What Car Leaves You Feeling Like the Automaker Was So Close to Making Something Great?

2013 Chevy Sonic RSImage: Chevrolet

Designing a car requires massive amounts of capital, time, resources and ideas. It begins as a twinkle in a designer’s or engineer’s eye, and after an elaborate process, and several hundred millions of dollars later, it makes it to production and into your garage. You’d hope with that kind of investment that every car an automaker rolls out would be great. And some are. Then there are those that feel like the automaker stopped short of making something special.

2013 Chevy Sonic RSImage: Chevrolet

Take the Chevy Sonic RS. The Sonic was an affordable, entry-level car, targeted at Millennials, and available as a sedan or hatch for under $20,000. Now historically, the RS badge has always been an appearance package, as it was on the Sonic. This RS had a turbocharged engine paired with a six speed manual transmission, and its “performance upgrade” was a lowered and stiffened suspension.

That little turbocharged engine only made 138 ponies, enough to get it to 60 mph in eight seconds, which is somewhat respectable. But the little engine that could ran out of steam quickly (around 4,900 rpm), something former Jalop Travis Okulski observed when he tested it. The handling also left a lot to be desired.

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It was a fun car to drive slowly, but wasn’t nearly as fun as the little hot hatches produced by Ford and VW.  Car and Driver said it best, “After driving the new-for-2013 Sonic RS, however, we’d suggest that RS stands for “Rather Subtle.” Or, perhaps, “Regular Sonic.”

So now we ask you, what car do you feel like the automaker should have tried harder, or was just out of reach of having made something spectacular? Let us know down in the comments.