The car you pick for your daily commute doesn’t have to be a high-end, expensive luxury car just to be enjoyable. In fact, starting at a very modest price of $16,720 is the simple and practical Chevy Sonic.

Practicality

This year’s Sonic offers one drivetrain option across all of the available models: a 1.4L turbocharged engine that offers only 138hp. While that doesn’t seem like much, the little boost provided by the turbocharger makes this small car feel zippy enough to navigate traffic safely.

This year ditches the manual option and only offers a six-speed automatic transmission, but drivers boast about it’s driving capabilities and smooth shifting. The Sonic may not offer the most impressive gas mileage, with a reported average of 26mpg on the highway and 34mpg on city roads, but those numbers aren’t bad either.

The Sonic is available as both a sedan or a hatchback, both providing ample space for occupants as well as groceries, gym bags or luggage. The hatchback pricing can run a few thousand more but offers additional cargo space and boxier rear-end style. While neither choice is terribly aggressive or stylish, their underrated design makes them an easy-going choice in the hustle and bustle of daily traffic.

Interior and Infotainment

The interior of the Chevy Sonic is, as you might expect, minimal and plastic. The basic dashboard wraps around a 7.0-inch infotainment system that has a surprising amount to offer. This simple yet useful infotainment system offers both Apple Carplay and Android Auto, as well as a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth connectivity.

The seats are a standard cloth material that is comfortable in all weather and easy to clean and maintain. The Premier package does offer synthetic leather but will cost upwards of $20,720 almost knocking it into the ballpark of higher-end cars. Cloth seats maybe not exude the word ‘luxury’ but it does speak for the practicality of the car.

There are definite perks to buying a brand new car right off the dealership lot. Lower mileage and brand new means the car is still within all available warranties, and for the 2020 Chevy Sonic that means a 3 year 36,000 basic warranty and a 5 year 60,000 powertrain warranty. You get the luxury of knowing you’ve put a majority of the mileage of the car and have been there to oversee proper care and maintenance. While you could buy an older, used Audi A4 for a similar price, you’d likely be dealing with more of a headache and out-of-warranty repairs that can get pricey.

The Chevrolet Sonic is an overall great car offered with a price tag almost as low as you can get for a brand new 2020 vehicle. While it may not have the Audi rings plastered to the front or the most luxurious interior, it has an overwhelming amount of practicality for such a small, inexpensive ride, and the features available on even the cheapest base model make the car a surprisingly good buy.