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2006 Hyundai Sonata V6

I had a chance to drive the 2006 Hyundai Sonata a few months ago since I was considering it as a candidate for my daily driver/commuter car.  I wanted something with a bit of performance and price was definitely an issue so the newest Sonata seemed like a very good choice

Since this was a car I was personally considering, I drove several versions/packages and all had the excellent 3.3 V6 and automatics. The only real difference was the amount of wear and tear, because these were all dealer cars with factory warranty.

The Sonata is an auto worthy of consideration, especially in the used car category since it does not have great resale value and an excellent example can be had for a very low price. Al the ones I was looking at were between $11,000 - $13,000 and had low mileage – 25,000 or less. Very decent deal, especially with factory warranty.  Sounds good so far, right? Read on.

I really like driving cars that are a year or two old because you can see how the car holds up under daily use.  New cars do not give you a full picture – all seem very nice at first glance. The Sonata is not a car that wears well.  Many materials inside look excellent, but do not hold up with time. I was especially disappointed with the silver painted bits.  In all 6 cars that I drove the paint was worn and it scratched very easily.  The light interiors seem to absorb dirt and the seat material was a bit flimsy.  The leather versions were better, but the leather itself was definitely not first class. Of course I understand that this is not an Acura, and maybe you can live with a bit of dirt and soft paint. The wood trim is just that – fake, but it does not look too bad.  Generally speaking the interior is a nice place to be for a few hours. 

The engine is the best part of the car – strong, smooth and quiet. The transmission has good shifting points and the controls are logical and clear.

As any FWD car with a large engine, the Sonata is not a great handling auto.  After driving the 4Motion VW Passat it seemed positively disconnected from the road, but I am sure if one is used to driving Camrys, Accords or Malibus it will seem just fine!

Guru Recommendation:  It is a good buy used, especially with a V6.  The 4 cylinder is best with a manual.  Resale values are fairly dismal, so shop around.  There are many cars at dealer lots that came from rental company fleets.  Be careful!  They have had minimal maintenance and have been driven hard.  The interiors on such cars are usually worn more as well.

The 4th Generation Sonata received many awards including:

"Best New Family Car (under $35,000)" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards.

"Consumers Digest Best Buy" - 2006 Sonata

NHTSA 5-Star Crash Rating – 2006 Sonata: Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side-impact airbags (SABs).

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance “Best in Class” in the $18,000 to $23,000 category – 2006 Sonata: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance 2006 Car Buyer’s December 2005.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance “Best New Car” in the $18,000 to $23,000 category – 2006 Sonata: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance 2006 Car Buyer’s December 2005.

Guru Recommendation Rating: 2.5 out of 6