I bought this car because you get a lot for not a lot of scratch. Turn off the Eco and traction and it will surprise you. It's not fast... as that's not what it was intended for, but it's quick. Seems to "pull" through the gears too. Got it up to 120 once and it still didn't balk. SE trim is a harsh ride, but I like feeling the road. Legit quick "grocery getter".
@jd5179 I'm a Lexus RX owner who JUST picked up my new 2011 Sonata turbo - I LOVE this car...I was a Hyundai hater before...but I swear this car is one of the best looking on the road, amazing power for a 4 cyl with great fuel economy...they're sourcing the best steel in the industry (from what I hear)...amazing paint process...using twin scroll turbos like Porsches, so great low end boost...and everything about it says LUXURY - best value hands down...I've been converted!!
I BOUGHT ONE - 2 MONTHS AGO. I graduated high school in 1975. Why am I telling you that? This is the first time since then a car did something that scared me. It scratched off the line, scratched into second & I lifted my foot off the gas, not wanting to know beyond that. In short, if you put your foot down in THIS car, YOU'D BETTER MEAN IT. The 2011 had only 10k miles on it, but was $7000 off the original price. PLUS IT IS CERTIFIED, SO IT STILL HAS 4 YEARS / 90,000 MILES of warranty left!
I just bought my a 2011 2.0T Limited on Monday. Best purchase I've ever made... I have 320 miles in 3 days on back country roads, I can't wait to get it broken in. I haven't taken it over 4200RPM's yet (attempting to break it in properly) but I'm pretty sure I left black streaks of rubber across the last 3 counties. It is fast, it drives and corners like a dream, it is roomy, it is EXTREMELY comfortable inside, and all in all, I never realize my dream car was under 80 grand... under 30!
@kyo215 Mitsubishi also is mounting Theta engine in mass production in August 2005 for Lancer (Lancer) follow-up model, the Eclipse (Eclipse), etc. Holding the scale of production is approximately 400,000. i Fuel efficient Theta engine features a high-performance, quietness, eco-tech, variable lightweight aluminum engine block, the intake valve (VVT: Variable Valve Timing), fuel-efficient, and it reduces engine vibration as using balance shaft. It's truly quiet.
Just bought the 2.0T Limited (Red) .... amazing car! Rides a bit hard over RR tracks, due to less air/rubber ratio. but the 18" wheels looks good! Definitely more pwer than my 6 cyl Taurus.
I drove this car for an hour and a half 2 weeks ago and I am thoroughly impressed with this car, I beat on it and the fuel gauge didnt move.The styling is second to none and the pricepoint is simply un-matchable with a equipment/price ratio. Is Hyundai on a role, yes and I am glad I have discovered this brand.
I was just given this car by my Dad a week ago,and it's got over 335,000K on it,and even though it's a 2011 and the first year of the fluidic sculpture redesign,it looks newer and years ahead of anything on the road now, and it turns heads especially when I turn left on a green and opposing traffic is stopped. I had a BMW driver gocking at me.
FYI this Sonata has a Theta engine same as the Genesis Coupe(210hp) In this Sonata form it produces 274 hp and 6 speed auto transmission. The Theta block used is very similar to the Mitsubishi Evolution X 4B11T, as core components like pistons and rods are said should move freely between them,however, the two engines are not identical.The turbo used is a Mitsubishi TD04 model. In stock trim this unit pushes a peak of approx. 16-18psi with a sustained 14psi. I should know ,i work @ Hyundai.
I bought this car too (BLACK), incredible performance. It's a car for uncle with taste to have fun...This car bring me back to my 20 years old. Thanks Hyundai!
Many people don't like Hunday because of where it is made and the name of the car. But if this car and a Lexus, Benz, or Beemer ornament, people will love it.
@toyotas2006 well both engines are pushrod engines but are equipped with VVT the 3.5(211 hp@5800 rpm(but revs to 6300rpm)and214 ft-lbs@4000RPM (but VVT kicks in at 4500rpm) 3.9( 233 hp@5600 rpm(but revs to 6100rpm) and 240 ft-lbs@4000 rpm (but VVT kicks in also at 4500rpm) ohh and has very tall gearing the 3.5 doesnt shit out of 1st until 60 and the 3.9 doesnt shift out of 1st until 45mph so they have a broad torque curve
my wife has this car and I can tell you it is very quick except for off the line where turbo lag is a huge problem it is really dead till over 3000rpm too bad they didn't make this with a standard then it would be really fast
@kyo215 They've been exporting Sonata 2.0 engine of four-cylinder Theta engine and a 2.4 engine to DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi with recieving royalties, previously received a total of $ 57,000,000. from DaimlerChrysler since 2004. DaimlerChrysler in September 2005 began to mount that engine for passenger cars, multipurpose vehicle (MPV), sport-utility vehicle (SUV). The main vehicles are the Stratus (Stratus), PT Cruiser (PT Crusier), Liberty (Liberty), and ranged up approximately 700,000.
There is an advantage with the turbo 4 in term of gas saving while you have the power when you need it. Also Turbo is suerior on power when you drive on the high alttitude areas such as Denver.
The 2.0T is a solid car, you should drive one to understand. Its built well and feels very solid. I am only worried about the 2.0Ts long term reliability. Also dont know how mod friendly this engine will be, considering there is little to no aftermarket support for these cars currently in North America.
@palebeachbum the Sonata gets the first gen 2.0 GDI turbo motor, the genesis coupe does not have the GDI motor because it was not ready at the time, hyundai has a V6 lambda GDI engine and 5.0 GDI V8 coming out very soon so my guess is hyundai will be replacing all thier motors with GDI technology on the next gen models. so far the 2011 sonata, tucson upcoming new elantra, accent, and veloster will have GDI tech that will give them more POWER and better MPG than the competition.
It was announced that the U.S. road traffic safe office (NHTSA) will be recalled by the defect of * handle equipment on the 26th about 139,500 2011 type sonatas produced at the Hyundai factory in Alabama, U.S. (local time). All the produced cars have been applicable from December 11, last year to September 10, this year, and this hits all the new style sonatas produced in the U.S. * A defect like the conte that a handle can be taken during a "defective of handle equipment" -> run
This is a family sedan that can scare the whole family at once. Yet, it still gets 22/33 MPG! Since it's a Limited, it has everything you can get on a Sonata too. Put your entire music library on a flash drive, plug it into the USB port & you may have to spend a couple of days behind the wheel before you hear the whole thing, AND you have wheel mounted controls, so you never need take your eyes off the road. I wondered where the new car smell was, then realized it was my 1st car with leather.
@davids7319 I don't know exactly - If I owned the car I would source it but I would assume to do the slotted rotors, potenza's and brake lines without labor would be roughly $1700.. with labor more like $2150. It sounds expensive but there is mega-takeaway value and the potenzas will last 60k under harsh driving year round and the car will stop on a dime throughout it's life. I would also get the dustless Abeneko brake pads and rear sway bar for this car put on right away.
@GuyGroovey - A lot of BMW's look alike, but the high performance models stand apart from the others in appearance and performance. But,, those are $70-$120k cars, and this is a $24,000 hyundai.
@cococly - Maybe... prolly high 14's in the 1/4 with good conditions. I had a TL Type S with 260HP/230TQ and it got same 1/4 mile time and 6.2-ish 0-60. Makes me think the Sonata is geared for fuel economy. The good thing about a turbo is you can add more power using a simple handheld device.
i hope the 2012 (9th gen) accord comes with a turbo option and maybe just maybe either a Si version, Si-R version, or Type R version...in coupe form that is
On paper, there is. The mileage thing, you missed me with that. A turbo makes lots of heat when it's running boost and the mileage goes down quick when your in it. Just like a NA engine. I don't live in the mountains so a turbo makes little difference to me. If you live in Denver then maybe you've heard of Mike Shaw Chevrolet on Colorado Blvd.
@90Mrknowitall but if the 4 cylinder is faster, it doesnt matter. you seen the 1000hp subaru wrx sti? it goes 0-60 in like 2. something seconds but it doesnt count because its a 4 cylinder according to you..
@kyo215 You said that " i own a 2009 civic si and 2003 hyundai sonata and if u ever compared them some of the lack of power and lightness that the hyundais has". Why don't u compare 2003 civic to 2011 sonata 2.0t? Is it logical? they've refurbished from late since 2004 & keep improving even today continually in success. Now, they've already got beautiful comparable engines as same or better than others. The lack of power is not the coz of their engines, their engines r comparable enough already.
@matrixloader Oh ok, that makes a lot more sense now. I'm excited to see what kind of power and economy they squeeze out of the other GDI motors they're coming out with. The new '11 Tucson does NOT have a GDI motor though! Why!?
@1993hondaaccord i own a lexus 2007 is 250 and i have been having nothing but problems with it. my first problem was when the ac condensor drain hose ( the hose that drips water under your car) got clogged. I am not the first person having to deal with this problem, lexus even released a memo to dealers letting them know about this problem. It cost me over three thousand dollars to fix the problem since my car's warranty had already expired by 300 miles. This is a design flaw.
@1993hondaaccord Missed the point so I'll reiterate. The focus here was not on skill (especially since regardless of skill, on a straight away race, it's about pure acceleration). The focus was on cost-value comparison. 1.BOTH cars are in the same size-class 2.I have a better powertrain setup 3.The feature set is equivalent, if not better on the Sonata 4.A $25k car beat a $40k car in a straight away race Do you get it now? Besides, how embarrassing that ANY Lexus should be beaten by a Sonata.
nice car and was really looking forward to amazing performance with the turbo but at 15.0 through the quarter it is barely quicker than the old V6. They took 2 steps fwd here but 1 back. The camry's v6 performance is still kicking butts. I gotta go look at the power to weight and the torque of this motor because at 274HP it is definitely not getting up there. At the end of the day turbo makes it very butt kicking capable...intake, exhaust, and tuning should put her down to low 14's easily.
@badtrashtalker VW already has a 280 hp 4 banger in the R20 and the Scirocco R. If you want a faster passat, get the VR6. Which is better in looks, comfort, and power departments.
@hms888 The Korean Market is too small and given that these are made in America and have the largest sales volume here then they should make decisions based on American preferences. Even so they have done a nice job on the 2.0T but I suspect they will bump up to the 2.4 to answer low end torque like the S2000 and WRX did.
So let me see if I understand this. The previous V6 sonata, did 0-60 in 6.9 seconds with 233 hp... The new sonata 4 banger turbo does 0-60 in 6.5 but has 40 extra ponies.
@wtzit2u Dude, I hear you loud and clear! Your next car should be Chevy Cruze, an all american automobile! Btw, how's your Samsung pc monitor, Sony tv set, Seiko watch and Canon camera...? Working fine?
@1993hondaaccord P.S. Check the specs on the Lexus and you'll see that the 2.5 is ACTUALLY a V6. What you probably should have done was focused more on the size of the engine, and not the number of cylinders. But I already pointed that out in my original message.... Again, try not to miss the point before you respond.
@bg1379 What I meant was that Hyundai is a very reliable and reasonable priced line of cars these days, i bought a elantra for that reason. but are not turbocharged engines historically much less reliable than regular ones? If this engine is reliable then this car would be awesome.
no manual trans. Unfortunately. This car rips and is a pleasure to drive, for those of us who like to feel good power but like a good looking car which is sophisticated, oh and dont want to pay a lot, this car is on par with all those desires.
Funny how motortrend tests this car and it performs a little faster than the optima sx even though they're both practically the same car underneath the sheet metal.
I own a 2009 Sonata SE V6. The car is pure quality, and I would DEFINITELY buy another Hyundai after this one.... What's funny is I raced a guy in a Lexus IS 250, likely the same year or newer, and kicked his ass. I guess spending that extra $10-$15k was worth it. NOT lol. I know car specs, and I know the Lexus has a 2.5 versus my Sonata's 3.3. However, focus here on the Cost/Value comparison of each vehicle, and I win either way you look at it LOL. I got way more for my money than he did.
this car is amazing, but if i have to pick a family sedan this car would be on my list..including the 2011 accord, and the altima.. i think those cars are really good even tho the accord 2011 came out with a few minor changes, it improved milage, but still cant beat the hyundai.. overall, i like the new sonata interior and the performance, not too crazy bout the outside, i like the accord interior and exterior, specially the coupe. and the altima's as well..
This car rocks I use nitrogen in the tires smooths out the rail tracks in Canada but some are nasty. Toyo proxs are the best tires expensive but they dont roll even when under heavy cornering. I use to be a gm man but not any more.
I test drove the Turbo Limited yesterday after trying the 198 horse power model. Yes an improvement but overall not impressed. Slow off the gate and engine noise was terrible. It seemed to struggle. After testing the Mazda 6 v-6, Camry v-6 I would take these two models over the Sonata any day. The Sonata T SE can be purchased for about 24.5 while the limited 27k (no navigation). One other thing I'd like to point out is the Sonata leather is cheap and plastic like. Looks..sonata wins.
@dta333 Initial quality reports would say so, but only time will tell if Hyundai will be comparable to the reliability that we've come to expect from the Japanese. Resale value on these cars seems to be up in the air...probably because we just don't know. Let's see this car in 6-7 years and over 100k on the odo... I think that people are putting way too much emphasis on Hyundai's exterior design and are jumping on the bandwagon for that reason alone.
@asdfgoogle Power delivery and gearing. With this car's EPA ratings it is easy to see that the Sonata has a transmission that is optimized for economy...not so much performance.
@BigCarpFoxRiver The 2006 generation has been out for...well, 4yrs, obviously. It's rated one of the most reliable cars in it's class, better than Camry.
Not to bad for the results. I have said it before and I will say it again: This car needs more of a performance look to set it apart from the other RUN OF THE MILL sonatas. It needs front rear and side skirts to really set it off. Also a set of brembo's. If Hyundai is serious about performance, they need a performance brand...SE-R, TYPE S, AMG.....
@BunDownChoons there's some truth in what u've said but not completely....hyundai is in fact vry passionate about innovation and that will eventually boost their passion for engineering. They just need more time to build up their passion for both engineerin/innovation and i think with every wave of success they make they are getting there!
hyundai really going after toyota/honda/nissan really hard. i like what they did though, went turbo on a 2.0 4cyl. give you very good gas mileage, but V6 like power.
@90Mrknowitall you comment was relevant to a 4 cylinder. sti is a 4 cylinder... and youve tried racing the 1000hp sti.. yeah im sure. with what? your impala?
@kyo215 The lack of power is from their own auto transmission, not from engines that is already beautiful enough. If it's not good, they can buy from others & fit it into their cars when they assemble it, they know what they can, but they don't spent money & time for that for the specific manias. Do you know why? They prefer benefits & developing their skills as they try to use their own mechanisms that will gonna bring better future, benefits back to them as a winner soon. Business is business.
@kyo215 I can understand what u gonna say, ok. But what you don't know is that Hyundai is the biggest car company in Korea, right? but there r smaller car companys than hyundai in domestic korea, but one of that smaller companys has been producing better supercar than ferrari into only domestic korea since about 2004. So other foreigners aren't aware of it. Coz they try to evaluate something in a situation they are without knowing others too much. What u r seeing is not all. It's business.
