Comparison review: Eight family sedans (second place)

The fully redesigned 2011 model – which spent a week with the Autos Examiner over the summer – is a very different vehicle. The car's look is more distinctive and more polarizing, and some of the old model's comfort, refinement and interior space was sacrificed to sleeker looks and sportier handling.

 

And because these changes have greatly raised demand for the Sonata, Hyundai no longer needs to price the car below the competition. Even without the tested car's optional navigation system, you'd expect to pay nearly $22,000 for a midlevel Sonata SE – right in line with the Honda Accord and well above the Toyota Camry. 

 

The Sonata now approaches the class leaders for its balance of ride and handling, it offers the best gas mileage yet the strongest engine performance of these eight, and retains acceptable passenger space and a very roomy trunk. 

 

Someone who appreciated the previous model's more Camry-like comfort and ease of use, and its bargain prices, probably won't see the flashy 2011 Sonata as a leap forward. But for a different customer – one who is willing to pay a bit more for more performance and modern looks – the midsize Hyundai is now a very strong contender. 

 

 

The Sonata corners with agility, with a composed suspension that lets it take corners easily yet remains steady on smooth pavement and absorbs most bumps well. The tested SE includes a sport-tuned suspension but ride and handling feel similar to a pricier Limited model tested earlier this year. Some reviewers have said the base GLS models' smaller wheels give them slightly better behavior over bumps. No 2011 Sonata rivals the smoothest-riding cars in this class, however – or the 2010 model. 

 

The Sonata can also impress the performance-oriented shoppers in this market segment with a 200-horsepower naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, this engine makes the Sonata rare among four-cylinder cars in providing quick and effortless acceleration – even as its EPA ratings of 22 miles per gallon in the city and 35 on the highway surpass the other seven cars in this comparison and even many compact economy cars. This reviewer observed 27.2 miles per gallon in 414 miles of highway and stop-and-go rush hour driving. 

 

But agile handling and a powerful engine don't quite make the Sonata a sports sedan. Fault the steering. While responsive and nicely weighted, it feels artificial and inconsistent – it's not always clear what you're telling the car to do around a tight fast curve. Even with that deficiency, the Sonata is still more of a driver's car than most family sedans, but someone who favors handling over power should be shopping the Mazda6 first. 

 

Another issue: the four-cylinder engine that's so impressive for its power and fuel economy isn't as pleasant to listen to as some others. At-idle noise and vibration was essentially eliminated in most cars at this price point; the 2011 Sonata takes a step back from its quiet predecessor on this front. Road noise is also more pronounced than the 2010 Sonata, but not obtrusive. Those seeking more power are offered a turbocharged four-cylinder -- a smoother V6 is no longer available, unlike on most competitors. 

 

Overall, the ride and refinement of the outgoing Sonata have dropped from great to good, but some will see the power and handling improvement to great from adequate at best as more than enough to offset that.

 

 

The 2010 Sonata had also stood out for its expansive interior, which rivaled the best in its class in the front and rear seats. But although the sleeker look of the new model has robbed the car of some of that room, the car remains acceptably comfortable for five. 

 

The front seats firm, supportive and comfortable, with solid but unobtrusive bolstering. The SE model's leather seats with grippy cloth inserts further help keep occupants in place. The rear seat gives up some head space to the sloping roofline, and the cushion used to be higher. Even so, it remains comfortable for three passengers; competitive if not outstanding in its class. The 16.4-cubic-foot trunk is one of the class's roomiest.

 

The sloping roofline doesn't harm visibility as much as it might appear, but the new Sonata has shed the easy-view-out airy feel that characterized its predecessor.

 

The Sonata's interior is stylish but materials quality is more serviceable than luxurious – mostly solid but not plush. However, there were a few ragged panel fits on the tested car and panel gaps weren't consistent on opposite sides of the symmetric dash's center stack.

 

The Sonata also suffers from some instrument layout issues, devoting an outsized portion of the center stack to a cutout of a seated passenger to display the HVAC mode. On some cars with a similar design, pressing a section of the person directs the air there – a convenient design. The Sonata's “person” is simply a re-shaped “mode” button. Another issue, limited to models equipped with the optional navigation system, is a large but shallow stereo volume knob: it's not easy to grip and only a smaller, recessed center portion pushes down to turn the audio on and off.

 

The large, clear speedometer and tachometer house digital engine temperature and fuel readouts, which aren't as easy to read quickly as analog gauges.

 

 

 

After weak performance in the IIHS's roof strength test represented one of the previous Sonata's biggest flaws, Hyundai went the extra mile to join just three other sedans of these eight in earning the organization's Top Safety Pick designation for strong performance in all crash tests.

 

2011-model cars will be subject to a new NHTSA crash-testing regimen that isn't comparable to existing cars' ratings, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to believe that the new Sonata – like most of the others in this comparison – would match the 2010 model in earning top scores under the old system.

 

 

The previous-generation Sonata proved that Hyundai can make very roomy, smooth-riding and quiet family sedans with excellent visibility. The current Sonata proves that it doesn't always want to. The more dramatic looks of the new car have helped it see big sales gains and much higher transaction prices, as has the better power, handling, safety ratings and fuel economy. 

 

Purely as a family sedan, the Sonata isn't as good as its roomier, quieter, cheaper predecessor, but there will certainly be those willing to give up a little in those categories for the Sonata's newly lively acceleration and handling. 

 

And even purely as a family sedan, the 2011 Sonata is quite good. Even in areas where its predecessor outdid it, the new model remains strongly competitive. 

 

But it's not above-and-away outstanding in those areas, and you'd pay quite a bit more for one than you would a comparable 2010 – especially if you want a sunroof, which is available only on the high-end Limited or on models with the pricey navigation system. 

 

Certainly give the Sonata a long look while you shop midsize sedans, especially if price doesn't come first for you. But its practicality and value isn't quite where it would need to be to win this comparison. If those are the qualities you seek in a family sedan, you'll want to look to the first-place car before this one.