solarbearusa
New member
I stopped into a car lot today in St Louis (Ballwin, MO) and they had a black sedan and silver hatch. I have been dying to see one in person and finally got a chance today.
I opted not to test drive because my heart has been set on an LTZ Hatch manual with 1.4 turbo. I did get one thing accomplished, I got an idea of the interior build quality, how big the car is, and if I even like the look of the car in person. First impressions:
Exterior: This was no let down, it looks just as cool as it does in all the pics I have seen on the internet. I really like the stance of the car, it widens from top to bottom and to me looks much more substantial than the ford fiesta which I think looks pretty wimpy. I like the headlights which is just personal opinion, I you will either really like them or hate them.
Interior: Love the dash and instrument cluster, it has big digital mph display and the way you toggle through the info center for trip info etc is really cool. You turn the stick on the left side of the steering wheel opposite the windshield wiper control. This model was an LT, I have to agree with some comments I have already seen about the interior cloth and plastics. This was kind of a let down as it felt pretty cheap. I am hoping the leather in the LTZ will change my mind on this topic. Not real crazy about the drop down armrests instead of a center console either. I did really like the room in the hatch. It has a nice little privacy shelf that automatically covers the cargo space when you put the hatch down.
The dealer looked in the chevy system and what they had allocated for their dealership. Everything in there was 1.8L. He went and asked his GM and was told the 1.4s would be showing up in 6-8 weeks but didnt seem very confident in their answer.
A 2012 Cruze with the RS package caught my eye while I was there and I must say it was freakin sweet looking! I couldnt believe what some plastic trim could do to the looks of the cruze. At first glance it really had this bmw look to it, very sporty and aggresive. The guy asked me if I wanted to drive one and although I hadnt been looking at this car I said why not. The one I drove had a 1.4L Turbo with manual 6 speed (same as the one that is going to be in the sonic) I could not believe how nice the ride was in the cruze and how much pep the 1.4L produces. Matched with the 6 speed stick, it was a lot of fun to get on it a little bit. I was so impressed, the cruze is now very much a consideration for me. I dont know the weight difference, but have to imagine the sonic is lighter than the cruze. That being said, that little 1.4L should be pretty stingy in the sonic. I know it wont be a race car, but it should be really fun to drive.
If you are in the St Louis Area, go see Kyle Ahrens at Elco Chevrolet in Ballwin. Very nice guy! I am from OK but in St Louis on business. I may very well come back here to buy from him.
Hope this info is helpful to someone. It was pretty cool finally getting to see one of these cars. Really hopeful the LTZ turbo will overcome a few of the negatives.
I opted not to test drive because my heart has been set on an LTZ Hatch manual with 1.4 turbo. I did get one thing accomplished, I got an idea of the interior build quality, how big the car is, and if I even like the look of the car in person. First impressions:
Exterior: This was no let down, it looks just as cool as it does in all the pics I have seen on the internet. I really like the stance of the car, it widens from top to bottom and to me looks much more substantial than the ford fiesta which I think looks pretty wimpy. I like the headlights which is just personal opinion, I you will either really like them or hate them.
Interior: Love the dash and instrument cluster, it has big digital mph display and the way you toggle through the info center for trip info etc is really cool. You turn the stick on the left side of the steering wheel opposite the windshield wiper control. This model was an LT, I have to agree with some comments I have already seen about the interior cloth and plastics. This was kind of a let down as it felt pretty cheap. I am hoping the leather in the LTZ will change my mind on this topic. Not real crazy about the drop down armrests instead of a center console either. I did really like the room in the hatch. It has a nice little privacy shelf that automatically covers the cargo space when you put the hatch down.
The dealer looked in the chevy system and what they had allocated for their dealership. Everything in there was 1.8L. He went and asked his GM and was told the 1.4s would be showing up in 6-8 weeks but didnt seem very confident in their answer.
A 2012 Cruze with the RS package caught my eye while I was there and I must say it was freakin sweet looking! I couldnt believe what some plastic trim could do to the looks of the cruze. At first glance it really had this bmw look to it, very sporty and aggresive. The guy asked me if I wanted to drive one and although I hadnt been looking at this car I said why not. The one I drove had a 1.4L Turbo with manual 6 speed (same as the one that is going to be in the sonic) I could not believe how nice the ride was in the cruze and how much pep the 1.4L produces. Matched with the 6 speed stick, it was a lot of fun to get on it a little bit. I was so impressed, the cruze is now very much a consideration for me. I dont know the weight difference, but have to imagine the sonic is lighter than the cruze. That being said, that little 1.4L should be pretty stingy in the sonic. I know it wont be a race car, but it should be really fun to drive.
If you are in the St Louis Area, go see Kyle Ahrens at Elco Chevrolet in Ballwin. Very nice guy! I am from OK but in St Louis on business. I may very well come back here to buy from him.
Hope this info is helpful to someone. It was pretty cool finally getting to see one of these cars. Really hopeful the LTZ turbo will overcome a few of the negatives.
