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Employee Benefit Plans (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract] |
Status of Stock Options Related to Stock Plans | A summary of the status of the stock options related to the Stock Plans is presented below:
|  | Options Outstanding |  |  | Exercise Price Per Share (Low - High) |  | Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share |  |  | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term |  |  | Aggregate Intrinsic Value |
|  | (In thousands, except per share data, term in years) |
Balance at December 31, 2016 |  |  | 439 |  |  | $ | 1.81 |  | - | 30.07 |  | $ | 13.42 |  |  |  | 1.4 |  |  | $ | 5,327 |
Exercised |  |  | (25 | ) |  | $ | 1.81 |  | - | 1.81 |  | $ | 1.81 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Forfeited |  |  | (186 | ) |  | $ | 28.04 |  | - | 30.07 |  | $ | 29.14 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balance at December 31, 2017 |  |  | 228 |  |  | $ | 1.81 |  | - | 1.81 |  | $ | 1.81 |  |  |  | 1.3 |  |  | $ | 3,787 |
Exercisable |  |  | 228 |  |  | $ | 1.81 |  | - | 1.81 |  | $ | 1.81 |  |  |  | 1.3 |  |  | $ | 3,787 |
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |
|  | (In thousands) |
Intrinsic value of stock options exercised |  | $ | 425 |  |  | $ | 250 |  |  | $ | 2,511 |
Status of Non-Vested Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Unit Grants Related to Stock Plans | A summary of the status of non-vested restricted stock award and restricted stock unit grants related to the Stock Plans is presented below:
|  | Non-Vested Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units |  |  | Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share |
|  | (In thousands, except per share data) |
Balance at December 31, 2016 |  |  | 2,180 |  |  | $ | 20.86 |
Granted |  |  | 600 |  |  | $ | 22.88 |
Forfeited |  |  | (131 | ) |  | $ | 16.59 |
Vested |  |  | (450 | ) |  | $ | 20.42 |
Balance at December 31, 2017 |  |  | 2,199 |  |  | $ | 21.76 |
Status of Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan | The following table sets forth the status of the SERP:
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
|  | (In thousands) |
Change in projected benefit obligation: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Obligation at January 1, |  | $ | 11,233 |  |  | $ | 9,234 |
Service cost |  |  | 1,711 |  |  |  | 1,590 |
Interest cost |  |  | 448 |  |  |  | 383 |
Actuarial loss (gain) |  |  | 429 |  |  |  | 295 |
Amendments/settlements/curtailments loss (gain) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Benefits paid |  |  | (265 | ) |  |  | (269 | )
Obligation at December 31, (1) |  | $ | 13,556 |  |  | $ | 11,233 |
Accumulated benefit obligation |  | $ | 10,204 |  |  | $ | 8,557 |
(1) | Approximately $13.3 million is included in other long-term liabilities and approximately $0.3 million is included in other accrued liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
|  | (In thousands) |
Change in fair value of plan assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Plan assets at January 1, |  | $ | - |  |  | $ | - |
Actual return on plan assets |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Employer contributions |  |  | 265 |  |  |  | 269 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (265 | ) |  |  | (269 | )
Plan assets at December 31, |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Funded status recognized |  | $ | (13,556 | ) |  | $ | (11,233 | )
Cost Components of Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan | The following table provides the cost components of the SERP:
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
|  | (In thousands) |
Service cost |  | $ | 1,711 |  |  | $ | 1,590 |
Interest cost |  |  | 448 |  |  |  | 383 |
Net pension expense (benefit) |  | $ | 2,159 |  |  | $ | 1,973 |
Weighted Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Benefit Costs | The weighted average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and net periodic benefit costs consist of:
|  | As of December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Discount rate |  |  | 3.50 | % |  |  | 4.04 | %
Rate of compensation increase |  |  | 3.00 | % |  |  | 3.00 | %
Estimated Future Benefit Payments | The estimated future benefit payments expected to be paid for each of the next five years and the sum of the payments expected for the next five years thereafter are:
|  | Estimated Future Benefit Payments |
Year Ending December 31, |  | (In thousands) |
2018 |  | $ | 265 |
2019 |  | $ | 265 |
2020 |  | $ | 363 |
2021 |  | $ | 363 |
2022 |  | $ | 363 |
2023 - 2027 |  | $ | 1,968 |
Schedule of Multiemployer Pension Plans Affecting Period-to-Period Comparability of Contributions | The number of employees covered by the AI Pension Plan increased 2.6% from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2016 and increased 0.5% from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2017, affecting the period-to-period comparability of the contributions for 2017, 2016 and 2015.
|  |  |  | Pension Protection Act Zone Status |  | FIP/RP Status |  | Sonic Contributions |  |  |  |  | Collective Bargaining
Pension |  | EIN/Pension |  |  |  |  |  | Pending / |  | Year Ended December 31, |  |  | Surcharge |  | Agreement
Fund |  | Plan Number |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | Implemented |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | Imposed |  | Expiration Date (1)
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (In thousands) |  |  |  |  |
AI Pension Plan |  | 94-1133245 |  | Red |  | Red |  | RP Implemented |  | $ | 171 |  |  | $ | 150 |  |  | $ | 140 |  |  | Yes |  | Between May 21, 2018 and November 15, 2018
(1) | Collective bargaining agreement expiration dates vary by union and dealership. Dates shown represent the range of the earliest and latest stated expirations for Sonic’s union employees, noting certain of Sonic’s collective bargaining agreements are expired as of December 31, 2017 and are currently under negotiation.

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the assumptions used to determine for pension plans and/or other employee benefit plans the benefit obligation and net benefit cost, including assumed discount rates, rate increase in compensation increase, and expected long-term rates of return on plan assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (k) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of one or more of the entity's defined benefit pension plans or one or more other defined benefit postretirement plans, separately for pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans including the entity's schedule of fair value of plan assets for defined benefit or other postretirement plans. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e2439-114920 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e2417-114920 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e2410-114920 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 17 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77993564&loc=d3e4179-114921 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of benefits expected to be paid by pension plans and/or other employee benefit plans in each of the next five fiscal years and in the aggregate for the five fiscal years thereafter. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (f) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the quantitative and qualitative information related to multiemployer plans in which the employer participates. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the components of net benefit costs for pension plans and/or other employee benefit plans including service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets, gain (loss), prior service cost or credit, transition asset or obligation, and gain (loss) recognized due to settlements or curtailments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (h) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure for stock option plans. Includes, but is not limited to, outstanding awards at beginning and end of year, grants, exercises, forfeitures, and weighted-average grant date fair value. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of the number and weighted-average grant date fair value for restricted stock and restricted stock units that were outstanding at the beginning and end of the year, and the number of restricted stock and restricted stock units that were granted, vested, or forfeited during the year. + References No definition available. + Details
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