2015 Sonata poor direction stability in crosswinds - Normal?

nwbear

I took a 2015 Sonata 1.6 Eco for a test drive today. The car had many things to like, especially the drivetrain. Plenty of power, good throttle response and shifts that were amazing quick and almost imperceptible. The ride was also good and it was very quiet.

What was lacking was directional stability. There were crosswinds on the freeway and the Sonata was a chore to drive requiring constant steering corrections to keep the car in the lane. At first I thought that the winds might have been exceptionally strong, but they were only 10-15mph. I took my old Infiniti I30 on the freeway immediately afterwards and it stayed planted in the lane despite the crosswinds. I could hardly tell the wind was blowing.

I've had this kind of problem with cars I've owned due to poor wheel alignment. Is this something you Sonata owners experience or was it only a problem with this individual car?

stever

Sometimes dealers don't properly prep new cars - in this case, maybe they didn't air down the tires (they typically are "over" inflated for shipping so they won't flat spot). Although you said the ride was good, did you drive over any rough patches of road?

Best try another.

nwbear

Any 2015 Sonata owners out there? What's your experience?

[Deleted User]

I just got my Eco this Monday and so far I didn't notice the problem you have. I mostly drive between 25-60 mpg, and it is very smooth (compared to my previous 2013 Elantra limit). However, I do notice that the car is somehow sluggish at the very slow speed... I did some researches online and apparently it is normal for this engine.

thecardoc3

Crosswind issues are becoming more common with the small SUV's because of the size of the vehicle and the fact that they are so much lighter then they used to be. Some manufacturers have been addressing the issue better than others. Ford uses the electronic power steering and the inputs from steering angle and torque sensors to learn road crown or crosswind issues and the computer takes over holding the car in a straight line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRQfQj_2gw

nwbear

In this case the vehicle weight isn't causing the problem. The Sonata Eco weighs in at 3250 lbs. My I30 is only about 80lbs more. I've also owned a 1987 Camry (2700lbs) and a 1991 Accord (2850lbs) and none of them were particularly susceptible to crosswinds.

nwbear

A 2nd, extended test drive of another Sonata Eco confirmed the directional stability problem. I drove it for maybe 40 minutes on smooth roads, including about 20 miles of freeway. Even without crosswinds the Sonata required constant attention to keep it centered in the lane on the freeway. On straight sections it didn't track well and wandered, requiring regular steering corrections to maintain a straight line. The steering had very little self centering and the car felt darty rather than stable.

This test drive uncovered a real issue with the drivetrain, however. I was turning left after exiting the freeway and a truck was coming at about 50mph. I still had plenty of time and floored it to check out the acceleration. Rather than moving the Sonata rolled slowly forward for a good 2 seconds. I slammed on the brakes and waited for the truck to pass. It was not a confidence building experience.

Repeated acceleration tests from a dead stop confirmed the 2+ second delay before the car started moving after flooring the pedal. A brand new 2015 Sonata 2.0T owner at the dealership asked me about the driving experience and was surprised when I told her about the delay. She said her car responded almost immediately when she stomped on the pedal. I've read several comments about hesitation, but had no idea it was this bad.

Before you buy a Sonata 1.6 Eco, make sure you can live with the poor steering and significant hesitation.

jlflemmons

Our 2.4L Sport is very stable in cross wind. Just a few days ago the toll road (80mph speed limit) had a really strong cross wind and it seemed stable. Then again, at 80mph the car may have been getting a wee bit of downforce? Couldn't be much, though.

stever

There may be some transmission "learning" going on too, @nwbear.

Sounds like it's best that you keep looking though!