Again, Sonata offers more for less

Is there a Hyundai in your future?

Thousands of happy owners will tell you it’s not a far-fetched notion and just became less of one.

Hyundai’s new-for-‘06 Sonata promises to take the Korean brand deeper into the mainstream than it’s gone before. The Sonata is nicely styled, aggressively equipped and priced to undercut the competition.

The midsize sedan segment in which it competes is the backbone of the industry. Sport sedans and SUVs may come and go, but the family sedan is a staple. Once the domain of American manufacturers, the market has been dominated for the past decade by Honda and Toyota, with their standard-setting Accord and Camry. Nissan and Mazda play here, too, as does Ford, with its Taurus, and Chevy with the Malibu.

It’s relatively fresh territory for the Koreans, though, and they’re making the most of the opportunity.

The new Sonata, which is assembled in the United States from parts made mostly in Korea, has a longer wheelbase and is 2 inches longer than last year’s model. The result is an interior spacious enough to earn the EPA’s “large car” classification. And, while the Sonata sells for some $3,000 less than the class leaders, it is equipped like one.

Priced from $18,495, including destination, the base four-cylinder GL is equipped with power windows, remote keyless entry and powered and heated mirrors. Air conditioning, with filtration, is standard and the stereo system includes CD and MP3 playback.

A full complement of airbags includes curtain-style bags. A tilt steering wheel, variable-speed steering, 16-inch wheels, Michelin tires and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution all are standard.

Even electronic stability control and traction control are included, and these features are not mere gimmicks: recent National Highway Transportation Safety Administration studies show that vehicles equipped with stability control have 30 percent fewer single-car accidents and 30-percent fewer single-car fatalities.

Our top-of-the-line LX V-6 tester rang the bell at $22,895. Its standard-equipment list added leather seats, heated front seats, automatic climate control, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Homelink transmitter, auto-dim mirror with compass, adjustable driver’s lumbar support and fog lamps.

The new Sonata dresses up nicely, with proportions and lines that most closely resemble the Accord’s. Step up to the LX and you get 17-inch wheels and dual, chromed exhaust tips.

In fact, the only options available for the LX are a sunroof and audio system upgrades that include a CD changer, subwoofer and component amplifier.

A GLS trim splits the difference features-wise and can be had in either four- or six-cylinder configurations, from $19,995 and $21,495, respectively.

By fall, all new Hyundais will be equipped with satellite radio and a free, three-month subscription.

As has been the case for the past several years, the Sonata is backed by a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty.

The Sonata features two new power plants, each of which dramatically outstrips those found in previous editions.

The 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that powers the GL and is optional in the GLS makes 163 horsepower, versus the 138-hp engine it replaces. It features a balance shaft to minimize vibrations and those who have driven it say it runs smoothly and quietly. In GL trim, it can be paired with a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic.

The 3.3-liter six, which is available in the GLS and standard on the LX trim, makes 235 hp and in both trims can be had only with a five-speed automatic. The engine it replaces made just 170 hp.

The six features variable valve timing, so the power band is broad and flat. The engine doesn’t rival the class leaders in terms of power or finesse, but delivers what it has smoothly and quietly.

Likewise, the transmission is nothing fancy, but it gets the job done with gentle, smooth shifts in both directions. It can be shifted manually, though with questionable performance gains, and is sufficiently sophisticated to shift down and hold a gear on uphill grades.

Interior quality continues to improve across the Hyundai family. The new Sonata’s switchgear operates smoothly and with reassuring heft and fit and finish is dramatically improved. Both front and rear seats are comfortable, although the fronts could use more support in the thighs and lower back.

The Sonata has more interior volume than its primary competitors, which pays big dividends for rear-seat passengers who, for the most part, will have all the legroom they need. As always, the center position is too firm for comfort.

The rear seatbacks fold down to expand the capacity of the large and well-finished trunk.

Under way, the Sonata lacks the large, luxury-car feel of the Camry or the responsiveness of the Accord; but while lacking an essential character of its own, it does all things well enough.

The speed-sensitive steering is quick and as precise as it needs to be for a car that doesn’t pretend to be a sport-sedan. The suspension, which is independent at all four corners, does an outstanding job under normal circumstances but fails to tame broken road surfaces, which tend to transfer their jolts into the cabin. Nor is it particularly adept, or confidence building, during high-speed cornering.

Regardless of its shortcomings, the 2006 Sonata shoots an arrow into the heart of the midsize segment. It offers bargain-basement prices, a tremendous standard-features list and generous accommodations, and its mechanicals improve with each generation.

It may not yet be ready to take on the big guns head-to-head, but it more than holds its own in a very good crowd.