Beyond the many fine traits exhibited by our Sonata (relatively quick, refined ride quality, solid ergonomics, attractive interior materials, etc.) I personally like the color. It's a maroon/brown shade (official name is "Dark Cinnamon") and it looks quite upscale, particularly for a $23,000 car. I took possession of the car just after it had been washed, but limited garage space meant it had to sit out at curbside. It struck me at one point that the car, in all it's freshly-washed, Dark Cinnamon glory, looked quite attractive parked out there...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
It's a small thing, but I like the way the Sonata's shifter works. There's no button to press, and it slots solidly from gate to gate -- you never have to worry about it being halfway in. And with the "manual" gate off to the side, there's no chance of missing "D" and finding 4th instead. Overall, a nice design and very handy during complicated parking maneuvers and freeway adventures alike...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
On Friday afternoon I bought a couple of cases of bottled water. The cases weigh 50-60 lbs, so they're kind of a hassle to deal with. But getting them into the Sonata's trunk couldn't have been easier: The lift-over height is super low -- the bottom lip of the opening is just above my knee.
The rest of the weekend with the Sonata was similarly enjoyable...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
Los Angeles is suffering through a heat wave. Not only is it hot here, it is also humid, which is rare in our desert climate. When driving around the city, or more likely sitting is traffic, you need to have a good air conditioner.
While the A/C in the Sonata works quickly and quietly, the vents are in the wrong position...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
When I first took a look at the Sonata's audio controls, I thought something was missing. The design is so incredibly spare that I thought maybe the radio didn't offer presets. I was wrong, of course. The Sonata's stereo setup has everything you'd expect; it just manages to lay things out in a wonderfully efficient way...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
Every time our editors drive one of our long-term fleet vehicles, they write their comments in a logbook kept in the car, whether it be praise or criticism.
Flipping through the pages, I found multiple comments about how the stereo and A/C systems are in opposite positions. The A/C is where the stereo should be and vice versa. We wrote about this nitpicking in the April update on the Sonata...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
While driving the family around LA, several times my passengers have commented on how quiet the Sonata is. Besides the cluck cluck meow meow of three chatty women in a car together, wind and road noise are low. And when stopped at traffic lights, the engine is very quiet.
However, when you do something the car disapproves of, the bells start ringing. I stopped at a supermarket to run in for a second and left the car running so my passengers could remain in the cool air conditioning...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
East coast family members came to visit, so we've been spending the week with the Hyundai Sonata touring various spots around the Los Angeles area. Roomy and comfortable, the Sonata is perfect for hauling around four adults. Today, I packed up my family and headed to the South Bay for some much-needed beach time. If you could see how white our legs are, you'd scream...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
After a long hard day's work, I look on our board to see what car I have been assigned for the evening. I'm always relieved to see my initials next to the Sonata. It's just so easy to drive. It's not overly techy inside so I don't have waste time trying to figure out any gadgets...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
I appreciate steering-mounted audio controls more and more each day. Like power door locks and power windows did a decade ago, this feature is quickly morphing from a nice-to-have to a must-have. An ever-increasing percentage of cars that pass through my hands have them. I'm not certain if manufacturers are adopting them because it makes good ergonomic sense, because it helps soften the ever-increasing complexity of audio systems as they sprout satellite radio and auxiliary iPod / MP3 player inputs (which our Sonata does not have), or simply because of the demands of the automotive feature "arms race".
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
Part of the usefulness of a manual-gate in an automatic transmission is that it can be used in (all too common) bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic in Los Angeles. How? By neatly toggling between first and second gear, the car isn't freewheeling in third or fourth gear at 25 mph. This way, I don't need to constantly cover the brake pedal; rather I can simply ease off the throttle as traffic slows, and squeeze some more if it picks up. I've done this for years in literally hundreds of vehicles, but on repeated occasions, our Sonata resisted my technique.
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
I took my daughter to dance class on Saturday in the Hyundai Sonata, and was suprised when several parents asked me about it. While I know that the Sonata has a comfortable interior and an energetic V6, I wasn't expecting the other dance moms to share my enthusiasm for the Korean car, especially when several drive expensive German sedans.
But after giving a brief walk-around, opening the cavernous trunk and showing off the roomy rear seat, I felt downright smug about my pseudo Sonata ownership. Half-way through its year-long test, the Sonata continues to prove itself a likeable family sedan...
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
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.
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Categories: 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX
