# Cruze vs Sonic



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

After owning both for a while, I figured it would be time to write a bit of a comparison between the two in case anyone was interested, so here it goes. 

My Cruze is a 2012 Eco MT, and I have aftermarket heated leather. I have driven a 2LT Auto and LTZ Auto on a number of occasions so I was able to get a good gauge of how both of those cars drove and felt. Our Sonic is a 2013 1LT hatch with the 1.4T engine, and has all-weather floor mats, MyLink, and standard 15" alloy wheels. It used to be a company car but is now primarily driven by my wife and I. My Cruze has 37,800 miles and the Sonic has 2,200 miles. Since it would take far too long to write a thorough comparison of each individual aspect like I did for the Cruze review, I'll just mention some notable differences. 



Cup holders and storage compartments were a big difference. the Cruze has four cupholders, two in the doors and two in the center. The rear passengers are SOL. In the Sonic, there are five. However, the storage compartments are FAR better in the Sonic. To the left and right of the radio are two compartments which will each fit both a phone and wallet. The cubby hole at the top of the dash that the Cruze has is an open bowl on the Sonic. We keep our i-pass in there and it doesn't seem to move around at all. What I don't like (and what should have been thought through far better by GM) is that I have nowhere to put my phone in my Cruze. If I put it in my door, it will bang around. If I put it in my cup holder, I lose one of my cup holders. Whoever designed the interior of this car must have had a sick sense of humor by adding that tiny little compartment in front of the shifter that is not good for much other than a mini trash can for gum wrappers, gum, or loose change. It's useless. What's baffling is that there is plenty of depth behind it, and a longer compartment would easily have room for both my wallet and my Samsung Galaxy S3. Lastly, the Sonic has two glove compartments; one on top of another. Genius.
Braking in the Sonic is more sensitive. This may be due to the ~200 pound weight reduction over the Cruze, or maybe the better adjusted rear drums. Either way, the brakes are more sensitive.
Seat comfort is a wash. The Cruze seats are comfortable and even more so with the leather I have in there, but the Sonic seats have an arm rest for the driver that folds down. The arm rest in the door on the Sonic is not padded, and your elbow reminds you of that when you go on any trip over half an hour. Not that the one on the Cruze has any consequential amount of padding. The Sonic cloth seats do hold you in better as you can feel more of the side bolsters.
The Sonic gauge cluster is just plain weird. There is no instantaneous fuel economy reading and no temperature gauge (that drives me nuts). You have limited ability to change options while the car is moving, which is not the case with the Cruze. The gauge cluster on the Cruze is 100x better.
The tires on the Sonic are horrible, and that is an understatement. They are not quite literally the worst tires I have ever used on any car I have ever driven in my entire life. Driving the Sonic in the snow is worse than driving my 1991 Toyota Pickup in 2x4 mode. There are two reasons for this. First, the grooves on the tires are so small that they may as well be solid rubber. Second, GM specifies a tire pressure of 38psi. To put this into perspective, the Eco MT specifies 35psi and is heavier. The 1LT/2LT specifies 32psi and is heavier still. The LTZ is the heaviest and specifies 30psi. Before I realized what the tire pressure was at, I spent 20 minutes trying to maneuver 5 feet in my driveway. Once I deflated those to 28psi, I was able to get around much better. In addition, the tires are 24.9" in diameter. The Cruze tires are 1.0-1.4" larger. At least they will be much cheaper to replace than the Eco's tires.
The 1.4L Turbo looks more at home in the engine bay of the Sonic. In the Cruze, it looks like the engine bay was made for something bigger...like the 2.0 Diesel. The hood is smaller so it's easier to lift (not like it's really an issue). The battery looks like it will be far easier to replace, and the coolant overflow reservoir is intelligently placed AWAY from the HVAC inlet.
Changing the oil was about the same for both vehicles with respect to the drain portion of it. However, removing the filter is easier on the Cruze. It just makes more sense. On the Sonic, you have to physically compress and force a rubber charge pipe out of the way to get even the socket to clear.
With respect to handling, the Sonic feels a more nimble. I'm sure the smaller wheelbase has something to do with it, as well as the reduced weight. The hatch isn't very long.
Ride quality is notably better in the Cruze, particularly while going over uneven roads.
HVAC controls seem to be directly controlled by the knobs on the Sonic, while they have a delay to every action on the Cruze. I prefer the design on the Sonic. The moment the knob hits fan level 4, the fan kicks on to level 4. The Cruze likes to take things steady as if to not scare the driver.
The Sonic has a spare tire, AND a recessed cubby hole like the Cruze ECO, AND there is a cover for that hole. The Cruze Eco should have at least included that cover.
There's more room in the trunk of the Cruze than there is in the hatch of the Sonic, but that's a given. That said, with the two back seats folded down, you'd be surprised how much you can carry. There is 4' of depth there, which allowed us to make several trips to Ikea for furniture without feeling like we brought too small of a car. Considering it's a subcompact hatchback, I'd say that's pretty good.
Fuel economy for the Sonic, while still breaking in, was about 4mpg shy of EPA estimates for highway fuel economy in the few runs we made with it. Not bad considering after almost a year of ownship, the car still only has 2,200 miles on it.
When you drive the Sonic, you FEEL like you're in a very compact car. When you drive the Cruze, you feel like you're in a midsize car. The Cruze feels bigger than it is with regard to interior space. The Sonic on the other hand feels as small as it is. By far the biggest reason for this is that the rear will only really seat two people comfortably and the hatch shortens the overall length of the car. There is plenty of leg room in the front however.
The Sonic has two sets of lights (for high beam and low beam). When turning on high beams, the low beams stay on as well. As a result , you get quite a lot more light out of the Sonic than you do out of the Cruze with the high beams on. The light projection for the Cruze is far better though. The Sonic isn't as great, but I could live with it.
With the shortened wheelbase, the Sonic has a very nice turning radius.
The Sonic only has an auto down on the driver window. The Cruze has an auto down on all 4 windows. Not having this feature given the insignificant cost to implement is just silly.
Cruise control on the Cruze has more feedback. When you tell the car to speed up or slow down, the DIC shows you a confirmation of the speed you've assigned. This isn't so for the Sonic, and it takes quite a while for the Sonic to adjust its speed. Kind of annoying. The Cruze also has a on/off physical switch for the cruise control, while the Sonic has more of a button type switch than a switch that stays in a phsyical position between on and off. Just an observation really.

That's all I could think of for now. Let me know if you want impressions on any specific item I didn't mention or if you want me to elaborate on anything.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Are you sure the low beam stays on and the low beam lights aren't duel filament high low beam as is usual on this setup?


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## danielp23 (May 14, 2013)

I think the reason they didn't make a place to put your phone was so you could place it in the center console and so you wouldn't be tempted to use it while driving.


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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

Nice write up.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

I really love my cruze, but really considered a 1.4T automatic sedan Sonic(I hate hatchback cars). By the numbers the MPG is a wash, Cruze 1.4T auto 26city/38hwy, Sonic 1.4T auto 27city/37hwy. 

There were a few reasons I choose the cruze, first being the heavier car is nicer to drive in high winds at highway speed. Second the sonic is assembled in the US but the majority of the car is built in Korea and shipped here. There was also the price, the sonic did not make my payment much cheaper even though I was getting what feels like allot less car.


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## Bullet (Aug 9, 2013)

They make a real good job in Korea (I would say, a lot better than in USA, if I just would dare to say it in american forum).


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## bloberg19 (Oct 21, 2013)

Great writeup extreme my girlfriend is torn between the sonic and the cruze bur she insists if she get the cruze it has to be rainforest green lol but non the leas great Wright up


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## VictoryRedLTRS (Mar 26, 2012)

The cruze actually has 6 cup holders, two in the doors, two in the center and two in the rear seat in the fold down arm rest....at least in my 1LT there is.


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## VictoryRedLTRS (Mar 26, 2012)

Not sure if these ones in the rear door compartments...haven't checked and I had the car for 1 1/2 years lol


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

VictoryRedLTRS said:


> The cruze actually has 6 cup holders, two in the doors, two in the center and two in the rear seat in the fold down arm rest....at least in my 1LT there is.


In the Aussie Cruze there are 4 cup holders in the center and arm rest and 4 bottle holders that are in the doors.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

danielp23 said:


> I think the reason they didn't make a place to put your phone was so you could place it in the center console and so you wouldn't be tempted to use it while driving.


There is a device on sale in Australia that attaches to the windscreen like a GPS only it has a pad on it that any phone easily sticks to and can be removed as many times as you want. The idea is to set the phone to speaker and all you do is push or swipe to answer and is thus hands free. Of course most cars now have Bluetooth so it is only for older cars so phone can legally be used.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

VictoryRedLTRS said:


> The cruze actually has 6 cup holders, two in the doors, two in the center and two in the rear seat in the fold down arm rest....at least in my 1LT there is.


The eco with manual transmission is missing the rear seat arm rest as part of it weight savings.


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## Bullet (Aug 9, 2013)

Aussie said:


> There is a device on sale in Australia that attaches to the windscreen like a GPS only it has a pad on it that any phone easily sticks to and can be removed as many times as you want. ..


I have that kind plain mats in both ends of my dashboard to hold the phone or what ever. My phone do not work connected with the Cruze radio-system, but I use a separate bluetooth device with it. When driving longer distances, normally I don't bother to use the cell phone at all. Those mats were 10 times cheaper in eBay than what they would have been bought here.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

How about comparing the Cruze with the Aveo? Ha, when we first went shopping, saw one and stopped for a second. Wife said, keep on walking, I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing. 

Said with our GMcard earnings we could get a brand new car for only 6,000 bucks. She never heard me. 

Didn't stop there, then the Sonic, the Cruze, the Malibu, the Impala. Ha, have a wife that knows what she wants, walked back to the Cruze.


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## Bullet (Aug 9, 2013)

NickD said:


> ...we could get a brand new car for only 6,000 bucks...


Outch, that price is twice that much here. Weird, but that's life................


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

Small cars *can* have room for the driver. My old Mazda Protege, and my mother's Ford Contour, were both fine. The center stack in the Cruze is more dominating and confines your right knee a bit. It's not *un*comfortable but I notice this, when switching cars.

The Sonic is dead to me because of the goofy instrument cluster however.

Another quibble in the Cruze is that my right elbow keeps bumping into the corner of the armrest. I do wish it was either softer, or longer. Maybe even just rounding it off would be better.... On extended trips I sometimes raise it to make room for my elbow to fit in the storage hole.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

I was amazed how little price difference there was between a comparably equipped Cruze and Sonic. Cruze FTW... much more car for the money (and IMO much better looking), even if there are a few details done better in the Sonic.


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## evanblar (Jan 29, 2013)

Zenturi said:


> The Sonic is dead to me because of the goofy instrument cluster however.


+1. I would have considered the Sonic, except for that instrument cluster!


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

VictoryRedLTRS said:


> Not sure if these ones in the rear door compartments...haven't checked and I had the car for 1 1/2 years lol


I've had my Cruze for 3 years now and have yet to sit in the back seat! 
A guy I work with bought a Sonic last year and the more I look at it, the more I like it.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Aussie said:


> In the Aussie Cruze there are 4 cup holders in the center and arm rest and 4 bottle holders that are in the doors.


Same, for all but Eco MT models.



> To put this into perspective, the Eco MT specifies 35psi and is heavier. The 1LT/2LT specifies 32psi and is heavier still.


35 for the Firestones; 32 for the Conti's on the 2LT. 



> When you drive the Sonic, you FEEL like you're in a very compact car. When you drive the Cruze, you feel like you're in a midsize car. The Cruze feels bigger than it is with regard to interior space. The Sonic on the other hand feels as small as it is. By far the biggest reason for this is that the rear will only really seat two people comfortably and the hatch shortens the overall length of the car. There is plenty of leg room in the front however.


Never drove one, but I'm short and could barely fit in the back of a Sonic. That rear seat is TINY!



> The Sonic has two sets of lights (for high beam and low beam). When turning on high beams, the low beams stay on as well. As a result , you get quite a lot more light out of the Sonic than you do out of the Cruze with the high beams on. The light projection for the Cruze is far better though. The Sonic isn't as great, but I could live with it.


Even with better bulbs...the high beams on the Cruze suck, though the bulbs did improve the lows greatly. I've had cars with 2 bulbs before; the high beams always make a HUGE difference on the road ahead when flipped over to.



> I was amazed how little price difference there was between a comparably equipped Cruze and Sonic. Cruze FTW... much more car for the money (and IMO much better looking), even if there are a few details done better in the Sonic.


What gets me now is that once you start adding options here and there to a 2014 1/2LT model...the price starts to encroach very closely to the lower end of the midsized class (where you get a lot more interior room and motor for the same price). I'm glad I bought a 12.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

VictoryRedLTRS said:


> The cruze actually has 6 cup holders, two in the doors, two in the center and two in the rear seat in the fold down arm rest....at least in my 1LT there is.


The ECO MT doesn't have the rear fold down cup holders. Another real world useless weight saving measure - only useful for the EPA city fuel economy calculation.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

obermd said:


> The ECO MT doesn't have the rear fold down cup holders. Another real world useless weight saving measure - only useful for the EPA city fuel economy calculation.


I have an ECO MT and never really noticed. Never sit in the back!


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> +1. I would have considered the Sonic, except for that instrument cluster!


 - Deal breaker for me too. Guess I am old school. All my vehicles have analog gauges.


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## CF-105 (Feb 18, 2014)

I wish they sold a Cruze hatchback over here. That would be perfect.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Just dropping this here.


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## blackbowtie (Jul 4, 2013)

This is one hot topic this morning....

I have been debating getting rid of my 2LT auto and moving to a manual Cruze Eco or a manual Sonic LTZ or RS. I despised the overall premise of the Sonic when it first came out; but a buddy of mine has one of the fastest ones on SOF and it quickly turned me on to them. The nimbleness of that little thing is amazing. With the hatchback LTZ, the weight difference is closer to 300 lbs compared to the Cruze 2LT. 2808lbs > 3102lbs

Much thinking and little action....


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Aussie said:


> Are you sure the low beam stays on and the low beam lights aren't duel filament high low beam as is usual on this setup?


They are dual filament on the Cruze and dual reflector housings on the Sonic. You can tell the Cruze switches filaments. Doesn't bother me though.



danielp23 said:


> I think the reason they didn't make a place to put your phone was so you could place it in the center console and so you wouldn't be tempted to use it while driving.


So for a car made for younger people that are even more likely to use their phone while driving, they made many storage compartments?



spacedout said:


> I really love my cruze, but really considered a 1.4T automatic sedan Sonic(I hate hatchback cars). By the numbers the MPG is a wash, Cruze 1.4T auto 26city/38hwy, Sonic 1.4T auto 27city/37hwy.
> 
> There were a few reasons I choose the cruze, first being the heavier car is nicer to drive in high winds at highway speed. Second the sonic is assembled in the US but the majority of the car is built in Korea and shipped here. There was also the price, the sonic did not make my payment much cheaper even though I was getting what feels like allot less car.


I will say the Sonic feels very smooth at highway speeds for a car of its class and price point. I'd take a Sonic over something like an Accent or Veloster.



bloberg19 said:


> Great writeup extreme my girlfriend is torn between the sonic and the cruze bur she insists if she get the cruze it has to be rainforest green lol but non the leas great Wright up


The Cruze is a better car overall. There is no sense in getting the Sonic unless you are getting the hatch. 



VictoryRedLTRS said:


> The cruze actually has 6 cup holders, two in the doors, two in the center and two in the rear seat in the fold down arm rest....at least in my 1LT there is.


The Cruze Eco had those cup holders removed for weight savings. Had forgotten about that.

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Zenturi said:


> Small cars *can* have room for the driver. My old Mazda Protege, and my mother's Ford Contour, were both fine. The center stack in the Cruze is more dominating and confines your right knee a bit. It's not *un*comfortable but I notice this, when switching cars.
> 
> The Sonic is dead to me because of the goofy instrument cluster however.
> 
> Another quibble in the Cruze is that my right elbow keeps bumping into the corner of the armrest. I do wish it was either softer, or longer. Maybe even just rounding it off would be better.... On extended trips I sometimes raise it to make room for my elbow to fit in the storage hole.


The right knee room is indeed better with the Sonic. I just kinda got used to it.



Blue Angel said:


> I was amazed how little price difference there was between a comparably equipped Cruze and Sonic. Cruze FTW... much more car for the money (and IMO much better looking), even if there are a few details done better in the Sonic.


This is why I see no sense in a Sonic unless it comes in a hatch. We were able to transport 4 paper filing boxes of cables, four rack mount servers, two laser printers, three desktop computers, and three LCD monitors in the back of that sonic. Wouldn't have happened in a Cruze.



evanblar said:


> +1. I would have considered the Sonic, except for that instrument cluster!


You get used to it but it is pretty dumb.



blackbowtie said:


> This is one hot topic this morning....
> 
> I have been debating getting rid of my 2LT auto and moving to a manual Cruze Eco or a manual Sonic LTZ or RS. I despised the overall premise of the Sonic when it first came out; but a buddy of mine has one of the fastest ones on SOF and it quickly turned me on to them. The nimbleness of that little thing is amazing. With the hatchback LTZ, the weight difference is closer to 300 lbs compared to the Cruze 2LT. 2808lbs > 3102lbs
> 
> Much thinking and little action....


The Eco MT weighs 3011lbs so the weight gap is smaller. You do feel like you're driving a cheaper car with the Sonic but it's still miles ahead of the Aveo. Nothing about it really turns me off while driving it, but at the end of the day I'd still rather drive the Cruze. 

For the price of a Sonic LTZ hatch, I'd personally be looking at an FRS if I wanted a nimble and sporty car, but that's a whole new can of worms.

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## blackbowtie (Jul 4, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> For the price of a Sonic LTZ hatch, I'd personally be looking at an FRS if I wanted a nimble and sporty car, but that's a whole new can of worms.


I'd shoot myself in my clutch foot before I bought anything that wasn't GM or Ford.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

My experiences were slightly different. I owned a Sonic 1.4 LT for 2 years before getting my Diesel Cruze. I'll stick to just the points you brought up so it stays relevant:


I really dislike the storage options in the Cruze. The Sonic was designed for a younger "tech" oriented crowd, hence the business card slots on the vanity mirrors. The CC slot in the dash was perfect for a home made cell phone holder, and the side cubbies on the radio became the mounting point for my ultra-gauge and Garmin. All of these things are much more difficult to integrate into the Cruze. Also, while the Cruze has more cupholders, the Sonic cupholders were amazing. I could easily fit a couple of 44oz Thirstbusters in the front.
I haven't really driven the gas Cruze much, but the brakes in my Diesel model are a BEAST. Easily better than the Sonic. I am giving this one to the bigger car. Oh, and I had my Sonic corner weighted at 2690lbs. That is quite a bit lighter than my 3400lb CTD.
I loved my Sonic gauge cluster. It was quirky, and felt sporting with that HUGE tach right there. My Ultragauge gave me all the additional information I wanted, like engine temp and instant mpg. However, I feel the Cruze cluster, while boring in comparison, is much more competent. 2 different markets really, I couldn't pick one over the other. A tie IMO.
We don't get snow in Phoenix, so I can't comment on tire ability in that aspect. Cornering grip and traction are my concerns in the usually dry state of AZ. The Sonic could easily out corner my Cruze. And that is stock tire for stock tire. Once I upgraded to summer tires on the Sonic, it was LIGHT years ahead. Racer Boy feel goes to the Sonic. Cruiser goes to the Cruze. (ha ha, thats funny)
I wrenched quite a bit on my Sonic, never felt the engine was too small. Until I saw one in a Cruze! My 2.0 fills the engine bay of the Cruze very full.
Changing oil on the Sonic was easier than changing oil in the CTD. Oil filter location, yadda yadda yadda
Ride quality definitely better in the Cruze. Sonic was more nimble.
Fuel economy. Mixed in the Sonic I was getting 33. Mixed in the CTD I get 39. I would have to fill up twice as much in the Sonic due to it's much smaller range.
Interior space. The Sonic was cavernous compared to the Cruze. I could easily fit things in the hatch of the Sonic that I cannot load into the trunk of my Cruze. Then again, I didn't buy the CTD for trunk space. Also, the rear leg room in the Sonic is better than the Cruze. The Cruze rear leg room is atrocious! This is probably due to the more upright stance of the Sonic.
Cruise Control. I had the CTD style CC before on my 2010 SS. I only slightly missed it in my Sonic, but I am glad it is back. I REALLY hate the on/off switch for CC in the Cruze. I've probably accidentally turned it off over a dozen times. Just a bad design. I prefer the Sonic on/off switch.

2012 Sonic 1LT 1.4 turbo









Traded for 2014 Cruze Diesel









and yes, I would do it again.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

blackbowtie said:


> I'd shoot myself in my clutch foot before I bought anything that wasn't GM or Ford.


For me, brand loyalty went out the window a long time ago. There is just no benefit to refusing to consider any other brands. For example, neither Ford, Doge, nor GM make anything that competes with the Toyota Tacoma. If I was in the market for a light pickup, the Toyota light pickups are in a class of their own, and that has been a fact for 3 decades now. They consistently build a good light pickup that lasts forever. My 91 with 324k miles on it is one example. The Tundra? Not so much. 

When it comes to sports cars, the FRS/BRZ twins are unlike anything GM has on the market. They have no RWD compact coupe with 4 seats (for insurance costs) that regularly exceeds 35mpg in real world driving conditions and is built like a real sports car. I've heard people try to compare the Sonic to it, but seriously, they're just two completely different cars. If I wanted a compact sports coupe, nothing else compares. 

We bought the Cruze because it was the best car in its segment. I have owned a 1995 Regal, a 2000 Regal, a 2002 Rendezvous, a 2005 Bonneville, the 2012 Cruze, and the 2013 Sonic, and then my 91 Toyota Pickup. We bought the Sonic because the company needed a compact fuel-efficient car with enough space to fit some big laser printers. The Sonic made more sense than a pickup truck. 

If I didn't need 4 usable seats and a hatch, there would be a BRZ in the driveway because you just can't compare the driving experience. I have been pretty loyal to GM but I won't compromise how I spend $23,000 just so I have one of GM's badges on the bumper. The Camaro V6 just doesn't drive like a balanced compact sports car. To settle for the Camaro just so I have a Chevy badge would mean that the badge is worth more than my needs and/or wants in a vehicle. It's simply not.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

I have only had the privilege of driving a Sonic one time, and that was a 2012 sedan automatic with the 1.8L.

As a driver, I was pleasantly impressed with the car. I actually felt the front seat room was as good or better than the Cruze, but it just _felt_ cheaper. I actually prefer the slightly more enclosed feel of the Cruze from the driver's seat.

From rear-seat passenger perspective, I wouldn't even consider a Sonic. There is almost zero room back there.

Also, the Sonic was pretty close to the Cruze in cabin noise I felt, and certainly stiffer but not much harsher than a Cruze in ride.

I was not impressed with the mileage as I got about 31 mpg while driving over 500 miles at about 70 mph.


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> So for a car made for younger people that are even more likely to use their phone while driving, they made many storage compartments?


the sarcasm oozing out of this puts a smile on my face


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> If I didn't need 4 usable seats and a hatch, there would be a BRZ in the driveway because you just can't compare the driving experience. I have been pretty loyal to GM but I won't compromise how I spend $23,000 just so I have one of GM's badges on the bumper. The Camaro V6 just doesn't drive like a balanced compact sports car. To settle for the Camaro just so I have a Chevy badge would mean that the badge is worth more than my needs and/or wants in a vehicle. It's simply not.


Agreed however like you said brz/frs has no comparable models in the current line up of domestics. I do not consider the Camaro in the same class as the FR-S/BRZ. Two different groups of cars. The Camaro doesnt not drive like a balanced compact sports car, simply because it isnt a compact sports car. I completely agree with everything you said.

As far as buying only domestic isnt the same it used to be since now everything is made everywhere. I primarily strive to drive GM however I do no limit myself if I have a need that cant be solved domestically. After all my first car was a tercel that I swapped a starlet turbo motor in... who woulda thunk a low 14 sec Tercel. Than I had a Contour SVT, Subaru SVX, 2 Corrado G60(one totally built) Chevy Cobalt 2.2 than an 05 Tahoe now a Chevy Cruze.


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

I don't understand the Cruze phone storage complaints. My Cruze Diesel has a covered, non slip compartment on top of the dash that is perfect for storing phones securely while linked to the Bluetooth.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

jalaner said:


> I don't understand the Cruze phone storage complaints. My Cruze Diesel has a covered, non slip compartment on top of the dash that is perfect for storing phones securely while linked to the Bluetooth.


Good point! I keep my altoids there. 

BTW - Ford makes a competitor to the BRZ. It's called the Focus ST, and it'll lap a track faster than the twins. I would argue, still, that you would have more fun in a twin than the ST


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## blackbowtie (Jul 4, 2013)

jalaner said:


> I don't understand the Cruze phone storage complaints. My Cruze Diesel has a covered, non slip compartment on top of the dash that is perfect for storing phones securely while linked to the Bluetooth.


That covered compartmant is useless for anything larger than pens and an EZPass. I've been thinking about allocating the open compartment from an LS model.


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## MetalMatty (Jan 30, 2014)

I considered the Sonic because I love the styling, but I cannot stand that gauge cluster at ALL. I think it looks like a 10 year old designed it. The only thing I wish my Cruze had was heated/cooled leather seats. But if I couldn't have BOTH I would prefer my cloth.  Anyway, pretty cool write up.


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## MetalMatty (Jan 30, 2014)

XtremeRevolution said:


> For me, brand loyalty went out the window a long time ago. There is just no benefit to refusing to consider any other brands. For example, neither Ford, Doge, nor GM make anything that competes with the Toyota Tacoma. If I was in the market for a light pickup, the Toyota light pickups are in a class of their own, and that has been a fact for 3 decades now. They consistently build a good light pickup that lasts forever. My 91 with 324k miles on it is one example. The Tundra? Not so much.


That may be true for now, but the Canyon/Colorado is making a come back and the GMC version is arguably the best looking midsize truck to exist. Not to mention that in 2015 you'll be able to get a turbo diesel.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

jalaner said:


> I don't understand the Cruze phone storage complaints. My Cruze Diesel has a covered, non slip compartment on top of the dash that is perfect for storing phones securely while linked to the Bluetooth.


Except for those of us with the Pioneer speaker upgrade. I miss that compartment from when I had it on my '11 Cruze. 

I used to just lay my phone on the ledge in front of the radio display, but with the new touchscreen (I had the base unit in my old Cruze, smaller display and no touchscreen), I'm hesitant to have my phone there bumping into it all the time.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

blackbowtie said:


> That covered compartmant is useless for anything larger than pens and an EZPass. I've been thinking about allocating the open compartment from an LS model.


Agreed. I keep my ipass there and gas receipts. It won't fit anything else.



Danny5 said:


> Good point! I keep my altoids there.
> 
> BTW - Ford makes a competitor to the BRZ. It's called the Focus ST, and it'll lap a track faster than the twins. I would argue, still, that you would have more fun in a twin than the ST


Eh, lap times aren't everything. The ST is nice for what it is but at the end of the day, it is a suped up Focus like the STi is a suped up Impreza. It is sporty but it's not a sports car.

There's a completely different driving experience going from 60/40 to practically 50/50 weight distribution and an IRS RWD sports coupe with a much lower center of gravity stock that was designed to be a sports car from the ground up. There's a lot to be said about balance. The ST is fun to drive but it's still FWD. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## AMDATIABIT (Jul 31, 2012)

The location of the Cruze's front cupholders... Get stabbed by straws every time I go to shift :/ One of them is lower than the other but if you get two big drinks in there, you're gonna hit 'em.

The description of the 'storage' compartment in front of the shifter had me rolling. It is almost absolutely useless, one day I'm gonna use it for a switch of sorts.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I have a detachable key chain and throw that part of my keys in that front holder.


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## blackbowtie (Jul 4, 2013)

MetalMatty said:


> That may be true for now, but the Canyon/Colorado is making a come back and the GMC version is arguably the best looking midsize truck to exist. Not to mention that in 2015 you'll be able to get a turbo diesel.


Don't get me started on that new mid-size. If GM botches it up and say they "did not see the demand" and cancel the diesel, I will be one disgruntled fellow. I have been waiting for this foooooorrrrrreeeeevvvvveeeeerrrr.


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

I guess you kids have much larger phones than I do.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

blackbowtie said:


> That covered compartmant is useless for anything larger than pens and an EZPass. I've been thinking about allocating the open compartment from an LS model.


That compartment is a perfect place for me to keep my sunglass clip-ons (I wear glasses) as well as my parking swipe card.

Instead of complaining about the compartment, why don't we realise we'd be worse off without it? It's not exactly a very common thing among cars, I just look at it as another storage option. If I hated that compartment I would just choose not to use it.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> For me, brand loyalty went out the window a long time ago. There is just no benefit to refusing to consider any other brands... ...I have been pretty loyal to GM but I won't compromise how I spend $23,000 just so I have one of GM's badges on the bumper.


Exactly. Every car I've owned has been GM, but that's not because I felt the need to own a GM product, more of a lack of reasons why I wouldn't buy one. Whenever I felt the need to buy a car one of theirs just seemed attractive to me.

My better half wanted a fancy name so we got her a BMW. If that event was happening today the ATS would be on my short list of cars to check out, but we found a good deal on the Bimmer and jumped on it (1000 km demo). It's a nice car, no regrets, and only cost about $5k more than a loaded Cruze LTZ (her car had to have leather and a sunroof). In 7-8 years it will easily be worth $5k more than a Cruze and it's WAY more car in the mean time, so I look at that as a good deal.

IMO, your purchases have to make sense. If it makes sense to buy something based on the badge, go for it, it's your money.


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

Danny5 said:


> Cruise Control. I had the CTD style CC before on my 2010 SS. I only slightly missed it in my Sonic, but I am glad it is back. I REALLY hate the on/off switch for CC in the Cruze. I've probably accidentally turned it off over a dozen times. Just a bad design. I prefer the Sonic on/off switch.


I've always thought it was dumb to have an on/off switch at all. In my Intrigue I'd set the cruise button on the dashboard to ON and never shut it off. All you need it SET and RESUME to function as ON/OFF.

Most cars I've driven or rented have the cruise controls on the right side of the wheel, or on the right stalk. I can't say I like them being on the left side of the wheel on the Cruze, but I guess I'll get used to it.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Coming out of a Pontiac Montana with more driver accessible storage options than I could count I had to really work to get used the lack of driver accessible storage in the Cruze. My wallet doesn't fit in any of the driver accessible holders in the Cruze so I have had to figure out where to carry it. To help alleviate this I added the Korean Sunglasses holder which is more than big enough to hold clip on covers for sunglasses and freed up some space in the Cruze's limited storage options. Also, my phone isn't big by today's standards but it's bigger than either of the small holders by the gearshift (front and rear). The Sonic Hatch (I haven't looked or sat in the Sedan) has a lot of storage cubbies.


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

blackbowtie said:


> That covered compartmant is useless for anything larger than pens and an EZPass. I've been thinking about allocating the open compartment from an LS model.


In the diesel, it's a good spot for your driving gloves (you will need them until Chevy offers a heated steering wheel) and some spare wipes for your hands after handling the diesel pump....


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## mikeeitup (Aug 27, 2013)

Nice write up man always wondered if I should have picked the sonic. Now I know I chose right.


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

Danny5 said:


> Good point! I keep my altoids there.
> 
> BTW - Ford makes a competitor to the BRZ. It's called the Focus ST, and it'll lap a track faster than the twins. I would argue, still, that you would have more fun in a twin than the ST


The Focus ST is not a rear wheel drive feather weight.... it competes with the Speed 3, GTI, Civic SI... its a hot hatch not a Miata or Genesis coupe


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

does the sonic come with the coolant odor issue ? 

NO !


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

I have this pocket on the passengers side of my Cruze, it easily holds a smart phone and I think a tablet might fit as well?
View attachment 63801


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## Mikeske (Jun 19, 2012)

Blue Angel said:


> That compartment is a perfect place for me to keep my sunglass clip-ons (I wear glasses) as well as my parking swipe card.
> 
> Instead of complaining about the compartment, why don't we realise we'd be worse off without it? It's not exactly a very common thing among cars, I just look at it as another storage option. If I hated that compartment I would just choose not to use it.


 I not ever complained about that compartment, I found it was perfect for my garage door opener after I removed the sun visor clip on it. I simply reach down to it when I am at the end of my driveway and push the button and the garage opens. I found a use and the opener fits perfectly in there as if it was designed to go there.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

knocked sonic off the shopping list cuz of the dash.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I wasn't even entertaining the sonic but the cluster is horrible. Looks like it was an after thought


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

One thing I noticed more about the Sonic. We took it up to look at a few houses and spent about 4 hours driving it. The rear road noise of the hatch is definitely louder than it is in the Cruze. The lack of any elbow padding in the door is kind of annoying. I had to adjust my arm position on a number of occasions because my elbow started hurting. Steering also feels heavier than the Cruze.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> One thing I noticed more about the Sonic. We took it up to look at a few houses and spent about 4 hours driving it. The rear road noise of the hatch is definitely louder than it is in the Cruze. The lack of any elbow padding in the door is kind of annoying. I had to adjust my arm position on a number of occasions because my elbow started hurting. Steering also feels heavier than the Cruze.


Pretty much any hatch or wagon will be louder in the back because it doesn't have a big hollow box behind the seat. Try folding one of the seats forward in the Cruze and sitting in the other one and you will see what a difference it makes.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Steering also feels heavier than the Cruze.


This actually interest me, as the cruze has always felt like the power steering is way to powerful giving no feedback to the driver at all. The cruze power steering feels like my previous buicks, I much prefer the more direct heavy feel of my cavalier.

If someone isn't sure what I'm talking about, the cruze can be steered with your pinky finger in a parking lot, the cavalier even though it had power steering required a bit more effort and almost felt non-powered in comparison.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

spacedout said:


> This actually interest me, as the cruze has always felt like the power steering is way to powerful giving no feedback to the driver at all. The cruze power steering feels like my previous buicks, I much prefer the more direct heavy feel of my cavalier.
> 
> If someone isn't sure what I'm talking about, the cruze can be steered with your pinky finger in a parking lot, the cavalier even though it had power steering required a bit more effort and almost felt non-powered in comparison.


Naturally I haven't driven many American made cars, although I do remember the first car I did drive was a 60 something Pontiac Paresianne (or something like that) and the steering was my first experience of power steering and it was dreadful. The only way you could tell where the wheels were pointed was by where the car was headed. Since then power steering has become more popular and now are close to feeling more like the non assisted cars only easier on the shoulders. My diesel still uses hydraulic steering and it feels just right and with the torque of the diesel no power loss is noticed.


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

You are lucky to get one of the last with hydraulic steering. Its better but electric steering is cheaper so it will be the standard for most new cars.


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

I agree with the above. Much ink has been written about the "heavier" steering in the diesel Cruzes in the USA. But it still feels light to me, and doesn't offer as much connection to the road as I'm used to with power assist. Mine also has that slight vagueness on-center that people have discussed on here.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jalaner said:


> You are lucky to get one of the last with hydraulic steering. Its better but electric steering is cheaper so it will be the standard for most new cars.


In my opinion, I prefer it over the hydraulic systems of the past. The steering is far lighter when parked and that is nice to have. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

Nothing beats manual steering for the gluttons who want total road feel. (I did once have a 1975 Plymouth Valiant with manual steering and I remember parking that sucker)

You can get aftermarket manual steering racks for some cars like Mustangs. The Cruze is a bit heavy for this, but perhaps it could make sense on a Sonic.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Zenturi said:


> Nothing beats manual steering for the gluttons who want total road feel. (I did once have a 1975 Plymouth Valiant with manual steering and I remember parking that sucker)
> 
> You can get aftermarket manual steering racks for some cars like Mustangs. The Cruze is a bit heavy for this, but perhaps it could make sense on a Sonic.


With power steering they put more castor on the wheels to make the car track truer, if you put less caster on manual steering isn't too bad on a light car. Only down side is in the straight ahead position the car will wander a small amount and parking speed is a chore.


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

My almost new Diesel steers fairly well now but without the road feel my 2008 Vibe with hydraulic has. A rental 1LT with 15K that I drove had terrible steering, especially at high speed. If there is a malfunction with electric power steering repairs can be much more expensive than hydraulic. An early Prius owner I know was stuck with replacement cost of the entire unit estimated at $3,000. It failed catastrophically and she could not even move the car from the roadway. She just junked it.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

jalaner said:


> An early Prius owner I know was stuck with replacement cost of the entire unit estimated at $3,000. It failed catastrophically and she could not even move the car from the roadway. She just junked it.


Kinda funny that in a car as complicated as the Prius it was the EPS that failed...


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Having had to replace a steering rack and having owned cars that leaked power steering fluid or had groaning noisy power steering pumps, I can honestly say I do not mind having one less belt-fed accessory and fluid to worry about.


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

electric is the way to go on an eco box car IMO


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

If the Cruze were equipped with hydraulic steering I doubt that this forum would include dozens of Cruze owners trying to deal with sticky, inaccurate, on center steering. The electric system is just cheap and substandard.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

jalaner said:


> The electric system is just cheap and substandard.


There is no data to back up that claim. Also, I think you'd be shocked at how "inexpensive" most car parts are as purchased by the OEMs, and that goes for ANY of them.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

The new Commodore (Chevy SS) has switched to electric power steering and road testers all praise it, so it can work well.


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

Blue Angel said:


> I think you'd be shocked at how "inexpensive" most car parts are as purchased by the OEMs, and that goes for ANY of them.


Haha, several years ago I worked for a startup technology company that was operating out of a warehouse. The landlord operated a small import-export company and continued to use the back of the building. One day he got to talking about the business from his perspective.

"I buy hammers from China for ten cents each."
"I sell them to Home Depot for 80¢ each."
"I see them displayed at Home Depot for sale at $8.00 each."

"I can't understand how they can be sold to me for ten cents, but it must make money for somebody, assembling them for even less ... or they wouldn't do it!" :blink:


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

This thread is sliding off topic..


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