Jan 30th, 2012 by Ross Edwards
The 2012 Chevy Sonic and 2012 Nissan Versa are both newly redesigned for this year. The Sonic replaces Chevrolet’s Aveo, and is now built in America, making it the only subcompact car that can be considered truly domestic. The Versa has also been redesigned for this year with a curvier, more liquid exterior than the angular first generation.
The 2012 Chevy Sonic
The 2012 Chevy Sonic starts at $13,735. A barebones Nissan Versa sedan is available for $10,990, but if you’re just looking to pinch every possible penny, why wouldn’t you buy a used car? A Versa with amenities like automatic doors and windows, map lights and a tachometer, you will need to step up to the $14,870 Versa SV.
The 2012 Nissan Versa
Both the Sonic and the Versa are available in sedan and hatch back bodystyles, depending on your carrying needs. The Sonic sedan and hatchback are almost identical inside, while the Versa sedan has completely different interior measurements than the hatchback. The Chevy Sonic sedan and hatchback have 38.7 inches of front head room, 41.8 inches of front leg room, 34.6 inches of rear leg room and the hatchback has 38.1 inches of rear leg room while the sedan has 37.8. The 2012 Nissan Versa has 40.6 inches of front head room in the hatchback, 39.8 in the sedan and 41.4 inches of front hatchback leg room to 41.8 inches in the sedan. In the back, the hatchback Versa has 38.3 inches of rear head room and 38.0 inches of rear leg room to the Sedan’s 36.6 inches of head room and 37.0 inches of leg room.
The 2012 Chevy Sonic is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 138-hp. The Sonic can be ordered with either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. Gas mileage with the stick shift is 26-city and 35-highway. With the automatic, city mileage drops to 25-mpg while highway mileage stays the same. The Nissan Versa sedan is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 109-hp rated at 30-mpg city and 38-mpg highway. The 2012 Nissan Versa hatchback comes with a 1.8-liter engine with 122-hp and a 26-mpg city, 31-mpg highway rating. The Versa sedan is available with either a five-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic, while the Versa hatchback gets the choice of the CVT or a six-speed manual.
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