Reviews May 4, 2010, 6:07PM EST

First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

The redesigned Sonata matches or bests competitors like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord by almost every measure

By Thane Peterson

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Editor's Rating:

The Good: Low price, solid feel, fuel economy, hybrid and turbo-powered versions

The Bad: No six-cylinder engine, too-plain standard upholstery

The Bottom Line: Hyundai's flagship family sedan takes on the Camry and Accord

Reader Reviews

(This story has been updated in the seventh paragraph. The mileage for the Chevy Malibu has been corrected.)

Up Front

It's a terrific time to buy a family sedan. The most popular models—the Toyota (TM) Camry, Honda (HMC) Accord, Nissan (NSANY) Altima, Ford (F) Fusion, and General Motors' Chevy Malibu—are being discounted right now (more on that later). Meanwhile, the Hyundai (HYMLF) Sonata, which last year trailed the pack as a distant No. 6, has been redesigned for 2011. It is dramatically improved while maintaining its bargain basement price.

The front-wheel drive Sonata, Hyundai's best-selling U.S. model, is bigger, quicker, more sophisticated, and more fuel-efficient than the model it's replacing. The new Sonata, which went on sale early this year, matches or bests the competition by almost every measure. New hybrid and turbo-charged versions of the Sonata, due out late this year, will make Hyundai competitive in every niche of the midsize sedan market.

The Sonata's strongest selling point remains its low price. The entry-level GLS starts at just $19,915, with a stick shift, and $20,915, with a six-speed automatic, yet includes such standard equipment as full-power accessories, heated outside mirrors, keyless entry, air conditioning, cruise control, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, a six-speaker sound system with steering-wheel-mounted controls, satellite radio, and Bluetooth connectivity.

The sporty SE, which starts at $23,315, has a sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a dual exhaust that gives its engine two extra horsepower. Even a loaded up, top-of-the-line Sonata Limited, with everything from leather upholstery to a navigation system, backup camera, and heated front and rear seats, tops out at little more than $28,000.

The new Sonata also is much more technologically sophisticated than its predecessor. Hyundai decided to offer only a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine in the latest Sonata (the company says only 10 percent of customers want six-cylinder power), but the standard engine generates a hefty 198 horsepower, more than any other four-banger in the segment. It also has direct injection, a fuel-saving innovation usually seen in more expensive vehicles.

The Sonata's dramatic new styling, with its curvy, carved side profile and radically raked roofline, isn't just for show. The car's co-efficient of drag—a measure of the slipperiness of its body in wind tunnel tests—is just 0.28, nearly as low as that of the Toyota Prius.

As a result of such innovations, the new Sonata has the best mileage rating in its class, an impressive 22 miles-per-gallon in the city and 35 on the highway. That's better than the four-cylinder Camry (22/33), Malibu (22/33), Accord (21/31), and Altima (23/32), and comparable to the Fusion S (23/34).

Hyundai says the Sonata hybrid will get 37 mpg in the city and 39 on the highway, compared with 51/48 for the Prius and 41/36 for the Fusion Hybrid.

The 2011 Sonata doesn't yet have government crash-test ratings but earned the top "Good" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in offset crashes. Standard equipment includes front, side, and head-protecting airbags, as well as stability and traction control and four-wheel antilock brakes.