1.8L engine or the 1.4L turbo engine?

[dsonic]

The reason why I am asking this is because the Chevy Sonic will be my first car and hopefully I will get my driver's license soon as I still have my learner's permit.

My Mom and my Uncle recommended me getting the 1.8L engine because it comes standard.

But I recommended the 1.4L turbo engine because I would feel more comfortable with it. To me an extra $700 to put in the 1.4L turbo is not a big deal for me but for My Mom and my Uncle, it is.

But I want to convince my family that the 1.4L Turbo engine would be better for me in my opinion.

 

[Eric Smit]

I'll post here too.

A) Who is paying for the car? That's where the final say is.

B) The 1.4T does get better fuel economy, but only slightly when paired with an auto.

C) Do you want the turbo because it's a turbo, or because it gets better fuel economy and has more torque?

Good luck convincing, but don't show them the forum, or else they'll find all of us making our cars race cars.


-Eric Smit

 

[lambertsonic]

If you can get the 1.4t , it a much better power train than the 1.8

 

[Johnny Alien]

I drove both and walked away with the 1.8. For the extra money I didn't think it was that much better. Judging by the fuelly mpg numbers posted here I am getting almost as good gas mileage out of the 1.8.

The 1.4 is a great engine but the 1.8 is a good choice too. Most people on here are going to say 1.4 because they like the extra torque. This is an enthusiast forum so the feedback will reflect that.

 

[CoHPhasor]

1.4 gets better mileage, and by far if you use premium.

The 1.4 can grow with you if you want to pep it up but the gains from a 1.8 are minimal, it's pretty much stuck.

$700 is peanuts if you're going to own it for a while, the extra mileage will really add up.
(Plus I'm sure its resale will be higher)

 

[jim_de_hunter]

I went with the 1.8L because I didn't want to spend $700 for 20 more ft-lbs of torque. As a daily driver I wouldn't use the torque a lot because I don't like tickets for moving violations.

If I bought it for a fun car, I'd get the turbo. But I don't think that FWD is fun. I'm going to pick up a Miata for a fun car.

 

[Johnny Alien]

1.4 gets better mileage, and by far if you use premium.

The 1.4 can grow with you if you want to pep it up but the gains from a 1.8 are minimal, it's pretty much stuck.

$700 is peanuts if you're going to own it for a while, the extra mileage will really add up.
(Plus I'm sure its resale will be higher)

It really depends on how you drive. The mileage I am getting is equal to alot of the mileage posted by 1.4 owners. The posted GM mileage is better for sure.

 

[rdss]

I went with the 1.8L because I didn't want to spend $700 for 20 more ft-lbs of torque. As a daily driver I wouldn't use the torque a lot because I don't like tickets for moving violations.

If I bought it for a fun car, I'd get the turbo. But I don't think that FWD is fun. I'm going to pick up a Miata for a fun car.

And add another 20-30 HP/trq to that with just a tune and keep stacking onto that with intake and exhaust. There are dyno sheets showing 190hp/215trq at the wheels coming out of the 1.4t. You will not get that out of the 1.8 until someone makes a forced induction kit, then you will possibly start seeing more people pick up the 1.8 and save the 700 for the 6k turbo/supercharger kits. But, then again, spend 700 on the 1.4t, 345 (on sale) Trifecta tune custom tuned (part of the deal, no extra cost), 400-600 cat back, 150 test pipe, 300 intake and you will end up with plenty of power and you can build upon it vs. having to shell out the full price of an aftermarket forced induction kit, much more young driver friendly all for an initial buy in of 700 dollars.

 

[Johnny Alien]

All of what you said is something the average consumer will never ever do or think about.

 

[laborsmith]

1.8 uses a rubber timing belt
1.4 uses a metal timing chain

'Nuff said.

Laborsmith

 

[rdss]

All of what you said is something the average consumer will never ever do or think about.

If the OP is on here he isn't the "average" consumer and will be introduced to every one of those mods since they pop up on here on a daily basis. The OP is asking for reasons to purchase one engine over the other. I agree that even the after market turbo/supercharger kits for the 1.8 wont be for most of the users on here as well, but every single one of the 1.4 mods (and then some) are added to members 1.4 cars every day. Tunes, intakes, exhaust and cat deletes are extremly popular and "common" and reasonably priced add ons especially for the 1.4's due to the quick and easy increase in power.

 

[SSpeckerwood]

1.4L. But of your 15 I'd recommend the 1.8L

 

[rdss]

1.4L. But of your 15 I'd recommend the 1.8L

Why? It's got a little more torque over the 1.8. The maintenance cycles are the same and if he takes care of it it will last just as long as any other properly cared for motor? Age and motor selection doesn't make sense. I was 16 with a 65 Mustang with a 289 V-8 and then 17 with a 89 Mustang Hatch with a 302.

 

[mitdr774]

Price out insurance first. I dont know if it still applies in todays day and age or not but even 5 years ago if your car had sport, turbo, z, or any of another few desigantions insurance went up.

 

[jim_de_hunter]

And add another 20-30 HP/trq to that with just a tune and keep stacking onto that with intake and exhaust. There are dyno sheets showing 190hp/215trq at the wheels coming out of the 1.4t. You will not get that out of the 1.8 until someone makes a forced induction kit, then you will possibly start seeing more people pick up the 1.8 and save the 700 for the 6k turbo/supercharger kits. But, then again, spend 700 on the 1.4t, 345 (on sale) Trifecta tune custom tuned (part of the deal, no extra cost), 400-600 cat back, 150 test pipe, 300 intake and you will end up with plenty of power and you can build upon it vs. having to shell out the full price of an aftermarket forced induction kit, much more young driver friendly all for an initial buy in of 700 dollars.

Everything you say is absolutely true.

I go back to an old friend who used to tune Porches before they called it tuning. He said that for most of his customers there came a time that, after continuously adding power to their cars, another $500 would make them just not fun as a Daily Driver. The lesson that I took from that was you can have a Daily Driver that kinda fun to drive (a stock Sonic) or a Fun Car that not a Daily Driver (IMHO, your tuned Sonic).

During my commute, I can't race stop light to stop light without wasting gas and risking a ticket. I can't run 90 mph on a local highway without risking jail. So my Daily Driver isn't set up for it.

I've got a ZG1000 set up for fun. 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds. A lot of LEO's have let me get away with 85mph because I'm slowing when they hit me with the Laser. However, it's getting ready leave the stable for a Miata while I keep the stock Sonic as a Daily Driver.

 

[Swordsmith]

While the 1.4 is only $700 over the 1.8, as far as I can tell this is only true if you buy the LT or higher trim; for some reason the 1.4 isn't available on the LS model. That in turn means that the 1.4 actually costs ($1100 upgrade from LS to LT, plus $700 upgrade from 1.8 to 1.4turbo) $1800, which is to say more than a 10% increase.

My local dealer doesn't have any 1.4s in stock, and I'm very interested in answering this question for myself, so I'm going to have to take a drive to an out of town dealer sometime soon. But I'm certainly keeping in mind how large the price jump really is.

For gas mileage alone, the jump from 35 MPG to 40 MPG, driving approximately 20K miles per year, at $3.50 a gallon, we're looking at a savings of $250 or so per year... so that's quite a while before the added price pays for itself.

I'm still considering it, because the added "fun to drive" factor might just be worth the added cost... but I can't really think of any practical reason to go 1.4.

Unless... there's some way I don't know of, to get the 1.4 in an LS hatch?

 

[jim_de_hunter]

The maintenance cycles are the same...

Now we know that information from a dealer is almost as accurate as information from the internet. But the dealer told me that the 1.4 got plugs at 30k miles and the 1.8L got them at 100k miles.

 

[Johnny Alien]

For gas mileage alone, the jump from 35 MPG to 40 MPG, driving approximately 20K miles per year, at $3.50 a gallon, we're looking at a savings of $250 or so per year... so that's quite a while before the added price pays for itself.

Except that real world numbers are putting them closer together. I would assume it's because people with a 1.4 tend to enjoy pushing the car a bit more. That's what makes the turbo more fun.

 

[Eric Smit]

It's his first car. I will continue to recommend the 1.8.


-Eric Smit

 

[EVOX_SPEED3]

Ok, with respect to the 1.8 owners, the 1.4t is the car to get of the two PERIOD.

I'm going to give it to you straight ok? If you get the 1.8 instead of the 1.4t, you will be in regret mode for a very long time. Nothing against the 1.8, but one of the reason most people (that are car enthusiast) got that version is because at the time they went to purchase the car, the 1.4t was not available.

To the people that are posting "only 20lbs more tq is not worth the extra 700$", has probably never ridden/driven a Tuned 1.4t version. It's more than 20lbs/tq, it more like 50/tq and get the same MPG's. It is a total different car, please believe me. Heck the regular non tuned 1.4 is a totally different car than a tuned 1.4t.

I get it that you are young, but my 15 yr old daughter just got her permit a few days ago and she is getting my Turbo Sonic and it's a manual. She loves it, and all her friends make comments that their parents' non Turbo sonic feels soo much slower than her car.
Kids you're age get bored really quick, and with the turbo it will allow for modifications easily in the future.

You want your first car to make a lasting impression that you will remember forever, $700 on a 4/5 car loan is like a freaking soda a day.

Having said all that though; when/IF they do come up with a turbo for the 1.8, then things change dramatically and it will blow away the 1.4t...until then though...get the turbo.