Thanks!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the engine was a little rough and the rear passenger space was compromised.

I didn't really notice the paint job until you said something. It is pretty nice for an entry level car. It's no Lexus, but it's better than most. I've always thought that the Aura and Malibu had nice paint as well. They have a better shimmer than the Sonata IMO.

 

A lot of surprising facts about the Sonata related to interior roominess and sales statistics/success. Agreed it's not my favorite car but I really have no plans to buy any car in this class near term. I also looked at it subjectively and understand it's success.

Yes we can all speculate about the possibility of sales bumps, comparisons to the Passat CC (which the Sonata outsells way over 5X already) and the appeal to family car buyers (when we aren't even in the market for a family car) and try to guess if a drum set fits in the huge trunk (like that's a typical feat for families), makes for good chit chat if nothing else. Sure, Hyundai traded some rear seat headroom for style and aerodynamics, but the sales success over the older boxier design speaks for itself. I'm sure there are some that wish the old Sonata body style still existed, but nobody that matters to Hyundai since they aren't real buyers.

 

Depends on the color. Light colors (especially white and White Pearl) don't usually have as much shine as darker ones, although White Pearl often has a beautiful texture. But the darker Sonata colors can really sparkle. A neighbor of mine has a new 2011 with the red metallic, and it is as smooth, glossy and jewel-like as many Toyota/Lexus paint jobs I've seen.

Black, though, for many vehicles (not just the Sonata), seems to be about the hardest color to do smoothly.....it tends to have orange peel.

 

There were, however, quite a few buyers of the old design. It didn't quite sell in Camry/Acccord numbers (what other car does?), but, in general, was definitely a success in the American market. No one can claim that it was a flop.

 

sounds just like the crosstour...

Im also below average height for my age (19, 5'4") and hit my head slightly when getting into the ZDX/Crosstour...

 

Here's a quick update post-roadtrip:

The steering is a bit too light for my taste, but that seems to be common nowadays.

The brakes have held up fantastically. Not much fade or wear on the break pads (something I'v experienced with some Hondas).

The engine is still a bit too loud and rough, but there isn't much road/wind/tire noise.

I noticed a few dash pieces didn't quite lineup, and there is some overlap and some gaps in some of the dash pieces, but I don't expect Lexus/Audi/Mercedes levels of attention to detail in a sub-$20K car.

One surprising thing was the huge gap in the steering wheel column area (picture posted below).

Lastly, I've gotten a lot of comments on the car. Things like that's a nice car etc etc. But one thing that struck me was TWICE 2 different people have asked me if it's a Toyota or a Camry

I'm not kidding the first person asked if it was a Toyota and I said no it's a Hyundai, then they said "Oh it's a Honda! I love those cars!"

The next other person was completely unrelated in a whole nother town and they gasped and asked me if that was a Camry and I replied no it's the new Sonata. The look of glee immediately left her face and she was like "//oh."

Anyway here's a pic of the gap in the steering column:

 

There's also a conventional, side-column ignition switch.........this, at a time when all cars should (IMO) be converting to proximity keys and Engine START/STOP buttons. More and more customers are going to expect this, just like they did with A/C and power locks/mirrors/windows....that's why they became virtually standard on all but the very cheapest cars.

 

Keep in mind that this is likely a base model Sonata since I'm renting it. The higher level trims might have something like that?

The model I have doesn't even have keyless engine start.

 

Nobody said it was a flop here, so no kidding nobody can claim it was a flop, lol.

In general, the new Sonata is easily outselling the previous model, that's the facts. Therefore (and simply put) more people are buying the new model. Yes, it's quite an accomplishment to ramp up sales of an already successful car to a new higher level of sales. Successful car companies strive to improve on the product and the resulting sales numbers too.

 

Either its just me or the pictures but those seats color looks disgusting

 

CJ - Good observations on the 4 banger lack of smoothness and decent engine sound quality. I find the Camry and Accord 4 bangers to be barely acceptable in terms of smoothness and refinement, nearly all other 4 bangers fail to meet my personal criteria and requirements for NVH.

 

And I think that's an amazing complement for Hyundai. I travel a lot for work, and via Hertz or Avis I've always gotten a chance to drive Sonatas. I too just drove the new Sonata (Avis rental) and have also driven some of the Nissan Sentra and Altimas. The Hyundai has far better interior and exterior materials and design quality than either cars. Granted I agree the engine is a bit rough, but so are the Nissans. Kudos to Hyundai for quickly catching up to their competition.

 

The seat color is a bit different but it's not disgusting. It's more like a saddle or dark tan. It's not the beige color you normally see in Toyota/Lexus. The color is more common in Hondas.

I've driven Camry and Accord and their I4s are a bit quieter, smoother, and more refined than the Sonatas. I don't find any of them unbearable but that's just my opinion.

The Sonata does beat the Accord in road/wind noise though, but the Camry is overall still the quietest in the class.

 

I've never liked Nissan interiors. The Sentra is the worst in both design and materials in my opinion. Hyundai did a good job with the interior design, but the materials and fit and finish of the interior isn't anything special in my eyes.

I think Mazda does a pretty good job with their interiors, as well as Honda and Toyota.

 

Toyota/Honda 4-bangers, though, in general, tend to have smooth, quiet idles, more so than those from most other manufacturers. If they fail to meet your personal standards of NVH, you won't find much better in terms of 4-cylinder refinement...........4-cylinder powerplants are probably just not for you.