First Glance
I took my first and last cruise about 10 years ago. It was just a short one, from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. It started out perfect, with “sailaway” drinks, great entertainment, and no iceberg on the horizon. But at the end of the three-day cruise, I had racked up over $300 in ancillary charges. If you drink enough piña coladas, those $5 hits add up quickly. I feel the same way about cars that look good at first glance, but by the time you tack on all the features you want to make it the car you desire, you’ve spent an extra $2,000 to $5,000! At that price, the car is no longer the deal you first thought it was. Which leads me to the new Hyundai Sonata. Leave you’re coin purse at home. The features you want, plus the features you need, will be on this vehicle, at no extra charge. How refreshing not to be nickeled and dimed to death on the showroom floor!
The Sonata’s exterior is subdued and on the edge of elegant and should age well over the years. I like the concave hood that’s become a trademark for the Hyundai vehicle line. The Sonata is a little longer and a little taller than the previous model, which should please previous Sonata owners as well as buyers looking for an alternative to cookie-cutter sedans.
In the Driver's Seat
The benefit of being the new player in an established market is that you can benchmark the popular vehicles. Instead of benchmarking to Accord and Camry, Hyundai looked to loftier vehicles like Audi for craftsmanship and Lexus for noise, vibration and harshness standards. This is one of the quietest sedans under $20,000 that I’ve driven in a while, and the fit and finish could fool a Mercedes buyer. More good news: With over 120 cubic feet of interior volume, the Sonata actually is classified as a large car in the eyes of the EPA. Which means it offers more room for less money than the top sellers in the class. I mentioned value because with this vehicle, the nickels and dimes go in your change jar, not in the dealer’s pockets.
Standard features on every Sonata include great things like four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), air conditioning, cabin air filtration, CD player with MP3 capability, dual vanity mirrors, cruise control, power doors/locks/mirrors (heated), six airbags, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Electronic Stability Program, and many other items. When you add in the warranty plus the free roadside assistance, you can see why the Sonata is such a great bargain.
On the Road
There’s a reason why Honda and Camry sell well; they offer a nice ride and are usually trouble-free. Good resale value is a bonus. Will the Sonata be able to match up? We’ll know soon enough when the residual values are posted, but Hyundai believes it should be near the top of the list; remember, the Sonata was the leader in the entry mid-size segment of the 2004 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.
I drove the new 3.3-liter V-6 powerplant in LX and GLS trim (235 hp) and found it smooth and responsive. The cabin was Lexus-quiet and the standard 16" wheels and tires provided a smoother ride than the sportier, lower-profile tires on the optional 17" wheels. I pushed the Sonata through some tight turns and found predictable understeer (running wide), easy to correct by lifting off the gas and steering back into the turn. Get in over your head and the standard stability program will be there to save your butt (and as you're butt's being saved, remember, the system didn't cost one extra dime!). The level of power steering boost varies with engine speed, and while it’s a little too loose for my sports-car-oriented taste, I doubt most drivers will mind. They will, however, notice how easy it is to maneuver at lower speeds.
Journey's End
It’s hard to imagine, but Hyundai says that while it has one of the highest customer loyalty ratings in the industry, getting new buyers into the showroom has been a challenge. Hence the Sonata's new tagline: “A Hyundai you’ve never seen before.”
The Sonata is the result of a 3 year joint effort between design and engineering teams from Korea, Detroit, and California. As part of their commitment to the US market, Hyundai will build Sonatas in a new plant in Alabama. Kudos to Hyundai for creating a community and providing a secure future for thousands of Americans.
The Sonata goes on sale in early May, and will sell the majority of North American units in the U.S; about 10 percent of production heads to Canada. Along with the GLS V6, which Hyundai expects to be the best-selling model, the Sonata will be offered in a four-cylinder (2.4 liter 162-hp) version with all the great features mentioned earlier.
Although it may be hard to pass by the Honda and Toyota dealer--the Accord and Camry combined account for almost two thirds of the mid-size sedan segment--keep moving down the block; you’ll be glad you did. Especially when you drive out of the Hyundai dealership in a new Sonata with all that change jingling in your pocket.
