Pros: Improved Styling Cues, Surprising Performance, Roomy and Comfortable
Cons: Engine a bit noisy at high rpm, Shifter a bit funky, Questionable Resale Value
Not too awfully long ago the President of Hyundai Motors said that his goal was to out sell Honda in the not too distant future. I’m not sure how Honda took it then, but it would probably be a good idea if they took that statement seriously today.
Although I’d heard a lot about the new Sonata, and had an up close and personal view of the new Azera I hadn’t driven either car until recently when I tested the 2006 Sonata. Now I really don’t like to go into a lot of equipment lists in this column, but I think it’s important in this case to list what comes standard on this car. Along with all the usual suspects when it comes to safety equipment, the Sonata makes standard Electronic Stability Control, 4-wheel ABS, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and front active head restraints.
Adds to the standard equipment list along with all the typical power options, include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather seating, heated seats, 17” alloy wheels, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, the homelink system, and an AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system. Now toss in a 5 year 60,000 mile basic warranty along with a 10 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, all for under $23,000 and you quickly get the picture that there is indeed a lot of value in the new Sonata.
In keeping with Hyundai’s quest to out do Honda, I was completely struck by the design similarity Sonata has with the Accord. From a distance one has to be a real aficionado to tell the two apart, but that aside, the question is, how does the car measure. Inside the Sonata offers a clean, modern design with straightforward controls, excellent ergonomics, and a number of versatile storage options. Seating is very comfortable and frankly pretty posh for a sub $25,000 car. There is plenty of room for five although truth be told, two adults in the back seat for a trip of any length affords much more comfort.
Powering the Sonata are two new engines, a 2.4 liter 162 horsepower 4 cylinder, up from 132 in the previous iteration, and a 3.3 liter 235 horsepower V6 up 65 ponies from its smaller predecessor. While the Sonata is definitely not a sports car, the speed sensitive steering and independent suspension make the performance and handling is surprisingly solid.
There are three trim levels, the GL basing at $17,895, GLS at $19,395 and the top dog XL for $22,895. I drove the XL and with the sunroof added for $850 and a six-disc CD changer with an amplifier and subwoofer for $550, the tester came in at $24,295 which is a pretty darn good price for what you get.
As far as driving the Sonata goes, there really is nothing to squawk about at all, keeping in mind that it is a mid-size grocery getter. As I said earlier the handling is surprisingly responsive and the ride is very comfortable without being too soft. There is some feedback from the road, but I don’t think nearly enough to annoy anyone. With the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda 6, among others, as competitors in this crowded market, competition is very stiff but I for one think that Hyundai has built a great car to compete and I’m sure the aforementioned manufacturers are well aware of what Sonata is all about. It will be interesting to see how they react to the challenge.
As far as my opinion goes, anyone that’s listened to my radio show or read my reviews for any length of time knows that this segment of the market is not my cup of tea, but that said, if you’re in the market for a solid daily driver and don’t need a lot of pizzazz, I can’t see how you can go wrong with the all-new Sonata from Hyundai. It offers comfort, more than adequate performance and handling, and pretty decent styling cues for not a whole lot of money. Go check one out; I do believe you’ll like it.
