The 2006 Sonata is here!

[ColonelPanic]

Yes, we already have one Sonata thread here, but I figured since the car is out on dealer's lots now, the car has gone beyond the spy shot status. Yours truly has made it a point to drive past the Hyundai lot every couple of days to see what's new... Today was another one of those days, and my skipped a beat when I saw not one, but approximately half a dozen of those things on the lot. Most were of base GL form, with a couple in mid-level GLS trim thrown in the mix. Not sure if any of the GLS cars had the six under the hood, I didn't spend a whole lot of time there. I wanted to leave before the salespeople inside smelled fresh meat and ran out of the showroom for the kill... I managed to do that successfully, and tomorrow when nobody is around, you bet I'll be on that lot for a while.These cars are every bit as good as I had anticipated. They're not the most exciting thing to look at, but then again to me, the Accord and Camry both have less personality than my toaster. While bland, the Sonata does look a bit more agressive to me than the Honda and Toyota. And when you look at one up close from behind, the Hyundai's (removed) doesn't seem to scream "Honda called, they want their tail lights back!" as it tends to appear in the pictures. Hyundai certainly hasn't broken any new ground in the styling department, but I do feel that they've nicely blended the best traits out of a number of great cars. The overall profile is certainly Audiesque. The only thing I noticed that was questionable was due to the 16" wheels... The Sonatas I saw up close at the NY show had the optional 17" wheels I believe, which looked as if they fill the wheel wells better than the 16s. Almost like the 16s are too small to be on there. But the cars on the lot were in desparate need of some tire spray, so the funky color of the tires probably made it look worse. I'll stick with the 16 inchers though, as the 17s will be more expensive to replace, and can only be had with the option package that includes sunroof. The roof is great, but seeing how every time I take my Vibe through a car wash, water leaking in the car, smacking me on the skull basically has turned me against such a thing. Plus it's $1500 more. lol! Anywho, overall, this car is not a bad looker. Even better considering the pricetag in the $19K neighborhood for starters. Inside appears to be bright, airy, comfortable and has a very good amount of room. Storage bins as far as the eye can see. The bottom of the barrel GL has a nicer interior than you would expect from a base model... It lacks the woodgrain on the center stack and whatnot, only has a thin strip of metallic trim separating the top and bottom halves of the dash. I didn't like the beige interior of the Sonata I sat in at NY, but beige for the GL model looks alright not having that woodgrain. The dash is laid out nicely, the stereo all the way at the top may take some getting used to though. But it will be easier to operate without having to look down. Standard CD player with MP3 capability is nice too... All of the power goodies, including heated outside power mirrors (man, if I had a dollar for every time I've complained about my Vibe's lack of those mirrors) are standard. Not to mention the nice list of safety features: seat-mounted side air bags, side curtain air bags, ABS, stability control all being standard as well. Sadly, they don't give us cool stuff like the white/blue backlit gauges as the Korean models have. Not even the silver faced gauges, we only get rather spartan white-on-black faces. Boring, but looks like they'll be easy to read though. Two trip odometers, odometer, and the current gear selected show in the LCD. I believe this will also show the current gear you're in when using the manual Shiftronic mode on the automatic tranny.A silver four cylinder GLS caught my eye... Grey interior, with metallic trim instead of the woodgrain stuff the GLS with beige interior has. It looks great inside! The GLS adds goodies like a trip computer to the LCD in the cluster, redundant radio controls on the wheel, upgraded fabrics, alloy wheels, etc. That's the best deal right there - that car was slightly below $21K after the dealer added their little whatevers on top of the sticker price. I'll certainly be taking a few of these babies for a spin sometime in the not so distant future. The four vs. six debate is still rather heated. It's almost pointless to not go with the V6/5-speed automatic GLS - 235 HP may make that thing move halfway decent. But I'll see how well the four compares. I don't need or even want a lot of power, and the 34 MPG on the highway that the four gets with the automatic is a pleasant surprise for a big car. It all comes down to engine smoothness and noise levels more than power for me at least... The constant, sometimes downright obnoxious buzz of that 1ZZ under my Vibe's hood has taken its toll on my nerves, and it just has this feeling of being rough around the edges anyway, IMHO. So I'm going to pay close attention to the powertrain on this new car, if the four behaves anything like my Vibe's engine, I'll get the six for sure. Another thing I'm heavily investigating is road noise, once again another shortcoming of the Vibe. From what it looks like, I may not have much to complain about there - Hyundai apparently went up a notch above the Camry/Accord segment when they were doing their benchmarking. Let's hope that pays off. Go ahead and get a chuckle or two out of this, but I'm destined to be a Hyundai owner. I think it will be a good car, although admittedly it is far too soon to judge overall reliability. The last car was a good one, but we're talking about new everything with this car. And the V6 is the first car built at the brand new Alabama plant by new employees... (all four banger cars are coming from South Korea for the time being.) It's going to be interesting to see how these cars turn out. Oddly enough, I don't have any reservations about the car. What's the worst that could happen? I'm going to end up going to the shop every week
? Already there with my Toyota, so it'll be like old times. At least I'll have a more comfy car with more stuff to tinker with as I drive to the shop. LOL! Seriously though, I'm eager to find out just how good or bad this car will be. Financially, I'm screwed. The Vibe is still $14-somethin'K from being mine, probably not worth even $9K on trade, and having the sticker on the new car in the $21K area. Hyundai rarely has rebates, let alone rebates as fat as what can be had on GM stuff. Seeing how the Sonata was just officially launched Friday, I doubt I'll even see a rebate at all. The sticker price on the Sonata is good enough as it is - I know we're talking apples to oranges here, but it's hard to believe that my Vibe stickered for $19K and it doesn't have squat on it in comparison... The Sonata is easily twice the car with a heck of a lot more stuff for for only a couple thousand more. The problem I've run into is I'm far too upside down in this car that I shouldn't even be thinking about trading. It may be a while, but this Sonata is going to replace the Vibe. I don't regret buying the Vibe one bit... While it's been completely disappointing in the quality and reliability departments, this car has brought some good friends and that special someone into my life. I can't thank that clunker enough for that! Although at the moment I'm miserable with this car and frustrated with the ever-increasing amount of things that need to be repaired, I'm still sad to think that I'm wanting to dump it. Pity the Vibe's book value isn't as good as its sentimental value! *cry* Either option isn't necessarily attractive at the moment: End up with a new car and a high as hell payment, or keep the current car and continue to have problem after problem after problem... Can't win for losing.

[soldierguy]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »...the car is out on dealer's lots now...And when you look at one up close from behind, the Hyundai's (removed) doesn't seem to scream "Honda called, they want their tail lights back!" as it tends to appear in the pictures...The overall profile is certainly Audiesque. Sadly, they don't give us cool stuff like the white/blue backlit gauges as the Korean models have. Not even the silver faced gauges, we only get rather spartan white-on-black faces. Boring, but looks like they'll be easy to read though....and the current gear selected show in the LCD. I believe this will also show the current gear you're in when using the manual Shiftronic mode on the automatic tranny.The four vs. six debate is still rather heated. It's almost pointless to not go with the V6/5-speed automatic GLS - 235 HP may make that thing move halfway decent. But I'll see how well the four compares. I don't need or even want a lot of power, and the 34 MPG on the highway that the four gets with the automatic is a pleasant surprise for a big car. It all comes down to engine smoothness and noise levels more than power for me at least... The constant, sometimes downright obnoxious buzz of that 1ZZ under my Vibe's hood has taken its toll on my nerves, and it just has this feeling of being rough around the edges anyway, IMHO. So I'm going to pay close attention to the powertrain on this new car, if the four behaves anything like my Vibe's engine, I'll get the six for sure. Another thing I'm heavily investigating is road noise, once again another shortcoming of the Vibe. From what it looks like, I may not have much to complain about there - Hyundai apparently went up a notch above the Camry/Accord segment when they were doing their benchmarking. Let's hope that pays off. A few of your comments made me want to offer some comments of my own...I'm glad they're on the lots in the states. They've been on the roads here in Korea for close to a year now.The taillights look good to me...similar to the Accord, but executed much better. The Accord sedan's taillights look like a bad copy of Buick taillights, but the Sonata's come off as pleasantly aggressive to me. And the profile is kinda like Audi...just with more side glass. It's a good looking car to me with no bad angles at all.That's too bad about the gauges...the backlit ones would have been cool.On the gear display...for several years Hyundai's domestic market Sonatas have displayed whatever gear you happen to be in, regardless of whether you're in tiptronic mode or not...I've watched many times in cabs as the number changes right in time with the transmission shifting...it's kinda cool. I wish my Jeep did that...it's really tough sometimes to know what gear my Jeep is in since the transmission shifts so smoothly.Just judging from my countless cab rides and driving a few different Hyundais since I've been here, the sound of the four cylinder should be fine...they've never seemed loud or harsh at all to me. Hyundai tunes their engines for good midrange torque since that's what's needed here in Korea...top end power is almost never used, but the torque pulling away from traffic lights or to get into a spot in traffic can be very useful. So the 4-cylinder automatic combo may not be a 1/4 mile dragstrip king, but because of the tuning they tend to feel quicker than what they are, and the ones I've driven have always been very responsive.And road noise shouldn't be an issue unless they changed the suspension bushings and suspension tuning for the US market...roads here are generally not that great (lots of potholes and frost heaves, and lots of rough surfaces from rain eroding the pavement), so most Korean car suspensions are tuned to control road noise and impact harshness at the expense of all-out smooth-road handling.But the proof for you will be in the test drive...I'm curious what your impressions are when you do get around to driving one.

[ColonelPanic]

Cool! Looks like Hyundai builds a car that I can live with. I don't have any use for excessive power when the revs are up in the stratosphere... I'd much rather have the engine's output peak at a lower speed. The gear indicator sounds dangerous but very cool... I have a feeling I'll be watching that more than the road itself, if it will be changing as the gears change automatically. Stopped back by the Hyundai shop today and was able to look around without being hounded. I've gotta take back my comment about the "metallic" trim on the grey interior cars - the (simulated) carbon fiber trim is on there. That looks fantastic. I'm really in love with the silver GLS - beautiful car! The only bad part, and this is regardless of beige or grey on the inside, is that the seat fabric is so light it's going to get messy really quick. An accurate head count reveals 6 Sonatas total, all Korean built so not a single V6 model on the lot. One silver and one pearl white GLS four cylinder, and the remainder are GL models: One Aquamarine, two in silver, and another in this stunning dark metallic midnight blue color that's darn near black. Essentially, they have two prices... The GL for $20017 and the GLS models are going for $20,532. This is after a questionable $536 charge for things like undercoating, pinstriping, and something else that I can't remember. I've seen worse though, the Kia dealer here tacks on about $1K to each car by adding aftermarket alarms and crap like that. The four cylinder may be sufficient for my needs, the more I think about it. The '99 Sonata I drove had Hyundai's 2.5L Delta V6 that put out 170 hp/166 lbs of torque. I just now came to the realization that new four churns out 162 hp/164 lbs of torque. Not that big of a difference although I can't remember what the old engine peaked at, nor do I know where that point is on the new one off the top of my head... I found the old V6 cars had a decent amount of power but the Sonata has grown up and has gained a couple pounds since those days for sure... As long as it isn't as sluggish as my Vibe, I'll be happy.Now, I just have to get the nerve up to go visit the dealer when they're open and take one for a spin. I'm very certain I'll enjoy it.

[AzFusionGT]

It's nice to hear such positive comments about Hyundai. They have some many strides since the two Excels, an '87 L and a '93 GS, I've had. I have a friend who's got an '02 Elantra that she just loves. It drives smoothly and has all the creature comforts. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Hyundai. Please share your test drive experiences ~ I'm excited to hear them.

[Kari]

I saw a commercial spot this morning about the new factory where they're building the V6s...actually I saw it twice during the course of the Today show. Mom said she thought she heard something about them touring the factory on the next show, which would be Monday it looks like, but I'm finding very little information about upcoming shows on there, so I'm not sure when it might be or if she heard right. Would be worth looking into if it is going to be on there though...that commercial is pretty cool. If I find something, I'll come back and edit...my connection is a bit slow at the moment because I'm mooching off of someone else's wireless network and it's a bit unpredictable.

[Ponyota]

Looks like a nice mid-size family sedan

[bud_one]

I 'm very impressed with them...we just got about four in....don't have the keys yet, but they are definatly nice...a major improvement over the older model...as soon as I get the digital camera to work I'll post some pictures...

[Vibe_dude]

my opinion on these cars. but i got 2 words for Hyundai cars "NO THANKS" they have not come that far....my father in law bought a brand new tuscon when they first came out......he has had it back in 3 times in about 4 months........bad fitting on the dash......the drive belt squeals all the time.......and the headlights fog up all the time...........the drive belt is the worse......went to show off the car to my friends who drive hondas, so i started the car(it has the 2.7 v6), and they were like what is that noise....lol hyundai quality shining through... it only has 8000kms on it....well i felt really stupid.iam staying with the vibe....... ..its does have some rattles but i know it will last longer than a hundai.not to mention it will still be worth more than it.

[ColonelPanic]

Sorry that you find that Tuscon to be unreliable... That's a bummer. It could be worse though, look at the turd I'm driving. And dang, that's got Toyota engineering underneath! Anybody can build a bad car - anybody!I do have to say though, that my thoughts on Toyota these days mirror yours on Hyundai: "NO THANKS!" Couldn't have said it better myself. lol! As of 47,000 miles: Current tally of warranty repairs on my Vibe is 20 since Jan. 2003; those warranty repairs prompted a grand total of 25 visits to the dealer. This isn't even counting routine maintenance. Hmm, I've always been told that you shouldn't expect that from a Toyota! I have a number of friends/coworkers who own Elantras, Sonatas, Optimas, even the Rio, so drawing from their experiences with those products, I have noticed a very dramatic difference. I've seen time and time again those guys just go in for oil changes, while my Toyota is in there for coolant loss, a horribly knocking engine, A/C issues, steering problems, and of course the list is ever increasing and many problems have yet to be resolved. Those Hyundai and Kia cars have spent far less time in the shop than this Toyota product for sure... Nothing major with any of 'em.I would be very happy if my Vibe were only half as good as any of the Hyundai or Kia products mentioned above. But it's not. Isn't that just sad? So I welcome this new Sonata... It's coming - and I have no concerns about quality. Can it get that much worse? Maybe, if the engine blows up. But aside from that, more than likely, I'll be significantly happier with the Hyundai.

[ColonelPanic]

Anywho... bud_one, so I take it you may work in or around an establishment that sells these things? Any V6 models there yet? Or, should I say, any fours there yet, for that matter? lol!From what I've read so far, it seems that the initial distribution of this car is a bit odd.. Some dealers, like mine, are only getting the Korean-built GL and GLS 4-cylinder models; whereas other dealers are only getting the Alabama-built GLS and LX 6-cylinder cars. I hope that trend changes soon - I really want to try both engines out before making a decision. Another new Sonata appears to have arrived today, a dark blue GLS but it's a four just like the rest. I wish Hyundai had some sort of publicly-available search mechanism, kinda like GM has for searching dealer inventory. Or is there one, and I just missed it?

[joatmon]

if you get one of these, I hope it is built with a ltitle more structural integrity than the 2004 Santa Fe that my son backed into the other day causing a $1500 ding

[ColonelPanic]

Ouchie! That sucks! I hope they are too... I also hope if I accidentally lean up against that car, it doesn't cave the fender in like happened to my Vibe. Admittedly, a downside of Hyundai ownership appears to be the above the norm price for insurance... I've had some quotes done online as I've been researching what to buy next, and found that Hyundai is always more. The Cobalt was $90-somehing a month, whereas the Elantra GT hatch - same class of vehicle, but it ended up being $116 or so. The Tiburon GT V6 - good god, that thing was $140/month for me (27 years old.)They're confident the '06 Sonata will be rated with five stars when the government gets around to crash testing it... Even with the V6 GLS model, insurance on the '06 is going to be roughly the same as the Elantra - so I would think there's something in the Sonata's favor...One thing I do like about the Vibe is the relatively cheap insurance on it, despite the fact that it's gone up a couple bucks this year. It's still around 90 bucks, give or take.

[bud_one]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Anywho... bud_one, so I take it you may work in or around an establishment that sells these things? Any V6 models there yet? Or, should I say, any fours there yet, for that matter? lol!Yes I work at a dealership - and we sell Hyundai's so far the only ones we've gotten in have been the four cylinders...I got a chance to check one out real close yesterday( they left it open)...and the fit and finish is above what I expected...really nice....our digital camera is being used right now by another dept. so as soon as we get it back I'll snap some close ups for you guys... And reguarding Vibe_dude's experience with the Tucson...then only one with a problem we've had so far was a 4 wheel drive one that a cust flat towed behind his motor home and shatered the rear differential at only 300 miles....he had to buy a new one....goober....

[Vibe_dude]

ya i agree with u....i think that toyota has no more quailty than a Gm car...and these ppl who write in to comsumer reports are full of ^$$$....they make it seem that there is nothing out there that will be good enough to even say in the same breath as a honda or toyota....i think it is all a bunch of crap....if hondas and toyotas were sooooooooo good, why do they have soooo many repair bays at there dealerships???? they are not there to do just oil changes..so come on world wake up to the crap that these magazines like car and driver and comsumer reports are tellin u...its all lies....i now drive a toyota, and i can say i really like the car but it is not any better than the 99 caviler z24 i had in refinement......not to mention the cavy i had was alot cheaper in $$$.wow that felt good to rant. but once again that is my 2 cents like em or hate me,

[ColonelPanic]

Cool. can't wait to see the pics. If you happen to have an Aquamarine Sonata out there, take a few pics for me. I didn't think the bring the camera any of the umpteen times I've gone and looked at these cars over the last few days.

[ColonelPanic]

Not like anybody cares, but hey - have a PDF: http://www.hyundaiusa.com/imag...9.pdfh ... daiusa.com has been revamped quite a bit too.. Still drooling. Oddly enough, they haven't moved a single Sonata off the dealer's lot here. Wish I could take one of 'em home right now, dang it!

[bud_one]

Still haven't got a chance too take some pictures, hopefully later today....But you have to drive it...it's got a great ride....Drove the 2.4 automatic yesterday...peppy and enough to get you going..but the ride was Cadillac like...I was very impressed...

[ColonelPanic]

Another Sonata review...Quote »The new Sonata is the best-looking, best-driving Hyundai we’ve ever been in. Right out of the box, we’d argue this car could forever change people’s minds about how they feel about Hyundai. Customers, after test-driving the Sonata, rather than thinking Hyundai makes cheap cars, might think Hyundai makes pretty good-looking, nice-driving, relatively inexpensive cars.http://www.autoweek.com/articl...02396

[ColonelPanic]

Finally, I'm beginning to see some V6 cars appear on the dealer lots. Most however, have been top of the line LX models. While those are very nice, the price reaches the $26K mark once the dealer adds on all of their crap. Out of my price range for sure! The V6 cars do look sweet though, with the chrome dual exhaust treatment in the back. I did see one GLS V6, but it had options that bumped the price up to the $24K range. I can live without the sunroof and the 17" wheels, although I do like the looks of the 17"s better than the standard 16" alloys on the GLS. *if* I could get my hands on a plain ol' GLS V6 without all the other stuff, that would be nice... But as it stands now, the only cars in my price range are the GL and GLS four bangers... Which I don't think I will mind all that much.I did find a "used" '06 at another area Hyundai dealer over the weekend... There sat a powder white metallic GLS four cylinder with slightly over 1,000 miles on it. I really like the color, but the interior is the beige with woodgrain. Which I don't particularly care for, but if the money is right, I can live with it. lol! I'm guessing that car is a demo perhaps? This car was close to $21 new... Any way you look at it, no way can they sell it as new. If it hasn't been titled previously, despite having 1,000+ miles on it, I'd still have the 10/100K powertrain warranty... (the 10/100K powertrain warranty goes bye-bye after the first owner sells the car, but it still has a 5/60K bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is still better coverage than most. lol!) When I came very close to buying a Sonata years ago, it was the same scenario - only that car was a demo with close to 7K on it.I'll get around to driving one someday soon... Although I should probably keep the Vibe for a few more months until the damn extended warranty has been paid off.

[soldierguy]

Hey Colonel Panic...I was thinking of you this weekend. I was heading out for dinner on Saturday, and rode in a new Sonata taxi. I took a cab because I was meeting some friends and I know that usually turns into drinks (it did), so I always cab it when I head out in the evening.Anyway, even though it was a taxi special (vinyl seats, vinyl floors), I was really impressed. Hyundai seems to have tightened up the ride quite a bit over the previous Sonata...from the back seat anyway, it felt much firmer but not harsh at all...kinda German actually. It was VERY quiet, even without the carpet and cloth upholstery to absorb sound. Loads of headroom and legroom in back too...the driver was about 5'10 or so (he briefly got out when I was getting in) and both front seats were evenly adjusted...he didn't seem cramped at all, and there was plenty of room in back. The seats were shaped well...I didn't feel like I was sitting in a hole, and the seats were firm with just enough cush to be comfortable. The engine sounded good (it was a Korean domestic market 2.0 liter 4 cylinder)...quiet, not harsh at all, and it seemed to have lots of torque because we were moving out very well with not a lot of revs on the tach, and that was with the basic 4-speed automatic. The gauges weren't the backlit ones on the higher end models, but they still looked good...silver faces with black numbers that turned blue-green when the driver turned on the lights. And I really like the look of the dash...nicely laid out, with a good looking low gloss texture to it.I could easily see being happy with one, even a base 4 cylinder.

[Kari]

That would be weird, seeing Sonata taxi cabs...haha. We got to sit in one (I'm guessing it was probably an LX) at the NY Auto Show, and the back seat was really really cushy and comfortable. The front seat was a little firmer but still comfortable. But man did that back seat feel good after standing on one's feet in NYC for about 5 or 6 hours! I didn't want to get up. From the video that was posted in the spy shots thread, the 4-cyl does seem to have plenty of power with all the tester was doing with it. He made it hard to believe it was a 4-cyl when they flashed the car's stats up at the end...

[ColonelPanic]

Quote »It's Official, Hell Freezes OverMark this year down in the history books as the year Hyundai got serious. Not only is the Sonata as nice as the Accord and Camry, it's quite a bit better in many key areas.Heh, the Sonata kicked some Accord and Camry (removed). http://www.edmunds.com/insidel...06434Damn, I need one of these.... Just a few more months I say!

[ColonelPanic]

I shall carry on the conversation with myself about my beloved can't own one too soon Sonata. Hola sheet! Whatta wreck, and the car held up pretty damn good. http://translate.google.com/tr...toolsh ... ...toolsAs they said, um, after translating it, um... "This kind is approximate to textbook around attracts the energy region 溃 shrinks the demonstration, indicated to everybody NF security is very high!" I'm thinking it would have been better to *not* bother translating, just look at the pics instead. "Gear box: 4 fast hands from one body" (removed)

[millster]

Yeah, well aside from being nearly impossible to read...That is a most impressive accident. Or at least the results are impressive.

[ColonelPanic]

Long-term test of the car begins... http://macleans.auto123.com/en...48224 I'll be keeping an eye on this one.They really seem to like it. Me too. Funny how they didn't offer things like the stability control standard up in Canada eh?I want one, dangit! *cry*

[ColonelPanic]

NHTSA recently released their results after smashing up these cars... Impressive! all the way around.Frontal crash test for the front driver and passenger, and side impact tests for front and rear passengers, all the best rating they give.Here is a thread all in Korean that I can't read but it shows some of the competition's test results all in one place. Stacks up quite well against the others. Er, looks good when comparing the only thing that makes sense to me, which are the number of 's.

[ColonelPanic]

Not like anybody cares, but. http://birmingham.bizjournals....ln_hlQuote »Hyundai's Alabama-made Sonata earns top safety ratingThe 2006 Hyundai Sonata -- the first vehicle manufactured in Alabama for the South Korean automaker -- has won top scores in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test for front and side impacts. The 2006 Hyundai Tucson, a small sport-utility vehicle, also earned high scores in the test. Hyundai Motor Co. opened its first U.S. auto plant in Montgomery this past spring, producing the redesigned Sonata for the North American market. Next year the plant will begin making the next generation Hyundai Santa Fe, a larger sport-utility version of the Tucson. "At Hyundai, our first priority is to ensure our customers can avoid an accident, which is why every Sonata and Tucson comes with a sophisticated Electronic Stability Control system," said Bob Cosmai, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, the company's Fountain Valley, Calif.-based U.S. sales and marketing arm. "These five-star NHTSA crash test results demonstrate that when an accident is unavoidable, our Hyundai Sonata and Tucson deliver outstanding occupant protection." The Tucson, which is not manufactured in Alabama, became the first vehicle under $20,000 to offer electronic stability control and six airbags standard, and Sonata was the first mid-size sedan to do so, the company said. In addition to its government rating, the Sonata has received an "Automotive Excellence in Safety" award from Popular Mechanics magazine, and the Tucson has been named a "Best Value Car Award Winner" by SmartMoney magazine. Hyundai says it used 300 of its new Sonatas for internal crash tests to ensure it earned the NHTSA's highest five-star ranking.

[ColonelPanic]

And here is something I recently dug up... Studie, whoever that is, apparently has the ability to inject massive shots of personality and attitude into these rather bland family trucksters. Wow. I don't like crap like bodykits, big wheels and skinny tires, but I have to say these cars look really damn good. Almost to the point where I'd feel honored to be able to rip the crap off from under that front bumper. hehhttp://cars.ign.com/articles/642/642443p1.htmlThe white is definitely my favorite.

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[ColonelPanic]

Here's a link to the photo gallery with a (removed) load of images. *drool*http://media.cars.ign.com/medi....htmlAnd a black one attached. Nice quad exhaust, that's gotta be good for at least 85 HP!

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[ColonelPanic]

One more, this time in silver...

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[MrRich]

Nice find. I'll take the white one in a heartbeat.And Colonel just go ahead post anything from the Sonata. If nobody else, I'm with you on that one I like that car very much.

[ColonelPanic]

When I end up with that car, I have to figure out how to get my hands on the rear spoiler at the least. They get all the cool stuff in the home market for those cars. First it was the adjustable pedals, the black leather upholstery with red stitching, the cool blue gauges, the nav systems, the rear parking sensors, now this.

[kostby]

This one looks very Accord-like

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[ColonelPanic]

Nooo! Please, say it isn't so! I recall a comment I read about the Sonata a while back that gave me a pretty good chuckle. "Hyundai did a better job copying the Accord's rear end than Honda did." lol!I think there is a lot of truth to that statement.

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[jake75]

I've seen ads showing a net of $16,888 for the 2006 Sonata. $18,888 less $1,000 Conquest type rebate less $1,000 Hyndai financing rebate. Is this for real? Seems like a bargain.

[ColonelPanic]

That sounds about right. The car starts out at $17895 for a GL 4-banger/5 speed. There is one rebate for $1,000 that you can only get if you finance through Hyundai Motor Finance Co. The competitive rebate was just for select models that compete in the same class as this car (G6, Malibu, Camry, Accord, Altima, etc.) That was the downside there, it wasn't like GM's Conquest where as long as you had anything non-GM you were eligible. Looks like the incentives just changed as of the first of the month. They now have a $500 rebate, or the $1000 rebate though HMFC. Looks like the competitive bonus has gone away. They still have a $1000 loyalty rebate though, for those who currently own a Hyundai product. I guess I need to find an '86 Excel for a hundred bucks so I can get an extra grand (well, 900) off the price of the new car.

[ColonelPanic]

Long term test, north of the border continues. http://macleans.auto123.com/en...500483091 km thus far... Still plenty of positive things to say.

[kostby]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »"Hyundai did a better job copying the Accord's rear end than Honda did."Absolutely! The 2004 and newer Accord just looks awkwardly overstuffed in the hind quarters. The Hyundai looks sleek and tailored. Hyundai has genuinely begun to set the new standard for Asian automotive styling. Maybe Hyundai can find a way to make the new Subaru Tribeca front end look sleek and stylish.

[soldierguy]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »And here is something I recently dug up... Studie, whoever that is, apparently has the ability to inject massive shots of personality and attitude into these rather bland family trucksters. Wow. I don't like crap like bodykits, big wheels and skinny tires, but I have to say these cars look really damn good. Almost to the point where I'd feel honored to be able to rip the crap off from under that front bumper. hehhttp://cars.ign.com/articles/642/642443p1.htmlThe white is definitely my favorite. It's been a while since I checked in here, and I had to comment on that Studie Hyundai...Sweet car! I went to the Studie site and looked at it...the phone number tells me the shop is in Seoul, but I can't really tell exactly where based off the map. I'm guessing it's in Gangnam, which is right across the river from where I live. Gangnam is the trendy, high-rent district of Seoul...that's where all the foreign car dealerships are, the nice domestic dealerships, and the tuner shops. Tuning is becoming a huge business over here...used to be that people would only stick stuff on their cars that you could buy at these little roadside & rest area shops...those things amount to a small, crappy pep-boys. But as more and more people have cars (and nice ones at that), tuning has grown...so far a lot of the tuning has focused on the high-end imports (BMW & Mercedes mostly), but domestic tuning is coming into its own here.Next time I head to Gangnam, I'll take the map that I found on the Studie site and see if I can get a cab driver to take me there.

[soldierguy]

Oh and on pricing...the Hyundais you see in the states are less expensive than the ones sold here. Seems that the Korean government subsidizes the export models to improve the trade balance, so for an equivalent Sonata, you'll pay about $1000-$1500 less in the states than if you were to buy a domestic-market Hyundai over here.I don't mind the Korean government subsidizing their export cars, but what kills me is that import cars & parts are subject to about a 75-80% markup because of import taxes and customs fees. So the Grand Cherokee that I bought over here with a US MSRP of $39,210 stickers for just under $70,000 for the Korean-market version. I'd never have bought the Jeep if I had to pay the Korean price!

[ColonelPanic]

A most excellent review from Canadian Driver.Quote »But here's the big news: for the first time ever, it's also better than many of its mainstream Japanese competitors. And when the competition includes Camry, Accord, Altima, and 6, the magnitude of Hyundai's designers' and engineers' accomplishments becomes clear. Me really likey now... I need to get down there and drive a few of these! The dealer just got a (removed) load of 'em in, so there are plenty to choose from now. I should go investigate. These guys though, they no likey... I was trying to find some pics of that nav system with no buttons that only works with the remote, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen for me... The guy who hasn't seen his Sirius remote in months. Crappy nav aside, they didn't give the car much of a chance otherwise.

[ColonelPanic]

A ticket average close to $20,000 on these cars - not bad at all, for the dealers and Hyundai, I guess. I was hoping that slhttp://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=103331]SourceQuote »Hyundai says its redesigned Sonata can run with the big dogsMARK RECHTIN | Automotive News Posted Date: 10/10/05LOS ANGELES -- In the six months since its launch, the redesigned Hyundai Sonata sedan is gaining ground on its main competition.The Sonata has found its way onto shopping lists that include the Japanese Big 3: the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.What's more, Hyundai is winning an increasing share of those battles, at higher transaction prices than before, a Hyundai executive says.With a new design, and power and equipment levels on par with class leaders, the Sonata is expected to be Hyundai's U.S. volume leader, eventually selling about 150,000 units annually.In 2004, Hyundai sold 107,189 units.Early in the game, Hyundai has found a niche in selling the value-priced GLS V-6 version of the Sonata, which starts at $21,495, including shipping.The GLS is expected to account for 35 percent of Sonata sales, mostly because it has a lower sticker price than some four-cylinder Japanese sedans."Our secret weapon is a $21,000 car," says John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president of product development and strategic planning. "We are grabbing four-cylinder Camry and Accord intenders."Overall, vehicles with V-6 engines will account for slightly more than 60 percent of all Sonata sales, although customers who configure a car on Hyundai's Internet site choose a V-6 more than 70 percent of the time, Krafcik says. That is a far higher percentage than among the Sonata's main Japanese rivals, whose V-6 trim levels account for about one-third of sales.Better shoppers, better dealsHyundai is selling Sonata's value pricing all the way up the price ladder, using a lower sticker as a way to avoid the incentives war. In that sense, Hyundai can say its base four-cylinder model has a $1,880 advantage over a lesser-equipped Honda Accord, while the Sonata GLS V-6 costs $2,935 less than a comparable V-6 Camry.For sales occurring from May 1 through Sept. 25, the 2006 Sonata averaged a $19,943 transaction price, according to Power Information Network data.That compares with $16,524 for the outgoing Sonata, a 20.7 percent increase.That also compares with an average transaction price of $20,332 for the Camry and $21,120 for the Accord over the same period, the Power data show.To keep transaction prices high, Hyundai is using incentives judiciously.There is a $1,000 rebate coupon for loyal Hyundai customers, which accounts for about 25 percent of Sonata sales.There also is a $1,000 coupon used as a lure for owners of aging Camrys, Accords, Civics and Corollas. That has accounted for about 15 percent of Sonata sales, Krafcik says.Also using Hyundai Motor Finance Co. nets a $1,000 rebate."These aren't across-the-board consumer rebates," Krafcik said.The car, not the dealBut it has been the car itself, and not the deal, that has drawn the increased traffic, Krafcik says.The number of Sonata shoppers seen at auto dealerships has increased 87 percent, to about 75,000 consumers per month, according to Hyundai data.In addition, about 20 percent of all potential car buyers will now consider buying a Sonata, up from 15 percent for the old model, according to data from market researcher Allison-Fisher International, of Southfield, Mich.And the number of Camry shoppers who also are looking at the Sonata has increased 50 percent compared with the figures for the old Sonata.The number of Accord shoppers who also stop by the Hyundai dealership are up 60 percent, and the cross-shopping rate for the Altima is up 71 percent, according to Compete Automotive of Boston, which tracks shopping trends.Getting on those Japanese Big 3 shopping lists means 15,000 additional Sonata shoppers a month, Krafcik said. That's only about one additional interested customer a day, for each of Hyundai's 660 dealers -- but it's a start.If dealers can close 20 percent of those sales, that would mean 36,000 annual sales conquested from the Japanese Big 3.For now, Hyundai is gaining most of its new blood from domestic brands, despite their "employee pricing" tactics.According to Power Information Network data of 2006 Sonata sales from July through September, 22 percent of Sonata trade-ins were other Hyundais, which speaks well of owner retention.On the other hand, Toyota, Honda and Nissan trade-ins accounted for just 13.2 percent of Sonata deals. Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge vehicles accounted for 27.6 percent of trade-ins.Wow, an average ticket of close to $20K, good for Hyundai and their dealers, not so much for customers. So much for hoping sluggish sales that I am seeing in this area would translate into a good rebate. It would seem the car is selling well, but I'd like to know what market they are selling well in. I still see none around here, in fact the dealer still has that one Aquamarine GL sitting on that lot that came in with the original batch this summer. I have had maybe a dozen '06 sightings since they went on sale. Very strange, the previous car sold very well here, I could go out right now and find one running around somewhere... I would say the higher price has something to do with it, BUT... The majority of the last gen Sonatas I see running around were either GLS or LX models, so the price was up in that range anyhow. (but still less, since they did have rebates then.)I guess I can live without rebates if I end up with a lower sticker price... We'll see how that strategy works out for these guys, (and GM too! lol)

[ColonelPanic]

Quote »Wednesday, October 12, 2005Mark this year on your calendar.It's when Hyundai finally produced a sedan that, in many ways, beats Toyota and Honda at their own game -- and does it for less money and more content and looks, too.It's the Hyundai Sonata and everything you've heard or read about this car being the biggest threat to Japan ever is right on the money.Another good review.

[ColonelPanic]

If they wanted to ruin a perfectly good Sonata, they should have just given it to me. http://www.mph-online.com/web/prtranslated/00210Yuck. If it weren't for the graphics/paint/whatever they put on it, those nasty black wheels, and the fact that they put blue crap all over a black car, it wouldn't be half bad.

[ColonelPanic]

Click And Clack seem to have liked it.