Compare the2019 Chevrolet SonicVS 2018 Toyota Yaris iA

The Sonic LT/Premier’s optional lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The Yaris iA doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

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 Yaris iA 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 Yaris iA doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

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

The Sonic’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Yaris iA’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.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sonic has a standard 438-amp battery. The Yaris iA’s 356-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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.

The Sonic’s 1.4 turbo 4 cyl. produces 32 more horsepower (138 vs. 106) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (148 vs. 103) than the Yaris iA’s 1.5 DOHC 4 cyl.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Sonic is faster than the Toyota Yaris iA (manual transmissions tested):

For better stopping power the Sonic’s brake rotors and drums are larger than those on the Yaris iA:

The Sonic stops much shorter than the Yaris iA:

For better traction, the Sonic has larger standard tires than the Yaris iA (195/65R15 vs. 185/60R16). The Sonic LT’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Yaris iA (205/55R16 vs. 185/60R16).

The Sonic’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Yaris iA’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sonic offers optional 17-inch wheels. The Yaris iA’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 Yaris iA only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Sonic has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Yaris iA’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 Yaris iA doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sonic Sedan a Compact car, while the Yaris iA is rated a Subcompact.

The Sonic Sedan has 4.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Yaris iA (90.3 vs. 85.9).

The Sonic Sedan has .5 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Yaris iA.

The Sonic Sedan has a much larger trunk than the Yaris iA (14.9 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

The Sonic has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Yaris iA (19 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

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 Yaris iA doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Sonic and the Yaris iA 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 Yaris iA 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 Yaris iA’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

Keyless Open and Start optional on the Sonic (except LS) allows you to unlock the doors, trunk and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Toyota Yaris iA’s Pushbutton Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the trunk.

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 Yaris iA doesn’t offer automatic headlights.

The Sonic LT/Premier’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Yaris iA doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

The Sonic (except LS) offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Yaris iA.

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 Yaris iA doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

A built-in pollen filter removes pollen, exhaust fumes and other pollutants from the Sonic’s passenger compartment. This helps prevent lung and/or sinus irritation, which can trigger allergies or asthma. The Yaris iA doesn’t offer a filtration system.

Insurance will cost less for the Sonic owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Sonic with a number “1” insurance rate while the Yaris iA is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sonic is less expensive to operate than the Yaris iA because typical repairs cost less on the Sonic than the Yaris iA, including $79 less for a starter, $96 less for fuel injection, $127 less for front struts and $96 less for a timing belt/chain.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Sonic and the Toyota Yaris iA, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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 Yaris iA isn’t in the top three.