mmarshall

Sure....anytime. Glad you enjoyed it.

You are correct that, despite the head-bumping rear roofline, rear-seat legroom is still OK for taller people.....I tried to make that clear in the review.

With the upcoming CAFE mileage standards, my bet is that we see the hybrid (which, supposedly, is coming later this year), before a turbo.

As far as "shying" away from it because of the lack of a V6, with some people, unfortunately, it goes even beyond that. There are a number of people out there, living in the past, stuck with the memories of the junk, poorly-built Hyundais of the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s, that still avoid Hyundai and Kia products simply because of the nameplates. I confess that I was once like that myself, to an extent.....until I saw what kind of new vehicles Hyundai started turning out in the last 10 years or so.

I8ABMR

They have done nothing but impress me over the past 4 years. The models they release keep getting better and better. They are not going to take a back seat to the Japanese. I was on the freeway today behind a Genesis and I truly thought the car looked just as nice as any Lexus, Infiniti , or German car. Just like when Lexus started they are giving customer top notch design, quality, and fit and finish for a much lower price.

I dont know if Hyundai will out Lexus Lexus but they are learning from them .

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I agree they are demonstrating a strong showing in these categories. The only Ace I can see Lexus holding is their customer service at the dealers. I have no experience with Hyundai dealers, but Lexus is truly exceptional in my book

mmarshall

Part of that, of course, will depend on if Hyundai ever gets their projected luxury division going. As of now, from what I learned at the D.C. Auto Show, that is still on hold, and the Equus luxury car, when it arrives, is projected to be sold under the Hyundai nameplate.

TRDFantasy

Detailed review as usual .

I remember you said earlier in another thread that the sheet metal felt thin when you glanced at a Sonata at an autoshow. I guess this is not the case then?

Also interesting comments about the seats. So if the cloth rear seats are overly firm, and the front seats lack some support, in your opinion how comfortable would the car be say for longer drives? If a family of 4 or 5 was in the car going on a long drive, say for at least 2-3 hours, how comfortable do you think it would be?

I also discovered that part of the reason the 2011 Sonata gets great fuel economy is due to low rolling resistance tires. Supposedly ALL 2011 Sonatas, regardless of trim, come with low rolling resistance tires and "regular" tires are not available.

Several initial reviews so far of the Sonata have commented on some slightly loud road noise coming from the tires, which makes sense given low rolling resistance tires often produce more road noise than regular tires.

With this in mind, I wonder what the Sonata's repeated braking performance is.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Yes, that may (?) have been an initial contradiction at first, but I was rather busy at the show, looking at hundreds of vehicles, and only had a few minutes to briefly scan each one and form an initial impression. But, I remarked, then, that I'd reserve further comments until a full-review, where I'd have much more time (and a test-drive) to spend with each vehcle. Except for the Munchkin rear roofline and its effects, I was generally more impressed with the new Sonata, once I had time to inspect it more in detail, than I did on initial impression at the show. That sometimes happens.



The cloth rear seats felt a little firmer then the front, but both let you know that you were not in an older Buick. The front seats weren't necessarily park-bench flat, but were a long way from typical sports-car seats, and did not offer a whole lot of side support. Of course, cars lke the Sonata, though reasonably competent-handling for a family sedan, aren't meant to carve up corners where you would NEED a whole lot of side-support.

As far as backaches from long drives go, much of that, of course, depends on the condition of your back/spine, how long the drive actually is, and if you have a chance to get out and briefly rest. I myself, being in my late 50's, tend to get a little Sciatica in the lower back and upper legs when sitting on them for awhile, especially on harder surfaces, and sometimes have to just get up and stretch for a minute or two. In general, the seats in European-designed cars seem more comfortable and form-fitted, and less firm, than those from Asian manufacturers, which often use overly-firm cushions. So, I wouldn't necessarily rate the Sonata as one of the most comfortable long-distance cars...but, of course, that opinion is based on the one suburban test-drive I took, which, in general, was not long enough to be rated as a "long" trip.


I commented, in the review, on some road/tire noise, but, on my particular test car with its Kumho 55-series tires, did not find it high enough to be objectionable. Some of that, of course, was masked by the audible chuffle from the engine and exhaust under acceleration.

I suspect, with the upcoming CAFE standards, that more and more vehicles will start using low-rolling-resistance tires. Unfortunately, besides noise, that type of tire, using a relatively hard tread compound, can sometimes give sub-standard rain/snow traction. In general, harder rubber compounds wear longer and give better fuel economy than softer ones, but the trade-off is often poorer traction and cornering, especially in wet/slick conditions. The introduction, in recent years, of silica compounds into newer tire designs, however, has helped compromise the trade-offs required with different types of tires.

The main factor, tough, in tire noise is the tread pattern, even more so than the rubber compound itself. In general, wide, chunky/blocky tread patterns, which are typical of purpose-designed snow/winter tires, make the most noise when brand-new, though a number of different tires tend to increase their road noise level somewhat as they wear.

Of course, I did not do panic stops or repeated-fade tests under track/testing conditions. For that, you will need to consult a publication like Car & Driver or Road & Track . But, the brakes seemed fine for all normal driving, had only a little sponginess/free play, were smooth and reasonably effective, and the pedal-spacing had only a minor effect on big shoes like mine.

As you suspect, though, with a FWD, front-heavy vehicle and low-resistance tires with a relatively fairly tall, narrow, 55-series profile, I wouldn't expect Porsche-911-type stopping distances under hard braking.

IS350jet

Great detailed review, Mike. I've been looking forward to this review for some time. I am so impressed with Hyundai, lately. Also, I'm one of those members that aren't liking the lack of a V6. I drove a 4 cylinder for years and after owning my V6 Accord, I swore I would never go back to a four, again. I am disappointed, to say the least. Genesis?

mmarshall

Thanks.

Hyundai released the 2011 version quite early...possibly (?) as discussed above, to take advantage of the Camry's problems. I didn't have to wait for the review as long as I thought I would. At the D.C. Auto Show in January, they promised the car would be available locally in about two weeks.....and it was. I would have gotten to it even sooner if it was not for the awful conditions here in the D.C. area early this month that hampered a lot of buisness and travel. For example, it took some dealerships a week or so just to dig all of their new cars out from 2-3 feet of snow.

This new 2.4L four, while, granted, not NHRA material, is no slouch, either. Its 200 HP and 186 ft-lbs. of torque will get the car out of its own way....and those figures were about average for the V6s of not so long ago. The entry-level GLS version has the option of a 6-speed manual (at a lower price, too), which will (probably) also help the 0-60 times.

St00k

Here's some of the AutoGuide review



read the full review here
http://www.autoguide.com/manufacture...rive-1299.html

IS350jet

Aside from the power/torque issue, it's the smoothness and quietness of the V6 I can't give up.

mmarshall

Tanks for posting. Generally a good review. I agree with much of what it says. The only significant thing I disagree on is their evaluation of the interior materials. I feel, unlike them, that the quality of the materials inside the new Sonata is as good or better than any comparable Japanese-nameplate car....including the Accord, and definitely better than the Camry's.

And, of course, they didn't criticize the Munchkin rear roofline, but perhaps they aren't as big or tall as I am.

mmarshall

Next planned review: 2010 VW GTI

bagwell

ahhh yes!!!

Nice review as usual Mike!

....I agree with you on the plastic wheel covers....they should be banned

is this what they looked like?

LexFather

Wow Mike, great unbiased review. Seems like its going to sell even more in fleets

mmarshall

Thanks.

Thanks for posting.

Yep, sure is....that's them. And, never mind what they LOOK like.....what they FEEL like is even worse. That's why I mentioned, in the review, that I'd toss them and at least get a better aftermarket set from Pep Boys or another parts store.

I didn't post an image of them because I didn't see any on Google (they were generally of the upmarket Sonatas and the alloy wheels), and I don't have a digital camera, or any experience using one. But, that aside, for all of the other good things that Hyundai and Kia do so well nowadays, they really skimp on the non-alloy wheels and covers....I've seen the same problem on Elantras and some lower-line Kias.