Benchmarques? 2015 Hyundai Sonata Review
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Hyundai’s newly minted Sonata, like the fictional Eliza Doolittle, has gone to charm school. It now rides more quietly; feels more substantial. Teutonic optional gadgets like an electronic parking brake with auto hold or the grained soft-touch interior trim could come from Deutschland—even hard plastics are nicely coated.
You could also say that the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is the sincerest form a flattery. Those who built it assessed the competition and then took what they learned to craft a more appealing Sonata. Some call this imitation, others television and Hyundai says it’s benchmarking. Whatever you call it, Hyundai’s press materials say the Sonata’s body rigidity is as good or better than vehicles targeted such as VW’s Passat.
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Hyundai’s previous-generation Sonata created waves that are still splashing other carmaker’s beachheads. Its daring fastback styling aped a Mercedes CLS for a lot less dough. Combine that with a class-leading warranty and value-oriented pricing and it became a sales sensation. Popular, but ride quality and steering behavior were still lacking.
Hyundai invited your correspondent to drive the new Sonata from Chicago to Ann Arbor. What I discovered is that Hyundai toned down the car’s exterior curves for a more mature look, upped the optional features, moved into the more-than-$30k price bracket with a more engaging car.
You can opt from three gas power trains that range from fuel sippers to potential hot wheels: Eco (1.6-liter turbo), Limited (2.4 liter) and Sport (2.0-liter turbo). All are direct-injection inline four-cylinder mills. Hyundai says it didn’t develop a six-cylinder version because it gobbles up valuable interior space. Front legroom is generous.
The Sonata Eco has a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine. It mates to a seven-speed dual dry clutch automated manual transmission. On my highway trek, it netted 38 mpg.
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The 2.0-liter 245-hp turbo sport, which I also sampled, promises high performance.
While the specification sheet suggests that this is a hot motivator, none found it particularly potent. On the 2.0-liter turbo, Hyundai uses a rack-mounted electric motor, as found on several European cars. This improves on-center feel, comparable to the European cars with ZF’s Servolectric. Other Sonatas, however, utilize a column-mounted electric motor, which has been tweaked. A quicker computerized control unit improves its behavior.
Conventional manual transmissions are not part of the Sonata’s repertoire. But the Limited version has electric parking brakes with an auto-hold feature. Other optional items include adaptive cruise control with start stop, blind spot detection and lane assistance. Overall, ride compliance seems well tuned. Sport models have attractively applied metal-look plastic interior trim.
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Hyundai’s turbocharged Sport, as equipped, lists for $34,460 including shipping. Skip the “ultimate package” and you’ll shave nearly $5,000 off the price.
Hyundai’s bumper-to-bumper warranty is five years or 60,000 miles; power train remains 10 years, 100,000 miles.
An automatic opening rear lid that doesn’t require one to perform the Charleston in order to operate it is optional—bag-laden shoppers rejoice.
Limited Limits
All isn’t beer and skittles, though. The volume-seller Limited isn’t as engaging. The electric power steering is everyday ok. Get curve carving serious and the Sonata’s aimer feels like you’re extruding stuff through a Play Doh Fun Factory. The 2.4-liter engine, teamed to a six-speed automatic is sudsy, but not particularly perky. I netted 24 mpg overall during cold weather, a disappointment.
Where the Hyundai wows is its driver assistance package: lane departure warning, forward collision alert, backup camera with park sense, adaptive cruise control with start/stop, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection and self-acting headlight high beams. And for those who’d like the 1951 Nash Rambler convertible’s sardine can-like top with full-door framing, there’s a mammoth panoramic sunroof with light-blocking retractable interior cover.
Hyundai’s gear proved useful if confusing. Sometimes the info/nav screen wouldn’t let you see the backup camera until the onboard computer booted, you accepted the lawyer notice and viewed the last entered destination. And even then, it nagged you for permission to download your phone’s contact list.
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Yet, the forward collision alert (it beeps, it cannot brake) and blind-spot detection were bobsledding team approved, noticing vehicles alongside frosty windows and sounding the SOS when motorists suddenly swerved in front of the snow-trekking Sonata. And the lane-keeping beeper directed my eyes toward the road, when fiddling with the heated steering wheel’s switchgear or info screen led me astray. Cruise control that senses vehicles ahead will stop the car should it detect an obstruction.
And parents, it’s also a Twitter mobile. The car will announce to your friends that you’ve arrived. It also spits out the last destination after you start the car, which could reveal a hideaway. And there’s a “geo fence” that lets you monitor where the car goes when you’re not in it.
In sum, Hyundai offers lots of formerly top-end luxury car features for about $32,000. One miscue at this price: faux-wood dash inserts. Now Sanforized, the Sonata has fewer exterior wrinkles and a more polished demeanor.
Hyundai’s newly minted Sonata, like the fictional Eliza Doolittle, has gone to charm school. It now rides more quietly; feels more substantial. Teutonic optional gadgets like an electronic parking brake with auto hold or the grained soft-touch interior trim could come from Deutschland—even hard plastics are nicely coated.
You could also say that the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is the sincerest form a flattery. Those who built it assessed the competition and then took what they learned to craft a more appealing Sonata. Some call this imitation, others television and Hyundai says it’s benchmarking. Whatever you call it, Hyundai’s press materials say the Sonata’s body rigidity is as good or better than vehicles targeted such as VW’s Passat.
Hyundai’s previous-generation Sonata created waves that are still splashing other carmaker’s beachheads. Its daring fastback styling aped a Mercedes CLS for a lot less dough. Combine that with a class-leading warranty and value-oriented pricing and it became a sales sensation. Popular, but ride quality and steering behavior were still lacking.
Hyundai invited your correspondent to drive the new Sonata from Chicago to Ann Arbor. What I discovered is that Hyundai toned down the car’s exterior curves for a more mature look, upped the optional features, moved into the more-than-$30k price bracket with a more engaging car.
You can opt from three gas power trains that range from fuel sippers to potential hot wheels: Eco (1.6-liter turbo), Limited (2.4 liter) and Sport (2.0-liter turbo). All are direct-injection inline four-cylinder mills. Hyundai says it didn’t develop a six-cylinder version because it gobbles up valuable interior space. Front legroom is generous.
The Sonata Eco has a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine. It mates to a seven-speed dual dry clutch automated manual transmission. On my highway trek, it netted 38 mpg.
The 2.0-liter 245-hp turbo sport, which I also sampled, promises high performance.
While the specification sheet suggests that this is a hot motivator, none found it particularly potent. On the 2.0-liter turbo, Hyundai uses a rack-mounted electric motor, as found on several European cars. This improves on-center feel, comparable to the European cars with ZF’s Servolectric. Other Sonatas, however, utilize a column-mounted electric motor, which has been tweaked. A quicker computerized control unit improves its behavior.
Conventional manual transmissions are not part of the Sonata’s repertoire. But the Limited version has electric parking brakes with an auto-hold feature. Other optional items include adaptive cruise control with start stop, blind spot detection and lane assistance. Overall, ride compliance seems well tuned. Sport models have attractively applied metal-look plastic interior trim.
Hyundai’s turbocharged Sport, as equipped, lists for $34,460 including shipping. Skip the “ultimate package” and you’ll shave nearly $5,000 off the price.
Hyundai’s bumper-to-bumper warranty is five years or 60,000 miles; power train remains 10 years, 100,000 miles.
An automatic opening rear lid that doesn’t require one to perform the Charleston in order to operate it is optional—bag-laden shoppers rejoice.
Limited Limits
All isn’t beer and skittles, though. The volume-seller Limited isn’t as engaging. The electric power steering is everyday ok. Get curve carving serious and the Sonata’s aimer feels like you’re extruding stuff through a Play Doh Fun Factory. The 2.4-liter engine, teamed to a six-speed automatic is sudsy, but not particularly perky. I netted 24 mpg overall during cold weather, a disappointment.
Where the Hyundai wows is its driver assistance package: lane departure warning, forward collision alert, backup camera with park sense, adaptive cruise control with start/stop, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection and self-acting headlight high beams. And for those who’d like the 1951 Nash Rambler convertible’s sardine can-like top with full-door framing, there’s a mammoth panoramic sunroof with light-blocking retractable interior cover.
Hyundai’s gear proved useful if confusing. Sometimes the info/nav screen wouldn’t let you see the backup camera until the onboard computer booted, you accepted the lawyer notice and viewed the last entered destination. And even then, it nagged you for permission to download your phone’s contact list.
Yet, the forward collision alert (it beeps, it cannot brake) and blind-spot detection were bobsledding team approved, noticing vehicles alongside frosty windows and sounding the SOS when motorists suddenly swerved in front of the snow-trekking Sonata. And the lane-keeping beeper directed my eyes toward the road, when fiddling with the heated steering wheel’s switchgear or info screen led me astray. Cruise control that senses vehicles ahead will stop the car should it detect an obstruction.
And parents, it’s also a Twitter mobile. The car will announce to your friends that you’ve arrived. It also spits out the last destination after you start the car, which could reveal a hideaway. And there’s a “geo fence” that lets you monitor where the car goes when you’re not in it.
In sum, Hyundai offers lots of formerly top-end luxury car features for about $32,000. One miscue at this price: faux-wood dash inserts. Now Sanforized, the Sonata has fewer exterior wrinkles and a more polished demeanor.
Benchmarque? 2015 Hyundai Sonata Review
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