I had forgotten how pleasant it can be to drive our long-term 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX at the end of a long day. The steering wheel feels so smooth and comforting in my hands, and the car is easy to maneuver around town. There's a spacious feel to the interior, yet the beltline remains low, sightlines are good, and the car is compact enough to fit easily into the smaller spaces in crowded grocery store parking lots. The Sonata does have kind of a lazy feel even in the parking lot, a setting in which the Accord and Camry feel a little crisper, more alert. In that regard, the Hyundai reminds me a bit of our '04 Chevrolet Malibu -- you don't need much brain power to drive it, but you don't remember it.
Other editors have commented in the logbook that the driving position is too high, and while it's definitely high, I happen to like it. I have a short torso and with the rising cowls on today's sedans, I feel like I'm sitting lower and lower. But not in the Sonata. I do find the seat-bottom cushion too short, though. But the telescoping steering wheel, a feature that you won't find in cars like the Ford Fusion and Subaru Legacy, is a nice bonus.
Erin Riches, Sr Content Editor
13,680 miles
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