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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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2015 Sonata 2.0T

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Over the past few years we have not had the chance at an extended test drive amid many Hyundai’s. With the downturn in the economy it became increasingly harder to get some manufactures to come out to Utah with vehicles, even though some of them are very good sellers here in the State. So we were pretty excited to find out the second Hyundai the past 3 months was making its way to our driveway.

After a very enjoyable week with the Santa Fe last February, having some real time in the newly redesigned Sonata would prove to be a very engaging experience. The new Sonata comes in four basic trims, the 2.4-liter is the base model and there is a 1.6-liter Eco model, as well as a hybrid for fuel efficiency and a 2.0 turbo 4 cylinder rounds up the line.

The one that arrived I our driveway happened to be the 2.0-liter sport model featuring a twin scroll direct injection motor that produced a very nice 245 horsepower, along with 260 ft.-lb. of torque. This is a small step down in horsepower from the previous generation of the Sonata, as the designers have put more effort into making the vehicle quieter and free of vibrations that turned out to be some of the biggest complaints from before.

Now in its’ seventh generation and being built right here in America at the Hyundai plant in Alabama, the Sonata is in a class where the competition is very steep and the competitors are many, so every addition, creature comfort and safety design would help anyone make it in this market. Competitors include the likes of Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, and Chevy Malibu, as well as the VW Passat, Kia Optima, Chrysler 200, Subaru Legacy and Mazda 6.

Having had the opportunity to drive 7 of those 10 competitors in the past year, we would be hard pressed to pick an overall winner in this mid-sized sedan market. They each have their own very unique personalities and many a loaded with comforts previously found only on much higher end vehicles.

The Sonata turned out to be no exception to that rule, and on a pace of selling over 200,000 each year, the folks at Hyundai are doing something right…. considering that a few years ago Hyundai was considered a car maker that no one was taking seriously. In fact many would have put them in the class of the Hugo, and figured they really were not a manufacturer that was here to stay. Wrong! They are here to stay and are proving it each day, and they did with us after a week with this twin turbo charged hidden gem.

The exterior has been tamed somewhat from what was more of a modern curvy approach, to getting folks attention, to more of a refined and less flamboyant look. The curves are softer and sleeker and a tamed down grill just accentuates the front of the vehicle with a four shiny exhaust tips, making a very subtle statement from behind.

The fact of the matter was that the Hyundai Sonata Sport comes with many standard features that we would have expected to cost more, being part of an upgrade package that had to be purchased in order to enjoy those particular creature comforts and or safety upgrades. We were very impressed with the 18- inch spoke like wheels that gave the impression that the car was almost floating on the tops of their pointed spokes.

Also standard was a sport tuned suspension that kept the vehicle in check even through tight cornering with very little body roll, yet gave great driver feedback when maneuvering through tight curves at higher speeds. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross path alert were standard features along with a rear backup camera, we couldn’t think of another car starting at just over $28,000 where those were standard features.

Oh, and then there were the leather heated seats, Bluetooth connectivity, LED daytime running lights, LED tail lamps, HID headlights and dual climate control for the front occupants, again all standard features. It became very apparent to us that the designers had spent some real time on the interior of the Sonata making sure that every detail was well thought out, and found a way to include things that most buyers would never expect or expect to pay more for. No wonder they are going through Sonatas at a record clip at the dealerships!

There was basically one addition to the Sonata that graced our drive for the week, and that was what Hyundai labeled as the ‘Ultimate Package’. Although after all the extras that came standard, it was hard to think of what else they would put in this ultimate package to make it special enough to come with a $4,950 price tag?

So there were a couple of things we really enjoyed, like the huge panoramic sunroof that seemed to encompass the entire roof, that was a beautiful addition and made driving in the spring weather very enjoyable, almost as if we had a convertible for the week. Add to that smart cruise control that really came in handy on a trip to Sandy to see a play that our son Landon was the sound designer for. We would have to say that smart or intelligent cruise control is one of our favorite additions to any vehicle, especially when using the cruise control in heavy traffic, it just makes the ride that much more enjoyable with the car gauging our speed in any situation.

This ultimate situation also included lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beam assist, a 4.2- inch center cluster LED display that would display all the information a driver could ever want from audio, to tire pressure monitoring. Ventilated front seats, along with heated rear seats were also part of the menu, and a huge 8- inch touchscreen with navigation replaced the 5.2 inch screen that came standard, and a nice touch of LED interior lighting.

After all those great features the Sonata was not only safe to drive, it was way more fun to drive that we would have thought. Sometimes those preconceived notions we can have really have to take a beating during our test drive, and this time Hyundai really let us have it with all cylinder cranking at maximum, we really enjoyed the Sonata.

It handled way past what we would have expected and it has one of the quietest cabins in its class. Our son JaCoby put is best on Sunday at the end of the week when he likened the Sonata to a poor man’s Lexus, it was crammed full of all the great features that come with a Lexus, but on a Hyundai, and at a price that most anyone could afford. See the new Hyundai Sonata Sport today at Murdock Hyundai at 452 S Lindon Park Dr, Lindon (866) 623-1120. You won’t be disappointed in what has gone into this new vehicle, it is a must see.

Base Price: $28,575

Price as Driven: $34,460