I looked at the new 2006 Sonata and compared it to the 2005. One thing I didn't like about Hyundai is that on the sticker it always shows that the car is more polluting than the average new vehicle. This isn't the case with the new Sonata.
The new Sonata had an L4 engine with 16 valves. It used a serpentine belt while the Elantra still used several smaller belts.
Inside the new Sonata was an interior up there with the larger family car the Taurus or Sable. Only the new Sonata falls a little short on rear seat leg room. The Sonata had exterior door handles like those on newer VW's and Nissans.
I loved the sleek look of the newer Sonatas. Gone is the Goofy Hyundai look with weird shaped tail lights and head lights. It's a car I wouldn't mind driving at all, so long as it came equipped with a 5 speed manual transaxle.
Overall the new Sonata is very impressive. Good MPG equipped with an auto, nice interior, clock and radio mounted high up for ease of use.
I have always been a bit iffy about buying and or driving cars from Japan for two reasons: 1 It's a trend thing and I hate trends, and 2 Hondas and Toyotas are ridiculously overrated. Sure their great cars but not nearly as great as everyone seems to make them out to be. Not even close.
But if Hyundai can keep this up than it will be a car company that not only offers great cars but will also start charging higher prices since the public's interest peaks.
I didn't mind the look of the new Tucson either, my beef on it is that it's AWD set up runs with 60/40 -- more power up front than on back. What a lousy set up, even if it does have a locking differential when the going gets tough.
In the End, it looks like Korea is getting up there with automobile manufacturing. It's cars are not perfect (and no car is) Looking under the hoods I saw the welds on the cars. Great cars never have messy welds. It's obvious the welding techniques are still done the old fashion way. VW on the other hand uses lasers to weld the unit body together.
Sure a Hyundai might be a good car for the money. But in the end it's really up to the individual to decide what's right for them. I for example always shunned the brand because I never liked the exterior look. Odd shapes and angles and such, never looks right to me. But the New Sonata isn't bad looking, I'm just wondering how it might hold up being a new platform and all.
About 2 weeks ago when I was at a grocery store the cashier was a Korean woman. I asked her, "what do you think about Hyundai, Kia, and Daewoo"? She said, "I think they're cheap and they fall apart easily. It's such a shame because I'm Korean and I'd rather not have those cars reflect on who Koreans are". And so it's obvious that this is the overall mentality towards Korean brands.
To be honest with you the Brand is still very much unknown to me. When it comes down to it, I'd still purchase a Malibu Maxx over a Hyundai Sonata because I'd be worried about the struts and engine mounts breaking on the Hyundai while I'm driving from Texas to Alaska. I make long road trips like that all the time. I'm a driving enthusiast and my car has over 400,000 miles on it. It's a '95 Ford Explorer with a manual transmission.
Some day I'll probably own a Korean car. Probably because I happen to think Koreans in general are cool as f***. I've trained in Tae Kwan Do before and I've been around enough Koreans to experience the fun loving culture. Kim Chi anyone?
Also to be honest with you, I'm getting more and more disgusted with white people as the years go by. I've been thinking about it and it might be that I'm just getting disgusted with people in general. Still no other person of some other nationality has wronged me near as much as a Caucasoid has. I'm pacific islander and it's obvious Caucasians treat me differently than they treat their own kind. Not the case with the Koreans.