2006 Hyundai Sonata Review

Specifications

Top-Tier Safety Makes the Sonata a Sound Bet

One of the reasons why Hyundai continually keeps its Sonata on top of the sales charts is because when developing the new model its engineers occupied themselves as much with safety as its designers focused on style. The result of their preoccupation are top marks in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations (NHTSA) front and side impact crash tests, achieving a five-star rating; the best performance possible*. The Sonata also scores well in rollover resistance tests, managing a slightly less than ideal four-star rating.

The Sonata scored well, partially due to its six standard airbags, including dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags, plus active front-seat head restraints. Additional passive safety features include shingle-style rear seat head restraints for improved visibility, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, front-seat seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, and a rear-seat LATCH system for child seats; the latter items also extremely easy to use. Interestingly, the cost of prepping the Sonata for the NHTSAs tests included internally crash testing 300 new Sonatas in both front and side collisions.

Fortunately, our long-term Sonata GLS V6 hasnt had to endure a crash test; an experience that none of our West Coast journalists would want to encounter. Rather, we just like driving it, something we more of during the past two weeks than we have in recent months. When we last updated the log entries, a total of 4,714 miles were on the odometer. Now it reads 5,164 miles, for a total of 450 miles added. While this may not seem like a great deal of driving to some, it would equal almost 12,000 miles per year if sustained - about average. And now, for more detailed coverage, here are the logs:

Odometer: 4,751 miles

Trevor: After ridding ourselves of the smart coupe, a literal nonstarter, we received yet another smart fortwo, this time a cabriolet model. Fortunately it started each and every time, resulting in the only smart vehicle weve had in the test pool yet that has run without problem - one out of four isnt bad. Just the same, its rather tiny dimensions meant it stayed in the garage most of the week starting March 13th and ending on the 20th, causing us to rack up more miles on our Sonata as well as our other tester. Interestingly, when needing to take my five-year old son up to our local ski hill for his second day of lessons, the road conditions were so slippery, according to the parks entry gate sentries, that the Sonata and its all-seasons were turned away. After meeting up with Jennifer to trade vehicles - she was down the road in a new Pontiac Torrent crossover - I had no problem getting through past the guards. Although the Torrent was only equipped with front-wheel drive, just like the Sonata, its tires were better suited to snow and ice while its traction and stability control made climbing the steep grade much easier than the Sonata would have been. While traction and stability control is available as part of a premium package, our long-term Sonata GLS V6 wasnt optioned out to include such safety features, therefore it sat at home while I went up and down the mountain multiple times that week. While this was frustrating, I can understand why Hyundai doesnt simply make traction and stability control standard, being that it would be the only car in its class that did, causing the Sonatas price to be less competitive than it is.

Odometer: 4,800 miles

Jennifer: Ive been spending a lot more time in the Sonata now that Trevor needs the SUV to drive Kaden to ski lessons, which is fine by me. While I like the Torrent, the Sonata is faster, smoother, and generally more comfortable. The lack of traction control can be a bit embarrassing when taking off quickly, however, as sometimes its powerful engine produces wheel-spin which causes all passersby and adjacent drivers to stare. While Ive never been one to shy away from attention, making a name for smoky burnouts has never been part of my personal mandate.

Odometer: 4,824 miles

Jennifer: Time for a cleaning, the Sonata has been the sole family hauler all week and therefore has suffered through a number of in-car lunches. Im usually fairly good at getting the food into my mouth even when behind the wheel, but Kaden (5) and Anika (2) are a little less adept. Kaden is capable of doing so, and normally doesnt drip all over himself unless engrossed in the meal to the point his mind is lost in the moment, although hell toss his garbage aside without a care as soon as that food is ingested and he no longer has use for its containers. Anika, on the other hand, is only in the initial stages of physical coordination despite having the vocabulary of a five-year old, the result of which is all-too-often goop running down the side of the car seat, pooling up underneath. The sorry state of the seating surface when the child safety seat is finally removed can be shocking, but thanks to a durable leather covering, it washes easily without a trace of evidence. That washing process, mind you, is what our long-term Sonata now needs. Trevor!!! Where is he when you need him?

Odometer: 4,854 miles

Trevor: Yes dear? OK, Id admit to being whipped if it were true, but in reality I cant stand driving around in something dirty so I just have to clean it out. Jennifer knows this, of course, and therefore makes sure to “need” the other car when the Sonata gets particularly nasty. Still, like Jennifer was alluding to, cleaning the goop off the seats didnt take long and resulted in like-new gray leather, although getting the dirt out of the carpets took a little more work. All the same, it was good to get into the Sonata drivers seat after a few days with the Torrent. Its not that I dont like Pontiacs new crossover SUV, I actually like it quite a bit; but its a bit of a slug when right foot hits the pedal and its refinement, especially the drivetrain, leave a lot to be desired. The Sonata, on the other hand, is about as refined as this class gets.

Odometer: 4,918 miles

Jennifer: Ive been busy, sorry for not writing much in the last hundred or so kilometers. Just the same, there hasnt been much to write about. Its now the weekend, so weve been tripping around town a lot. Now Trevors preparing for a rather long four-day trip to the nations capital, one that he now informs me will require him to leave the Sonata at the airport. I wonder what Ill be stuck with. 

Odometer: 4,963 miles

Jennifer: I have to admit to missing the open cargo space of an SUV once again. I went to Ikea again, picked up a few things and ran out of room in the trunk. Its not like the Sonatas trunk is small or anything, actually, at 16.3 cu-ft it is actually fairly large, but its cargo capacity is not as accommodating as our previous Mitsubishi Endeavor. Cest la vie. As much as I like the Sonata I do miss the Endeavor.

Odometer: 5,024 miles

Trevor: Its been awhile since going on a trip, and Ive lost the effortless pre-travel rhythm that came on a couple of days prior to getting on the plane. Now I find myself running around to pick up stuff Ill need, making sure enough articles are loaded up into our news and review feeds so that Im not having to work as much when Im gone, and generally trying to remember all that Ill need while Im away. And its only been about a month since my last trip… how quickly I get out of travel shape. The Sonata has served as a good task runner today, clocking up a few miles on the odometer as I tool around the city collecting stuff for my trip; some that Ill be taking with me and other items to be left at home for Jennifer and the kids. While I wouldnt say the Sonatas seats are the most comfortable Ive ever been in, or even the best in its class, I rarely feel any back pain after even a day behind the wheel; something I cant say for every car I test.

Odometer: 5,069 miles

Jennifer: Its been awhile since I commended Hyundai for the Sonatas superb sounding audio system. Yes, Im not all that thrilled with the lack of a station/CD track selector button on the steering wheel controls, or the fact that a dash-mounted multi-disc CD changer cant be had either, but the system sounds great. I just found my old New Order CD - been lost for awhile - and appreciated the Sonatas ability to play it load and clear.

Odometer: 5,098 miles

Trevor: Got off early this morning, so now that Im sitting in the airport parking lot Ive got a few minutes to kill before the shuttle arrives. I left Jennifer with the recently updated Lexus RX 350 - basically the same crossover SUV as the RX 330, but with a larger, more powerful V6 under the hood - and shes happy enough. Shes an SUV kind of girl, which works for me as Im just as good with the Sonata. Im off to the nations capital to drive the new FJ Cruiser, Yaris four-door sedan, as well as the king of midsize cars, Toyotas Camry. It will be interesting to see how the new Camry does against the Sonata, being that the Sonata has arguably past the outgoing Camry in many respects. This said, Toyotas midsize champ is about five years old while Hyundais is barely a year into its cycle, the Japanese automaker having had the last twelve months to make certain its new 2007 Camry is better than the Sonata, as well as any other midsize contender. Still, it will come down to how much better the Camry is, as the Sonata will still be the value leader from a price per feature perspective. Oh, I had best be going as I dont want to have to rush too much. Travel is so much more enjoyable when kept at a steady, even pace.

Odometer: 5,148 miles

Trevor: Alright, Im beyond tired. And it wasnt because of my flight, which was quite relaxing. I finally completed Dan Browns “The da Vinci Code”, although I was relying on this time to get some writing of my own done. One of the stories on my agenda is the new Camry I spoke of just before leaving. How much better is it than the Sonata? This is difficult to quantify without having the two models together to be driven back-to-back, and Toyota didnt have any competitors available during our half-day test. To me, its a tossup as to which car looks better, with my initial nod going to the Hyundai. But thats on the outside. Inside the Toyota is the hands-down winner, thanks to a cabin that makes the current Lexus ES 330 seem frumpy. Its seats are more comfortable too, and leather richer to match its higher quality plastics. Performance? Again, its difficult to say. The Sonata is hardly a slouch, as youve heard time and time again during these updates, but its up against some stiff competition in the top-line 268-horsepower Camry. Id love to put these two head-to-head on a racetrack, as sometimes larger numbers dont result in quicker performance. Also, it should be mentioned that the Camry will start a few thousand more than the Sonata at the bottom end, and at the top end cost some $6,000 more, or so. This will be the deciding difference to some in opting for the Sonata. As far as reliability goes, the Sonata doesnt need to take a back seat to any rival, not even the revered Camry. So, it will come down to priorities when it comes to choosing between them. And dont question whether or not Toyota takes the Sonata seriously. They do, with most admitting, in the quiet of one-on-one company, that its one of the Camrys main competitors. I agree, and couldnt make up my mind which one Id rather own. And then theres resale value, which is difficult to factor due to both models being too new to judge. The initial nod would have to go to the Camry, as it has traditionally held its value stronger after three years.

Odometer: 5,164 miles

Jennifer: Ah, the Sonata is back. Im off for the day, and Trevors paying for being away by taking the kids for the afternoon and evening. Having spent most of the week in a Lexus, Im once again surprised at how luxuriously appointed the Sonata is, and even more amazed at how smoothly this car rides. Of course, the Lexus I drove was a crossover, giving the edge to a traditional four-door sedan, but the Sonata feels so comfortable on the highway that Im wondering why anyone would want to pay more for a luxury car. I suppose theres more to luxury than a comfortable ride, but the Sonata delivers on those other items too. Of course, its attributes arent lost on consumers, which is why its selling so well. Another example of the adage, “Never underestimate the consumer” - are you listening GM? Yes, Im still wondering why anyone would buy an Impala when cars like the Sonata are available for less. I suppose not everyone reads this column.