Review of the Week- Hyundai Sonata

This week I'm going to review the Hyundai Sonata. I could just use my words because I am a Sonata owner. I bought this car for my wife last year to replace my Toyota truck and we went with a Sonata GLS 4 cylinder. She loves it and even lets me drive it some times like when it needs gas or its due for an oil change. Seriously we love the car and I recommend this car to all my friends and family members that are in the market. Okay lets see what kind of reviews it has.
What Edmunds.com says

With a brand-new interior and improved engines, the 2009 Hyundai Sonata re-establishes itself as a serious contender in the cutthroat midsize family sedan segment. It should definitely be on your shopping list.

2009 Hyundai Sonata Vehicle Overview

Introduction

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But what happens when the imitator becomes better than the imitated?

For years now, Hyundai has had its sights set on Toyota. The Japanese giant's strategy for its vehicles is to make them reliable, impeccably made, conservative in style and comfortable to ride in. Hyundai has taken that approach to heart, and the 2009 Hyundai Sonata is proof positive that it has gotten it right. In fact, not only has the updated Sonata caught up to the mighty Camry, it's driven past it.

For 2009, Hyundai's midsize family sedan sees several key changes. Both the four- and six-cylinder engines have received an influx of power, while raising fuel economy at the same time. That's worthy of a thumbs-up any day. The biggest news, however, resides inside. While this generation Sonata's original cabin was hardly an environment worth shaking a finger at, Hyundai was never pleased with it from the get-go. This year's complete makeover performed on the center stack, gauges and center console has led to an overall design that is more user-friendly and better looking. Materials have also been improved, while the top-level Limited trim boasts a tasteful blend of color combinations, wood-grain accents and alloy trim. To be frank, this is the Lexus-lite interior we were expecting when Toyota's all-star was last redesigned. Hyundai has delivered it instead.

When the Hyundai Sonata was redesigned three years ago, it gave the top family sedans a run for their money -- in fact, we ranked it over the Accord and Camry in a 2006 comparison test. Since then, both of those rivals have been completely redesigned, as have the impressive new Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Malibu. The changes for 2009 bring the Sonata back closer to par. Although we're not sure it's still the class beater, the case can certainly be made that Hyundai has built a better Camry than Toyota did. Perhaps the imitated should become the imitator.

All this from edmunds.com, they sound pretty impressed as will you after you drive it, no matter what trim level its a GREAT car.

Dan Hartmanstorfer
Dutch Miller Hyundai
304-529-2301 ext 1162

Hyundai Elantra Touring

The Elantra Touring is in the news again. This time in an article from Jenny White of the NY Daily.

The perfect mix: Hyundai Elantra combines popular features from many vehicles
by Jenny White

Tuesday, June 2nd 2009, 4:00 AM


The Elantra Touring has all the makings of a hit for Hyundai.

With the best parts of a sedan, wagon and hatchback combined into a great-riding, roomy and attractive vehicle, I’ve found the next car I want to buy.

Remember those books when you were a kid, in which you could mix and match body parts, (head, torso and feet) to make funny concoctions like a police officer with horse legs and a cowboy hat on? That’s what the Touring Elantra is like.

Up front, it looks like a sporty, small hatchback. Inside, in the rear seats, it looks and feels like a midsize sedan, and the cavernous rear cargo area is like what you’d find in a wagon. It’s the best of three worlds.

The 2009 Elantra Touring is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower and 137 pound-feet of torque. These 138 horses work hard to give the Elantra Touring a get-up-and-go takeoff.
A five-speed manual transmission is standard; a fourspeed automatic is optional.

Gas mileage is great in the Touring. I got a whopping 25 miles per gallon during the week I drove the Touring — on the highway and in city traffic.

As good as the drive is in the Touring, the real selling point is inside the cabin. As a hatchback, the Elantra Touring provides a surprising amount of space. According to Hyundai, it can hold a maximum of 65 cubic feet of space, which is twice that of a Mazda 3 and a few more cubic inches than many compact SUVs.

Some standard features include air conditioning, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, power windows and door locks, heated mirrors, remote keyless entry, eight-way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, a 172-watt AM/FM/XM audio system with six speakers and fog lights. USB/iPod auxiliary inputs are also standard.

The Elantra Touring comes fully stocked with antilock disc brakes with brake assist, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, side-curtain airbags and front seat active head restraints.

In government crash tests, the Elantra Touring received a perfect five stars for its performance in a frontal collision and four stars in a side collision.

The price tag for the Elantra Touring is a reasonable $18,500, less than most of its competitors.

The press on this car has been pretty favorable and if you come in to drive it you will quickly see why. Mention this blog when you buy your New Hyundai Elantra Touring at Dutch Miller Hyundai and your first oil change is on me.
Call Ernie, Billie, Les or Jason and schedule your test drive.

Dan Hartmanstorfer
Dutch Miller Hyundai
Sales Manager
304-529-2301 ext 1162