Proud owner of 2004 Sonata

Well I picked up my new 2004 4cyl Auto Sonata today.
Standard with :-
Front Fog Lights, ABS Brakes, Passenger Air Bag. Alarm system.

Options:- Spoiler (Not installed yet) Tinted Windows, Rear Mudflaps,
Dashmat, Floor mats.

Aftermarket Alloy wheels installed tommorrow 17 inch wheels with 225/45
tyres :-

I will post some pics then.

First impressions and comparisons (to 1999 Sonata):-

It is a good looking car. Front is beautiful, love those headlights
Clear side indicators are cool.

It seems huge, inside and out.. Lots of leg room Front and Back, Front Seats
are much better... Boot is bigger, struts are big improvement over the old
hinges.

Electric Boot and Fuel Cap opening is cool..

Sound system sounds pretty good, Radio sound quality excellent.
Quiet inside, Road and engine noise is vastly improved..

Dash layout is good, Looks great when backlit at night..
Digital odometer looks classy.

Air conditioning controls are improved.

Driving:-
Size and weight will take a while to get used too, seems heavier in the
steering.

Ride quality is excellent, even over speedbumps.

Look for some pics tommorrow
JasonOZ

 

Congratulations!. Look forward to the pictures and your impressions as
the days and weeks go by.

 

Here are the pics..

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~jasonking3/Sonata/

Went for a short drive on the highway today, Very quiet at 100kph Ride
quality is excellent..

<snip>

 

Nice little webpage. well done Jason.
i'm not a big wheel and low profile tyre sort of person. The roads are
too rough for that, but they do look handsome enough.
Sorry to say it but white is just such a bland colour these days. we
bought our Accent because my wife and i just loved the shade of green
that it was.

I have a homepage
http://ii.net/~farmerjim/
It may be ordinary but it's better than nothing.

 

Jason,
I think your car looks sharp, and I happen to like it in white. I'll be
deciding over the next month or so whether I'm getting the Sonata (V6)
or XG350, but if the Sonata, I may just go white because yours looks so
sharp. Really like the wheels, I might consider doing that also. Did
you get woodgrain for dash?

 

Standard trim, no woodgrain, I am happy with the interior the way it is...

 

17 inch is as big as i will go for wheels on our local roads (Rockhampton
QLD BTW)

Ride quality may suffer (I didn't notice it though) BUT handling is
improved, Cornering is much better. (Round'a'bouts are where i noticed it
the most, and rapid changes of direction.)
It's probably all in my head ) but the car didn't feel as heavy in the
steering today. (Wheels are probably a bit lighter)

Colour is a very personal thing. I like classic White. I think the
Silver is nice though.

If you keep the car clean and tyres black (I use Cheap aerosol spray stuff
$2.95 a can) & you have tinted windows, i think it just looks classy.

JasonOz

 

XG350 is called Grandeur in Australia. They are very luxurious, but i have
never really liked the "look" of the car. Also a bit out of my Price range..
:-(