Sonic Automotive, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Name:	sah_DeferredCompensationPlanLiabilityFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	sah_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99377789&loc=d3e19207-110258

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Fair value portion of the amount that could be realized under a life insurance contract or contracts owned by the entity, commonly known as corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) or bank-owned life insurance (BOLI).

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value as of the balance sheet date of all interest rate derivative assets designated as cash flow hedging instruments.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109980867&loc=SL5624163-113959

Name:	us-gaap_InterestRateCashFlowHedgeAssetAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value as of the balance sheet date of all interest rate derivative liabilities designated as cash flow hedging instruments.

Name:	us-gaap_InterestRateCashFlowHedgeLiabilityAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations.

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherCurrentAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=sah_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: