Thinking of a Sonata what do you think?

Answer 1

The redesigned Sonata mimics the top-selling Toyota Camry, but costs less. Like the Camry, it has a comfortable, quiet interior, but is less agile. It offers up-to-date standard safety gear including side-curtain air bags and electronic stability control. The Sonata is bigger, more powerful, and more refined than the car it replaces. The V6 is quick, and the four-cylinder engine is economical and refined. While handling is predictable, it's far from sporty.

THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The soft, pliant suspension of the Sonata provides good isolation from the road, but suspension noise intrudes, taking away from the perception of comfort. Frequent body motions are noticeable as speed rises. On the highway, the ride is buoyant. Road and engine noise are subdued. The Sonata has noticeable body lean, and the steering is a bit numb. Bumps in corners cause the car to bob and pitch, making it feel ungainly. However, the standard stability control made the car secure and forgiving in our avoidance maneuver. The base 162-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine delivers adequate performance and returns 23 mpg overall. The optional 235-hp, 3.3-liter V6 engine is much more responsive and powerful, and returns 21 mpg in mixed driving. The V6 comes with a five-speed automatic transmission; the four-cylinder engine, only with a four-speed automatic. Both transmissions shift smoothly and responsively. Manual shift overrides are easy. The zigzag shifter is awkward. Braking performance was very good with the optional 17-inch wheels and excellent with the standard 16-inch wheels. Low- and high-beam headlights have good distance and intensity.

INSIDE THE CABIN

The Sonata's nice interior materials fit together well and feel sturdy. The steering wheel tilts, but does not telescope, and was too far away for some drivers to fit comfortably. The top-of-the-line LX model comes with a telescoping wheel. Visibility is very good, and narrow roof pillars minimize blind zones. The front seats have sound back support, but the cushion loses support on long trips. The rear seat accommodates three comfortably. Access is easy to the front and rear. The controls are very simple and well-designed. We appreciated the simple radio, but the steering-wheel controls lack tuner or CD track adjustment. The gauges lack contrast in the daytime. Cabin storage is moderate, and the 60/40 rear seats fold to increase capacity inside the nicely lined trunk.

SAFETY NOTES

Side-impact air bags housed in the seatbacks and head-protection air bags that extend to protect both front and rear seat outboard passengers are both standard in the Sonata. They supplement required front air bags and three-point seatbelts in all seating positions. The front seatbelts are equipped with adjustable upper anchors to get a comfortable and safe fit, as well as pretensioners and force limiters to reduce belt slack and forces in the event of a crash. Though, it is never recommended to transport child passengers in the front seat, an Occupant Classification System detects the presence (weight) of a child seated in the front passenger seat and automatically disables the front passenger air bag. The air bag will also not deploy if the front passenger seat is not occupied, to avoid unnecessary replacement. Driver and passenger seat position sensors, and front belt usage sensors also influence the appropriate level of air bag deployment to help avoid injury. There are adjustable, locking head restraints in the outboard seating positions and each is tall enough even when fully lowered to reduce rearward head travel and whiplash injury. The front versions tilt for improved positioning and actively move forward in response to the force of the occupant's body in a rear impact to further reduce rearward head travel. The rear center seat lacks a head restraint and the seatback is too low to provide adequate protection. Driving with kids: Some rear-facing infant bases may prove difficult to secure in the rear outboard seats when installed using the seatbelts as the belts are anchored forward of the seatback. Installation using the LATCH system or other infant seat models can produce a secure fit. Front-facing seats should prove secure and there are three tether strap anchors on the rear parcel shelf. The LATCH anchors in the rear outboard seats are positioned shallowly enough between the cushion and seatback to allow relatively easy access.

RELIABILITY

We expect reliability to be average, according to our latest subscriber survey.

Answer 2

I am thinking you are not thinking. The Sonata is a good looking car but research has shown there are a lot of mechanical problems. If you miss an oil change you could make the warranty null and void. Why do you think they offer such a long warranty? They know the car has problems down the line. Run do not walk away from this car.

Answer 3

What song? Sonata in e minor ? please not the car! buy the Hyundai Azzeria. Or something better from other manufacture. Buying the very best hyundai they cannot say you should have Bought X. And to honor the warranty 10 year 100,000 you need to find a friendly Hyundai dealership.

Answer 4

I think of an Excellent, Reliable Car.

Answer 5

Don't do it to yourself. I don't care what their stupid commercials say; they are not better than most other cars out there. Shoot for the Honda or the Toyota. You will not be disappointed. Trust me. They are the 2 best automakers in the world for a reason.

Answer 6

You can't go wrong with any Hyundai. I've had 2 and loved them both.

Answer 7

Nice car, great warranty

Answer 8

Just don't.