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Comparison review: eight midsize sedans (First place)
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The Hyundai Sonata's quality, space, and refinement would make it a class leader even if
it weren't also a great deal.
The overarching sense that you get from the Hyundai Sonata is that it’s a real nice car. You get that sense when you first get into the comfortable and very well-appointed interior, with plush seats and an absence of cheap plastics. You get that sense when you head down the road insulated from noise and from bumps.
And you get that sense for under $18,000.
Someone looking for a sporty, fun-to-drive midsize sedan would not care for the Sonata, but with its high levels of comfort, refinement, and quality, it would be a top car in its class even if it weren’t one of the least expensive.
Get into the Sonata, and you’re on large, roomy, and comfortable seats that offer you an excellent view out. The styling of the dash seems to have been adapted from the soon-to-be-replaced Lexus RX, and materials look and feel more upscale than in the other seven here. High-contact surfaces are well-padded, and moving parts avoid feeling chintzy. The overall feeling is one of substance, belying the car’s low price. The rear seat has as much room as the bigger Honda Accord, and the cushion is more comfortable than the Ford Fusion’s. The seat is well-shaped and quite comfortable, and wide enough for three-abreast seating. The trunk is spacious and well-shaped, too.
Cruising at highway speeds, the Sonata is very smooth and quiet, matching the Camry and Chevrolet Malibu as offering the closest thing to a luxury experience in a $20,000 4-cylinder car. The Sonata’s ride is closer to the soft Camry’s than the firm Malibu’s on poorly maintained lower-speed roads, where the Camry absorbs repeated bumps a bit better and the slightly stiffer Malibu offers more control. The Sonata matches the high standard of those two competitors on most road surfaces, however.
Refinement is also a Sonata strong point. Wind and road noise is minimal, and the engine is smooth and quiet, and nearly vibration-free at idle. It’s not a powerful car, but the transmission shifts smoothly and promptly, and the lack of a loud or harsh engine note keeps it from feeling overly strained. Gas mileage is also above the class norm, at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway.
But like the Camry, the Sonata is not designed to be a remotely sporty car. It feels wide in cornering, though its Toyota competitor has more body roll. It’s perfectly acceptable in gentle driving, but driving enthusiasts need not apply, and “perfectly acceptable” stands out in a car that’s mostly above-average.
On the subject of “acceptable,” the Sonata earned only the second-highest rating of four in its IIHS side-impact crash test; six of the other seven cars in this comparison did better. (The Mazda6 hasn't been tested.) However, the Sonata was only one of three cars of the eight to earn the IIHS’s top score of Good for its rear-impact protection, thanks in part to the active head restraints that move closer to an occupant’s head in a crash. It’s also one of only three cars (no overlap) to earn the top frontal and side safety ratings in different tests conducted by NHTSA. Beating “acceptable” is predicted reliability, which was not a traditional Hyundai strength but which has been strong on most of the company’s recent products. Consumer Reports says only the Ford Fusion is less likely to have problems among these eight; TrueDelta.com also ranks the Sonata near the top of its class for reliability.
But for all its many strengths, it’s hard to conclude a review about the Sonata without adding praise for its low price. Thanks to its rebates, the Sonata sells out the door for only a few hundred dollars more than Hyundai’s own compact Elantra, and it’s significantly less expensive than most of its own competitors as well. A base Sonata GLS is well-equipped at an out-the-door price from Fitzgeral Auto Malls at under $16,000; adding the sunroof and power seats to keep it in line with the other eight still keeps it under $18,000. (Alloy wheels, unfortunately, are exclusive to the pricier SE and Limited.)
But it’s important to conclude that the Sonata isn’t a winner because it’s inexpensive. It’s a comfortable, spacious, and high-quality midsize sedan that also happens to be inexpensive. Anyone but a driving enthusiast should check it out before buying a pricier competitor.
Overall grade: A
Vehicle tested: 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $18,700
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $20,770
Estimated transaction price as tested: $15,945
Estimated transaction price as comparable:* $17,956
Test vehicle provided by: Antwerpen Hyundai, of Clarksville, Md.
For more info:
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/sonata/sonata.aspx
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/sonata/sonata.aspx
Coming up tomorrow: Conclusion
Sunday, Feb. 8:
Introduction
Monday, Feb. 9:
Eighth Place
Tuesday, Feb. 10: Seventh Place
Saturday, Feb. 14: Third Place
Sunday, Feb. 15:
Second Place
Monday, Feb. 16:
First Place
Tuesday, Feb 17:
Conclusion
*Note on pricing: when possible, the cars tested for this review were comparably equipped. It wasn't always possible. All are 4-cylinder sedans with automatic transmissions, but some have more options than others, which inflate the price tag.
The target for these eight was to have a power driver's seat and a sunroof. Four of them hit this accurately, one had more accessories, and three had fewer. Any discrepancies will be noted as they appear to ease comparison of the vehicles.
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