What is considered a "slow" car?

[oldertech]

What's considered a slow car? I'm reading a review of the Sonic from Forbes' website that talks about the Sonic Turbo 1.4 as being slow.

"So what if the throttle response of the 6-speed manual shift on my 138-horsepower, turbocharged hatchback was “Huh?” when I downshifted... "
"...despite their slowness."
"...Just don’t expect to get anywhere in a big hurry."

Clueless on tech: How GM messed up the Chevrolet Sonic | ExtremeTech

Aren't the specs for the 1.4 Turbo 0-60 as 7.8 seconds? If I get this car it will probably be the fastest car I've ever owned. What do you all think?

 

[blkside]

In todays market, there are sedans coming off the showroom floor doing 0-60 in the low to mid 4s. I have one of those cars that is now heavily modified and does it in the mid 3s if not faster. Im not willing to blow a tranny to find out. So in the grand scheme of things, 7-8 seconds is slow but that should be why you are buying a sonic. This is one of the best subs on the market today, or ever for that matter. If it can sustain longevity then it will be an amazing platform to make them fast. We will see with time.

 

[oldertech]

I guess I've lived in a vacuum. I owned a 2007 Chevy Cobalt and was impressed at the 5-speed manual acceleration, which I now see is 0-60 in about 8.5 seconds. And the Honda Civic VX I drive probably does it in 12-14 seconds. So the new turbo Sonic would be a rush for me. Thanks for the wake-up call, but I still wouldn't call 7.8 slow!

 

[RockTheShazbot]

I was impressed with the turbo cruze i rented. Wasnt as fast as my celica but still had a kick for such a small engine. My celica was 180hp and 130 torque btw

 

[oldertech]

Yep. Liked the 1.4 Cruze as well, but wish it came as a hatch in the US. The 4-door sedan of the Cruze just doesnt seem as cool.

 

[Rand0m0sityxX]

Yep. Liked the 1.4 Cruze as well, but wish it came as a hatch in the US. The 4-door sedan of the Cruze just doesnt seem as cool.

You sound like me, I want the Cruze, but I want a hatchback. Its supposed to come in a hatch in 2013, but the image I saw I didn't like.

So I looked at the Sonic, which I like the hatch a lot! Now I need the Auto paired with the 1.4T lol

 

[pawntec]

What's considered a slow car? I'm reading a review of the Sonic from Forbes' website that talks about the Sonic Turbo 1.4 as being slow.

"So what if the throttle response of the 6-speed manual shift on my 138-horsepower, turbocharged hatchback was “Huh?” when I downshifted... "
"...despite their slowness."
"...Just don’t expect to get anywhere in a big hurry."

Clueless on tech: How GM messed up the Chevrolet Sonic | ExtremeTech

Aren't the specs for the 1.4 Turbo 0-60 as 7.8 seconds? If I get this car it will probably be the fastest car I've ever owned. What do you all think?

yeah because this people are to used to driving cars that cost 5 to 10 times the price as the sonic and of course much much much more hp then the sonic and wouldn't come off their high horse and see eye to eye to the common man lol well at less seems like its from your comment. :-D lol anyways i've been in the one and only here in alaska sadan 1.8 ls auto and i'm pretty impressed with the fit and finish....they wouldn't let me take it for a drive since it'll be their show room model and when they get more i'll take that one for a drive but i'm pretty sure i wouldn't be disappointed.......but anyways i want wait for an SS or RS model then i'll by just because i was ready to get an cobalt ss after the quit making it so yeah i'm a drivers driver....(i cant stand TCS/ABS and onstar.....yeah big brother i dont want you over my shoulder thank you very much) so yeah i'm happy they didn't put onstar with the current sonic since it's pretty much standard on all other chevy models. :-D

 

[piro216]

Onstar is on the Sonic, there is just no screen to go with it. And it is on every Chevy.

 

[atvman29]

Onstar is on the Sonic, there is just no screen to go with it. And it is on every Chevy.

Also, TCS and Stabilitrak can be manually shut off with the button by the shifter. One press for TCS off, long hold for Stabilitrak (squirelly car) off.

 

[buddy97]

for most of us, i guess it really depends what you are used to. some of the more reputable times for the sonic 1.4 put it in the 7.9-8.2 area. is this fast? no, but it is fast for the class.

i bought the veloster which is only around 8.4 and thats plenty for me..and i (and id guess most average buyers) probably couldnt tell the difference between 8.9 and 8.2.

now, when i think of pocket rocket, im thinking MUCH faster than the 8 second range.

 

[hdghog]

I had an '06 Cobalt SS (non-supercharged) for years. I've subsequently had an '08 Scion tC, an '06 Solstice (pre-GXP), and an '07 Sky (non- Red Line). I remember the Cobalt feeling plenty peppy -- though it felt a little behind the tC. The Solstice also had plenty of "go," though the Sky's automatic transmission (the only one of the mentioned lot) definitely detracted from the experience.

My V6 5th-gen Camaro (which I'll be trading in when the Sonic arrives) does 0-60 in 6 seconds or so, and definitely feels faster than anything else I've driven, so an increment of a second or two *can* make a noticeable difference. But, I'm hoping the combination of the turbo, the manual transmission, and the theoretically well-tuned suspension will provide a highly entertaining (even if not blisteringly speedy) experience.

 

[2>4]

There's a saying in the motorcycling world: "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow". Same goes for cars. Which is why I drive this:

Routinely humiliate guys driving "faster" cars on twisty back roads, where traction and handling are more important than 1/4 mile times.

 

[hdghog]

There's a saying in the motorcycling world: "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow". Same goes for cars.

100% agreed. The Camaro, while certainly not a "supercar," is much more about straight-line acceleration than it is about handling (which is good, since the thing feels more like a boat than a car sometimes).

And in the same vein, the greater the power at your disposal, the less often you'll have any need (or justification) to use all of said power in any normal circumstances. Sure, 311 horsepower is fun for the occasional passing maneuver, but most of the time, I'd rather have the full range of 138 HP than be stuck using a fraction of the gas pedal's range for fear of crashing or cops.

 

[BNRacing]

I've never driven a sonic or a Cruze but I know going from my tuned and bolted cobalt SS turbo, almost everything else seems really slow. It's all a matter of what you drove before the sonic. Coming from a base civic or something I'm sure the sonic seems way quick. Now I'm not putting down the sonic at all. I love the thing. I think once Vince gets the tuning sorted out and we have some 200whp sonics running around... Yeah.

 

[RockTheShazbot]

I've never driven a sonic or a Cruze but I know going from my tuned and bolted cobalt SS turbo, almost everything else seems really slow. It's all a matter of what you drove before the sonic. Coming from a base civic or something I'm sure the sonic seems way quick. Now I'm not putting down the sonic at all. I love the thing. I think once Vince gets the tuning sorted out and we have some 200whp sonics running around... Yeah.

As I've said before I drove my 180HP Celica for 2 years, but for the last month or two I have been driving my wife's 120HP three speed auto Chevy Prizm so the Sonic will seem like a rocket in comparison

 

[MDBob]

This guy might know some slow cars.