2014 Chevy Sonic Turbo 0-60 MPH Drive and Review 

I never understood why people biatch about plastic interiors. How often do you touch it lmao. I have the RS Sonic, love it, and only touch the dash when im cleaning it

I got the Sonic in a "Cool Blue" hatch. Owned it for two years. It has never been in the shop except for the free oil changes and tire rotation. Love the car. Drove it to Fl from MI twice. $86.00 for gas each time. Handles well at over 90mph which it reaches easily. Air works great. All kind of surprise equipment on the LT...backup cam, one touch power window up and down, on board computer tells you everything, 10 air bags, to name a few. I get compliments on it all the time. I have the 1.8L motor and it got me through the mountains on cruise kicking down just one gear on a few occasions. It merges onto the freeways just fine, and why all the fuss about the 0-60times? It is a compact car with plenty to offer. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

i like how he makes fun of "19 year olds and hondas" then does a reverse doughnut. Who does that!?!?!?!

I can tell by the comments most don't understand these cars are severely detuned from the factory. The factory air intake has a snorkel that can be removed for a dyno proven 2-3hp, there are restrictor plates (yes, restrictor plates....didn't believe until I saw them) that removing gains about 10hp in the midrange, and there is a bypass valve that purposefully drops boost during shifts. Remove of all that crap is free. That is not even touching the 30+hp and 40+lbft gains by just a tune alone.

Love the interior cheap or not. I got the LTZ hatchback so it came with a little nicer guts than the LT. Door cup holders are angled forward to counteract the torque :)

2:42 Legend has it there's a nude beach behind that hill in the top right.

My wife and I purchased this car last June 2014, and up to present October 2014, this has been an Awesome Car!!, no problems at all to speak of, plenty of power and storage space for my drum set. Thank you Chevrolet!.

Nathan! I absolutely agree on this vehicle! Buy it! I will also agree that the Fiesta has a slightly better interior, but the price premium that Ford seems to be asking, for me, just isn't worth it. The Sonic presents a very nice value proposition. Nice review!

Chevy Sanic! Gotta go fast.

Traded my 2013 Ford Focus SE for a Chevrolet Sonic LT. The Ford headliner and center console rattled, the ergonomics were bad, the engine idled rough in the morning, and the infotainment system was glitchy. The Chevy handles better, gets better mileage ( averaging 37 mpg vs 32 mpg ), no rattles, and no glitches. Additionally the Focus cost me around $6000 more than the Sonic, I feel I got ripped off when I bought the Focus.

I can hear the paint job screaming all through out that video. XD

This is one of my favorite cars !!! I have a VW GTI MK6 but man this little car looks fun :-) I'd try to get the Sonic RS turbo If I could, someday!

Autofocus has come a long way. Great video!

I have the 2014 Chevy Sonic LT with the spring promotional package and it's a great car I have not had any problems what so ever with it! Yes it is the dragon green metallic and looks great!

Great review Nathan! I really like the Sonic as a small hot hatch, I'm just worried about GM reliability.. Anyway it goes, GM has really improved lately

Wow! I was not expecting that exhaust to sound that good. Most 4cyl engines just buzz, but this has a nice little bark to it. Almost reminds me of the Fiat 500 Abarth!

I don't understand why he rags on the 1.8 liter. I actually did rent a base Sonic LS sedan with an automatic for a few days and found it plenty fast on both city and highway. Surpassing posted speed limits without really trying. It was very peppy, and the handling was excellent. I'm 6'6" and was comfortable for hours of driving. I don't know what the TFL guy is looking for, but I walked away from the base Sonic quite impressed. My only issue was that the textured fabric on the center armrest was rough on the elbows, but that's a very small issue.

I actually like that whole set up

I honest to God wish I could do your guys job this is awesome. Haha, I wish I could own one! But at 17 I still got college and finding a job afterwards. You guys keep up with the good vids!

what's more reliable 2015 chevy sonic turbo, or a 2015 honda fit?

I really hope the rest of the review is posted soon. I'm looking at buying a car in this price range/efficiency right now.. as in early next week. :P

you went to go for a good 0-60 time with traction control on? you do realize traction control applys breaks for you right?

I've have the '12 version of this car (LT Hatch Turbo 6MT but without all the silly painted wheel/exhaust nonsense) and think it's one of the best cars for the money out there. One note: that floor panel in the cargo area can drop down into the space below it to make one large compartment. Makes it a much more useful space for suitcases or large dogs. Great review, definitely on point regarding the cheap materials inside, but you get what you pay for.

is this the actual replacement for the Aveo? some are saying the Sonic, whilst others say the Spark is the actual replacement and that the Sonic is a bigger car.

I REAALLY like the Sonic. I couldn't afford one so I got its baby brother, the Spark. You guys really should do another review of the Spark because the one you guys initially did for it didn't really go into enough detail about your opinion(s) of the car.

I would love to see a comparison of the Sonic RS Manual and the Mini Cooper 3 cylinder Manual... ???

It's actually a pretty cool car. Love that exhaust. Does rims look after market.

I just bought a 2012 Chevy Sonic (the Sedan version) earlier today (during the afternoon of April 13th). The one I bought has the 1.4 turbo, 16" alloys, pretty much everything you can get without going into any extra dealer packages, and I got mine for $12.9K, even though the sticker price was $14.4K The one he tested must've been fully loaded and that borla package probably jumped the sticker price.

I live at sea level and can get the sonic from 0 to 60 in 7.5 seconds with good shifting. I can drive it hard and still get 30 mpg. It is a great little car and the 1.4 L turbo is frankly amazing. I am thinking about getting a large intercooler for long hot drives.

Good review, but I had a hard time handling the camera focus problems in nearly every interior and zoom shot. Normally not a problem in your reviews. What happened?

I was considering the 2013 Sonic LT (with the turbo engine) and the 2013 Hyundai Elantra. I ended up with a 2013 Mazda 3 sport (it took two test drives to win me over). Although the other two runner ups were nice choices , the Mazda won me over with it's combination of good looks , excellent M/T , steering , and handling qualities...

Nathan - a b16 civic hatch with a potato launcher would smoke that thing and half the cars you guys reviewed this year. Plus it is super fun to drive. Please don't hate on a civic..

The wheels look great Nathan

Back here in brazil the only option avaliable is the LTZ 1.6. Quite disapointing.

snagged a manual LTZ turbo for $14k. Dealers have pretty good offers on these - nothing else in that price range has those features

So I have a Ram 3500 and Chrysler TC. I'm looking for a subcompact that will offer me 30 and up mpg. Any recommendations? Don't care about cheap plastics I only care about reliability i will be driving about 2500 miles per month

I hope you guys review the 1.0 ecoboost fiesta, been debating on that or a 1.4 sonic

I got a 2013 dark grey manual lt turbo an got no complaints.

Considering getting one of these

I'll tell ya Nathan, I have the 1.8l and I drive a lot of highway. 140 miles a day. I get 39 mpg with my 1.8. I'm not on a race track, I don't need super speed, I just need to get to work. The 1.8 does that VERY nicely.

If you're looking for something quick, just get a used fiesta ST. It's an actual performance variant of the base. The 1.8 Sonic is tons of fun with the 5speed manual, but the turbo version is a huge price leap for a whole lot of nothing except a slash in displacement. I think the base Sonic is a really good car and great value.

how does the automatic version compare to the manual tranny was thinking of getting one of these soon. and how does this compare to the dart?

whats the difference between the 14 and the 13 sonic?

I heard the factory wastegate for the turbo goes after about 20k miles. Is this true?

Nice review (keep 'em coming!), but for $21k you can get a '14 Accord LX manual that is much quicker, gets better mpg, way nicer interior, and light years ahead in terms of build quality, reliability, and resale value. Not to mention the pocket rocket Fiesta ST starts at $22k as well. The Sonic turbo is a decent car, but for the price it is flat-out outclassed.

I'd like to see a review of the 2013/2014 Hyundai accent. And a comparison of the sonic and the accent.

Please do a review of the Ford FIesta ST!

you did not tell us about how the turbo handles compare to the non turbo. the suspension. body rolls. all that good stuff.

Best review ever just by doing reverse donuts

+Thomas Magerle They're in the same class you putts. The only think the dart has going for it is it has a little more horsepower to it, and has a much more attractive rear. BUT its actually a cheaper built car.

9.74 0-60 where the hell is he getting this info? the turbo sonic is rated at 7.8 SECONDS 0-60. I've done it with the automatic... -_- so what's your excuse?

i have the 2012 1.8l 5 spd stick hatch in victory red. which i like the color, also the 1.8 has less overall issues.

wouldn't you rather have a base model mini cooper?

what about the Ford Fiesta ST?

well would you rather drive this or a mustang v6....

Is that Loveland ski resort?

you guys should review the Veloster Turbo

Doesn't the Fiesta ST more directly compete with that trim line of Sonic? Is the Fiesta ST even out yet? If not, I understand, but if so, that would make more sense :-). Love your videos!

I had a Cruise with the 1.8 and it did alright....but I think my next car will be a Sonic 1.4 turbo. I would drive this before a Honda any day!

It is actually quite a good little car. As for the price, you can option most cars into an absurd range so that really isn't an issue. A moderately loaded version is actually a pretty good buy, especially after discounts. The little turbo motor is definitely the one to have though. At sea level the 1.8 is OK, but just OK.

i love this model 😍😍

This is where you end up when you let RU-vid decide what videos you should watch next.

1:54 Not THAT'S what I call testing!!!

Hot Hatch or Econobox? I doubt it can handle like a Hot Hatch and is too expensive to be an econobox.

This one isn't even too bad. Fun to drive with a manual:)

Cool thanks for the reply

How much faster does it get with the stage upgrade kit that gives you 10 horse power more?

I didn't realize Mitsubishi was such a big player across brands, considering my Mazda has a bunch of Mitsubishi sensors in the engine.

What an appropriate color for the name!

Kinda like the Dart, The 1.4 Turbo is a small motor, but is more fun then the base 2.0. The Prices are similar as well..

People also say normally pretty often, its not the official term but its kinda interchangeable.

The Sonic was designed in Germany, uses Korean parts and is ASSEMBLED in Michigan ,USA

the dart competes with the cruze and focus in the compact segment. the sonic is a subcompact i believe

1225KPH, we're getting a tired of your nasty troll comments. You've been warned. This is our channel so play by our rules or go take mean-spirited comments someplace else. You've been warned. Next time you'll be banned.

Nathan always sounds like he can't breath. Get out of Colorado man, that air is clearly too thin for you.

These aren't bad little cars. My sister got a 2013 LTZ and it's been great for her city driving. With the computer showing an average speed of 19mph (no joke) the overall gas mileage on it sits at 26mpg still. Also, I'm 7'1" tall and can actually drive it comfortably. There's a lot of head room in these little things.

For its size, it sounds pretty good.

Just got a 2015 Chevy Sonic LTZ

nothing wrong with the 1.8 one which i have i guess a little more power with the 1.4 but thats what they had at the lot at the time and i didnt know about the two different engines at the time

I've never been one to defend the anemic Mustang V6's, but the newer 3.7L with 300hp is brilliant. It's 95% the performance of the old 4.6 V8, gets good economy, and is ridiculously cheap to get into. After 50 years of Mustangs this is the FIRST V6 that even an enthusiast would enjoy driving.

I just bought this car and. It is incredibly fast if you can handle it

I know those things. But what I'm saying is, if they're going to make a sport/turbo version of the car, why not give it some more power than that.

great little car for the money

So....is this actually a Daiwoo?

How is Borla exhaust for 19 yr olds.

Thats good, hate when people can be so faithful to one company, they shut a blind eye to everyone else!

Bet that little thing would be super fun with 300HP.

My gf has the fiesta, it's full of hard plastic too.. I don't see much difference there other than design, which i like in Sonic better.

Interesting videos, but the iMovie audio presets are making my cringe so hard.

i think he was saying 1700 extra from the base to get the turbo 1.4

you want there other channel then, the fast lane truck

Id like to see the 4 cylender duramax in it

It's basically a Geo Metro on still roids that's what it looks like to me so which is more for the buck the 1.8 or the 1.4

It's a nice car, but it's too bad the Dexcool GM put in it will destroy the engine within 2-3 years. Reply

My girlfriend got this thing for a rental car and OMG sucks balls no power what so every but believe it or no this thing is fucking awesome to drive for how comfortable this thing is. Its got an arm chair you feel like your sitting in a living while moving and also it feels so smooth.

Yea for 20,000 I'd definitely go with the Ford Fiesta ST

I might just be crazy (I’m sure of it) but I feel faster with the traction control off in mine...

Watching this makes me realize just how much the previous owner put in mine, mine does 0-60 in less than 6 seconds. Mines a 2013 RS

GM is watching this video and sending Nathan the bill for all the stone chips!!!!

Oh you caught my mistake. Good one...