Hyundai Sonata

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is an all-new midsize sedan, completely redesigned and re-engineered. The 2011 Sonata comes a wide range of models, including a hybrid that can be driven at highway speeds in fully electric mode, and a turbo designed to deliver fuel-efficient acceleration performance. The new Sonata Hybrid features a full parallel hybrid system allowing the car to be driven in zero emissions, fully electric drive mode at speeds up to 62 miles per hour or in blended gas-electric mode at any speed. The new Sonata 2.0T, meanwhile, uses a four-cylinder turbocharged engine that gets an EPA-estimated 33 mpg Highway rating while boasting 274 horsepower and on Regular gas. The 2011 Sonata lineup starts with the Sonata GLS, which retails for less than $20,000 and delivers more power than other cars in its class. No V6 is offered, as Hyundai is using turbocharged four-cylinders and battery assist motors to increase power. A four door, midsize sedan that accommodates five passengers, the Sonata competes with Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, and Nissan Altima, to name a few. In a head to head match-up with direct comparables of those five brands, the Hyundai Sonata models are more powerful, while hanging right in there with the other brands on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy ratings. The base 2.4 liter engine delivers 198 horsepower (190 hp in states using California emissions regulations) or 200 hp with a dual exhaust system, which is substantially more power than what's found in the base models of the other midsize sedans. The 2.0T model's fuel economy on the highway is better than all but the Fusion. The Hybrid tops the Honda and Camry hybrids in EPA City and Highway fuel economy ratings and bests the Fusion's Highway rating. That 2.0T turbocharged engine is Hyundai's more economical and more affordable answer to Americans' perceived need for speed. It's not only more powerful than the V6 that powered the 2010 Sonata and the competition's V6s, but also generally less thirsty, by almost eight mpg over the Malibu in EPA's Highway rating, to pick the best example. An extra bonus is that Hyundai went against the grain in its selection of transmission for the 2011 Hybrid. While the Fusion, Altima and Camry hybrids all have a gearless, continuously variable transmission, the Sonata gets a full-on, 6-speed automatic that drives and sounds like a car should, with actual upshifts and downshifts instead of virtual gear changes artificially created by computer software. We're not sure the new Sonata is the sharpest looker in the class, but at least it's not a copycat of any of the other midsize sedans, a couple of which could leave a buyer confused were it not for the oversized, trademark logo in the grille or on the trunk lid. Inside, features, materials and fit and finish are as good as the best of those, and better than a couple, especially in quality and tolerances. Buyers need not be limited to those seeking a daily commuter, either. The Hybrid covers the need for green-ness and the Sonata SE actually is fun to drive, especially the 2.0T, while the GLS handles interstates with ease and the Limited brings luxury. Hyundai has tuned the suspension calibrations differently for the different models, so each has its own character.