For years, I've been recommending the Hyundai Sonata as a cheap alternative to the Toyota Camry, because it was just as roomy, just as anonymous, and just as dull to drive. For 2011, Hyundai has decided to stop following and start leading. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is more like an entry-level luxury car than a plain vanilla sedan, yet it will still run you $1,500 to $2,500 less than a comparably-equipped Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima or Honda Accord. Is the new Sonata too good to be true? Read on. Price range $19,915 - $28,115, EPA fuel economy estimates 22-24 MPG city, 35 MPG highway.
First Glance: Oh, to be ordinary
Test-driving the 2011 Hyundai Sonata makes me wish I was not a car critic, but rather -- for lack of a better term -- an ordinary human being.
If that was the case, things would be easy: I'd stroll over to our local Hyundai dealer, find myself attracted to the new Sonata's rakish styling, and be pleasantly surprised by the low sticker price. I'd allow the sales rep to waltz me into the showroom and sit me down behind the wheel. I'd breathe in the new-car aroma and comment that the interior was more like my boss' Lexus than my own six-year-old Honda Accord. I'd agree to have my license photocopied and my credit checked while our pin-stripe-beshirted salesman retrieved a Sonata in a shade of maroon that my spouse liked, and we'd set off for a test drive.
I'd race through a 35 MPH highway onramp at a tire-squealing 50; the missus would glare, and I'd explain that the steering reminded me of my brother-in-law's BMW. She'd counter that the Sonata was quieter than her mother's Toyota Camry. I'd voice my reservations about buying Korean, and our salesman would talk up the Sonata's long warranty, strong residual value, and the fact that it's built in Alabama. Suitably impressed, we'd return to the dealership, sign up for a dirt-cheap lease, and settle down for three years or 36,000 miles of blissful motoring, whichever came first.
Would if things were so simple. For those of us who follow the auto industry, the Sonata isn't just a new car -- it's Hyundai's new approach to the volume mid-size market, and it's a lot to wrap one's head around.
In the Driver's Seat: Great expectations
The new Sonata looks like a proper luxury car on the outside, and it's pretty darn close on the inside. Besides being roomy -- the EPA classifies the Sonata as a large car, not a mid-size -- the cabin shows an almost Lexus-like attention to detail, with beautifully detailed gauges, Volvo-inspired climate controls, and other details straight out of a $50k luxo-yacht. As I poked and prodded the Sonata's interior, I'd come across working-class bits like the plastic dash or the gooseneck trunk hinges. That's a bit cheap, I'd think to myself -- but then I'd fish the window sticker out of the glovebox and remind myself just how cheap the Sonata actually is.
How cheap is it? Cheap enough that Hyundai isn't bothering with a loss-leader base model. The least-expensive Sonata is the $19,915 GLS, which is similarly equipped to Toyota's $21,600 mid-level Camry LE. The GLS comes with all the power-operated stuff you'd expect, plus a Bluetooth speakerphone, electronic stability control, and heated side mirrors. Hyundai expects most buyers will choose the GLS with an automatic transmission and the Popular Equipment Package (power driver's seat, alloy wheels, automatic headlights and nicer interior trim), which lists for $21,665 -- $1,400 less than the last Camry LE I drove. Even if you opt for a top-of-the-line Limited model with all the extras -- leather, navigation, sunroof, premium stereo, keyless ignition, heated front and rear seats -- the Sonata tops out at $28,115. Not bad for the $35,000-or-so worth of stuff it delivers.
On the Road: And the hits just keep on coming
On the road, the Sonata is smooth, comfortable, and so quiet that it could give a Mercedes a lesson in decorum. Yet its electric power steering is Euro-firm and it hangs on in the corners as if it knows what it's doing. The Sonata doesn't have the same fun-to-drive factor as the Mazda6, but it's certainly not the snooze-factory that the old Sonata was (or the current Camry is). That said, I only drove the GLS and Limited models; the SE version gets a sport-tuned suspension and a bit of extra power.
The Sonata's base engine is a 2.4 liter four-cylinder with direct fuel injection. It delivers a healthy 198 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque (200 hp and 186 lb-ft in the SE). The new six-speed automatic transmission works constantly but unobtrusively to keep up the flow of power, and it's easy to forget you're driving a four-cylinder car -- at least until you floor the accelerator, when the loud buzz and tepid acceleration will remind you.
While most mid-size sedans offer an optional V6, Hyundai instead plans to introduce a turbocharged four-cylinder engine later in the model run. (A hybrid is also on the way.) But I bet most people will opt for the 2.4 when they see the EPA fuel economy estimates: 22 MPG city and an astonishing 35 MPG highway with the automatic transmission. (The GLS is available with a six-speed stick that scores 24 city/35 highway.) Hyundai's press preview included a hypermiling competition over hilly highways. I coaxed my Sonata up to 49 MPG, but that was only enough for second place -- someone else averaged an astounding 52.8 MPG.
Journey's End: Can Sonata really deliver on its promises?
As you can see, a lot has changed. The old Sonata was a bland also-ran; the new one is attractive and luxurious, good to drive, remarkably fuel-efficient, and delivers unbeatable value-for-money.
But what about resale values? Aren't Hyundai's worth less at trade-in time? They used to be, but it turns out the new Sonata has that covered, too.
When a new model comes out, ALG (the Automotive Lease Guide) crawls all over the car and determines a residual value -- its best guess of what the car will be worth after 3 years, which is a key figure in calculating lease payments. ALG has done their thing and set the Sonata's three-year residual value at 53%. That's better than the Toyota Camry (49%), equal to the Nissan Altima, and just shy of the Honda Accord (55%).
So not only is the Sonata better looking, bigger inside, more fuel efficient and better to drive than most of its competitors, it also retains its value just as well.
The Sonata sounds almost too good to be true. Having driven it, I assure you that it is both very, very good and very, very true. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's my favorite mid-size car, although a little more time behind the wheel just might change my mind. Still, as an automotive journalist and a car enthusiast, I'm seriously impressed. If I was an executive at Toyota, Nissan, Honda or Ford, I'd be seriously concerned. But if I was an ordinary human being, I'd just go out and buy one. Seriously. -- Aaron Gold
What I liked about the Hyundai Sonata:
- Good looks
- Lots of space
- Fantastic value-for-money
What I didn't like:
- Low rear roofline makes it a bit tricky to get into the back seat
- Four-cylinder's top-end power is limited
Who should buy the Hyundai Sonata:
Everyone who is in the market for a mid-size car. I mean that. Everyone.
Who should not buy the Hyundai Sonata:
Buyers who are exceptionally brand-conscious -- although, mark my words, it won't be long before Hyundai is as desirable a nameplate as Honda and Toyota
Details and specs:
- Body style: 4-door sedan
- Seating capacity: 5
- Trim levels: GLS, SE, Limited
- Price range (including options): $19,915 - $28,115
- Base engine: 2.4 liter inline 4-cylinder, 198 hp @ 6,300, 184 lb-ft @ 4,250 RPM (SE: 200 hp/186 lb-ft)
- Premium fuel required? No
- Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic
- Driveline: Front engine, front-wheel-drive
- EPA fuel economy estimates: 24 MPG city/35 MPG highway (manual), 22/35 (automatic)
- Where built:United States
- Standard safety equipment: Front airbags, front-seat-mounted side airbags, two-row side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, electronic stability control
- Optional safety equipment: None
- Major standard features: Power windows, mirrors, and locks, remote keyless entry, heated mirrors, air conditioning, Bluetooth speakerphone, CD player, USB input jack
- Major options: Alloy wheels, navigation, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, premium stereo, sunroof, HD radio, backup camera, heated front and rear seats
- Warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain, 7 years/unlimited mileage outer body rust-through
- Roadside assistance/free maintenance: 5 years/unlimited mileage roadside assistance
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