2006 Hyundai Sonata Review

Specifications

Long-Term Fleet Growing in Numbers if not Vehicle Size

Good news! The long-term fleet is expanding, at least in our Midewest office. Added to the garage is a new 2007 Toyota Yaris five-door hatchback plus a new 2007 Honda Fit, standard with five doors and a hatch. To have the top-seller in the subcompact class, the Yaris, alongside a new Honda Fit, which is sure to rival for best-selling status, is an opportunity too good to pass up. Therefore, expect regular updates on these two vehicles starting this week.

On the other side of the country, we dont know how much longer the West Coast Office will have our long-term Sonata around, and will lament the day it goes as its been a great traveling companion. Just the same, a tight traveling schedule and a number of other press cars in the West Coast garage that needed our attention (OK, I fell head-over-heals for a new Audi A8L and was lost in blissful oblivion for a week - Ed.) made it so the Hyundai didnt see as much use as it did during the weeks prior, up to 5,336 miles total from 5,164 miles for an additional 172 miles on the odometer.

And now for the logs:

Odometer: 5,172 miles

Jennifer: The Sonata certainly shifts smoothly. Weve had a number of luxury cars recently, I mean really expensive ones, and this $20-something-K sedan feels as velvety smooth off the line as most of them. Its ride is wonderful too. Where the extra $50K is especially noticeable is in interior design, materials quality and overall quietness. Still, for $20,745, the price of our GL V6 tester with power glass sunroof (only $600 extra) and leather included, I defy anyone to find a better four-door mid- to full-size sedan.

Odometer: 5,213 miles

Trevor: Yes, I have to agree with Jennifer, and like my dear wife Ill miss the Sonata when Hyundai asks for it back, but shhhh… dont say anything… maybe theyve forgotten we have it. If anyone has noticed, were way beyond the six months initially allotted to us. Actually, its going on eight months. We took possession of it back at the end of August with 1,193 miles already on the odometer, and have added 4,020 miles since (at the time of this log entry - Ed.) - a respectable number. Funny thing, I wanted it for a long-term car as soon as I drove it at the launch program in San Francisco, early last year, and am still just as pleased with it. It has been absolutely trouble free… not even a hiccup. Alas, it inevitably has to go back, which is a shame.

Odometer: 5,243 miles

Alexandra: OK, can I put dibs on an Accent or Elantra if we get another long-term Hyundai. I love the Sonata, but its big, powerful V6 uses more gas than my budget can sustain - after all, Im a hard-working girl just starting out in a swanky downtown apartment. Once I pay the rent and utilities theres not much money left over for luxuries. And how about a gas allowance?! OK, that may be pushing it. But bucking up for the occasional spin in the Sonata is worth it. While its not the hottest car out there, I really enjoy its practicality factor and, dare I say once again, the seat warmers. Even though its now April, its still rainy and a little chilly here on the Wet Coast, so anything to warm my early mornings as I commute to work heats up my monotonous day. I dont have as much time anymore to aimlessly drive up to Whistler just for the heck of it, due to my 8-430pm job, but getting me from point A to B is more than enough to keep me satisfied with the Sonata.

Odometer: 5,264 miles

Trevor: Gas allowance… ha, ha, ha… what a brutal boss, no? But I can remember back to a time when I was struggling as a restaurant waiter in my early to mid 20s, and while the social life was awesome my paycheck was, well, not as awesome. Cest la vie dans la grande ville. But the opportunity to segue from my “life in the big city” line is just too good to pass up, when factoring in that Im driving through the downtown core right now (well actually Ive just pulled over to enjoy a highly toxic lunch from one of my favorite fast food outlets). The Sonata, despite its largish proportions, is an easy car to negotiate around densely trafficked city streets or maneuver through cramped inner-city parking lots. Its steering is lightweight and turning circle surprisingly tight, plus the audio system pulls in AM radio stations without static - important for getting all the latest info on why the Canucks arent going to make the playoffs, not to mention all of the reasons why some left-leaning Liberal radio hack feels Harper hasnt done a very good job executing the first few weeks of his Prime Ministerial mandate - hey, this is Canada, be nice and give the guy at least a few months before you nag like a bunch of old nannies. I mean, can it get any worse than Chretiens government or the bumbling whats his name that followed? This country… I love it, but people… oh… where was I? I suppose talk radio affects my heart-rate too much, had better change over to the FM dial and get deep into some tunes.

Odometer: 5,285 miles

Jennifer: Yes old man, turn on the tunes (preferably not classic rock) and let your bristly, graying hair down… metaphorically being that it stands up on end almost all the time. Ive been a long-time supporter of the Sonatas audio system, but have to continue to harp on the Korean company to make an in-dash six-disc CD changer optional. This is just too much of a hassle, unless you give me a plug-in for my MP3 player. I suppose I could burn a whole bunch of MP3s onto a CD, but this is a pain to do as well. After all, Im a mother of a toddler, kindergarten age kid and “tweenager”, when do I have time to burn CDs. Get me a six-disc stacker and while youre at it, add a channel/track changer to the steering wheel controls. That might even be a bigger oversight.

Odometer: 5,311 miles

Trevor: Whew! Caught her on a bad day… but I have to admit that Jennifer has made two very good points. Were not talking rocket science here; as such features have been on rival midsize sedan option lists for years now. Hyundai needs to get with the program. Then again, maybe they know something that we dont? Could their regular customer base not care about such frivolities? After all, at the price of a Sonata, even fully loaded, is a DIY single-disc CD player with MP3 compatibility not an issue? I pretty well just tune into the radio anyway, as Im always forgetting my CD case somewhere and therefore rarely have it on me.

Odometer: 5,336 miles

Trevor: Wow, it is past two weeks now and I need to publish this long-term update. Enjoyed a great drive out to the in-laws on Sunday, from my house to the other side of the city. The Sonata was fully-loaded, Jennifer up front in the passengers seat, and three kids in back, lots of fun. This is a wide, accommodating car, ideal for families like ours. Even the trunk was filled to the brim, easily managing all of our stuff. Youd think we were going away for the weekend or something, but not so. Any parent knows exactly what Im talking about. It takes a multitude of bags in order to have everything “needed” for an afternoon excursion. The Sonata hauled everything we needed with ease, and gave me that extra satisfaction of knowing it would get me there and back safely, thanks to its deft handling and myriad of standard airbags, and without incident. Yeah, its part of the family now.