The Sonic is gone....

"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
10/03/2015 at 10:53 • Filed to: None

....say hello to the Trax!

Instead of doing the fun thing and getting a Corvette, I just couldn’t pass up this $27,000 lifted Sonic. What a steal! It has a 1.4 turbo with an automatic, Bose audio, and a sunroof!

Just kidding, my Sonic is broken. Front brake master cylinder apparently. Dealer won’t get the part until Tuesday, so I’m stuck with this thing. So, uh, anyone want to know anything about the Trax?

DISCUSSION (46)

fhrblig > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 10:57

Is it acceptable? My partner seems to like them and sort of has the new car itch.

Nisman > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 10:58

I was like uhh I think you meant to post this on Consumer Reports.

georgechristensen > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 10:59

get well soon sanic

Kinja'd!!!

whoarder is tellurium > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:02

Kinja'd!!!

Looks like the mirror location was an afterthought.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:02

Came here hoping for it to be a loaner. Leaving relieved.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:05

I’ll be the first to say I actually like some of these tiny SUVs. But $27,000 for a non-loaded one is a bit much. My questions:

Is it at least a tiny bit enjoyable or fun to drive?

Could you see why this vehicle appeals to some people?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:06

You didn’t fool me for a second, I knew the Traxx only exists as a dealer loaner.

LongbowMkII > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:06

you had me worried. this is another candidate for ugliest current car.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:07

Kinja'd!!!

It looks like its from 2008.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > whoarder is tellurium
10/03/2015 at 11:13

Apparently that’s the new thing, it helps with visibility, which is strange for a safety feature.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:14

Have you taken it off any sweet jumps?

ly2v8-Brian > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:14

Since it’s a big sonic does it perform as a sonic but bigger.

ly2v8-Brian > fhrblig
10/03/2015 at 11:15

Personally I’d go for it’s sister the Encore. Little more everything to it. Got one as a rental once. Not bad.

Jayhawk Jake > fhrblig
10/03/2015 at 11:18

I have driven it for literally five minutes. Will report later.

First impressions: For a car guy, ewwwww. For a normal person, it’s not bad. Really roomy, plenty of pep, seats are fairly comfortable. It has the same useless armrest as the Sonic, which sucks. I love the basic MyLink (it’s in my Sonic) and the gauge cluster is cool.

whoarder is tellurium > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
10/03/2015 at 11:19

Well, in my experience no one uses their mirrors these days anyways. So, maybe it could be an area to cut costs for GM?

Jayhawk Jake > ly2v8-Brian
10/03/2015 at 11:19

I’ve sat in an Encore before. This feels a lot like a cheap Encore. I think you can get an Encore for the price of this LTZ Trax, which you should.

Jayhawk Jake > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
10/03/2015 at 11:19

For the buyer who just doesn’t want a Buick, the Chevy Trax! You too can pay 27 grand for a Sonic!

Dunnik > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:21

Marketer - “We have a new name for our lifted Sonic.”

Executive - “Oh?”

Marketer - “The Trax!”

Executive - “The Tracks?”

Marketer - “No, Trax, with an x!”

Executive - “What’s the x for?”

Marketer - “eXtreme!!!”

Executive - “Whatever. It’s probably just going to fleets anyway.”

Jayhawk Jake > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/03/2015 at 11:21

This one is loaded I think? It’s an LTZ.

For being a little SUV my inital impressions is it’s honestly not bad to drive. It’s on the same platform as the Sonic, so I’m not surprised. But the seating position is so friggin high.

I can see the appeal in a vehicle of the type, but only if I put on their shoes: people like sitting high, they like space, but they don’t want an SUV. That’s what this car is: it’s a car, it drives like a car, but it feels like an SUV

Jayhawk Jake > LongbowMkII
10/03/2015 at 11:22

I don’t think it’s that bad, but it’s not nearly as good looking as a Sonic.

Jayhawk Jake > ly2v8-Brian
10/03/2015 at 11:22

I don’t know yet. I can definitely feel the similarities.

Jayhawk Jake > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
10/03/2015 at 11:22

Not yet. I am registered for autocross tomorrow though....

TheHondaBro > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:23

How many trax will it rekt?

pip bip - choose Corrour > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
10/03/2015 at 11:28

we’ve sold heaps of them.

Scary__goongala! > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:36

Damn man don’t give me a scare like that again.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
10/03/2015 at 11:36

Not true. I have a friend who bought one new for some reason. She traded in her crude for it

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:42

Will they let you run it though? I thought most scca didn’t allow cuvs with stock suspension

traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:44

Scared me for a sec. What’s the value of that Sonic anyway? Just for the heck of it, I’ll find you a good ‘Vette for no more than the Sonic is worth. Probaby a really good C4 or average C5.

Jayhawk Jake > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
10/03/2015 at 11:51

Absolutely not. And I wouldn’t want to. I’m going to bum a co-drive. An Abarth owner seems to be offering his car, but I know a Viper owner really well so I’m going to be on my knees...

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:56

or you could go buy an HRV

Jayhawk Jake > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn
10/03/2015 at 11:57

It’s worth nothing because I owe too much on it. I have extremely good credit though...

My current plan is thus: Sometime next year (spring or summer) assuming I behave and actually save money, I’ll trade the Sonic towards a C6 Corvette. The trade in value should be around $10k (boo), so I’ll have something like $4k in negative equity. A good C6 would be right around $30k. So paying 20% down + Negative equity = $10k down payment. Finance the rest ($24k).

I am not a good role model for financial decisions. I made a mistake when I got my first car out of college, and it didn’t help that I traded it in 2 years later and didn’t put a big downpayment on the Sonic. Fortunately my interest rate is relatively low and I’ve learned, so the future will get better.

Klaus Schmoll > fhrblig
10/03/2015 at 11:58

Didn’t he just get a Juke not too long ago?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 11:59

Can someone with the photoshop skillz put some Sonic headlights on this thing?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > whoarder is tellurium
10/03/2015 at 12:04

I meant for more pillar visibility up front.

BKosher84 > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 12:07

OH! OH! OH! OH!

I haven’t told anyone here about it yet but we traded in my Mini Clubman for a leased 2015 Trax. LOVE THE CAR!

BKosher84 > ly2v8-Brian
10/03/2015 at 12:09

I own one. And yes it does.

BKosher84 > whoarder is tellurium
10/03/2015 at 12:11

Yeah. My Dad and I, when we leased mine were wondering they they just didn’t delete the little rectangle window and put them up there. Meh.

Jayhawk Jake > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/03/2015 at 12:44

Not if you want a domestic car because the Japs killed your grandfather in Dubya Dubya Too

mazda616 > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 13:05

It's a Buick Encore with a Chevy badge. :)

JGrabowMSt > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 13:17

When does the badass offroad Traxxis version come out, and will it be able to land a jump better than a Raptor?

ly2v8-Brian > BKosher84
10/03/2015 at 13:56

Interesting.

fhrblig > Klaus Schmoll
10/03/2015 at 15:19

Yeah, the Juke is just over two years old. I’m trying to dissuade him from it, and it's cooled off a bit (pretty sure he was just a little jealous about my new car). If he does want to get one at least there’s equity in the Juke.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Jayhawk Jake
10/03/2015 at 16:26

Hows the visibility?

Jayhawk Jake > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/03/2015 at 16:32

Pretty fantastic actually

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Jayhawk Jake
10/05/2015 at 19:13

Is the radio easy enough that a senior citizen could figure it out? I keep getting asked by a relative.

Jayhawk Jake > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/05/2015 at 21:33

I think so, especially with someone helping set up favorites