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Comments
Heard about the common complaints by consumers and few auto mobile magazine reviewers that
They need to improve the seats, need to spend some engineering dollars on refinement and dynamics of steering, and suspension, needing to upgrade the interior quality,
Realize they have an opportunity to compete head to head with Accord and Camry in not only competing and exceeding with a long list of features but also in driving dynamics and refinement!
BTW, the future dash picture is from the Veracruz. So it's lokely the 2009 Sonata's dash won't look exactly like that but the rumor is it will be inspired by the Veracruz.
I have not seen the Accord in person yet but speaking of door pulls...
2008 Accord
2004+ TL
And this is 2006+ Civic
I'm now wondering which car inspired Hyundai for that finish to the door pull.
PS. Chrome door pull was an Accord tradition, now replaced with a satin finish, looks similar to TL's.
Yes, I agree the plood on the Accord looks... um... substantial. Yes, that's it. So does the plood on my sister's vintage Buick.
That would be one of Buick's strength. Now, do you want me to tell you the weaknesses?
I think Honda went overboard on the amount of plood on the EX.
If this is going overboard...
What would Genesis represent?
Like I said earlier, Hyundai/Kia have a pretty good history on their side.
Hyundai got this one and with too much on-your-face shiny plastic. If thats the dash in 2008 Sonata, I wonder if reviewers and people around here will be complaining about too many buttons, small buttons, cluttered dash...
These photos remind me the Accord's interior looks better in grey/black, w/o all the plood, and the silvery trim better matches the door pulls. Also the grey dash doesn't make the all-black center console (w/o any silvery trim on the LX/LX-P) look as stark/cheap.
I guess it depends on whether you like the brushed aluminum look on a dash, ala Veracruz and Lexus, or the lots-of-black-plastic-buttoms look of the Accord. I think the Veracruz and Lexus look richer than the Accord's dash, but everyone's different.
The excessive plood that I was referring to on the Accord is on the doors--the big patch on the front and even bigger patch on the rear (not pictured). The amount on the dash is just about right.
Didn't I mention TL? It has had it, now fifth year in the running. And I didn't mention S2000. When did that car arrive?
Never associate Hyundai as being original with something. Chances are, I will end up beating the dead horse, again. :P
The excessive plood that I was referring to on the Accord is on the doors--the big patch on the front and even bigger patch on the rear (not pictured). The amount on the dash is just about right.
Is it worse than Sonata? What do you call that?
We need to be talking about the features and attributes of the subject vehicles. If feature1 in car1 was copied by the maker of car2 as feature2, who cares?? Why care? Isn't the point that the feature exists and is available to someone evaluating each car?
Please let's drop this line of argument. It's not the least bit helpful to anyone trying to choose between these two vehicles.
The middle picture is TL.
The third picture is from a Civic Coupe (Accord Coupe gets similar door handle). I didn't want to post interior picture of Civic sedan since it doesn't show the door pull. Plus, the idea was to relate Honda's existing (or past) design elements.
if the general consensus is that a hyundai fan is not going to be convinced to drive anything other than a hyundai, and that the honda fan will do the same...
what the hell was the point in your creation of this thread? to incite people to fight? to start having everyone bringing up sales numbers because thats apparently a 'good' way to prove a car is 'better'?
Another general consensus is that honda people just WONT consider another car. I can safely say thats not true. The price premium of a civic and the unavailability of a honda fit was what made my wife an i go to (of all manufacturers) VW. The rabbit defintely one upped the civic with regards to feature content, be it base level or not.
But you know what? i never felt as good driving it as i did the civic. And thats a feeling that many honda people rever and are not willing to give that up just to try something new.
So you drive a sonata and love it. Fine. If you want bragging rights on how much money you saved fine.
But UNLIKE hyundai drivers, HONDA guys have this little requirement that the accord SATISFIES, and that the sonata doesn't: driver connection to the road. A superb steering feel. Fantastic ergonomics. Better materials. (sorry. i'd take a hyundai over a comparable domestic, and i'll be the first to admit the interior is much nicer than they used to be, but it simply is NOT up to par with honda standards. Its not an opinion people, not if you have eyes.)
This is what differentiates hondaphiles from hyundaists. A regard for sporting character. The sonata simply doesn't have it. It tried to 'look' it by imitating the accord, but a drive totally puts it to rest. And from what i have read i this thread, many hyundai people have no regard for handling, steering feel, so so ergonomics and a taut suspension. Thats fine. You want a good a-b car. Nothing wrong with that.
But in the same manner that its not really ok to call hyundai crap, its not ok to call honda guys out on sporting reasons they choose the accord. if it wasn't special, it wouldn't be awareded the way it has, or take home1st place bragging rights in comparisons with the competition. If you don't think its worth the extra dough, thats fine, stick to your hyundai! Nothing wrong with that! But there is nothing wrong with wanting a car that isn't BLAH with regards to driving dynamics just because its a midsize sedan.
i dont mind beating the dead horse. some people just don't get it. i doubt this thread is helping anyone decide what car to get. it was created to incite arguments.
the picture of the current gen sonata interior is horrible. how can you say that is better than honda anything? :sick:
You know why? Because of their extreme performance potential.
And you know whats funny? it has not hurt their resale value one little bit! :P
I was curious to hear from some hyundai troops if they would still consider hyundai if all the incentives were not available to them? Would your hyundai still hold the advantage in your eyes? why? we all know its not the performance. We all know its not the resale.
is it the interior?
THIS iS Si...
with regards to the hyundai, the seasick green lighting has an air of virtually ever interior of any chevrolet from the mid 90's, the plood is EVERYWHERE and does not look convincing, the layout and controls looks very dated and a bit cheesy; there is a difference between modern simplicity and simply un-modern.
i never said hyundai was 'horrible'; i said that the current sonata's interior with the plood was. Very different from what you insinuated, so you are right in not agreeing with the 'basic premise' of 'hyundai being horrible'...because i never said it.
Bear in mind that everything works 2 ways, there are thousands...no...tens of thousands who will agree with each and every point that i make.
I didn't know Honda was offering an optional door area in Civics. :surprise:
THAT is how door handle is in Civic Coupe (which is a Honda, even though it has only two doors)... standard. :shades:
Well, thanks for the insult for everyone who happens to have a different opinion than you do. And it IS an opinion. For example, here's some other opinions on the quality of the Sonata's interior:
[Interior] Fit and finish and material are terrific.
Most of my neighbors and friends mistook it for a Honda.
Handsome interior appointments belie the Sonata's $23,495 price.
These are the opinions of the editors of C/D, who lived with a 2006 Sonata for two years. I think they do a real good job reviewing cars, and driving them, considering they don't have eyes.
So you are saying that Honda copied the Veracruz for the 2008 Accord's dash, since the Veracruz debuted a year ago? Or maybe what you are implying is that any reseblence between parts of two cars is entirely coincidental, since the Accord's dash was worked out before the Veracruz was unveiled?
Since you think C/D does a real good job of reviewing cars, don't you also agree that the Accord is the best Midsize Sedan? Or like many others, do you quote them when they say one good remark about your car, then totally shun them, when they pick another car over it?
Also in the long term write up in C/D they wrote: Over and over, editors said of our Seoul train, “It reminds me of the previous-generation Accord.
And Hyundai could use the Accord as a model for everything else. I personally have no desire for manumatic. What's the advantage?
Over and over, editors said of our Seoul train, “It reminds me of the previous-generation Accord.” Like the Accord, this most-recent Sonata succeeds because it is quiet, dignified, practical, comfortable, and reliable. That it goes unnoticed on America’s highways is perhaps its most obvious peccadillo, but there are plenty of over-40-somethings who take great satisfaction in going unnoticed.
See how much of a difference it makes when you include the entire paragraph? "Quiet, Dignified, Practical, Comfortable, and Reliable." Those characteristics, alone, sell cars all day long.
By the way, I had the opportunity to rent a 2007 Sonata SE recently. Not the GLS, like most rental fleets carry. The SE, with 17" rims and 215/55VR tires. The car handled very well for a midsize car. As I had mentioned in my post, it felt like I was driving a much smaller car from the way it handled.
I posted my experience under "Sonata>test drive- what did you think?"
Have you ever driven a manual transmission car and down shifted to take advantage of engine braking? The shiftronic, while not a direct connection like the manual, behaves quite similarly and eliminates continually applying the brakes (or riding them as some people do).
For snowy conditions, VSA would come in handy. And if you do want to start in second gear, a traditional gearbox lets you do that (I use D2 virtually every time after "fresh" rain or in icy/snowy conditions).
I've manumatic in my TL. Honestly, it is a pointless feature. The only manumatic I really like is in Altima. But then, I see no point to getting an automatic if I wanted to shift myself anyway. Honda makes fine manual transmissions... Hyundai could take a lesson or two.
You can downshift the Accord automatic, and I doubt it takes any more effort then the manumatic does, probably less. Regularly using the engine for braking is not a good idea, with either an automatic or manual.
Well, Hyundai wouldn't want to use the Accord as a model for equipping its cars with important safety features like ESC (VSA) and active head restraints. If so, all Sonatas would just be getting those features now, instead of in 2005.
They also wouldn't want to use the Accord as a model for how to make a roomy mid-sized car. Actually, it looks like Honda followed Hyundai on that one.
Another thing Hyundai wouldn't want to follow Honda on is braking. The Sonata beat the previous-generation Accord there handily. Maybe Honda has used the Sonata as a model for the brakes on its 2008 Accord?
And I am sure glad Hyundai doesn't follow Honda on how it backs its cars!
If my Sonata were an '06 it would have traction control and stability control, regardless of trim level. However, I was referring to using the shiftronic as a means to help keep the car from gaining too much speed while going down hill in slippery road conditions and well as not wanting a radar ticket.
I don't "play" with the transmission to accelerate, I just put it in Drive, dry, wet or icy roads. No lessons needed for me or the car.
You don't need manumatic for engine braking either. One can always select D1/D2/D3 if they desire to stay in lower gears.
Whether you use manumatic or conventional selection, you're playing with transmission as long as you aren't in the "D" position to utilize all transmission speeds automatically.
Well, Hyundai wouldn't want to use the Accord as a model for equipping its cars with important safety features like ESC (VSA) and active head restraints. If so, all Sonatas would just be getting those features now, instead of in 2005.
They also wouldn't want to use the Accord as a model for how to make a roomy mid-sized car. Actually, it looks like Honda followed Hyundai on that one.
Another thing Hyundai wouldn't want to follow Honda on is braking. The Sonata beat the previous-generation Accord there handily. Maybe Honda has used the Sonata as a model for the brakes on its 2008 Accord?
And I am sure glad Hyundai doesn't follow Honda on how it backs its cars!
Add to that, it's also good that Hyundai did not copy the Accord as a model for the Sonata in terms of safety rating, otherwise the Sonata will still be 4 star rated on side impact as is the Accord (i.e. i believe, even the 2008 model Accord is 4 star rated for side impact :sick: ). Good thing the Sonata's got 5 star for both front & side impact ratings