Ten years ago, Hyundai was a little economy car manufacturer, making cars that people could just “settle on” because they didn’t want to spend more. How times have changed.
Today, Hyundai makes cars people not only love, but automobiles people lust for and actively seek. From sports cars like the Veloster to crowd favorites like the Elantra, for Hyundai, the hits just keep on coming.
For the 2018 model year, Hyundai’s midsize sedan has been restyled and redesigned for a new generation. While the new design looks good and fits with more of the newer models, I thought the outgoing designed looked pretty darned good, even if it did look just a bit dated.
The new look features a much more aggressive headlight design and a sporty front lip — and definitely commands a presence — while the previous generation seemed to melt into the traffic around it. In other words, the new Sonata looks more expensive than it truly is.
The interior in the new 2018 Sonata is a huge upgrade from the busy look of the previous generation. The touchscreen is larger and the software is more responsive than the previous infotainment system. Every button and knob is placed where you would expect it to be, which makes getting used to the car very easy.
Getting into and out of the Sonata also is very easy for being a sedan. Aided by the immense headroom provided by the cabin and the carefully thought-out design, visibility out of the Sonata is vast and unobstructed by any unnecessary pillars or designs. The roominess even extends to the trunk, where you get 16.3 cubic feet of storage — plenty for a run to the grocery store and then some.
The 2018 Hyundai Sonata has three different engine options to choose from:
• The first engine is 185 horsepower, 178 pound-feet of torque 2.4-liter four cylinder that gets 25 city 36 highway mpg on the base SE model, and 25 city 35 highway mpg on the other trims.
• The Sonata Eco model delivers 178 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque from a 1.6-liter turbo-four and achieves 28 city 37 highway mpg, and
• The third option is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder making 245 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. This sport model, called the Limited 2.0T+, gets 23 city and 32 highway mpg.
The Limited 2.0T+ I test drove handled quite nicely. Steering was responsive and braking never made me feel like I wasn’t going to be able to stop in time. Acceleration from the 2.0 turbo was a surprise at first as the previous Sonatas I had driven didn’t have a sport engine in it. While not “race-car” fast, it was spunky enough to give me confidence while passing other cars swiftly and safely.
The 2018 Hyundai Sonata starts at an attractive $22,050 for the base SE model and $22,650 for the Eco model. The Limited 2.0T+ that I had, which comes with anything you could want as standard, starts at $31,900 before additional options.
Ten years ago, if Hyundai asked over $30,000 for one of its cars, they would have been laughed at. Today however, this is one of the best values in the market — and the 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty is just the icing on the cake.
Grant Miller is the publisher of Miami’s Community Newspapers. He may be contacted by calling 305-662-2277 or via email at Grant@CommunityNewspapers.com.
