I’ve had my 2014 Sonic RS for just over one year now. I took it autocrossing for the first time yesterday. I usually race a street modified Evo X but it blew a sparkplug recently and is experiencing some downtime. I thought, what a great time to try out the Sonic! I had a lot of fun and wanted to post a review based on performance. The car is great all-round (features, comfort, etc.) but this will be strictly autocross related. I decided to pick several categories to judge the car on, all of which I consider important in autocrossing. I also raced the car as it came from the factory. The only difference is there is Mobil 1 synthetic in the motor. The Hankooks had 16,000 miles on them.
I’ll start with the good
Ergonomics
I thought the small lightly bolstered seats were going to be an issue but for the grip levels the car is capable of they are fine. The steering wheel is great and the shifter is in the right place. Nothing really stands out, but nothing hinders the experience, which is what you want.
Shifting
This turned out much better than I expected. I short shifted out of 1st to avoid the grind I sometimes get in higher rpm. I shifted 2nd to 3rd and back down multiple times. Heel-toeing was very easy and the car downshifted perfectly every time. I am by no means an expert in manual shifting but this was a very easy car to manage.
Balance/Suspension
This was by far the car’s most pleasing attribute. I expected to be fighting understeer since this is a subcompact economy car. I don’t remember a single run where I experienced any difficult understeer. The car was very neutral and even rotated slightly on some of the turns. In many ways it reminds me of the Evo minus the abilty to rotate with the throttle. There was a good amount of body roll but it was very predictable.
Gas Mileage
Just kidding!
Now for the bad
Powertrain/Drivetrain
This car could have 100hp or 1,000hp it wouldn’t matter. Unless the wheels are pointed straight ahead the car just can’t put the power down. If I were going to modify this for autocross a limited slip diff would be the first mod. Coming out of turns it would light up the inside tire, I had to be light on the gas for large sections of the course which is sad considering the car doesn’t have much power to begin with. Power in 2nd gear is somewhat lively but 3rd gear is lifeless. I am in general pleased with the 1.4L though, it is a good little motor.
RS Gearing
After the lack of a limited slip diff, this is the worst attribute of the car. The gearing is not ideal. 1st gear is almost worthless. It is so short that it’s only use is to launch the car. I recommend short shifting into 2nd ASAP. 2nd gear tops out at around 45mph in the RS so you will be shifting into 3rd unless you are on a tight course. This car really needs a 2.5 gear. I suspect the regular 6 speed transmission in the base Sonics would work better. At least shifting this car is very easy.
Attached is a video of my fastest lap of the day. Apologies for the rattle coming from the GoPro.
Here is a video of the Evo at the same site (different layout) for comparison's sake.
If any of you have similar or different experiences let me know. If you see areas I can improve my driving I welcome any criticism as well! I know my racing line could be better for sure.
I’ll start with the good
Ergonomics
I thought the small lightly bolstered seats were going to be an issue but for the grip levels the car is capable of they are fine. The steering wheel is great and the shifter is in the right place. Nothing really stands out, but nothing hinders the experience, which is what you want.
Shifting
This turned out much better than I expected. I short shifted out of 1st to avoid the grind I sometimes get in higher rpm. I shifted 2nd to 3rd and back down multiple times. Heel-toeing was very easy and the car downshifted perfectly every time. I am by no means an expert in manual shifting but this was a very easy car to manage.
Balance/Suspension
This was by far the car’s most pleasing attribute. I expected to be fighting understeer since this is a subcompact economy car. I don’t remember a single run where I experienced any difficult understeer. The car was very neutral and even rotated slightly on some of the turns. In many ways it reminds me of the Evo minus the abilty to rotate with the throttle. There was a good amount of body roll but it was very predictable.
Gas Mileage
Just kidding!
Now for the bad
Powertrain/Drivetrain
This car could have 100hp or 1,000hp it wouldn’t matter. Unless the wheels are pointed straight ahead the car just can’t put the power down. If I were going to modify this for autocross a limited slip diff would be the first mod. Coming out of turns it would light up the inside tire, I had to be light on the gas for large sections of the course which is sad considering the car doesn’t have much power to begin with. Power in 2nd gear is somewhat lively but 3rd gear is lifeless. I am in general pleased with the 1.4L though, it is a good little motor.
RS Gearing
After the lack of a limited slip diff, this is the worst attribute of the car. The gearing is not ideal. 1st gear is almost worthless. It is so short that it’s only use is to launch the car. I recommend short shifting into 2nd ASAP. 2nd gear tops out at around 45mph in the RS so you will be shifting into 3rd unless you are on a tight course. This car really needs a 2.5 gear. I suspect the regular 6 speed transmission in the base Sonics would work better. At least shifting this car is very easy.
Attached is a video of my fastest lap of the day. Apologies for the rattle coming from the GoPro.
Here is a video of the Evo at the same site (different layout) for comparison's sake.
If any of you have similar or different experiences let me know. If you see areas I can improve my driving I welcome any criticism as well! I know my racing line could be better for sure.
