The Chevrolet Sonic is one of KBB.com’s top picks for its 10 Best Back-to-School Cars, placing third on the list. The Chevrolet Cruze was a top pick in 2011. “Sporty design, vibrant colors, lots of space for friends and even that cool name make the Sonic hatchback and sedan attractive to younger drivers,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “Their parents, meanwhile, will be keen on this subcompact’s outward visibility, easy-to-drive manners, good fuel economy and eager (but not overwhelming) engines.” Starting at $14,495, the Chevy Sonic is the only sub-compact built in the United States.  The Sonic comes with the most standard safety equipment in the sub-compact class, including 10 air bags, and has earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick and a 5-star overall vehicle score for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Sonic’s Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine delivers an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway and 138 horsepower (103kW) -- 18 horsepower (14KW) more than the Ford Fiesta.    To learn more about Sonic, visit the Chevy Sonic Facebook page, follow on Twitter at @ChevyLife or check out letsdothis.com. About Chevrolet Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com. About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Suggested Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies.  KBB.com provides consumer pricing and information on cars for sale, minivans, pickup trucks, sedan, hybrids, electric cars, and SUVs.  Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity and was named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year by the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study.  Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com. From:gm.com