How much better is the '06 Sonata?

Hi all.

As noted in a previous post, Hyundai Sonata has captured my interest
with the great reviews and impressive equipment list on its re-designed
'06 model. It looks and sounds so good on paper that I am thinking
about buying one.

This despite the fact that I have never driven a Hyundai, until
recently I never seriously considered one, my current Chevy is fully
adequate and it would take some penny-pinching to afford a new Sonata.

All that leads up to the question: Just how big an improvement is the
'06 Sonata over previous generations? It's roomier, the standard
equipment, especially safety equipment, is clearly better and the mpg
has risen, at least per the EPA. With all that the price is still quite
reasonable, at least for the base 4-cylinder.

Is the '04 or '05 Sonata worth looking into? I'd like to hear from
anyone who has driven both the '06 and also the previous generation
Sonata. Are there any trade-offs for all the improvements, i.e. ways in
which the earlier Sonata is better than the '06?

Thanks for all advice.

Regards,
Eric M

 

I drive a 2004 Sonata LX that I bought new and that I love. It has
been perfect. No complaints. BUT, I have driven a friend's 2006 Sonata
LX, and I consider it a distinct step up in several regards. I
especially like the power delivered with the new V6 (a full 65
horsepower increase) and the fact that the new bigger engine actually
gets better mileage.

Try one. It just feels like a more substantial car in every respect.
In my opinion, of course. I will probably get the new model next year.

 

Does it really get better mileage or are you just going on the EPA ratings?


Matt

 

Matt,

I saw you posted on the other Sonata string about mileage. My '06 gets 34
on the highway, which is better than the 33 claimed on the sticker. That's
with two people in the car. When it was FULLY loaded for our 700 mile
Christmas ride to Pa. and 3 adults aboard, it got 31.7. That's at 80 mph up
and down the mountains of Va. We live in the country and have to drive at
least 13 miles to anything, so I don't have a good city reading, but for
everyday travel for us, we get about 27 mpg.

Tom

 

I just bought a Sonata GL 4 cyls today. My other car is a V6 Camry. The
Sonata feels the same as the more powerful Toyota and I paid about 5000
less for it.
I am ecstatic by the new acquisition.

James.

 

Those parts of the quote in ( ) added by me.

No his 2006 gets better mileage than my 2004 in actual driving. It's
not a lot, just a couple of MPG, but in the meantime he has the
advantage of the great increase in power all the time.

 

tjnamtiw . . . do you have the V6 or the Inline-4 in your '06 Sonata?
We're considering the purchase of a Sonata GLS later in 2006. Of
course, we prefer the smoothness and power of the V6, but are concerned
about gas mileage and long-term maintenance cost differentials with the
V6. V-style engine designs are always more difficult to service than
an Inline-4. We currently own a '06 Elantra GLS, and like it well, and
are looking at adding a Sonata later this year.

Don

 

Yeah, better gas mileage, more power, more standard equipment, more
safety features, etc. for about the same price. (Comparing 'new'
prices, that is.) It almost makes you wonder where's the catch?.....

If I buy a car this year it will be a 2006 Sonata with the 4-cylinder.
It really looks almost too good to be true. I've never done this before
but I might schedule a test drive just to see how it handles on the
road, even though it will be at least spring before I could buy one. Is
that a sin of some kind?

Regards,
Eric M

 

Yeah, better gas mileage, more power, more standard equipment, more
safety features, etc. for about the same price. (Comparing 'new'
prices, that is.) It almost makes you wonder where's the catch?.....

If I buy a car this year it will be a 2006 Sonata with the 4-cylinder.
It really looks almost too good to be true. I've never done this before
but I might schedule a test drive just to see how it handles on the
road, even though it will be at least spring before I could buy one. Is
that a sin of some kind?

Regards,
Eric M

 

Sorry for the delay in answering. Yes, my Sonata is the 4 cyl. I don't see
ANY reason for the V6 except boosting one's ego to say the have more power,
even though more power is not needed. Hyundai does limit some 'extras' to
the V6 model only, but they are non-essentials in my book concidering all
the things that come on the 4 cylinder version.

 

We have a 6 cyl. on our 06 Sonata and our choice of the 6 has nothing
to do with"ego" (independent of the "non-essentials" as you describe,
that came with a 6 cylindert). Some driving situations, depending on
driver and conditions, may warrant and additional boost of power. We
drove the 4cyl. and found it, for our tastes, to noisy and
"overlabored" in some instances. We wanted a safe quiet and
comfortable car , and we have just that, an '06 6Cyl Sonata and we love
it........Doc

 

Ego? I'd say the ego is attached to the one who feels he can determine the
motives of others. Sorry - you missed.

The power is not needed? Maybe not for you. I was under-impressed with the
performance of the Hyundai 4 cylinder. As I have been with all 4 cylinders.
I don't want a car that works as hard as a 4 cylinder does when I step on
the pedal. Your driving style may differ greatly from mine, and for your
driving style *or*... <get this...> your driving *needs*, the 4 may well be
perfectly adequate. It's not up to you to decide what's adequate for others
though. Some actually need the increased power of a 6 cylinder. Some carry
bigger loads on a regular basis than you and a 6 cylinder makes a big
difference in how hard the car works. Some may like to get up to speed
faster than you, or pass a car without the inadequacy of a 4 cylinder
over-reving in the process. 6 cylinders perform much better in all of these
areas.

We aren't talking monster engines here - the 6 cylinder, even with its
increased horsepower over the 4 cylinder is far from an ego machine.

 

I echo your sentiments exactly, Mike. I think Tom might have some
"issues" himself, but we won't go there.

Where I live, in the traffic congested parts of NJ that I travel, I
consider the V6 to be a safety device for pulling out into traffic
without getting squashed. It's not about ego, it's about not getting
hit or killed.

If Tom came up behind me on the highway, and my "V6" emblem were to
scare him, I would gladly pull to the side and let him pass me. In
fact, most people pass me on the highway (I feel like a "Grandpa"
sometimes doing only 70-75 on the highway). I would even give up my V6
if I drove on the highway more than about 25% of the time. But I
absolutley feel safer and more secure (especially carrying my kids) with
the V6 for the other 75% of my driving.

Eric

 

The interesting thing is that the 4 cylinder engines of today have more
power than the 6 cylinder engines had just a few years ago...

Actually, my 4 cylinder Sonata accelerates nearly as hard as my 1970
Plymouth Fury III did and it had a 383 V-8 in it.


Matt

 

Why not get a V-8 then and be even safer?

Matt

 

Not really all that interesting, but it is true. The part your forgetting
about is that many vehicles today are heavier than they were just a few
years ago too.

 

Look, the bottom line is that I would have been happy with the 4, and the
gas mileage, if the darn thing could get out of its own way. I drove both
the auto and the manual 4, and the 6 before I made my purchase. Just
pulling out of the dealer's lot on to busy Rt. 1 made the decision fairly
easy.

If you don't need the power then, pardon the pun, more power to you.

Really, you can stop trolling now.

 

I don't think the Expedition outweighs a 1970 Fury III. I think
the bumpers on that outweighed my Sonata. ;-)


Matt

 

But you are so easy to troll.

It's easier to just admit that you wanted the extra power of the V-6.
Trying to make claims like safety, just makes you look silly.

Matt

 

Well aren't we superior and judgmental?

I drive the freeways of Southern California. It would be hard, I
think, to live in the U.S. and not be at least somewhat aware of what
a driving horror that is. I find the V6 gives me a bit more
"escapabilty" than does a four cylinder. And I do know the difference.
I drove a four for years, and was scared to death many times trying to
get out of situations caused by really bad drivers.

And the argument about going all the way to a V8 is specious and not
worthy of discussion, as well know.

Cheers