Sonic RS + Trifecta tune = budget hot hatch?

I'd be tempted to do a non-RS Sonic 1.4T + trifecta tune + RS rear disc conversion + limited slip differential.

I had no idea the abarth was that cheap.

Nick (LUCAS) Comstock wrote: I had no idea the abarth was that cheap.

I didn't either until searching for Desmond over the summer.....then my beater Focus died and I went and bought one of them I had recommended in the middle of September. $15k OTD for a cream puff 5k mile 2013 that happened to be 95% how I would have ordered it..... Desmond missed out big time on this car.

FWIW, the Dodge Dart with the multiair/6sp manual combo is even a better option than the Sonic.....

In reply to WOW Really Paul?:

Not a hatch.

WOW Really Paul? wrote: FWIW, the Dodge Dart with the multiair/6sp manual combo is even a better option than the Sonic.....

Don't know much about Darts, so I have to ask...Why?

Driven5 wrote:

WOW Really Paul? wrote: FWIW, the Dodge Dart with the multiair/6sp manual combo is even a better option than the Sonic.....

Don't know much about Darts, so I have to ask...Why?

Peanuts cheap, and thanks to all the SRT skittle fanboys who have moved to them, they've discovered a fairly good platform to modify. They also cruise down the interstate in 6th gear below 3k rpms.

And Nick, you'll have more room in a dart sedan than a Fiesta or Sonic 5 door.......because it was actually meant to have that many doors.

Forte as well.... it cruises 70mph at 2400rpms in 6th. 3k is 90-ish. has room for full sized people etc. THat's what killed the Fo/FiSt for me. Fost dash hits the right knee, Fist is just too damn narrow for a wide guy like me.

If anybody's in the mood for a fly-n-drive, a Chevy dealer in Ottawa has a Sonic RS 1.4T 6M on AutoTrader with the Trifecta tune already installed, Eibach springs, and a bunch of other upgrades. 60,000 km; $12,888 Cdn ask, or about $9,000 US. NMNA.

In reply to Bobzilla:

If I keep the Abarth past its warranty period, I'll be finding a 6sp out of the dart and making it how it should have been.....stupid crash testing in the US required a brace that wouldn't allow the 6sp to fit.

I drove a Dart before buying the Fit. While it's underappreciated in a lot of ways, I gotta say that 1.4t/6-speed combo is just terribly matched to such a huge, heavy car (they are nearly a midsize). The clutch feel sucks and the powerplant doesn't have enough torque to get the car moving well, so you basically have to do your best not to stall the damn thing before ramming your right foot to the floor to get any decent momentum going. They have pretty much eliminated the 1.4t from the Dart lineup at this point and it is very obvious why after driving one, it is definitely better suited to a big NA motor (or a big turbo motor if they ever make the SRT a reality).

In reply to pointofdeparture:

The dart does really needs a reflash to make acceptable, just like the Sonic....you just have multiple ways to make the power you need with the multiair. +1 turbine, stack ecu, or e85 conversion will up the power decently.

So I own a 2014 Sonic LTZ turbo automatic... I bought mine for $12,900 with 14k miles...I installed a advantage Trifecta tune and according to their dyno the numbers the horsepower is rated 156hp/177tq to the wheels. Now that is a fully stock car without any mods. I have a k&n drop in air filter which I doubt would add a ton of horsepower. Trifecta is revising their tune right now, which will go from their current "Dynamic" tune to a "Select a Tune" option. So the cruise control button controls which mode the tune is in. I am seeing about 20-22lbs of boost right now, so it moves quite well.

The handling is quite well for this car, but with a short wheelbase it wants to pick up the rear inside tire on hard cornering... Unfortunately there are only two real options for a limited slip diff for the car (Quaiffe and Wavetrac) both are for the manual transmission only. I however would recommend replacing the motor and transmission mounts with aftermarket units because supposedly the motor likes to twist rather badly under load. GM performance parts has a performance suspension kit that lowers the car 20mm for the non RS and 10mm for the RS. It will not void the warranty on the car.

The buick encore has a 1" diameter larger rotor for the fronts which is basically shared with the Sonic. So it is super easy to build a better braking system with not much money. However if you ever decide to track day the car or autocross, pads are certainly harder to find. Porterfield has rear drum shoes in their Rs4 compound which will take care of anything you can basically throw at the car.

I do love my car, just hoping that the next rendition of the tune will be a bit more streamlined with possibly more power so who knows...

1) For the OPs use, I feel that the Non-RS would be a better choice, as much of his driving is highway mileage.

2) Even with the Trifecta tune, I see posts of these things doing... low 15s. Welcome to Camry Hybrid or a stock 20 year old Neon.

91RSImpulse wrote: So I own a 2014 Sonic LTZ turbo automatic... I bought mine for $12,900 with 14k miles...I installed a advantage Trifecta tune and according to their dyno the numbers the horsepower is rated 156hp/177tq to the wheels. Now that is a fully stock car without any mods. I have a k&n drop in air filter which I doubt would add a ton of horsepower. Trifecta is revising their tune right now, which will go from their current "Dynamic" tune to a "Select a Tune" option. So the cruise control button controls which mode the tune is in. I am seeing about 20-22lbs of boost right now, so it moves quite well. The handling is quite well for this car, but with a short wheelbase it wants to pick up the rear inside tire on hard cornering... Unfortunately there are only two real options for a limited slip diff for the car (Quaiffe and Wavetrac) both are for the manual transmission only. I however would recommend replacing the motor and transmission mounts with aftermarket units because supposedly the motor likes to twist rather badly under load. GM performance parts has a performance suspension kit that lowers the car 20mm for the non RS and 10mm for the RS. It will not void the warranty on the car. The buick encore has a 1" diameter larger rotor for the fronts which is basically shared with the Sonic. So it is super easy to build a better braking system with not much money. However if you ever decide to track day the car or autocross, pads are certainly harder to find. Porterfield has rear drum shoes in their Rs4 compound which will take care of anything you can basically throw at the car. I do love my car, just hoping that the next rendition of the tune will be a bit more streamlined with possibly more power so who knows...

Does the car feel like it's making 156hp/177tq at the wheels?

ProDarwin, you're right, if I got a Sonic I think it'd be an LTZ.

ProDarwin wrote: 2) Even with the Trifecta tune, I see posts of these things doing... low 15s. Welcome to Camry Hybrid or a stock 20 year old Neon.

So, like, comparable to Fiesta ST times? Seems about right.

I'd rather have the RS and swap in the ltz gearing if I determined it was a problem. I'm a sucker for all the little badges and geegaws that make it an RS.

It most of the does feel like there is about 160hp or more to the wheels (Always run 93 octane)... hell you catch it right in the power band it feels like it is a rocket as it has caught me off guard several times with how fast it will climb speed. Torquesteer becomes a problem with this tune interesting enough. I hate to say this, but it feels faster than the turbo Mini Cooper S I test drove with even the overboost feature on. The transmission tune with the current tune leaves something to be desired. The actual tune is based on a LTZ Sonic turbo automatic, so I cannot say on how well it works with a manual transmission. The next tune update from Trifecta is supposedly making things more linear with power and supposedly there will be more power at that. So I feel my car with the right tires could hang with a "Stock Fiesta ST". There is part of me that would love to do more modifications but this car is my daily. It is probably in the 6 to 6.5 second range 0-60 now if I really get on it... will have to do some testing to see some time...

After reading this, I may actually have to look into a Kia Forte. With the new kid coming round, I still want to get a P71 or 03 Panther Chassis. Anyone want to trade one for a 95 Integra?

2) Even with the Trifecta tune, I see posts of these things doing... low 15s. Welcome to Camry Hybrid or a stock 20 year old Neon.

2) Even with the Trifecta tune, I see posts of these things doing... low 15s. Welcome to Camry Hybrid or a stock 20 year old Neon.

That would still be noticeably slower than an ST.

According to Car and Driver the Fiesta ST does a 15.2 in the quarter.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-ford-fiesta-st-instrumented-test-review

That's the same as my Sonic with just a Trifecta tune.

When you're comparing hypothetical 'really good passes', i.e. apples to apples, the Fiesta ST's number is more like 14.5-14.6 @ 94.

I was comparing my actual pass (@ 900ft of elevation) to a published number from a fairly respected source. If I practiced, (I suck at drag racing) I "hypothetically" should be able to go faster.

C&D's 15.2 had a trap speed of 93mph BTW. I have no idea how that relates to your hypothetical 14.5/14.6.

Ahh, so if you actually ran that pass, what was your 60' and mph? If you had a poor 60' and trapped over 93, i would say you are definitely in stock Fiesta ST ballpark.

My 60ft was 2.25 sec and my trap speed was 88.1 mph. It was 81 degrees with 80% humidity that afternoon.