this car for my daughter, I was enjoying my new camaro and noticed what a sharp looking vehicle this was, she needed a new car and we got a good deal, about 14k. car gets over 35 mpg highway and 30 mpg in town mixed communting, never misses a beat. handling was funny when new, car came with 46 pounds of air in tires, tail would wag on hwy, reduced pressure and broke tires in and handling is perfect. what more could you ask from this 14k$ car? its fantastic