The 2011 Hyundai Sonata May be Worth Another Look

[atlaw4u]

If there was an Asian manufacturer to emulate, Hyundai would be the one.

Scott Burgess - DETNEWS - March 11, 2010

Hyundai no longer offers a V6 for the new Sonata. -- Ed.

I've gotten tired of writing about the next good Hyundai.

And according to the late night profanity-laced messages left on my voice mail, so have Detroit readers.

So let's just stop acting surprised every time Hyundai rolls out an impressive car or crossover. This is a quality operation and its lineup is going to continue to improve. (For those keeping score, I also say the same thing about Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co.)

The next piece of evidence: the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

In the past, Hyundai was seen as the lower-priced alternative. Many consumers never considered it because they would drone methodically, "must buy another Camry" with the same appreciation for their car as their washing machine. (The top-selling Camry proves how little 400,000 people annually appreciate dramatic styling, well-appointed interiors and taut performance -- as it has none, none and none.)

But here's the scoop: The new Sonata blows the doors off of the Toyota and Honda midsize entries with a more stylish exterior, better gas mileage, comfortable interior and more four-cylinder power than just about any midsize sedan around.

The 198 horsepower 2.4-liter with gas-direct injection engine outmuscles all of the mainstream four-cylinders available including the Accord (161 horses); Nissan Altima (180 horses); Camry (169 horses); Ford Fusion (175 horses) and Chevrolet Malibu (169 horsepower).
... [Read More]

[ALS]

I'm glad that Hyundai is pushing forward with cars like this. Detroit needs have the pressure kept up to continue to improve their offerings.

I have only known one person with a Hyundai that ever had any problems with the car.
A women that works for me had a timing belt break and Hyundai replaced it under warranty.

Once the belt was replaced it ran with out any noise coming from the engine, the dealer refused to check the engine for any unseen or hidden damage under the warranty. They told her if she was willing to pay out of her pocket for the addition labor they would pull the head and check.

That is only reason she got rid of the car.

[WriConsult]

20 years ago I had a friend who owned a 1988 Hyundai Excel, and she had a lot of problems. I rode in the car many times and thought it was pretty shabby next to a Civic or a Sentra.

But that was Hyundai's first try in this market. Ever since, their design quality, build quality and reliability have steadily improved.

In 1990 I helped a friend do some car shopping. We were mightily impressed with the Sonata. Again, not quite an Accord or Camry but a lot more car for the money.

Several of my wife's family members have 2000-ish Accents. Still not Civic quality, and the mpg is a bit substandard for their size, but not lousy cars by any means and they have held up well.

In 2003 I took a rented Elantra on a long roadtrip. Incredible! It was just as nice as a Civic, and got darn near the same mileage. Hyundai had closed the gap. 7 years later I'm sure their cars are even better now.

[MaxxMPG]

It's a lot of car for the money, and the photos I saw of the 2011 Kia Optima (same platform) look even better, in my opinion. I am waiting to see what the Sonata Hybrid promises. If it matches or beats the TCH and FFH, it will drive the prices of those two down since Hyundai will likely come to market below the MSRP of these two competitors. The Hyundai 10/100 powertrain warranty will silence the naysayers who snub hybrids because they claim they are too expensive to repair if anything goes wrong with the driveline.

[xcel]

Hi All:

___The 2011 has a starting price of just $19,195 and includes a 35 mpg highway rating with the GDI based I4 and 6-speed AT. I spent a large portion of this afternoon on the phone and creating introductory E-Mails for their Press Fleet and marketing people. All so we can take a ride in the 11 Sonata with when it hits the Chicago Press Fleet.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[WriConsult]

Wow, the MT Sonata's 34mpg highway is equal to a Civic, and better than a Fit! Not to mention 10% better than a MT Accord.

Also, I'm very excited about the 2011 Elantra, though we don't know much about it yet. Presumably the FE will be even better than the current Blue model, and more importantly I'm hoping the Touring (wagon) model is brought in line with the same platform as the sedan and offers similar FE.

[xcel]

Hi Dan:

___The Sonata pulls 35 mpg highway and has 200 HP to boot! Somehow they kept the weight of this mid-sized down to well under 3,200 pounds. That is light for a car loaded with all of the latest HW.

___These guys are starting to impress me too

___Good Luck

___Wayne