mmarshall

A Mini-Review of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/sonata/sonata.aspx


In a Nutshell: Basically a facelifted version of the 2008 Sonata, with a new dash and suspension.















This will not be a long, detailed review and list of specs like I usually do. I took a new 2009 Sonata Limited out today for a brief test-drive, mainly for my own curiosity, as I did not have a formal review request from anyone (a few CL members have recently bought new Sonatas and will post pictures and reviews of their own). I myself was interested in the new Sonata as a possible purchase or lease, although my next car will more likely be another Subaru. The one I took out was a red Limited model with 4-cylinder automatic....the fours are handily outselling the V6's with the current high gas prices. Interior was beige leather with wood trim. I did not keep it out long enough for a formal review, either (good thing, because a seriously interested buyer was waiting for it when I got back), but I did have it out long enough to get some good impressions. I also looked at a number of other Sonatas on the lot but did not actually drive them.

I'll share my findings with you below.



PLUSSES:


Careful, precise factory assembly quality with little evidence of goofs.

Superbly handsome styling, front and rear (IMO).

Excellent paint job, especially the red, white pearl, and blue silver colors.

Hood struts instead of a prop-rod.

Top-quality bodywork, sheet metal, trim, and exterior hardware.

Plush-looking dash, console, and door-panel trim, especially in the Limited beige/wood interior model.

Responsive, torquey four cylinder engine.

Firm brake pedal; much better than past Hyundais.

Reasonable room underhood.

Excellent space efficiency inside.

Plenty of front/rear headroom/legroom even with sunroof.

Clear gauges.

Well-marked buttons and controls, though a litle more complex with NAV version.

Nice stereo sound quality.

Generally smooth, quiet ride.

Well-finished, generally roomy trunk.

Long Hyundai warranty.

Better-than-average reliability record.

Still reasonably-priced, though a little higher than past years.

Factory rebates and incentives available even on new 2009's.








MINUSES:


Fake-Wood trim available only in Limited trim model.

New firmer suspension and 55-series tires on Limited and SE models not as smooth-riding as last year.
(GLS model retains the smoother 60-series tires)

Still mediocre handling/steering response in spite of new firmer suspension and tires.

Manual transmission shift lever has awkward, super-long throws (DEFINITELY get the automatic).

Steering wheel has too-thin a rim for comfort and an awkward feel.....no BMW here.

Blue, low-contrast transmission gear-indicator/odometer on dash hard to read at a glance.

Primary gauges and needles, IMO, not as attractive-looking as last year.

Low-budget, fixed, non-swiveling outside mirrors (remember my recent article on automotive cost-cutting?)

Cheap-looking/feeling, grainy seat leather.

Zig-zag shift-lever pattern (I prefer the traditional straight forward/back pattern).






VERDICT:

A handsome, space-efficient, well-made mid-sized family sedan that should give Accord and Camry good competition. Responsive engine and fairly smooth (not ultra-smooth) automatic, with road manners civilized and non-sporty despite the new-for-2009 firmer underpinnings. Dash and door panels noticeably more plush than 2008 model but rest of interior about average for the class, and cheaper-looking primary gauges. Hyundai prices climbing but still less than much of the competition....and rebate/incentives available.

Nextourer

Thanks for the quickie! The new Sonata is pretty impressive although I didn't like the new car smell in the one I sat in the autoshow. They had a black with beige leather on display.

From the pics, it looks like Hyundai was nice enough to put a high-res screen. Kudos to them!

mmarshall

Thanks.

Odd new-car smells have been an of-and-on problem for Hyundai for years now. The one in my red Sonata today was unusual but not objectionable.

The Limited, IMO, especially beige interior with wood, is more impressive inside than either the SE or GLS. One of my complaints with the new Sonata (and I listed it), is that this year the fake wood apparantly is only available on the top-line Limited, not on other versions like last year. The Limited beige interior (my favorite) comes with lighter-wood, the gray interior with darker grayish-wood.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

When we used to take in brand new cars from Honda, it smelled really bad and toxic. It wasn't until we removed all the protective plastic and sprayed some fabric protection or other spray in there that it starts to smell good. New cars simply don't smell good until after it is prepped. I used to hate prepping new cars because of the smell.

MD350

Nice write up. Thanks! I do like the looks of the new interior over last year's model. I rented an 07 V6 once and was impressed with the car overall.

I think these cars are a bargin. I buddy of mine is a sales rep, drove his 2001 Sonota up to 192,000 miles until the tranny died. He bought a 2008 Sonota 4 banger to replace his 2001 and it has been trouble free. As a sales rep, you know these cars take a beating and his 2 have held up pretty well.

So, thought I would add that to this thread as a good long term observation.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Everything Hyundai sells in the American market today, to some extent, is still a bargain, but the company's prices ARE going up. They are not quite the super-bargains they were up to just a couple of years ago.

mmarshall

Next planned review: Acura TL-S.

Nextourer

Love to see the greyish wood trim. I love the design. It's not as warm as a regular wood trim (walnut or maple) but it does match a light grey interior quite well.

mmarshall

The "grey" interior in the Sonata is quite dark....almost black.

Nextourer

ohh? hmm... was the "old" Sonata's grey interior light? I could've sworn I saw a light grey interior... well then, I must drop by the local Hyundai dealer to check it out.