Hyundai Sonata
Much better. But good enough? |
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By Richard J. Newman
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Nits: The warning chime indicating the driver's seat belt is unbuckled is total overkill. It goes off even when the car is in park—which means every time you get out of the car. Hyundai should have spent a few extra bucks on a more sophisticated, less annoying sensor.
G forces: Hyundai's ads for the Sonata suggest that the V-6 is standard, but the base engine is a 162-horsepower four cylinder. I didn't test it, but the power rating is good for a small engine. The V-6 is not quite as slick as that found in the Toyota Camry or the Honda Accord, but it is quick and reasonably quiet and a huge improvement over the clunky V-6 in the prior-model Sonata. Handling is firm and comfortable.
Gizmology: Dashboard controls have a heavy, durable feel and are well designed. Small features like several handy storage nooks and two well-positioned power outlets indicate thoughtful engineering. Bonus features like steering-wheel controls for the radio come at an attractive price compared with competitors like the Camry.
Kidmarks: There's plenty of kid space in the back seat, and easy-to-clean leather upholstery is available for a price in the low $20s. One potential annoyance are loose, unanchored seat-belt receptacles that might be hard for post-toddlers to operate themselves.
Hot or not: Hot. There's nothing revolutionary about the Sonata's design, but it's sculpted curves are attractive and fresh.
Envirometer: EPA ratings for pollution and tailpipe emissions are forthcoming. Mileage ratings range from 24 mpg/city to 34 mpg/highway for the four cylinder, and from 20 mpg/city to 30 mpg/highway for the V-6. Details are at fueleconomy.gov.
Crash course: Not yet crash tested by the government or by private testing organizations.
Price points: Base prices range from $17,895 to $22,895. Price as tested: $22,895.
More info: www.hyundaiusa.com
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Model year tested: 2006
It's no longer embarrassing to own a Hyundai. Anybody following the car biz knows that the Korean automaker has made big strides in recent years, evolving from a low-budget, low-quality bottom feeder into a manufacturer of stylish, respectable familymobiles. So now comes a brand-new Sonata, Hyundai's midlevel sedan, with fresh-looking styling, a thorough list of standard features, and a price that undercuts much of the competition. Are Honda and Toyota in trouble?
Not necessarily. The Sonata I tested, the top-line LX, has all the basics of a pleasing, all-purpose sedan. Handling is crisp. The 235-horsepower V-6 is quick and reasonably quiet. Inner offerings on the LX include thoughtful touches like a sliding front armrest, steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, and heated seats. I'm a particular fan of the little hook that pops out of the lower dash on the passenger side, perfect for hanging a briefcase or pocketbook. And every Sonata comes with a slew of safety gear including stability control, antilock brakes, and three sets of airbags, a better standard safety package than you'll get on competitors like the Toyota Camry or the Chevy Malibu.
While the Sonata is comfortable, however, there are a few nagging imperfections. You know that reassuring thunk of a heavy door landing squarely closed? The Sonata doesn't quite have it; I heard a little chink suggesting parts ever so slightly out of alignment. I also noticed one squeak and one rattle emanating from somewhere on the passenger side of the car, faint and trivial to be sure, but still not the kind of quirk that should pop up on a car with just a couple thousand miles on it. And the passenger air bag light was buggy. It indicated that the air bag was turned off even when a full-sized adult was sitting there, which left me wondering if it was just the light that was malfunctioning or the airbag itself. None of these things would prevent me from checking out the Sonata if I were shopping for a sedan—the price and the features are too compelling—but on the other hand I'd expect to pay less for the risk I'd be taking on reliability.
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