2004 Hyundai Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata bravely competes against iconic mid-size sedans such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, which have been in the market longer and can do no wrong in the opinion of many owners.

The Accord and Camry are more refined than the Sonata, as are a few other Japanese rivals to this South Korean auto. But the Sonata is lavishly equipped for the money and doesn't cost all that much.

The front-drive Sonata also has one of the best warranties in the industry: 5-years/60,000-miles bumper-to-bumper and 10-years/100,000-miles for the powertrain. But it still depreciates faster than a Honda or Toyota.

The Sonata comes in base form with a 2.4-liter, 138-horsepower four-cylinder engine for $15,999 with a five-speed manual gearbox -- and for $16,799 with that engine and a four-speed automatic transmission.

More desirable are the $17,649 base model with a 2.7-liter, 170-horsepower V-6 and higher-line $18,799 GLS and $19,799 LX with that engine. The V-6 comes only with the automatic transmission.

Even the base manual-transmission model is very well equipped, with such items as remote keyless entry, air conditioning, cruise control, tilt wheel, AM/FM/CD player, intermittent wipers, split folding rear seat, rear defroster and power windows, locks and mirrors. There also are remote fuel door and trunk lid releases.

The GLS adds a cassette player, slightly larger (16-inch) alloy wheels with moderately wider (60-series) tires, leather-wrapped wheel, illuminated visor mirrors and heated power mirrors. The LX adds leather upholstery, automatic climate control and a power driver seat.

Popular options include a power tilt-slide sunroof with a sunshade, but the the Sonata doesn't have many extras because of the large amount of standard equipment.

The gas-charged hood and trunk struts usually are found on costlier cars.

Safety features include standard front side air bags for all Sonatas and anti-lock brakes, which cost extra for all versions -- as does a traction control system for the GLS and LX.

The manual gearbox is OK but is basically designed to keep the entry Sonata price low; nearly all buyers of such a sedan don't want to shift gears.

The automatic transmission is smooth but mainly designed for the best fuel economy rather than for quick acceleration; it has slightly slow downshifts and quick upshifts to keep the engine from revving too high and using more fuel. Not that it's likely to be used much, but the automatic transmission's manual shift gate lets a driver hold it in a lower gear for faster acceleration when, say, merging into fast traffic.

The four-cylinder engine with either transmission provides an estimated 22 mpg in the city and 30 on highways, whereas the V-6 with the automatic provides 19 and 27. The Accord and Camry have larger, more powerful V-6s that provide a few more miles per gallon.

The Sonata four-cylinder engine delivers modest, but acceptable, acceleration. The V-6 makes the car a lot quicker, with a 0-60 mph time of 8.6 seconds. Both engines only need regular-grade gasoline, but sound rather coarse during hard acceleration.

My test GLS was fun to drive unless pushed hard. It's no sports sedan but had decent steering and good handling, thanks to such items as front and rear stabilizer bars. There's an all-disc brake setup with good pedal feel, but emergency stopping distances are average.

The compliant suspension provided a smooth ride that should win over many prospective Sonata buyers who take the car for a test drive on smooth roads, although the ride becomes a little unsettled on rough roads.

Outside door handles are easily grasped, and the supportive front seats are set high for good outward vision -- although rear seats are rather low. There's good room for four tall occupants in the quiet interior.

The cockpit generally looks good, despite glossy woodgrain plastic trim. Gauges can be easily read, and audio system and climate controls are fairly large. But the cover for the front console cupholders opens toward the driver and thus partly blocks his access to them.

The roomy trunk has a low, wide opening and the inside of its lid has an indented area that lets it be closed without getting hands dirty on the outside metal. Rear seatbacks fold fairly flat, but the pass-through opening between the trunk and back seat area is only moderately large.

The Sonata offers plenty of equipment and comfort and is a bargain-priced alternative to cars such as the Accord and Camry.

2004 HYUNDAI SONATA

Prices
$15,999-$19,799

Likes
Good V-6 acceleration. Roomy. Well equipped. Nice ride and handling. Long warranty.


Dislikes
Generic styling. Steep depreciation. Cupholder cover gets in way.