#730 of 743 My 2006 Hyundai Sonata Review by manofsteel2k6 May 21, 2005 (1:34 pm)
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I just got back from test driving a brand new 06' GLS V6. Man was I impressed.
First off let me give my thoughts on the interior. To the people who think the interior is sub par, I really dont see where you are getting that. I sat in an LX and the leather was very comfortable, and the seems were all tight and even. I have driven both the Camry and Accord recently, and I will say this. The materials in the Sonata are better than the Accord. But I do think the Camrys interior was of a little better quality. But its close. I also test drove, an Altima, Mazda 6 and a Galant, and I can honestly say The new Sonatas interior is far above those makes(especially the Galant which I found to be especially poor). The only think I found to be chincy was the interior door handles, they did seem to be made of cheap materials. But that was not enough for me to think poorly of the whole interior.
On the exterior, the car really does look much nicer in person than it does in photos. It looks nothing like a 300m or an Elantra like someone said. To me it looks like a cross between an Accord and a Audi A6. The cars is very well put together. The doors are much heavier than my 02'. The 16" wheels on the GLS I drove are ugly. I never really liked Hyundais alloy wheels, and this model is no different. Although the LX 17in wheels were sharp.
The car accelerated and shifted great. Plenty of guts. The car will actually throw you in your seat a little. The car took bends like a sports car. It also has to be the quietest car I have ever driven. Braking felt fine. All in all I was very impressed, and I really wasnt sure I would be before I drove it. I had almost talked myself into waiting for the Ford Fusion. Also the Stero system sounded very good. Much better than my 02', and I have always been happy with my 02' system so thats saying something.
Anyway, if you all get a chance to drive one, do it. It is a great car.
#731 of 743 Drove a GLS V6 today by buzzard767 May 21, 2005 (3:22 pm)
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Nice car. It looks much better than can be seen in the pictures. Interior and trunk room were larger than anticipated. Handling was very good. Power more than adequate. The dealer offering price was BS but after a little bargaining I got them to offer a trade-in $3000 more than the beater is worth. Bottom line is that I could get the car (actually, I would be ordering an LX) for about $1000 under retail. I think that's reasonable for a new upgraded model so I might go for it. Incentives will likely kick in after 05's are all sold but I can't wait. The beater's A/C system is at about 50%. Summer's here and this is Florida......
Buzz
#732 of 743 13 4-cylinders in stock! by z9z9z9z9 May 21, 2005 (6:13 pm)
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The Hyundai dealer in Roseville, MN has 13 GL and GLS 4-cylinders in stock. I was expecting maybe 1 V6, so this was a surprise.
I drove a GLS. The 4 cylinder seems slow and noisy to me, but I'm used to my V6 Accord, so it's probably not any slower than a 4-cylinder Accord or Camry. It's smooth enough, but it sounds like a motorcycle at full throttle. I guess I forgot what a 4 sounds like.
The ride is better than my Accord, and it's slightly quieter, but the handling isn't as sharp. It drives like a bigger car, but the interior room seems about the same. The trunk is huge, and nicely trimmed, including the lid.
The build quality looks good. Hyundai seems to have given up on their obsession with tight exterior panel gaps - the new car is more like a Honda in this respect. Not bad, but not like the 2005.
The cars I looked at were silver, gray, beige, Dark Cinnamon, and Dark Water Blue. Dark Water Blue is so dark it looks almost black. Dark Cinnamon is really dark too. The darker colors show a fair amount of orange peel, but this is typical.
The interior is very nice. Everything is really solid, except the center console which moves around under the shift lever, which doesn't move. This is strange, but it didn't really bother me. Both the gray and beige interiors are nice, but I liked the fake carbon fiber trim in the gray interior better than the fake wood in the beige interior. The plastic on the top of the dash and doors seems as good as in my Accord, but the lower dash and doors are pretty hard and cheap looking.
The cloth seats are nice, but not as rich looking as the Accord. They look durable. The dash - instruments, radio, and HVAC controls - all look better in person than in the pictures, but the silver finish plastic door latches look cheap.
I liked the 16" alloy wheels on the GLS too. They look boring in pictures, but in person they look like "real" alloy wheels instead of cheap OEM wheels.
That's all I can think of right now. Ask me questions and I will try to remember...
