Anyone got a new Sonic? Looking at them for my 16 yr old

[MuscleRodz]

Need to get my 16 year old daughter a car and can't find anything used so I started looking at new cars. Anyone got one and have an opinion? I plan to go drive one Saturday. thanks

[shortrack]

Lol!.....I saw Sonic and I immediately thought Cool, a thread about a Sonic boat on PT.com! didnt even get the 16 y/o part.....Im looking for a 31 and I have boats on the brain:hand:

[MuscleRodz]

I guess I should have mentioned Chevy

[indyjps]

just looked it up. Thats a good looking car for a "econobox"
Color match the foglight surrounds, silver, with an orange or red pinstripe and same on the outer edge of the rim. could go for the inferno orange paint depends on your daughters personality.

maybe step up the wheels after the stock tires are shot

[19,69camaro]

If its anything like the Aveo that it looks like then it is a big pile of.......my friend has one of those and it doesnt even have antilock brakes. Just think short wheelbase + black ice + no anti-lock= the reason I always drive when we are going somewhere

[DartorDemon]

If its anything like the Aveo that it looks like then it is a big pile of.......my friend has one of those and it doesnt even have antilock brakes. Just think short wheelbase + black ice + no anti-lock= the reason I always drive when we are going somewhere

That was going to be my response. It looks like an update Aveo. IMO don't bother, I would avoid anything chevy that even hints at an aveo. The aveo used a Daewoo drivetrain which is complete garbage.

IMO i'd go for a scion tc if its in the budget. The engine in those is almost the same as the old celicas and its a pretty bullet proof engine. They made thousands of them, so if you want to save a little money, they can be found used in pretty much any color/config she wants. And the new one's look nice.

And if your set on the unsporty box like that: Honda fit.

Edit: from wikipedia:
"Chevrolet markets the new Aveo under the Chevrolet Sonic nameplate in the U.S., Canadian, Mexican, Chilean, "

[SickSpeedMonte]

Yep, the sonic is Korean just like the Aveo

[absintheisfun]

This is the "replacement" for the Aveo, but I don't think it really shares much with it. The 1.4L engine is the same thing that is going in the Cruz, has high safety numbers and gets 40mpg. I'm not a fan of small cars, but so far the press on the Sonic is overwhelmingly positive. I could be wrong, but I think Lutz had a hand in the creation and finalizing of this vehicle...if that's the case, I'm sure it is a good car.

[boynton6spd]

With the huge rebates, check out a Malibu...they will be close in price and very nice!
If you can swing an Equinox you will love it. Just bought my wife one.....KILLER!

[79-TA]

From what I've seen of the Sonic, it's a huge step up from the Aveo. It's really not fair to call it the next Aveo just because it's the same size. I think it's at least worth a test drive.

[novaderrik]

her first car? a 1966 Impala wagon with an inline 6 and a 3 on the tree would be a great first car. wood grain would be nice, but not necessary.. cheap to insure, i bet, and she'd be too embarrassed to actually want to drive it so the lack of gas mileage wouldn't really matter..

[BonzoHansen]

With the huge rebates, check out a Malibu...they will be close in price and very nice!this is true, the new malibu comes out soon and they are trying to blow out the leftovers.

I just picked up a 2011 Cruze LTZ for invoice. So far pretty happy.

[DestructoSS]

They are a good car. I spent some time in the seat of a new LTZ. I think you'd be surprised.

They are not on the same chassis as the Aveo, and it has 10 airbags!

Here is a good review of it.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110921/CARREVIEWS/110929987

[muthstryker]

I will never understand parents buying their 16 yr old kids brand new cars. 16 yr old's wreck more then any other age group that's a fact. Honestly I would buy her a used car and get her a brand new car as a graduation gift or something, at least then she will have a few more years of driving experience.

[olason]

For similar size, you could get a Ford Focus. Tons of them around if it were to need repair.

I grew up on a farm, and had lots of experience before getting my driver's license (straight truck and some semi driving). My dad had me drive his first pickup, a 1979 Chevy C20. 2wd was not the part I was so happy about, heck I wanted something else. When my mom stepped up to a newer vehicle I got her 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora, which I loved because of its 4.0 Northstar v8 and heated leather seats. Then upon graduation I was given a 2008 Trailblazer SS, so I have built up to what I currently drive.

[WILWAXU]

Yep, the sonic is Korean just like the AveoImported from Detroit ;)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/business/with-chevrolet-sonic-gm-and-uaw-reinvent-automaking.html

Your probably thinking of the Spark:
http://www.chevrolet.com/spark-mini-car/

[mpozzi]

Agree with Novaderrik and get her into something fairly substantial for her first car. She WILL be involved in a moving vehicle accident between now and when she turns 21, either in the bullet or target car as a driver or passenger. Guaranteed!! In that MVA, the big car usually wins ...

And check the insurance premiums before you buy anything.

Mary Pozzi

[MuscleRodz]

For similar size, you could get a Ford Focus. Tons of them around if it were to need repair.

I grew up on a farm, and had lots of experience before getting my driver's license (straight truck and some semi driving). My dad had me drive his first pickup, a 1979 Chevy C20. 2wd was not the part I was so happy about, heck I wanted something else. When my mom stepped up to a newer vehicle I got her 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora, which I loved because of its 4.0 Northstar v8 and heated leather seats. Then upon graduation I was given a 2008 Trailblazer SS, so I have built up to what I currently drive.

my son has an 07 focus, been a good car, but if i do something like this it will be chevrolet since the classic dealer who wants my 69 camaro also owns a chevy dealership

[MuscleRodz]

I will never understand parents buying their 16 yr old kids brand new cars. 16 yr old's wreck more then any other age group that's a fact. Honestly I would buy her a used car and get her a brand new car as a graduation gift or something, at least then she will have a few more years of driving experience. well, I am very proud of my daughter and her accomplishments. She had been driving her brothers focus last 6 months while he was at basic and now stationed in tacoma, where we took him his car over thanksgiving weekend. She is a safe driver and most her driving is not in town where there is alot of traffic. My son drove a POS 96 camaro for over a year, never wrecked it or any tickets. Bought him the focus 2 years ago, and since then he has hit a couch on the interstate and a deer on a 2 lane highway, so I am not going to try and plan when to buy a nicer car I think they have more experience and is safer now than before.

[MuscleRodz]

Agree with Novaderrik and get her into something fairly substantial for her first car. She WILL be involved in a moving vehicle accident between now and when she turns 21, either in the bullet or target car as a driver or passenger. Guaranteed!! In that MVA, the big car usually wins ...

And check the insurance premiums before you buy anything.

Mary PozziI would love to put her in an old mustang or something cool, but mom isn't going let that happen.

I am definitley checking insurance. It is crazy what they want anymore for insurance, even on econoboxes.

[trapin]

OK, here comes the GM guy.

First off, will agree with the previous posters that the old Aveo was in fact a decroded peice of crap. However, the new Sonic shares NOTHING in regards to drivetrain and chassis with the old Aveo. The only reason they have two names for the car is that the name AVEO is not as ominious overseas as it is in America.

The Sonic is an all-new vehicle.

Now Mike, as far as what to get your daughter I agree with Mary and a few others; put some sheet metal around her. She may be a good/safe driver but that doesn't mean the other teenagers who will be out on the road with her will be too.

Malibu's are being discounted right now in preparation for the new one.....a GREAT car. You took care of me earlier this year so get in touch with me and I can get you a discount on it. Send me a PM.

[MuscleRodz]

thanks!

[olason]

With the hitting of the couch on the interstate, very lucky for me the Trailblazer SS wasn't lowered at all. I came around a big sweeping corner on interstate at night doing 80 and before I could fully react, I committed to running my vehicle over top of a deer that was dead in the passing lane. You could hear the scrapping all the way as I went over top of it, at first I thought the whole front bumper was cracked. I pulled off, the bumper was fine and so was the rest of the car just some deer meat and hair on the underside.

Good luck on whatever you choose, and I hope your kid really appreciates it.

[CreepinDeth]

I am definitley checking insurance. It is crazy what they want anymore for insurance, even on econoboxes.
I personally think the new Sonic is a great looking subcompact.
I love the Sportbike inspired gauge layout myself.

Downsides for me......
10 air bags in a car that starts @ $15,000..... :confused:

If even 2/3rd's of those air bags deployed they'd probably total the car even without a single dent in the fender.
Costs to do air bags is pretty steep from what I've heard......

I'd truly be leary of how many corners were cut to prove they could build a subcompact here in US.
It already said they cut corners on the 1st layer of rust protection 99% in that article someone posted.
Plus they're paying 1/2 the wages to 40% of the workforce there......

[CFster]

As much a POS as an Aveo (or Sonic) is, I'll bet it would perform better in a collision than a 66 Chevy. Airbags and crush zones and side impact braces. You know what a 66 Chevy has inside the doors? Air. The popular opinion that a bigger car is safer doesn't apply when the bigger car is 45 years old. Talk to a first responder. There's significantly fewer fatalities just in the last 10 years.

[MrQuick]

As much a POS as an Aveo (or Sonic) is, I'll bet it would perform better in a collision than a 66 Chevy. Airbags and crush zones and side impact braces. You know what a 66 Chevy has inside the doors? Air. The popular opinion that a bigger car is safer doesn't apply when the bigger car is 45 years old. Talk to a first responder. There's significantly fewer fatalities just in the last 10 years.

I agree, why does everyone prepare for failure.

Get her a safe car, ABS, Trac control, easy to control, easy to park, good on gas, ugly enought to keep boys away and small enough not to be able to fit boys into.....top it off with GAP insurance.