First off this car is not my daily driver. I drive it almost solely on weekends taking our dogs to the beach, going on drives with my girlfriend, running errands. M-F it's motorycle commuting.

Things I've noticed about my Sonata 4cyl.

1-The build quality is VERY GOOD-car still feels tight (it's only a year old) but it just feels solid and NOT cheap with interior surfaces.
2-It's very smooth and provides a quality ride and is EXCELLENT on the highway. The 4 cyl can cruise at 80 effortlessly
3-Gas mpg is great if you don't hammer it all the time-mid to high 20s in mixed. 30 hwy.
4-The car looks kinda classy especially from the rear.
5-The A/C is outstanding.
6-The cloth seats are ok......not that pampering yet not terrible either. Decent comfort.
7-Car is an incredible value for my cheap as cr@p lease payment
8-It's still NOT an exciting car. Perhaps the V6 with the extra power adds a little more. But if excitement or fun sporty driving is your thing, the Sonata will satisfy minimally. But it still provides a very pleasant driving experience and best of all feels like a quality machine. I test drove a Mustang GT and although its power and roar kicked the Sonata's a$$, the Sonata sure felt more expensive even though it wasn't.

Well hope this helps if anyone is thinking about a Sonata. I surely would not hesitate to recommend it. And I have zero regrets having the 4 cyl.

This post has been edited by barryg: Aug 20 2008, 12:25 AM

I can say I pretty much agree with your observations. I traded in a 07 Mustang GT 5 speed on a 09 Sonata GLS 2.4L. Both cars are pretty much comparably equipped with options, with the biggest differences being the engines and transmissions. While the Mustang was fun to drive, my 58 year old body really appreciates the comfort of the Sonata. I have no regrets giving up the power of the Mustang, especially when I look at my fuel costs.

Barry,

My thoughts exactly.

My car is a 2006 V6 with 31K miles. Bought it new in Feb. 2006. It's still like new, so you're good to go for at least a couple of more years. :thumbsup:

I took a calculated risk buying a new model from a maker with a less than stellar but improving reputation. I took the gamble because I could clearly see Hyundai was serious about improving their quality to competing with Toyota and Honda. The jury is still out, but so far my gamble has paid off very well.

I drove a new Mustang V6 just before I bought the Sonata. I liked it OK, but as I recall, the dash, shifter, and rear seat headroom were big turnoffs.

I don't think Hyundai's are a "gamble" anymore. At least not the Sonata and Elantra. Hyundai has really closed the gap and IMO possibly equaled or surpassed Mazda and Toyota in build quality (check out the Camry and compare).

I see a LOT of newer Sonatas on the road. I don't see as many new Accords as I did in the past years. Probably b/c a 6 cyl Sonata can be had for around the price of a 4cyl Accord.....and you're really not sacrificing quality.

Good job, Hyundai! I just hope pricing stays under the competition for awhile. Resale is still not the greatest but used Sonata's can be had for really incredible prices. I leased b/c I worked a super low payment and I get bored every couple years and want to drive something else.....in the meantime I got a new car and don't have to worry about anything. :thumbsup:

This post has been edited by barryg: Aug 20 2008, 10:29 AM

We drove our daughter to school yesterday, 175 miles with a LOADED car (boy, that trunk is huge....), driving 75 with A/C on (yes it IS powerful), at 2,650 rpm, calculated gas mileage was 33.2. Smooth drive, quiet, comfortable, I don't know what else I could expect.

I agree with all of your observations except for one. I found the seat cushion was very uncomfortable and not long enough for me. I drive a lot of cars at work and I found the Sonata's a/c is the best and coldest next to the Honda CR-V's.

If you drive a lot of cars, yes, you WILL notice the Sonata's (2006-08) seat being a bit short. But if you drive your own Sonata on a regular basis, you get used to it REAL quick... It's no more an issue.

I had my Sonata for alittle over a year and I never found a comfortable position. I also had the power seat.

Agreed on everything, including the seat. I get 33-34 mpg on the highway with a fully loaded car. I know I am part of a very small minority, but with a manual transmission, I am less than 8 seconds to 60 mph, which more than a second quicker to 60 mph than the automatic I4 and about one second slower to 60 mph than the V6. For a full sized car, it has a great blend of pep and fuel economy. My only real complaint regards the terribly soft and under dampened struts. But to Hyundai’s credit, they changed that in the 2009 model. Even though my car is not a luxury model, it still exudes a great feeling of substance and quality that far exceeds its low purchase price. In addition, I now have 12,000 miles on mine, and knock on wood, have had ZERO problems.

Actually I do notice that. I drive my girlfriend's '08 Sebring convertible on the weekends and the bottom cushion is noticeably longer than the Sonata's. Her seats are more comfortable all around I'd say.

I drove 500 mi last year in one day in the Sonata...I had a thin long pillow from my bed wedged vertically between my back and the seat. It made a huge difference in comfort for the drive.

That's fixed in the 09. They changed the angle 2-3 degrees upward in front.

I have driven plenty of 09's at work and the seat is definitely more comfortable.

That's good to know! I haven't checked out an '09 yet.

Thanks for the feedback I'm closely considering the Sonata. I have been a Honda fanboy for the past 11 years. I loved their cars in the 90s. But now that I need a new car, I can't get over the Civic's interior two-tier dash and layout and the Accord is way too big. My sister bought an 08 Accord despite my words on a 1st year model refresh and she has had her share of problems

1) Rear brakes squeal
2) Sticky door handle (needed to be fixed with a metal clip TSB)
3) Floor carpet wore out in one spot in less than 3 months (replaced entire carpet)
4) Gas release doesn't always release on the first try (sometimes 4-5 times before it gives)
5) Seat belt now takes a few tries before it locks in (going in next week for a replacement)

She really is disappointed since I had very good luck with our older Honda's and wished she still had her old Elantra. If she didn't have the transmission blow at 120k miles and needing a timing belt replacement I think she would still be driving it today.

This post has been edited by npolite: Aug 21 2008, 09:25 PM

Honda's are great. I had an '86 Prelude Si and it was waaaaaay ahead of it's time. Smoothest revving 2.0 I've ever driven and bulletproof reliable. Don't know much about the new Accords except that they're more pricey than the Sonata.
If I were buying I would most likely go used unless you're one to keep their car for 10 years. Resale sucks on the Hyundai's so used saves boatloads usually.