2012 Chevrolet Sonic vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

Several of the vehicles in this have been redesigned this year.

The Honda Fit is now one of the older designed in the bunch, but it remains the class champ in some respects.

The Fit is still the roomiest in the class, but its powertrain is far coarser and its interior louder than the Sonic's.

The Ford Fiesta has crisp and responsive handling, with more steering feedback than the Sonic, but it ride is somewhat harsher and its DCT automatic tends to lurch at low speed.

The all-new Hyundai Accent is another alternative; it's very refined and fuel-efficient, and its feature list is arguably stronger, but it's simply not as fun to drive as some of these other entries (including the Sonic).

The Toyota Yaris is also completely new this year, but it's neither as perky nor as frugal as these other key rivals.

Also, later in the model year, an all-new Kia Rio will arrive; with a strong roster of standard features, including a standard touch screen system.