2006 Hyundai Sonata: Opinions?

Discussion in 'Hyundai Sonata' started by Eric, Jan 1, 2006.

  1. Eric

    Matt Whiting Guest

    I'll be happy to post my impressions once I've driven mine a little
    more. I'm just about to fill the tank for the first time, so I don't
    even have an initial impression of the gas mileage as yet!

    If there is something specific you would like to know, let me know and
    I'll my current thoughts, but with only 400 miles of driving, keep in
    mind that they will be INITIAL impressions only.


    Matt
     
    Matt Whiting, Jan 3, 2006
    #21
  2. Eric

    Mike Marlow Guest

    Well - the Sonata in our family is my wife's car. It's an '04 GLS and we
    both love it. Every time I drive it I continue to be impressed with how
    smooth the car goes down the road. It's a beautiful little car. Very
    nicely done inside, though I'm really a leather interior guy, so I wish it
    had that. The seats sit too high for my preference and they're kind of
    hard, but not so much so as to be uncomfortable.

    Remember all that snow we get? Well, it's on the factory Michelins with
    about 28,000 on them and they just chew right through everything we've faced
    so far this winter. The car handles very nicely on snow and ice and is
    quite predictable. That makes a big difference in how well a car is in the
    winter.
     
    Mike Marlow, Jan 3, 2006
    #22
  3. Eric

    Eric Guest


    It's kind of hard to put in words, but what does the Sonata 'feel' like
    on the road. As I mentioned I like a smooth ride---not floaty and
    disconnected like a Merc. Grand Marquis, but definitely to the smooth
    side of average---but also like decent handling, i.e. when you turn the
    steering wheel the car actually turns right away, and you're not scared
    to drive in heavy freeway traffic for fear you won't be able to correct
    in time if someone does something stupid.

    That's why I keep coming back to GM despite some issues with durability
    and refinement. In most cases GM suspension and steering feel right for
    me.

    The Malibu Classic I drive now just 'feels' good on the road. When I
    hit a bump, on the one hand I know it's a bump; on the other hand it
    does not throw either me or the car for too big a loop. If I steer
    sharply to avoid the bump, the car will respond right away but will not
    run off the road, (or if it does it's my fault).

    My old Saturn sedan was even better in this respect. If I could do it
    over again I would have kept that car and run it into the ground.
    Problem was it was just too damn small; the Malibu/Sonata ('06)/Camry
    size is just right for me.

    Regards,
    Eric
     
    Eric, Jan 4, 2006
    #23
  4. Eric

    Eric Guest


    Thanks for the info. If I do get a Sonata it will almost certainly be
    the '06 model. That's a quantum leap improvement over previous
    generations by most accounts. That's what made me consider Hyundai in
    the first place.

    Note that I don't have to buy a car this year---my Chevy is holding up
    OK so far---and it would stretch my budget tight to get a new Sonata.
    Still it sounds so good from what I've read and heard that I am
    seriously considering it.

    Of course if someone is giving away a low-mileage '04 or '05 Sonata for
    pennies on the dollar value, I would consider it....

    Eric M
     
    Eric, Jan 4, 2006
    #24
  5. Eric

    Eric Guest


    Thanks, Reverend.

    I don't subsribe to CR but will keep an eye out for the March issue. If
    I buy a Sonata it will almost certainly be a four-cylinder. When cars
    this size started coming with 4-cylinder engines it seemed strange to
    me, but now having owned a 4-cylinder Malibu and having driven and
    ridden in a 4-cylinder Camry I'm a believer.

    If you guaranteed gas would drop below $2/gallon and never top $2 again
    I would think about a V-6. Also, I don't know about Hyundai but in the
    GM world the Ecotech 4-cylinder is considered more reliable than the
    V-6, especially the troublesome 3.1L V-6 in the Malibu from a few years
    ago.

    Regards,
    Eric M
     
    Eric, Jan 4, 2006
    #25
  6. Eric

    Matt Whiting Guest

    This one is hard to say as feel is pretty subjective. I haven't driven
    many GM cars lately, just the occasional Grand Am rental car. The
    Sonata definitely rides smoother than the Grand Am and has more precise
    steering. I like a little more feedback in the steering than the Sonata
    provides, but it isn't bad. It is also much quieter than the Grand Am,
    but probably not much more so than some Buicks I've driven in the past.
    Braking is very good. I find the electronic throttle to be the worst
    aspect. It doesn't have the tactile feedback that conventional
    throttles have and is very light. This is especially trouble-some when
    starting out with the standard shift tranny. The engine is quiet so you
    lack sound feedback and don't have much feel from the clutch and
    throttle. It is hard to watch the tach and also watch traffic. I find
    I either overrev to 2000 RPM or occasionally stall it, and I've driven
    standard shift for 30 years, including OTR trucks. I'm slowly getting
    used to it, but it definitely isn't an easy stick to drive, at least
    starting out.

    I'd say go test drive one. That is the only way to accurately gauge if
    the feel will suit you.

    Matt
     
    Matt Whiting, Jan 4, 2006
    #26
  7. Eric

    Matt Whiting Guest

    I just filled my Sonata for the first time last night. It got 27 MPG on
    the first tank. This seems a little low, but I'm guessing it isn't
    given the circumstances - break-in, winter, not knowing if the dealer
    really had it full at delivery and the fact that one tank does not a
    trend make. This was about 70% highway and 30% in-town driving.

    I have to admit that one of my biggest concerns with Hyundai was fuel
    economy. Every test I've read shows that Hyundai's seldom achieve the
    EPA ratings and almost always compare at the bottom of the comparison
    group. The Hyundai dealer was handing out fliers of a comparison test
    that one of the car mags had down with the Camry, Accord, Hyundai and, I
    think, a Chevy. The Hyundai did well in most of the categories of
    comparison, but it yielded the lowest actual gas mileage by a fair bit.

    It seems that Hyundai must really tailor the car for the EPA test cycle
    and not as much for the real world. Even though the EPA ratings aren't
    that different from the Accord and Camry, it seems the real world
    mileage is a fair bit different. Time will tell...


    Matt
     
    Matt Whiting, Jan 4, 2006
    #27
  8. Eric

    zigipha Guest

    I have a LX (V6) with 500 miles. I did some tests on the highway using
    the MPQ (G?) on the trip computer. AT 70 mph, steady speed, level road,
    2 mile stint, i was getting 27 mgp; at 55 went up to 33 mpg. But stop
    and go around town, droppig kids off at school, commuting through towns
    with stop lights etc im down to 18. Maybe I should have gotten the GLS
    4 and saved a few thousand (btw..i paid 19.3 for the LX, no moonroof,
    after 2k rebates and includes destination charge; TTL extra; basically
    ~$200 under invoice).But I got the car a few weeks ago and believe
    that weather plays a significant role in mpg. I just filled up and
    gonna drive a couple of hundred miles and compare how much it takes to
    fill up vs the trip computer, then try to focus on the temperature
    differences.
     
    zigipha, Jan 4, 2006
    #28
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