2013 Chevrolet Sonic vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

Last year (2012) was a pivotal model year for small cars, as the Sonic was all new and several other models its size were completely redesigned.

The Honda Fit, the leader in the small-car game, may wear some of the oldest clothes in class but it remains the champ in many practical aspects; it's still the roomiest and it has amazing cargo versatility.

But it isn't the most refined option.

The Ford Fiesta is a handler, sporting steering feedback more direct than the Sonic; it also has an Achilles's heel—a sometimes-lurchy dual-clutch automatic.

The Toyota Yaris was also redesigned last year, and while it's styled quite tastefully it's just not as refined or full-featured for the money as some other cars here.

For those concerned primarily with the feature list, the Hyundai Accent is perhaps the best deal; but it's not quite as engaging to flog as other entries in the segment (including the Sonic).

The Kia Rio is closely related to the Accent, but with a different feature set and somewhat sharper handling, it has more of a Euro style.