Autoweek RS Drive

[Dragcamaro]

2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS drive review - Autoweek

For all those striving for more info on the RS, You dont get much.

Im supprised they dont see any difference in acceleration between the two, i feel like with a good driver you should see close to a second difference in 0-60.

Im happy to see them compliment the ride though, i read another review complaining about it being noticably worse than the regular sonic

 

[Dragcamaro]

First impressions: 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS

About.com got to drive it too, ive noticed driving reviews have been popping up a lot this week

 

[MicroEngineer]

Thanks for posting. The reviews seem mostly positive.

I've been waiting to find out about the ride quality on the RS given that the suspension is different.

This statement in the About.com review troubles me: "But the stiffer suspension does make the ride harder -- a lot harder, to the point that even my own iron butt began to protest."

sigh

I guess the only thing to do is wait and find out for sure with a test drive.

 

[CoHPhasor]

^ I don't imagine it's any harder than coilovers

 

[bigmahlman]

2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS First Drive Review & 0-60 MPH Test - YouTube also this

 

[Dragcamaro]

I've always liked reviews from that guy, he almost made me buy a Suzuki sx4.

The exhaust sounds good! And it looks like you can burnout now without tc kicking back in, I wish he would have powershifted into second to confirm this

 

[Eric Smit]

2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS First Drive Review & 0-60 MPH Test - YouTube also this

Watching this video, I cannot seem to see a front air dam. Does the RS not have it?


-Eric Smit

 

[Dragcamaro]

The black plastic flap underneath the nose? I dont see it either

 

[Eric Smit]

The black plastic flap underneath the nose? I dont see it either

Yes, that piece.


-Eric Smit

 

[Dragcamaro]

It has one in the rendering on gm's order tracker

 

[Dragcamaro]

and in other pictures of the sonic. Maybe thats some kind of pre production incomplete vehicle. He mentioned it heat soaking, and also the tray in the back... doesnt it slide forward and down in behind the back seat? I felt like that was more interesting than being able to derp it under the false floor

 

[sonic hotness]

i like the rs but it would need a bigger motor for me to get it.

 

[laborsmith]

the tray in the back... doesnt it slide forward and down in behind the back seat?

Yes, there is a way to slide it behind the seats. I never tried to put it under the tray like the video shows but if the back seats are folded for cargo that could be a good place to put it.

And several good finds, everyone. 0-60 in near ten seconds? My 'Vair is almost that quick!!!

I think the sales brochure still has the best rendition of the red stitching for the interior. The dark red seems to blend in with the black everywhere else.

Laborsmith

 

[lambertsonic]

I wish that they would put in a 2.0t , or even a 1.6t

 

[laborsmith]

The new 1.6t (the directed injected one) is scheduled to begin production in December for the European market and is not scheduled to come to the US for at least two years after that. GM has already announced that it will be used in the Sonic and will not be used in the Cruze.

No factory installed 2.0t for the Sonic even though it goes in the Verano which shares the assembly line w/ the Sonic. If it could I expect it would add a minimum of $3000 to the price of the RS as it would mean a trans upgrade as well as the engine. Probably $4000.

Laborsmith

 

[Dragcamaro]

the tray in the back... doesnt it slide forward and down in behind the back seat?

Yes, there is a way to slide it behind the seats. I never tried to put it under the tray like the video shows but if the back seats are folded for cargo that could be a good place to put it.

And several good finds, everyone. 0-60 in near ten seconds? My 'Vair is almost that quick!!!

I think the sales brochure still has the best rendition of the red stitching for the interior. The dark red seems to blend in with the black everywhere else.

Laborsmith

I'm curious to see some magazines do real 0-60 testing on it, motor trend had the 2012 ltz turbo at 8.1, i think low 7s is possible, i think youre in 3rd gear by 60 though so thats gonna effect the time a bit.

 

[Larry]

Reading the reviews and watching some vids, it really seems like the RS is more or less an appearance package hiding in a performance guise. The price should have been $1000 over LTZ in order for it to be attractive.

 

[Dragcamaro]

road and track (which i trust/like much more than motor trend) had 7.8 out of an ltz

 

[Dragcamaro]

Reading the reviews and watching some vids, it really seems like the RS is more or less an appearance package hiding in a performance guise. The price should have been $1000 over LTZ in order for it to be attractive.

True, but the gearing difference is pretty serious in my opinion, enough to make a difference for sure

 

[laborsmith]

Reading the reviews and watching some vids, it really seems like the RS is more or less an appearance package hiding in a performance guise. The price should have been $1000 over LTZ in order for it to be attractive.

History lesson number nine million: Chevrolet has used the RS to designate a sport appearance package since it first started using those two letters together. Those two letters used together have NEVER been used to identify a performance package. It breaks my heart to burst someone's bubble, but nevertheless, it is what it is: an appearance package.

I am being hostile because every several days a comment like this shows up and sometimes I respond and sometimes I do not, but come on people, if you feel a need to complain, please use a little bit of smartness. To complain that the RS is nothing more than an appearance package is to complain that life has not been discovered on the Sun. Each complaint is equally valid and each makes as much sense.

If there was a performance package included, by history the designation would have been either SS or RS-SS.

Laborsmith