Road Test: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited

I have always found the concept of journalistic impartiality to be somewhat at cross purposes with my mission as a car reviewer. Am I not bound by my partiality to guide what are, in essence, my opinions? While you digest that notion we can also get to my opinions of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited that I recently tested for a week.

Now, my test Sonata came to me with two strikes against it and those were the interior and exterior colors. First off, I think the Sonata's styling looks good in dark colors but in the pearl white it just looks like something that recently crawled its way out of a South Korean fish market.

And while Hyundai offers very nice black or tan interior color schemes, my test unit came with "wine" colored leather which to my eyes looked decidedly purple. So right off the bat this car was not exactly my cup of tea. These sort of trivial matters do, unfortunately, paint how you feel about driving a car for a week.

So now that you know I am very picky about colors we can get down to figuring out why this family sedan has captured the imagination of U.S. family sedan buyers. Recently the Sonata usurped the Altima's position as the 3^rd bestselling family sedan in this country but I wonder, what with the recent introduction of the hyper stylish 2011 Kia Optima, will it be able to maintain its sales momentum long term?

Exterior Styling

Hyundai's new design direction was launched with the 2011 Sonata and you can see it in shrunk down form in the lines of the upcoming 2011 Elantra. While I think the Sonata is stylish, it is also very color sensitive which oddly isn't a problem with the new Elantra.

Personally, I prefer the lines of the new 2011 Kia Optima but I have heard auto journalists are split 50/50 as to which of these two new 2011 Korean family sedans they like better. The fact that they are both based on the same corporate platform bodes well for the separate brand identities that matter so much to consumers. Hyundai and Kia are definitely not guilty of any GM style badge engineering here.

At the very least the 2011 Hyundai Sonata looks like nothing else on the road.

Interior Design and Quality

Again, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited I tested was hampered by unfortunate looking "wine" leather trim that really disappointed. Seriously, buy your Sonata with a more traditional interior hue and you will be much happier. Unfortunately the leather in my test unit felt more like vinyl than real cowhide which is odd because that is definitely not the case in the new 2011 Optima.

Otherwise, interior ergonomics were spot-on and even though the air conditioning controls look suspiciously like those also used by Volvo, the Sonata does a good job of integrating style with function. Unfortunately there is an overabundance of hard plastic on display and the optional navigation screen could be a little bit bigger.

The back-up camera, however, had a very handy function where the yellow and red guide lines curve to the right or the left as you reversed out of a parking spot in either direction. As long as you follow those lines you know exactly where the car will be turning. This feature could save you from the shame and horror of bumper dents and scraped alloy wheels.

Pricing, Features and Fuel Economy

My test Limited model started at $25,995 and came equipped with leather seats, dual zone climate control, rear seat A/C vents, 8-way power driver's seat, heated front/rear seats, Bluetooth, USB/iPod integration, a sunroof and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels among other things. Maddeningly enough, Hyundai charges an additional $200 for the "privilege" of having your Sonata painted in pearl white. No thank you.

I do, however, highly recommend the $2,100 Navigation Package which also includes a crisp 400-watt Infinity audio system, back-up camera and quite obviously an in-dash navigation unit. The inclusion of this option package did ultimately push my tester's MSRP above $28,000 which seemed a little steep to me given the abundance of hard plastics on display.

Fuel economy was also disappointing with 22.6 miles per gallon falling well short of the 22 city/35 highway estimate from the EPA. Granted, most of my time was spent driving around town and the Sonata enjoys a nice cruising range thanks to an 18.5 gallon fuel tank.

Driving Impressions

This is an area where the Sonata really can't compete with the much sportier and more composed 2011 Kia Optima. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is clearly engineered with ride comfort in mind as the steering and suspension calibrations scream "Camry" much louder than "Accord." Braking feel and power could also do with a bit of an improvement as well.

The scariest aspect of the 2011 Sonata is how it behaves when going over large potholes as one particularly nasty section of road near my home proved all too well. During one particularly nasty encounter the whole car shook, it veered into the lane next to mine and the vehicle bucked so violently that my dog was thrown from the back seat. She was not amused.

Steering feel is light so it makes parking lot maneuvers a snap but there is little in the way of precision or feel.
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is very comfortable and quiet on the road but it never really calls out for you to drive it. While that isn't in and of itself a bad thing, why buy a boring to drive family sedan when you can get something better?

How Dog and Family Friendly Is It?

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has a class leading trunk with 16.4 cubic feet of cargo space and there is also plenty of room to stretch out in the back seat. Admittedly, the swooping rear lines do make ingress/egress from the back seats harder than in the 2011 Optima but once seated there is plenty of hip room for three adults.

Now, the Sonata does appear expertly assembled but some of the plastics used on the center console and door panels appeared easy to scratch. Also, the piano black trim on the dashboard is a magnet for dirty fingerprints (which children always have).

Conclusion

Now, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is a perfectly capable family hauler that suffers from a few shortfalls in some key areas. Its biggest problem, unfortunately, is that the 2011 Kia Optima EX that I tested the week after suffered from none of these concerns. So Hyundai should be less concerned with the competition at Honda, Toyota and Nissan and more concerned with what corporate cousin Kia is up to.

Vehicle Tested: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited

Base Price: $25,295

Price as Tested: $28,415 (including destination)

Options on Test Vehicle: Navigation Package--$2,100 (includes touchscreen navigation, XM traffic/sports, 400-watt Infinity audio system, back-up camera), floormats--$100, pearl white paint--$200

Engine: 2.4 liter direct injected 4-cylinder

Power: 200 horsepower/186 lb. feet of torque

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

0-60: 6.9 seconds (estimated)

EPA Fuel Economy: 22 city/35 highway

Economy as Tested: 22.6 miles per gallon

Runs on: Regular Unleaded

Fuel Tank Size: 18.5 gallons

Trunk Size: 16.4 cubic feet

Curb Weight: 3,300 lbs. (estimated)

Crash Test Ratings: IIHS "Top Safety Pick"

Warranty: 5 years/60,000 mile bumper to bumper

10 year/100,000 mile powertrain

Assembled in: Montgomery Alabama

North American Parts Content: 41%

Vehicle Provided by: Hyundai