How safe is the Chevrolet Sonic?

Drivers of the 2017–2020 Chevrolet Sonic died at a rate of 107 per million registered vehicle years, 106% higher than the average of 38 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 117th of 127 vehicles, safer than 8% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.

This is the most recent IIHS data for this model, covering 2017–2020 models. It doesn't appear in the newer 2023 study, often because it was redesigned or discontinued.

8Safety score (out of 100)

117thof 127 vehicles, all classes

107Driver deaths per million vehicle years (range 50–164)

Where the Chevrolet Sonic sits among all 127 vehicles

Chevrolet Sonic

Chevrolet Sonic (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 38

The rate is based on a moderate amount of data, so treat small differences from nearby vehicles with caution.

Vehicles ranked near the Chevrolet Sonic

These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.

Rank	Vehicle	Type	Deaths*	Score
114	Chevrolet ImpalaCar · Large	Car	80	10
115	Kia Rio sedanCar · Mini	Car	122	10
116	Hyundai ElantraCar · Small	Car	103	9
117	Chevrolet SonicCar · Small	Car	107	8
118	Hyundai AccentCar · Mini	Car	152	7
119	Kia ForteCar · Small	Car	111	6
120	Chevrolet MalibuCar · Midsize	Car	91	6

How it compares with other cars

Among the 30 cars ranked, the Chevrolet Sonic is 21st. The safest cars are below. See all cars.

Cars rank	Vehicle	Type	Deaths*	Score
1	Chevrolet BoltCar · Small	Car	8	83
2	Toyota Camry hybridCar · Midsize	Car	19	68
3	Toyota Prius PrimeCar · Small	Car	23	60
4	Ford Fusion hybridCar · Midsize	Car	25	53
5	Subaru WRXCar · Small	Car	38	40
21	Chevrolet SonicCar · Small	Car	107	8

Common questions

Is the Chevrolet Sonic a safe vehicle?

By real-world driver deaths, the Chevrolet Sonic is one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 107 per million registered vehicle years is 106% higher than the average, and it ranks 117th of 127 vehicles across all classes.

How does the Chevrolet Sonic compare with other cars?

It ranks 21st of 30 cars. The safest is the Chevrolet Bolt, with a rate of 8.

Why is this different from the Chevrolet Sonic's crash-test rating?

Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.

* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.