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We'll have to wait until the EPA numbers are released on the all-new Hyundai engines in the Sonata to see if the Fusion does have an advantage there.
I admit that I do look at horsepower numbers, but they really don't count as the ultimate deciding factor when buying a new car. If that was the case, I would have bought something with more "oomph" than the Elantra, especially after experiencing the power of the VW. My interest in cars varies widely, having owned everything from a Ford Escort to an Acura Integra to a Chevrolet Blazer, etc.
The Elantra peaked my interest mainly because of the price for what you get. The new Sonata is peaking my interest for the same reason. The fact that it is competitive in the horsepower numbers game is a bonus in my book, and a potential liability for the Fusion. But, as always, a test drive of both vehicles is in order before making a final decision.
I don't know if the Sonata will be as much of a value though. It seems Hyundai is trying to move it a bit upmarket, and I'm thinking they're going to slot it somewhere between the current Sonata and the XG in terms of pricing. Sans any fat rebates, that would put it at roughly the same level as the Camry, Altima, and 6 - a tough sell in a world hung-up on nameplates. Image is everything in this country, and I suspect that's why the XG has never put up big numbers. I can count how many of those I've seen in the last 4 years around the Twin Cities on one hand.
Much like yourself [shado], I'm all over the map. The cars I'm currently considering to replace my Elantra include (in no particular order):
Ford Fusion
Mercury Milan
Ford Focus
Ford Mustang convertible (in V6 guise)
Mazda 6
Mazda 3
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry
Chevrolet HHR
Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Elantra (2006)
Pontiac G6 (with enormous sunroof)
Mini Cooper
PT Cruiser
Subaru Legacy (with enormous sunroof)
Invariably, a few others will pop up and some of these might drop off. A few were on my list last time (Focus, Cruiser, Altima). I don't think I'll even consider VW next time as everyone I seem to speak with who has any experience with them (not including salespeople) doesn't have a lot of kind things to say - they sure are nice when they're not in the shop though!
As I'm single, the only narrowing factors for me are: it's gotta be a stick, have a factory sunroof (a convertible would work nicely too) and cloth seats. Some days I feel like I really need a convertible, others a hatchback/wagon seems like the smartest choice. I guess my right brain and left brain are constantly battling it out. Last time right won - hard to tell if I'll make a practical choice next time... One thing's for certain: if they ever make a wagon with a fully retractable roof, I'll be the first in line.
Looked at many of the cars on your short list, but like the 'Bu more and more with every passing day. Give it a test drive, it's a remarkable car, although the interior quality probably isn't up with the best Japanese stuff (or the new Sonata either).
The flexibility and economy more than make up for the plain seating surfaces.
They've got to have an 06 Sonata there. I'll be real curious as to how much interest the Hyundai exhibit garners this year. Usually, it's pretty dead - which is ok by me. Last March, I had to wait for 10 minutes to get behind the wheel of a Mini.
What I'm really hoping for is that they'll have some knowledgeable reps on hand that can tell me more about the 06 Elantra (rather than just local salesmen trying to "lure" me down to their lots). I've only seen one shot of that one so far, but from what I saw it looked great. Without any sharp price increases, it maybe too much of a value for me to resist - again.
As far as the Sonata being there, it wasn't in Pittsburgh which is a good market for Hyundai. I was upset not to see it, but not that surprised.
Many Honda owners think their Accords are quiet but are in reality quite noisy. Camrys are much better in this respect.
Any comments about the quietness of the 2006 Sonata model in reference to the current Camry? Any comments about the 2005 Sonata do not count.
That '06 is the best looking Sonata yet and for under $20,000 with all of that "driver-assist" safety equipment on it as standard equipment it is a bargain as well.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
According to the Hyundai website, it's going to be available in March - which is what leads me to believe it'll be at the Twin Cities show (which runs the middle portion of the month). It might actually be hitting dealerships (am I just hopeful?) about the same time.
Also, the maroon colored one was at the Chicago show, and the LA show, I believe. The last few years, the Twin Cities show has been the 8th largest in the country and I don't think any of the bigger ones run concurrently with it. Thus, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see that same maroon model on the floor.
I'm getting antsy!
Whether it will be one of the quietest mid-sizers is anybody's guess at this point. I suspect it will, as Hyundais tend to have a comfort (and quietness) bias.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I drove a 2005 V6 Camry, poor dash, decent seats and reasonably quiet.
I drove a 2004 Sonata, decent dash, decent seats, underpowered, and little noisy.
I am hoping that the 2006 Sonata will be much better.
However, I am betting the 2006 TG with a 3.8L will be my car.
"The new Sonata also delivers class-leading cabin quietness and reduced wind noise. Hyundai designers increased the strength and stiffness of the subframe and body structure to further reduce engine noise and road noise in the cabin. When compared against key competitors Camry and Accord, the 2006 Sonata is quieter at idle, quieter at 60 mph, quieter at wide-open throttle and has significantly less wind noise than both competitors at 68 mph."
I also remember seeing a chart that showed actual decibel levels for all three cars, with the Sonata being the most quiet of the group. Wish I could remember where I saw it.
Also, any words on the color choices?
Mike
Among the choices are white, black, silver, dark silver, red (what Hyundai calls cinnamon), 2 shades of blue and a beige. No green.
I was mixing up my rock'n'roll and car production trivia again!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I;m awaiting the arrival of the next generation of the 06 Elantra. I hope the exterior styling is not as conservative as the 06 Sonata is.
As far as the Sonata being made in a US plant wait till the second year of bodystyle. Toyota's Honda's and Nissan's have been in the US for years and have been pretty reliable. I;m sure the next generation Sonata will turn out to be a reliable car for everybody that buys it. Heck I have had 2 car purchases of Japanese Cars that have been made in the US and they have been pretty good to me.
The rear tailights bear a little resemblence to the current Accord, but the rear end reminds me more of the previous-gen Camry's because it's squarer than the Accord's. I also see styling cues from Audi/VW (greenhouse profile).
Yes, it looks like Hyundai's styling is getting more mainstream, as evidenced by the new Sonata and new Santa Fe (just saw an undisguised pic of the Santa Fe in Automobile magazine--looks a lot like the Pilot/MDX). However, it's hard to argue with the sales success Honda and Toyota have had. What I think Hyundai is trying to do is to have people equate Hyundai in their minds with Honda and Toyota, and then go with Hyundai because of the lower price and better warranty. Hyundai has been making great strides in quality, the performance of the cars has been getting better starting in the '01 MY with the Elantra and Santa Fe and now with the new Tuscon and Sonata and later this year with the new Accent, Santa Fe, Elantra, and maybe the minivan and XG350 replacement. So the final step is to draw even visually, in styling. Maybe if people see a new Sonata they will think, "Oh, look, it's an Honda (or Acura even). No wait, it's a Toyota. No, it's a Hyundai! And it drives as nice and has more features and a better warranty for a lower price. I should check it out."
Yeah I can see your comparisons in terms exterior styling in comparing the 97 Camry back end with the 06 Sonata but in my opinion the 06 Sonata's back end is kinda droopy looking like the 03 Accord's which I don't take a liking for. I am a big Honda fan too and the 03 Accord I have bashed alot of times for being ultra-conservative in the styling department. I did like the 98 Accord Sedan's exterior too.
"I also see styling cues from Audi/VW (greenhouse profile)."
As far as the 06 Sonata having Audi/Vw styling routes I see Hyundai has kept the Euro Styling elements alive a little bit with the 06 Sonata. The Euro styling with Hyundai started with the release of the 01 Elantra and carried over to the exterior of the 02-05 Sonata.
"However, it's hard to argue with the sales success Honda and Toyota have had."
Yeah I know its hard to argue the sales success of Honda. As I said before I am a big fan of Honda. I;m just concerned about the exterior styling becoming too conservative ever since 2001. As far as Toyota is concerned well they might not have the worlds best exterior designs but they can make a car that is well-packaged.
"What I think Hyundai is trying to do is to have people equate Hyundai in their minds with Honda and Toyota, and then go with Hyundai because of the lower price and better warranty. Hyundai has been making great strides in quality, the performance of the cars has been getting better starting in the '01 MY with the Elantra and Santa Fe and now with the new Tuscon and Sonata and later this year with the new Accent, Santa Fe, Elantra, and maybe the minivan and XG350 replacement."
Yes I agree with all your points in the paragraph above 100% about Hyundai getting better in terms of making their cars more competitive in the US market over the past few years.
"So the final step is to draw even visually, in styling. Maybe if people see a new Sonata they will think, "Oh, look, it's an Honda (or Acura even). No wait, it's a Toyota. No, it's a Hyundai! And it drives as nice and has more features and a better warranty for a lower price. I should check it out."
I agree Hyundai wants to go up against Honda and Toyota but not wait not so fast! Always remember Mazda 1995-1998 and Nissan 1995-1999 when they tried to go up against Honda and Toyota directly and failed miserabely. It took Mazda until a few years ago to completely get over that ill-fated attempt for their bad product decisions in the mid 90's. As we know until the 02 Altima came out Nissan really wasn;t gaining market share in the US. My fear is Hyundai maybe making the same mistake that Mazda and Nissan made exactly a decade ago.
In my opinion Toyota can style any car the they want and it will still sell. People who buy Toyota's do not buy Toyota's because of exterior styling. With the Accord I think you are wrong. The 03 Accord Honda went way too conservaive on the exterior styling and it is killing their sales. This generation of Accord will not be the success that the 4th(90-93) and 6th generation Accord's(98-02)were in terms of sales.
Hate the present gen. Accord rear end. Some kind of Buick look from the early nineties.
At least the new Sonata looks more like an Accord/Acura/Audi instead of a Mercury Sable, which I think the current Sonata most closely resembles.
Currently a 2004 Kia Sedona EX
past Hyundai's
'01 Santa fe GLS
'98 Sonata GLS
'92 Scoupe LS
'88 Excel
I have seen first hand the gradual improvements they've made throughout the years and I've been very pleased. People make fun of the Excels of old but to be honest, we paid $8000 out the door for a loaded new car and my family got 150,000 miles out of it with little repairs. I will say that at 150,000 it was spent however. The Scoupe was junk I will admit it. Felt cheezy and broke down on us in a Hurricane :-( The Sonata was really great and the Santa Fe was flawless. Our current Sedona Minivan suites us well and it very nice. Quality isnt on par with the best minivans but the value is incredible.
From what I've seen and read in terms of specifications it looks like Hyundai may finally break through with the '06 Sonata. If its everything they say I'll probably buy one in a year or two. The V6 with dual exhaust looks awesome and if its on Par with Honda the prices will be going up :-( Cant wait to see one in person!
Craig
'04 Sedona EX
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ah900/s0s0/15.jpg
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ah900/s0s0/31.jpg
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ah900/s0s0/35.jpg
I guess we all have different tastes. To me the this current generation Accord is easily the worst styled Accord ever in my opinion. As far as the last generation Accord is concerned I think the refresh for the 01 model year was a step back with the revised grille and tailghts at mid-cycle. I like the 98-00 with the single bar on the front grille. I just find the current Accord not distnguishable at all. For the record I think the best styled Accord was the mid 90's one(96-97 model years.)
"At least the new Sonata looks more like an Accord/Acura/Audi instead of a Mercury Sable, which I think the current Sonata most closely resembles."
I think the current Sonata looks like a Jagaur in the back and a Lexus/GS and Chrysler Concorde/LHs on the front.
I should mention I am 25 years old so tastes may vary in terms of styling tastes on these boards.
Personally I think the best-looking Accords ever were the '86-89 generation, especially the coupe. But you were 5 or 6 when those cars debuted, so you may not remember them. ;-)
Yeah Mercury is Ford basically rebadged except Mercury;s have a little(not that much)different styling cosmetically than their Ford Couterparts. Ford owns Jagaur too so I guess you could be onto something there about Mercury trying to be Jaguar.
"Personally I think the best-looking Accords ever were the '86-89 generation, especially the coupe. But you were 5 or 6 when those cars debuted, so you may not remember them. ;-)"
Of course I remember that 86-89 generation(that was the 3rd generation Accord.) Yeah I remember when I was 5 or 6 I would see that particular generation of Accord around. As a matter at that time I was at a Honda dealer in 1988 or 1989 and I saw that particular generation of Accord now that I think about it. The 86-89 is the car that made the Accord one of the best selling(top 3 I think cars in America.) The 86 Accord also came in a hatchback model. Yeah I agree the late 80's Accord Coupe model was a sweet looking car(and still is in the color black in my opinion.) As a matter of fact I was looking at a late 80's Accord(88 or 89 4 door model) as the first car I would ever own in my life back in 1997. I didn't buy it though. I would have love to have one though at the time.
I have gotten older since 1997 so maybe my tastes in terms of styling has changed.
In my opinion one of the reasons the Accord styling has declined some is its a bigger car than it has been in years past. The current one is alot bigger in size especially from the 86-89 model. I still think despite the size of the current generation Accord Honda could have done alot better at styling the current generation of Accord than they did.
Speaking of which - Hyundai should introduce a wagon version of the Sonata. They would have the market to themselves - save for maybe the soon to be extinct Taurus.
Pure Pearl White
Sleek Silver
Grace Beige
Deep Pearl Blue
Presting Dark Red
Aurora Blue
Charming Gray
Ebony Black
Crustal Silver
Word on the street is that there are already well over 650 currently built already as of 3/2/05
Powder White Pearl
Bright Silver
Golden Beige
Deepwater Blue
Dark Cinnamon
Aquamarine
Steel Gray
Ebony Black (not much you can do with black!)
No mention of a 2nd silver color--but with silver and gray already in the mix, how many silvers do they need?
Mass Production is already underway at the tier one supplier, Mobis, and according to my source who found a color sheet from the plant in the parking lot of a local fast food joint where some mobis employees gathered for lunch, those are the current and official Names of the paint colors on the new sonata.
look for the new Sonata's to hit the Montgomery Dealership first sometime around the date of april 2nd 2005.
This fully supports the JDP finding of great initial quality for the Sonata, and I hope to see this trend continue for Hyundai.
~alpha
I tell people all the time that ALL automakers need to watch out.
I can someday see Hyundai be compared with the likes of Toyota, Honda, etc.
The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of someday interning with Hyundai
Hyundai is already being compared with the likes of Toyota and Honda by buyers (like me) who cross-shop Hyundai with Toyota and Honda. If you follow the discussions on Edmunds.com, you see many examples of buyers who bought a Sonata instead of a Camry, or an Elantra instead of a Civic.
I happened to calculate last night that a Hyundai owner could pick up a '05 Sonata GLS Special Value Edition with ABS, quite a loaded car except for moonroof and leather, for under $16,000 with some aggressive negotiating. I doubt we'll see those kinds of deals on the new Sonata, but if the quality of the new car holds up they won't have to discount them to that degree, seeing as how a similarly-equipped Camry or Accord would be well over $20,000.
~alpha