bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

sorry we are not worthy :rolleye: but driving a stick in heavy city traffic sucks.

joe80

you can't row when you are stuck in the traffic. but if i want to shift, i'll probably get another 90's civic beater. i had one, but i blew the engine 2 years ago.

mmarshall

So the Miata only comes out on Sundays?

IS-SV

Isn't that the truth for stick shift sports cars, of which the Sonata is not intended to address from a marketing standpoint (seeking greater share of higher volume mid-sized family sedan market).

Agreed, the stick shift sports cars I've owned have been mostly used as weekend cars too.

mmarshall

The entry-level GLS Sonata does offer a 6-speed manual, but I suspect that is for two reasons......First, to offer an attractive base price (in this case, just over 19K), and, Second, for those who don't mind rowing their own gears even in traffic. It used to be that the typical manual transmission (depending on gearing, final-drive ratio, and other factors) offered both better acceleration and better mileage than torque-converter automatics, but advances in torque-converter automatic-transmission design, lockups, SMG automanuals, CVTs, and twin-clutch automanuals have all but eliminated the mileage/performance gap. With the new Sonata, for example, the mileage is essentially the same with both transmissions. In some cases, with some vehicles, so are the 0-60 and quarter-mile times. In fact, some CVTs actually outdo conventional manuals in both acceleration AND gas mileage.....CVTs, at current levels of technlogy, probably represent the utmost in transmission efficiency, though they often have a quirky feel. IMO, though, the twin-clutch VW/Audi DSG/Shiftronic, is, hands-down, the most pleasant and fun unit to drive

IS-SV

I agree, the manual mainly allows attractive price point, without any performance or gas mileage advantage. And the customer ends up with an additional choice too.

Blackraven

2.0 Litre Turbocharged version is now HERE:

http://www.worldcarfans.com/11004012...l-turbocharger



The YF Sonata is on a roll hehe

Go Hyundai

IS350jet

Nice! 22/34 MPG 274 HP, and the best part, 269LB torque! I'm really liking this car.
I certainly hope not. If that were the case, I would think that they would build a 80 MPG car that did 0-60 in 18 seconds. Rather, I think at this point in time, Hyundai's number 1 priority would be to surpass Honda and Toyota in build quality and to gain market share. Their goal right now is to get people to pull their head out of the sand and say "Wow, Hyundai" Their plan is working. I see Hyundai as the next Samsung.

YEH

W/ the Sonata eschewing the V6, Hyundai will likely bring over the new Azera (as well as Kia bringing over the Cadenza).

The Azera is a pretty decent large FWD sedan, but really in need of the next-gen model in order to better compete against the Maxima and Taurus, much less the Avalon.

The greenhouse/C-pillar of the Sonata is more an aggressive version of the Audi A6/Azera than the CLS (otoh, the CC has a C-pillar more similar to the CLS).

Two new models w/ a similar greenhouse/C-pillar designs are the Chevy Cruze (not as streamlined) and the Jaguar XJ (even more streamlined).