Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Long-Term Debt - Financial Covenants Include Required Specified Ratios (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Long-Term Debt - Financial Covenants Include Required Specified Ratios (Detail)
Dec. 31, 2014
Required Ratio [Member]  
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]  
Minimum consolidated liquidity ratio 1.05sah_MinimumConsolidatedLiquidityRatio
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= sah_RequiredRatioMember
Minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio 1.20sah_MinimumConsolidatedFixedChargeCoverageRatio
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= sah_RequiredRatioMember
Maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio 5.50sah_MaximumConsolidatedAggregateLeaseAdjustedLeverageRatio
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= sah_RequiredRatioMember
Actual Ratio [Member]  
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]  
Minimum consolidated liquidity ratio 1.20sah_MinimumConsolidatedLiquidityRatio
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= sah_ActualRatioMember
Minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio 1.61sah_MinimumConsolidatedFixedChargeCoverageRatio
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= sah_ActualRatioMember
Maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio 4.12sah_MaximumConsolidatedAggregateLeaseAdjustedLeverageRatio
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= sah_ActualRatioMember