Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
25 -27 City / 34 -35 HWY
Horsepower
138
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Elyce L
2018 Chevy sonic perks and reviews.
The sonic is good for someone who's looking for a car that is not too big but still has a comfortable amount of room. I love that it has Bluetooth accessibility for your phone, hands free calling and if you choose to have OnStar that feature is available as well. If you have kids, the backseat might be a little tight with the car seats, I have a niece and nephew so I have two car seats in my back seat and it seems to work just fine. Again, a little tight so if you have kids it just personally depends on how much space you want. I have no had any problems with my vehicle yet. Seats are cloth, dark, and comfortable. I like the dark seats, they are easier to keep clean. Gas mileage is good, gas right now is $1.54 and it takes about $16 to fill up my thank. My car has automatic locks and windows which is a must have in my opinion. Overall I am very happy with my car for now.
accountCircle Ally M
Chevy is a great and safe brand.
My heated seats do not work which is really frustrating because I live in Texas and when it hits 70 degrees I think it is freezing I am not use to it so I would be using my heated seats all the time. Other than my heated seats I love everything else about my car including how smooth the drive is. I know I can always get where I need to go and if anything happens I have a button on my car I can press and get immediate help.
accountCircle Betsy K
Great add ons- heated seats, heated wheel, large display.
It is wonderful!! It has heated seats and heated steering wheel! It makes a big difference in the winter when you are in a hurry and trying to get somewhere but it is cold out. It also has a nice aspect of having apple CarPlay. It lets the map show on the screen. You can also have messages read to you and respond to them without touching your phone. The display is large.
accountCircle Essence R
Chevy Sonic: the perfect car for everyone.
The Chevy Sonic is a great car. It is small yet spacious so it is perfect for me. I love the luxury of having a smaller vehicle with a big back seat and trunk space. This allows not only for me to be comfortable but my passengers as well. It is a great car for a road trip as well. It has great highway miles and drives very smooth. I love the touch screen radio and the reverse camera it is very helpful. My favorite feature yet is the carplay feature. This feature allows you to hook your phone up to the car and read and reply to messages right from the screen. This feature keeps your eyes on the road and not down at your phone. You can also use it for maps so you are not trying to find it on your phone. It will be right there bigger and more clear. The only downside is that those in the car can see and hear your messages as well. The interior is very chic and modern. There are many features of the car that I am still learning but they are all so useful so far. Starting with the percent of oil left in the car. Though you know about how far you can drive until the next oil change that feature helps a lot. Along with the tire pressure. It is getting cold out and keeping up with the tire pressure is very important. Also with the tires there are locks on them so a person can not just take your tires off of your car. There has not been any problems with my car thus far. I love every bit of it.
accountCircle Karina V
Safe, reliable, fast, and affordable.
This car is amazing. It gets great mileage on street and highway. It has comfortable seating. And I love how it is safe and affordable. I use this car for everyday use, both for business and pleasure. It is a very reliable car. We love the kinetic blue color and the ease of car features through the Chevy app.
accountCircle Brittany M
Seat warmers, Bose sound system, reverse camera, Bluetooth, map when you connect.
This is my all time favorite vehicle. I love the royal blue color, camera when I reverse because it gives me eyes where I would need them the most, the surround sound to turn it up when I am alone, the seat warmers on cold mornings and it is so spacious yet small compact car for just me and my husband so it is perfect. Gas efficient, we love taking her on road trips because of the money we save.
accountCircle Wendy C
It has more room than it looks like. I love having a hatchback.
I haven't had any issues with my sonic. It is dependable, it drives smooth and has some get up and go. Great gas mileage. I have a turbo edition and I am not sure how it does differ from a regular one. But I would recommend a sonic. Also it has more room than it looks like.
accountCircle Abbey K
Chevy sonic: best car of 2018!
My Chevy sonic has been a dream come true. Coming from driving a '98 grand prix, I love it. My sonic runs well, gets great gas mileage, and has amazing features that I use all the time. Very user friendly and would highly recommend!

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle JoAnne Pinney
2012 Sonic defective strut mounts in the front end
Car is enjoyable to drive BUT Car has serious issues in the 45,000 miles I put on it from brand new. Defective front strut mounts. Replaced all front end parts. Transmission stuck in wrong gears. Shifter part faulty and breaks off. Air conditioner compressor leaks. Big money for repairs car has reliability issues and the warranty expired 2 years ago.
accountCircle Tanya
Not worth the increased price for "premier" trim
Bought the car brand new - have put 22,000km on it since May 2018. In that time, I have had to have infotainment system replaced twice. Vinyl on front doors peeled and had to be replaced. Chrome trim under all four windows had to be replaced because the strips all loosened from their housings. Back bumper has a clip or something busted, so the break between the bumper and the body of the car has a gap at the top and is pinched at the bottom - dealership wont fix.Occasionally rough starting - car lurches or kind of chugs. Will not buy GM again. Ever. I have the "Premier" RS and as i scroll thru and compare the differences between the other models, I see there isn't enough difference from the base level to mine to justify the price.
accountCircle Bemone A
Small and compact. Engine issues ok for a cheap first car.
Tire issues and timing belt within first two years. I got the basic edition so it has roll down windows. But nice screen for rear view and GPS. It connects to phones with USB chargers and has nice apple carplay and android options. It is small but spacious.
accountCircle Ralph P
A good car but it lacks size and functions.
I have had no problems with this car, but it is not the most comfortable car, I also need to carry large items frequently, and although the trunk is fairly large, the opening does not allow for the items I need to transport. I also do not like that it does not have a cd player. I do not have a smart phone or bluetooth, and I like to listen to my large collection of cd's. The car does drive well and the gas mileage is excellent.
accountCircle Ashley M
It is not as powerful as you might expect.
Has an issue with the radio, cannot change the station with the steering wheel. It also does not ride smooth. I do like the back up camera and the spacious seating.
accountCircle Jayden H
Great daily driver! Also very good gas mileage!
It is a great daily car for my daily commute. Has decent gas mileage so I only have to fill up once a week or so! However if your looking for something with a little more power this is not the car for you. It struggles to get up big hills. I have to literally put the pedal to the floor to get enough speed to get up big hills. It is also not very spacious so do not expect to fit more than 3-4 people comfortably.
accountCircle Natalie T
Chevrolet sonic: affordable and efficient.
It is a good car overall, but do not expect high performance. It is not meant to be weaving through traffic at 90 mph down the highway. The low fuel costs and great gas mileage are a plus. Expect more maintenance and repairs as the vehicle gets older/higher mileage.
accountCircle Jazmine W
Small, good on gas and trunk space.
My car is perfect for a single couple with no kids, there is a backseat but its not roomy for a car seat but perfect for a single passenger backseater. Car is perfect on gas and has good truck space just sucky on the back seat space, if a small compact good on gas with load of space car is what you are looking for then this car is perfect for you.

Chevrolet Sonic Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
LS
138 HP 28 MPG 5 Seats
car
LT
138 HP 28-30 MPG 5 Seats
car
Premier
138 HP 30 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2018 Chevrolet Sonic Owner Reviews

4.42
97 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 62%
4 stars 23%
3 stars 13%
2 stars 0%
1 star 2%
accountCircle Bemone A on April 28, 2021
Small and compact. Engine issues ok for a cheap first car.
Tire issues and timing belt within first two years. I got the basic edition so it has roll down windows. But nice screen for rear view and GPS. It connects to phones with USB chargers and has nice apple carplay and android options. It is small but spacious.
accountCircle sharon J on April 12, 2021
Once again, it would be the backup camera and push button start.
My vehicle is first and foremost very reliable. It is economical in getting very good gas mileage, and I find the backup camera very beneficial, especially being in my late 60's and having difficulty with visibility. I also enjoy the push button start and the overall degree of intelligence/smartness of vehicle. All the buttons and whistles.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Brtsy L.

The positive aspects of the Chevy Sonic Premiere are the in car technology- specifically the heated seats and the heated steering wheel. The reverse camera is also very nice for back up safely. I also take advantage of the cruise control often when driving long distances on the freeway.

likeFilled Jordan B.

I love that it is a smaller car than I have had in the past but it still have a lot of room. I also like the CarPlay feature. The backup camera is very useful as well. Things like interior are important to me and the interior is very sleek.

likeFilled Soraya S.

My car gets great gas mileage, which is perfect for a daily commuter. It has in dash display compatible with Apple and android phones. It has built in Wi-Fi and on Star. It has heated seats and defrost mirrors. It comfortable seats 5 passengers and has an extra cargo compartment in the trunk for additional storage.

likeFilled Zach M.

Turbo, small turn radius, great gas mileage, leather like seats, SiriusXM radio, large touchscreen and great sound system for long drives with my two children who enjoy listening to kid's music on the radio.

likeFilled Caleb G.

The car has Heated seats and it has a heated steering wheel. The car has Touch screen with apple carplay and Bluetooth for your phone and radio it has automatic windows and seat movers to adjust your seat to your liking. The trunk space is nice and the front seats are spacious as well.

likeFilled Natalie T.

It is very fuel efficient and simple to drive. The cost to maintain is relatively low. The parts are easy to get. It has enough room to transport people and goods. I am pleased with the amount of money that I have spent on it so far, including the sales price.

likeFilled Wayne S.

It has great gas mileage both city and highway. It is comfortable and looks very nice. We love it. The Chevy sonic is great for long trips as it is very comfortable to ride in and makes the trip less exhausting and much more enjoyable. We would definitely buy this awesome automobile again in the very near future.

likeFilled Shelley H.

My car handles well, it gets good gas mileage, and it is perfect for me since I usually do not have any passengers. Mine had the sports package so is stylish and has nice features. I like the backup camera and dashboard features connecting my iPhone, iTunes, Pandora and other apps. Sunroof is nice. I am happy with it.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Brtsy L.

I don't really have any negative aspects of the vehicle. If people prefer larger cars or trucks, than the Chevy Sonic may not be ideal for them, as the car is smaller than most sedans. Also, the dealership did not have a front license plate mount on my car when I bought it. This is something that is required in my state so I had to make an additional purchase.

dislikeFilled Jordan B.

There are not many cons for this vehicle. I do not like the lack of a middle console. I also do not like that the passenger seat does not have arm rests. I also think it would be beneficial to have more cup holders and a back middle console.

dislikeFilled Soraya S.

It is quite small so it is not ideal to transport large items. My specific car does not include lane assist features but it is available for this make/model car. If you have a large family, it only seats five passengers, so it would not be a good car for large families or traveling with more than 2 people due to limited storage.

dislikeFilled Zach M.

Small trunk, small seats, leather like rather than actual leather, small gas tank, cramped cabin, inability to access doors or trunk when battery system is dead. Current issue with electrical system that seems unrealistic.

dislikeFilled Caleb G.

The vehicle has little leg room in the back seats and the windows fog easy, the horn is not very loud and the speakers are not the best. The turn radius is not good either. You cannot make sharp turns and parking is a problem.

dislikeFilled Natalie T.

It is a cheap car, so I am afraid that the parts will easily break in the future. I have already had some mechanical issues with it - had to replace an O2 sensor. The OnStar/Wifi is constantly going out, which is aggravating to fix via phone with an agent.

dislikeFilled Wayne S.

It does not have a lot of power when the air conditioner is on. There is not a lot of room for passengers in the back but this really is not a big deal for us. This is a great car overall and there are really no major complaints to be made as cons.

dislikeFilled Shelley H.

There is not much leg room for my sons that are 6 foot 5, but they do not travel with me much anymore so it is not a big issue. I have got one tire that is losing air but that is not an issue to be blamed on the sonic itself.

Ranks #16 Small Cars by Owners

The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic has an average owner rating of 4.51 out of 5 which ranks it #16 of 31 other Small Cars.

1
car
4.9
2
car
4.88
16
Tie
car
4.43

Ranks #10 Small Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic has a combined MPG of 38 which ranks it #10 of 31 other Small Cars.

1
car
121 MPG
2
car
118 MPG
10
Tie
car
35 MPG

Is The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic A Good Car?

Yes, the best vehicle I've ever owned. Have turned down offers for newer vehicles because I love my car so much!! Has many great features, drives great, and has outstanding gas mileage.
Ally P.
Yes, solid for the money and plenty of bells and whistles. Just not a lot of room, barely fits car seats.
Zach M.
Yes. It's a small hatchback that I can park anywhere. It has a good stereo and it's a cute vehicle.
Christina B.

How Reliable Is The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic?

I have owned my car a year now and have only had to administer oil changes and tire rotations. Have not had any engine trouble whatsoever.
Ally P.
Very reliable so far but only 40,000 miles in. Does not start with very low fuel in very cold weather but may just be an issue with specific vehicle.
Zach M.
So far it has been very reliable. I've had no issues in the year that I have owned it, only changing the oil twice. It handles well (for a vehicle of this size and price range) in the elements and... Read More
Elliot B.

Is The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic A Good Value?

My car financed was a $20,000 investment including all the best features. Heated seats, heated steering with sxm and Wi-Fi available. Worth every penny!
Ally P.
Very good value for amount of amenities and tech inclusion, but not a powerful vehicle by any means.
Zach M.
Approx $16,000. I think it is reasonably priced however I think a little cheaper would have been more appropriate, given the car. It has good features such as remote start, power locks/windows, back... Read More
jose Z.

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety