A Competitor in a Crowded Field

I will admit that I am biased, as my family proudly owns two Hyundais.(Santa Fe and Elantra) We have had no problems with them, and we have convinced others to how great they are. I work in the car business, and many of my customers gush about how happy they are with their South Korean cars. From their inception with the Excel in the 1980's, they have come a long ways. They can now be placed as true competitors to Toyota and Honda, as they have corrected their quality control issues of the past. Their product line offers a lot of choices, and their new Sonata continues their tradition of offering alternatives in a crowded field.

The family sedan portion of the car sales market, is one that has been dominated by Toyota and Honda. Although American cars like the Taurus and Impala have done quite well, the winners have always been the Camry and Accord. It is impossible to drive down the road, and not notice this while stuck in a traffic jam. They are everywhere, and have sold many units for a long time. Now they are going to face a challenge from the 06 Sonata, which is an upgrade over the previous edition. I have been waiting for one to appear at my dealership as a used model, but I have had no luck so far. That is why I decided to go to my local Hyundai dealership, and take it for a test drive.

My salesman has been of great assistance in the past, so I got chummy with him to see if a Sonata could be "borrowed for a few hours." He asked me if I was still happy with my Elantra, and I replied of course. I told him that I had been itching to try the Sonata out, and that I would review my findings on Epinions. He knew of the site right away, and I was surprised to see he liked it as well. After making the necessary arrangements, I took the Sonata out for a trip through the area.(I like to base my reviews on 2-3 days minimum of experience, but the Sonata could not wait.)

The first thing I noticed about this car, is how it looks to be almost a carbon copy of the Honda Accord. It has the boxy European look, and appeared to be larger than I expected. I was allowed to test drive the upscale edition(LX), and it comes standard with a 3.3 liter V6 engine.(235 horsepower, 24 valve DOHC) Its aluminum block is great for weight reduction, and the power was above average. It will not throw you back in the seat like the Maxima or Accord, but it will get you where you need to go. I would compare it to the V6 Camry, and the engine is very quiet. This level of refinement is outstanding for the price, and shifting is very responsive and smooth.

I love the leather seats-they are so comfortable, and seem to wrap around your shape perfectly. They have great support while not hurting your back, and are easy to move into the proper placement for the length of your legs. The pedals are at the right alignment, and the driving experience makes you feel like you are flying.(Like a cockpit) The seats also have bun warmers, which heat up in about two minutes.

Hyundai has also figured out how to add some luxurious flair, as the steering wheel/shifter are wrapped in leather. They also used woodgrain, and I liked it especially around the temperature controls on the center console.(In some of Hyundai's older models, this looks very cheap) The gauges are easy to read, but they should be a little less simple in my opinion.(RPM,MPH, TEMPERATURE/FUEL) I would have liked the white faces for gauges, as they would offer a higher end/aggressive look to the car. All controls work well, and the stereo system has great sound quality.(6 speakers) It was quite enjoyable to listen to the radio,(easy to preset your stations-one button click)but it is a pain to reach when driving.(Unless you have long arms.) It is in the upper middle part of the dashboard. Heating and Air Conditioning work great, and the controls are easy to manipulate.

There are no road noise issues with this years Sonata, which had been a problem area in the past. I took my test drive model up to 75 mph on the highway, and it was a very aesthetically pleasing experience. The cabin stayed extremely quiet, and I felt like I was going 40 mph at that high speed. The car floats on the road, and handles nicely around tight turns. I turned off on the highway, and hit a notoriously dangerous road in my area to see if the Sonata could handle it. It performed flawlessly, and even banked around a sharp curve as a smaller car might. Steering is a joyful experience!Its easy to get around in tough traffic conditions as such, and a breeze to park anywhere. Braking is above average, and the ABS 4 disc system is a great safety feature.(As is the traction control)

This is a great family car, and the amount of room offered is incredible. It appears to be more spacious than the Accord or Camry, and five adults will fit comfortably in it.(I am tall, and even the backseats offer more than enough room without any hard leg bending) Having the front and side airbags is a comfort for any people with children, and the child safety locks are reassuring as well. Crash tests on previous Sonatas were above average, so I'm sure this edition would be as well.(Check the NHTSA website for a detailed report)

I hope to get these soon at my dealership, and drive it for a longer time.(I will update this review then) However, for what its worth, I think Hyundai has a great vehicle to consider. Although Toyotas and Hondas reliability records are legendary, Hyundai is above average. Their warranty is a lot better, as those other companies only offer 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranties. Hyundai offers a comprehensive 5 year/60,000 mile warranty, and a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. You also get roadside assistance for 5 years,(unlimited mileage)which is a nice added bonus.

The Sonata's base model is a GL, which has a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine.(24/33 mpg) My dealer admitted that the engine was a "bit vanilla." It can be had for about $15-$16,000. The GLS and LX offer the 3.3 liter engine, with the LX offering more luxury accomodations. The EPA mileage is 20/30 mpg, and the GLS starts at $18,000. The LX I drove had a sticker of $22,500. It came with the leather, cruise control, power steering, locks, windows, heated mirrors, seat warmers, leather/wood grain interior enhancements, remote anti-theft alarm system, dual front side airbags, alloys, fog lights, compass, traction control, ABS, and climate control. That is a good amount of features for the price, and that is one of the main reasons I consider the Sonata to be a great car.