Compare the2019 Chevrolet SonicVS 2018 Toyota Prius c

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Sonic are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Toyota Prius c doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Sonic’s blind spot mirrors use wide-angle convex mirrors mounted in the corner of each side view mirror to reveal objects that may be in the driver’s blind spots. The Prius c doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

The Sonic has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Prius c doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Sonic and the Prius c have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Sonic is safer than the Toyota Prius c:

	Sonic	Prius c
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	359
Neck Injury Risk	31%	37%
Neck Stress	262 lbs.	401 lbs.
Neck Compression	60 lbs.	262 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	328/406 lbs.	316/452 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	273	292
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36%	38%
Neck Stress	166 lbs.	270 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	200/219 lbs.	373/348 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Chevrolet Sonic Sedan is safer than the Prius c:

	Sonic	Prius c
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	MARGINAL
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	92	349
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	67 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	21 cm	23 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	0%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Tibia index R/L	.52/.41	.89/.54

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Sonic is safer than the Toyota Prius c:

	Sonic	Prius c
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	104	216
Chest Movement	1.1 inches	1.4 inches
Abdominal Force	184 G’s	276 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	239	374
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	90 G’s
Hip Force	761 lbs.	991 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	15 inches
HIC	197	198
Hip Force	885 lbs.	922 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sonic the rating of “Top Pick” for 2016, a rating granted to only 145 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius c is not a “Top Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

The Sonic’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Prius c’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sonic’s warranty.

Reliability

The Chevrolet Sonic’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Prius c’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 8th.

Engine

The Sonic’s 1.4 turbo 4 cyl. produces 39 more horsepower (138 vs. 99) and 23 lbs.-ft. more torque (148 vs. 125) than the Prius c’s 1.5 DOHC 4 cyl. hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sonic has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius c (12.2 vs. 9.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sonic’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius c:

	Sonic	Prius c
Front Rotors	10.8 inches	10 inches

The Sonic stops much shorter than the Prius c:

	Sonic	Prius c
80 to 0 MPH	223 feet	321 feet	Road and Track
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sonic has larger standard tires than the Prius c (195/65R15 vs. 175/65R15). The Sonic LT’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius c (205/55R16 vs. 195/50R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sonic offers optional 17-inch wheels. The Prius c’s largest wheels are only 16-inches.

The Chevrolet Sonic’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Toyota Prius c only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Sonic has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Prius c’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Sonic has vehicle speed-sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Prius c doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sonic is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Prius c.

Passenger Space

The Sonic Sedan has 2.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius c (90.3 vs. 87.4).

The Sonic Sedan has .1 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius c.

Cargo Capacity

The Sonic has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Prius c (19 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Sonic’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Prius c One’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Servicing Ease

An Oil Life Monitor is standard on the Sonic to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Prius c.

Ergonomics

The Sonic (except LS/Manual) offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Prius c doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Sonic and the Prius c have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sonic is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Prius c prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sonic LT/Premier’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Prius c’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Sonic has standard lighted power door lock, power window and cruise control switches so that they are easily found at night. The Prius c doesn’t have lighted switches.

The Sonic’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Prius c’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

Consumer Reports rated the Sonic’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Prius c’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Sonic has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius c doesn’t offer automatic headlights.

The Sonic LT/Premier’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Prius c’s power mirror controls are on the dash, hidden behind the steering wheel, where they are awkward to manipulate.

On extremely cold winter days, the Sonic’s optional (except LS/RS) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Prius c doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Model Availability

The Chevrolet Sonic comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Toyota Prius c isn’t available as a station wagon.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sonic owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sonic will cost $415 to $1710 less than the Prius c over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sonic is less expensive to operate than the Prius c because it costs $18 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Sonic than the Prius c, including $324 less for a water pump, $373 less for fuel injection, $110 less for a fuel pump, $780 less for a timing belt/chain and $352 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Sonic, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Toyota Prius c isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sonic second among small cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Prius c isn’t in the top three.

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