Some of you have expressed interest in the new 2006 Hyundai Sonata...one of the highest-scoring vehicles last year in Consumer Reports' reliablity database and very-high-scoring with J.D. Power as well. I mentioned several weeks ago I would look at this car very closely and test-drive it, and I did this afternoon...in fact, I got a request from a minister friend of mine to do so.

So...first the good news before I get into details. One of the things I was very concerned about, if you remember from previous posts, was the fact that Sonata production was being transferred from the Aisan, Korea plant to Montgomery, AL......a brand-new plant with a brand new car with brand-new untested workers in a new country as well....four potential problem areas. Well, the good news.....and this was confirmed on the vehicle stickers as well.....is that only the LX V6 models are coming from the new AL plant. That will be the test for the new plant. All the rest of the 2006 Sonatas will remain at the Korean plant ( including ALL of the 4-cylinders ) at least for now.........until the new factory proves itself as the Korean plants have. Hyundai wisely resisted the move here to put all of its Sonata eggs in one basket in an untested plant. There's no way to really prove it, but the recent bad experience of Nissan at the Canton, MS plant and of M-B at the Tuscaloosa, AL plant had to have been factors in that decision, too. ( And I myself voiced some concern to Hyundai about this )
So that alone, IMO, is good news..... most of the new Sonatas will come from a thoroughly tested plant.

OK....so much for the assembly plant. Now, for the interesting part....what comes OUT of the plant.
With gas prices at record levels and no signs of any real drop soon, though, I looked at all of the versions throughly, but concentrated on the GL 4-cylinder automatic for the test-drive....that model seemed to be gathering the most interest. ( In fact I took some time out to answer questions and give some advice out there on the lot to people who were browsing and shopping and unsure of what to buy ).
The new Sonata, of course, competes with a number of other moderately-priced mid-size cars in a market long dominated by the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Ford Taurus....and the Taurus is now fleet sales only. As such, the Sonata has rather unassuming styling outside....with taillights similiar to the Accord......and is slightly shorter than its primary competitiors, yet is even roomier inside. With the front seat about halfway back, I could fit my 6' 2" 275-lb. frame into the back seat with room enough to have freedom for my knees without having them crunched up in my chest like on so many other cars. The front seats were fine on the lower back but the cushion was a little short for good thigh support for long-legged people.
The interior in general was nicely done considering the $19,000-$20,000 price tag. A two-tone black/gray or black/beige contrasts with monotone exterior colors. The doors felt solid and closed with a nice thud. Everything looked (and felt ) well-done except for a few minor details. The steering wheel rim felt good but the plastic on the spokes felt cheap. The silver-colored plastic door finger-pulls, rocker door lock switches, and strip across the dash dividing the upper-black part from the contrasting color below also looked and felt cheap. Other, more upmarket versions of the Sonata use carbon-fiber or wood-trim on the same strips....and around the shifter on the console area. The switchgear felt as good as in a Lexus, as did the rotary radio and climate controls. The long plastic lever on the driver's seat by the door that raised and lowered the back part of the seat looked and felt cheap. Otherwise the interior was more-or-less like that of most other Asian-designed mid-sized cars. And a nice little push-button swing-down compartment in the roof over the windshield holds your sunglasses.
On the road, the 2.4L 162 HP four was reasonably peppy, a significant improvement over previous underpowered Hyundai fours.....one of the company's former weak points. Other Sonatas have a new 3.3L 235 HP V6 that in other tests has turned a 7.0 second 0-60 time but IMO is not really needed for daily driving. Engine noise was low for a four except under moderate-to-hard acceleration....and of course I kept the RPM under 4000 as it was a brand-new car. The standard underhood insulation pad helped this out somewhat....as did smooth motor mounts that dampened out most of the vibration. The engine was almost Camry-four smooth even at idle, where some fours shake significantly. The hood, incedentally, is held up with a gas strut rather than a lousy prop rod.....a nice touch not often seen in lower-price cars. Stability control is standard on all Sonatas...again, unusual on low-priced vehicles. Obviously, Hyundai did not get its reputation for value for nothing.
The four-speed automatic.....with standard manual sport-shift mode.....generally shifted smoothly...not quite as smooth as some Lexus products I have driven, but fine for a $20,000 CAR. The four gear ratios, while of course not quite as flexible as the five in other Sonatas, seemed fairly well-suited to the engine, without either too-wide or too-narrow gaps in the torque band. The transmission was also fairly quiet but the manual shift mode had an annoying two-second-or-so delay between bumping the lever and actually shifting.
While many hard-edged "enthusiasts" would probably find the GL's ride a little soft for their tastes, for my tastes it was a good combination and a good compromise between the inherent trade-offs between ride and handling. This vehicle is not meant to be a sports car....and it cruises pretty darn nice for a mid-size family sedan. The ride is not quite Camry-smooth but beats the Accord's....and conversely the steering response betters the non-SE Camry's but is not quite as sporty-feeling as the Accord's. The steering seems to have quick response, combined with a sticky-feeling, right off-center and more normal feel as you move further off-center. Road noise from the Michelin all-season tires was pleasantly muted, especially considering the price tag. I tried the ride on several different road surfaces and, as with most cars, got a little more noise on concrete than on asphalt. Bump absorption from the Michelins and the suspension was fairly good....I tend to like a soft ride, and while this was no Town Car, it did not dissapoint.
Brakes were ultra-smooth, with not a hint of any vibration, warping, or fade.....but of course, being a new car, I didn't work them very hard. Alloy wheels are not standard on the base car but this IMO is not a problem considering the low price.....and when you look at what IS standard.

So there you have my take on it. IMO Toyota and Honda had better start waking up. When more people see what this car offers for the money in both fit-and-finish, 10/100 drivetrain and 5/60 bumper-to-bumper warranties, refinement, and overall quality for the price, they are going to be buying Sonatas. Of course, with the Camry and Accord so well-established in the marketplace, no car.....including this one.....is going to bump them off overnight. But even with a couple of oversights like the lack of a V6 / manual transmission option for enthusiasts and.......for me at least..... less-than perfect front bucket seats, this car IMO has what it takes to start firing away at King Camry and Queen Accord. Make way for Prince Sonata.