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You and your friends pile into the car, youre given a set of instructions in the form of limericks and youre sent out to find your way to haunted sites all over Louisville. The goal of the contest is to match your driving mileage precisely to the route laid out in the limerick hand book. Other than a frightful night with friends I was given the chance to test drive the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. What better way to test it than a challenge that tests man and machine in such an eccentric way?

What makes a perfect Danger Run car? Personally I think it comes down to five things: comfort, storage space, quickness, turning circle and ease of parking. These five things are extremely important if you want to have a successful night. They are also five important aspects of any subcompact.

My initial fear when it came to the Sonic was whether or not I could fit four adults into what seemed like a small cabin. Luckily four people and their stuff fit just fine in the Sonic. The hatchback design is a real lifesaver for the back seat offering ample head and leg room. Not once did I hear someone scream, "My legs are going to fall off!". Both of the rear passengers commented on being shocked they fit into the back seat. For almost 5 hours we were stuffed into the 90.6 cubic feet of the Sonics cabin and all of us came out of it alive with all our extremities attached.



Storage space is very important when you have more than one person in the car. For the Danger Run you have phones, purses, drinks, maps, gloves, jackets and the list goes on. Unique and effective storage solutions allow you to keep everything secure while you blast around town whether its during the the witching hour or your commute to work or school. Chevrolet understands this and has a ton of storage places in the car. Starting with the center stack there are two deep openings perfect for phones and wallets. The glove box is two tiered with a deep bottom compartment and a top compartment perfect for phones plus its a place to plug in your iPod or other USB device. There are also deep wells in the doors that are great places for multiple water bottles and other miscellaneous things you want out of the way.  The Sonic has one of the best storage layouts in the business.







Turbochargers make everything better. They make driving easier and more fun. Take the 1.4 liter engine that in its naturally aspirated form might only muster 110 horsepower. Throw on a small diameter turbo and you have 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque available from 2500 rpm with the manual transmission. Now how does this translate to quickness during the Danger Run? Well it means you feel a rush of torque right as you take off from a stop.This saves a lot of time, especially in constant stop-and-go traffic. Now if youre worried about owning a manual equipped car there is an optional 6-speed automatic. This is a great compromise between the connected feel of the manual and having to step down to the base 1.8 liter engine. If I had to recommend a combination for a daily driver it would have to be the 1.4 turbo with the 6-speed automatic. If youre looking to save fuel then I recommend the 6-speed manual. I was able to net a high of 55 miles per gallon, but what really matters is how you drive and not me.

Turning circle is extremely important on Danger Run. There are many instances where you take a wrong turn and since mileage matters a quick U-Turn is the best fix for a mistake. With the short cropped tail end and tight and easy turning there was no problem getting back on the right track. The Sonics small size and shape make it ideal for running around the network of roads that surrounds Louisville. This translates to a go anywhere car that doesnt suffer from the size anxiety drivers of large SUVs might experience on tight side roads in any town. Turning circle is also good for something else, parking.


Being easy to park is one of the selling points of any small car. Hatchbacks like the Sonic make it so easy to park because the rear windshield is the end of the car. You never have to guess where your car is in relation to where youre trying to park it. While there have been many critics of electric-assisted steering it does one thing very well, dry-steering, Dry-steering is when you have to turn the wheels while stationary. With the older hydraulic system low speed maneuvers could be quite difficult. The amount of pressure in the system was dependent on engine speed and while parking it could take quite a bit of effort to turn the wheel. Fast forward to now and electric steering makes these maneuvers effortless. Parking is quick and easy with the Sonic. This is extremely important during the Danger Run when youre scrambling to find a parking sport at a haunted house or when youre on a busy road and need to park quickly.

Whether its about size, fun or frugality the Sonic is a great choice in this price range. Chevrolet has created a car that is targeted directly at the youth market. Quirky design, turbocharged power and excellent road manners make this a must have for a young car buyer. Whether its for an event like the Danger Run, traveling to work everyday or taking it for a drive on your favorite back road the Sonic will make you and your friends smile while not breaking the bank at the pump. Halloween was a great backdrop for the Sonic. If youre looking for subcompact car that offers something different from the rest then the Chevrolet Sonic is for you.

Disclaimer: Car and one tank of fuel provided by General Motors Company

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