How much better is the '06 Sonata?

I drive a 2004 Sonata LX that I bought new and that I love. It has been perfect. No complaints. BUT, I have driven a friend's 2006 Sonata LX, and I consider it a distinct step up in several regards. I especially like the power delivered with the new V6 (a full 65 horsepower increase) and the fact that the new bigger engine actually gets better mileage.

Try one. It just feels like a more substantial car in every respect. In my opinion, of course. I will probably get the new model next year.

Does it really get better mileage or are you just going on the EPA ratings?

Matt

Matt,

I saw you posted on the other Sonata string about mileage. My '06 gets 34 on the highway, which is better than the 33 claimed on the sticker. That's with two people in the car. When it was FULLY loaded for our 700 mile Christmas ride to Pa. and 3 adults aboard, it got 31.7. That's at 80 mph up and down the mountains of Va. We live in the country and have to drive at least 13 miles to anything, so I don't have a good city reading, but for everyday travel for us, we get about 27 mpg.

Tom

I just bought a Sonata GL 4 cyls today. My other car is a V6 Camry. The Sonata feels the same as the more powerful Toyota and I paid about 5000 less for it. I am ecstatic by the new acquisition.

James.

are you just going on the EPA ratings?

Those parts of the quote in ( ) added by me.

No his 2006 gets better mileage than my 2004 in actual driving. It's not a lot, just a couple of MPG, but in the meantime he has the advantage of the great increase in power all the time.

tjnamtiw . . . do you have the V6 or the Inline-4 in your '06 Sonata? We're considering the purchase of a Sonata GLS later in 2006. Of course, we prefer the smoothness and power of the V6, but are concerned about gas mileage and long-term maintenance cost differentials with the V6. V-style engine designs are always more difficult to service than an Inline-4. We currently own a '06 Elantra GLS, and like it well, and are looking at adding a Sonata later this year.

Don

are you just going on the EPA ratings?

Yeah, better gas mileage, more power, more standard equipment, more safety features, etc. for about the same price. (Comparing 'new' prices, that is.) It almost makes you wonder where's the catch?.....

If I buy a car this year it will be a 2006 Sonata with the 4-cylinder. It really looks almost too good to be true. I've never done this before but I might schedule a test drive just to see how it handles on the road, even though it will be at least spring before I could buy one. Is that a sin of some kind?

Regards, Eric M

are you just going on the EPA ratings?

Yeah, better gas mileage, more power, more standard equipment, more safety features, etc. for about the same price. (Comparing 'new' prices, that is.) It almost makes you wonder where's the catch?.....

If I buy a car this year it will be a 2006 Sonata with the 4-cylinder. It really looks almost too good to be true. I've never done this before but I might schedule a test drive just to see how it handles on the road, even though it will be at least spring before I could buy one. Is that a sin of some kind?

Regards, Eric M

Sorry for the delay in answering. Yes, my Sonata is the 4 cyl. I don't see ANY reason for the V6 except boosting one's ego to say the have more power, even though more power is not needed. Hyundai does limit some 'extras' to the V6 model only, but they are non-essentials in my book concidering all the things that come on the 4 cylinder version.

We have a 6 cyl. on our 06 Sonata and our choice of the 6 has nothing to do with"ego" (independent of the "non-essentials" as you describe, that came with a 6 cylindert). Some driving situations, depending on driver and conditions, may warrant and additional boost of power. We drove the 4cyl. and found it, for our tastes, to noisy and "overlabored" in some instances. We wanted a safe quiet and comfortable car , and we have just that, an '06 6Cyl Sonata and we love it........Doc

Ego? I'd say the ego is attached to the one who feels he can determine the motives of others. Sorry - you missed.

The power is not needed? Maybe not for you. I was under-impressed with the performance of the Hyundai 4 cylinder. As I have been with all 4 cylinders. I don't want a car that works as hard as a 4 cylinder does when I step on the pedal. Your driving style may differ greatly from mine, and for your driving style *or*... your driving *needs*, the 4 may well be perfectly adequate. It's not up to you to decide what's adequate for others though. Some actually need the increased power of a 6 cylinder. Some carry bigger loads on a regular basis than you and a 6 cylinder makes a big difference in how hard the car works. Some may like to get up to speed faster than you, or pass a car without the inadequacy of a 4 cylinder over-reving in the process. 6 cylinders perform much better in all of these areas.

We aren't talking monster engines here - the 6 cylinder, even with its increased horsepower over the 4 cylinder is far from an ego machine.

"Mike Marlow" wrote in news:94f59$43c580ac$452894b3$ snipped-for-privacy@ALLTEL.NET:

I echo your sentiments exactly, Mike. I think Tom might have some "issues" himself, but we won't go there.

Where I live, in the traffic congested parts of NJ that I travel, I consider the V6 to be a safety device for pulling out into traffic without getting squashed. It's not about ego, it's about not getting hit or killed.

If Tom came up behind me on the highway, and my "V6" emblem were to scare him, I would gladly pull to the side and let him pass me. In fact, most people pass me on the highway (I feel like a "Grandpa" sometimes doing only 70-75 on the highway). I would even give up my V6 if I drove on the highway more than about 25% of the time. But I absolutley feel safer and more secure (especially carrying my kids) with the V6 for the other 75% of my driving.

Eric

The interesting thing is that the 4 cylinder engines of today have more power than the 6 cylinder engines had just a few years ago...

Actually, my 4 cylinder Sonata accelerates nearly as hard as my 1970 Plymouth Fury III did and it had a 383 V-8 in it. :-)

Matt

Why not get a V-8 then and be even safer?

Matt

Matt Whiting wrote in news:Oegxf.5091$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.epix.net:

Not really all that interesting, but it is true. The part your forgetting about is that many vehicles today are heavier than they were just a few years ago too.

Matt Whiting wrote in news:xfgxf.5092$lb.440214 @news1.epix.net:

Look, the bottom line is that I would have been happy with the 4, and the gas mileage, if the darn thing could get out of its own way. I drove both the auto and the manual 4, and the 6 before I made my purchase. Just pulling out of the dealer's lot on to busy Rt. 1 made the decision fairly easy.

If you don't need the power then, pardon the pun, more power to you.

Really, you can stop trolling now.

I don't think the Expedition outweighs a 1970 Fury III. :-) I think the bumpers on that outweighed my Sonata. ;-)

Matt

But you are so easy to troll. :-)

It's easier to just admit that you wanted the extra power of the V-6. Trying to make claims like safety, just makes you look silly.

Matt

Well aren't we superior and judgmental?

I drive the freeways of Southern California. It would be hard, I think, to live in the U.S. and not be at least somewhat aware of what a driving horror that is. I find the V6 gives me a bit more "escapabilty" than does a four cylinder. And I do know the difference. I drove a four for years, and was scared to death many times trying to get out of situations caused by really bad drivers.

And the argument about going all the way to a V8 is specious and not worthy of discussion, as well know.

Cheers