Hey, that looks familiar

Interestingly enough, Hyundai stole away the chief designer for BMW late last year. So it will be interesting to see what direction Hyundai takes in the future with their designs.

I have to say, I love the fluidic sculpture.

 

I just nutted....

 

Hyundai copied Mercedes. That shape is already part of their lineup. But I really dont care. Both cars look nice and I would never think one was the other.

 

Yup, if you go dig up the thread on "what was your sonata mistaken for" many people said benz. Heck I was guilty of the mistake too the first time I saw a Sonata from the side.

 

My girlfriend has a 07 model. It looks a lot like the E class Benz from that time period.

 

Mercedes was definitely first with the 4 door coupe style. Then VW and Hyundai jumped on the bandwagon. Now Audi and BMW have their own versions. None really look too similar, in my opinion. In fact, I was driving next to a CLS AMG yesterday and laughed thinking the AMG cost at least four times as much as my Hyundai, which I think is a much better looking car.

If you want to talk who copied whom, I think Infiniti's new concept is a blatant rip-off of the Sonata. Quite a compliment, actually!

 

In fact, I was driving next to a CLS AMG yesterday and laughed thinking the AMG cost at least four times as much as my Hyundai, which I think is a much better looking car.

I really thinking you're reaching here. The Hyundais are nice cars....but no where near the class of the AMG's. They don't have to rely on the aggressive stylings. Pure power, performance, and refinement in the AMG's. I think they are way sexier than our cars because of the lines.

 

You don't only pay for the exterior style of an AMG. It will dominate the Sonata in sheer power and the interior is much MUCH higher quality.
I have to agree that I like the Sonata's exterior more than the CLS, but the lines on the CLS AMG just screams LOOK AT ME I'M A FAST MOTHERF---ER!!!

Those Infiniti tails sure do remind me of the Korean LED Sonata tails.

 

I'd rather have a Sonata that is mistaken for a Mercedes than the other way around!

 

Mercedes is just a name with a high price tag . Hyundai you get better bang for the buck.

 

Bingo. Sure the AMG is faster... maybe it's even more solid and refined. But to me, driving one doesn't scream "Hey, look how fast I can go!" it screams "Hey, I have more money than smarts!" I'm much more content with a $30K car and $110K in the bank.

 

The first pic is nearly worthy of a little private time.

 

That Benz in the first pic is soooooo sexy....the front end looks outstanding. The wheels have to go though

 

The only people who say they'd rather have a Sonata than an AMG Mercedes are the ones who can't afford the latter.

 

I wouldn't want to pay that kind of money for car even if I was rich. That is why dumb rich folks go broke now smh.

 

They go broke by buying a car that last 20 years?

 

I love my Sonata to death and think it represents probably one of the best values for common folks like myself. My wife and I make more than enough to buy into the Merc/BMW/Audi tier vehicles (each of us have six figure salaries) but we work hard for our money and cars are largely transportation 99% of the time. We can't see spending that kind of dough on an ever-depreciating asset and would rahter put that cash on our home, entertainment, our kids and the future. I've had friends/co-workers who have had some slick cars (BMW M3, Audi S4, MB E550, BMW 750i) and those cars are well-built, fast and have something about them that makes them feel special. Problem is that you pay for every penny of that, they cost a fortune to maintain and then some and when they break, they steal your wallet.

If I hit the lottery, I would buy one of those but as long as I have to care about my money, budget and all that, give me a Sonata Turbo all day every day.

 

I love my Sonata to death and think it represents probably one of the best values for common folks like myself. My wife and I make more than enough to buy into the Merc/BMW/Audi tier vehicles (each of us have six figure salaries) but we work hard for our money and cars are largely transportation 99% of the time. We can't see spending that kind of dough on an ever-depreciating asset and would rahter put that cash on our home, entertainment, our kids and the future. I've had friends/co-workers who have had some slick cars (BMW M3, Audi S4, MB E550, BMW 750i) and those cars are well-built, fast and have something about them that makes them feel special. Problem is that you pay for every penny of that, they cost a fortune to maintain and then some and when they break, they steal your wallet.

If I hit the lottery, I would buy one of those but as long as I have to care about my money, budget and all that, give me a Sonata Turbo all day every day.

I applaud this mindset. Not that there's anything wrong with people with the means to do so buying an expensive car! And not that many of us wouldn't like to have one. But spending well below one's means is the kind of practice that will ultimately keep them solvant. Far too many people (including myself) have fallen into the trap of spending more than is prudent at one time or another.

A Sonata may not be a Mercedes or BMW, but it's a great car for what you spend on it!!

 

All cars have their own merits and each one of us makes our own decisions on what cars to buy with our own set of parameters.

In no way, shape, or form do I think a Sonata is as good (overall) as most of the Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc. But styling is a whole different animal and there is no doubt that the Sonata has beautiful styling and in some cases it is styled better that some of the more expensive cars I just mentioned.

Let's face it............Hyundai hit a home run with "Fluidic Sculpture". They were the first to put it on a car that sells in the hundreds of thousands a year at a price that the average person can afford. Kudos to them for doing so.

 

There is a huge difference in the performance, looks, etc. in the AMG versus the Sonata. My grandmother owns a 2009 Mercedes S65 AMG and let me tell you, that thing is amazing. The only issue I have with it is how much it weighs with breaking at high speeds. The steering is tighter, the car is smoother, much more luxurious interior. I mean really, the ceiling is swayed. Most of the high end cars are all just name, but when it comes to performance AMG comes out ahead.

But, I love the way my Sonata drives and am proud to say that I own it. Plus, for $23k it is a really great car.

 

It's all about priorities.
I shopped a new G37 sedan, a 3-year old Certified PreOwned BMW 535 and a new Sonata SE 2.0T.
The Sonata is not in the same class as the others, but for $10-15K I'm willing to drop down to the Sonata's class and give up some handling and performance to still get an amazing value with much lower operating costs. That doesn't mean it's the right decision for everyone, but it was for me.