2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS, SE and 2010 Hyundai Tucson GLS

[regfootball]

I got a chance to test drive the Hyundai Sonata AND Tucson a couple days ago. This evening another Sonata test drive.

Long story made short to ignore, I am actually am shopping for something of a vehicle so usually when I drive stuff for entertainment but these two vehicles were actually on my 'i would consider this'.

Generally i sometimes don't finish these reviews so I will try to be quicker about this. Everyone is aware that Hyundai is growing more and more as a player in the market and each new release is making big / waves in the segment it is in.

My last frame of reference for driving a Hyundai was a rental Sonata a couple years ago and while I felt it decently pleasant it really in no way made me want to own it.

Wow can things change.

Edited April 27, 2010 by regfootball

[regfootball]

Every time I test a car and review it I tend to frame my thoughts around how well the car performs to what you can buy it for. Sometimes your expectations are too high, and sometimes, too low. Sometimes you are underwhelmed and sometimes you are impressed. Sometimes you are taken aback with a certain excellence or value in something.

There were a lot of instances driving these all new Hyundais where i really had to mentally step back and say, "wow, they really did a great job here". And there is the occasional instances where you are thinking, "but if they had just sweated the detail here just a bit more.....".

I think what is rather interesting as well is how many of my thoughts here applied to when I tested a Kia SOrento recently. The Korean bunch has really got their nose to the grindstone, improving their work and their products. They are not at all second class. They simply bear down and tackle the next project. What is seemingly even more impressive is that its a whole effort that is including the marketing and design and product planners. There is no way all the improvement each cycle could happen unless the whole team was contributing.

Let's take design for example. Both the Tucson and Sonata are arguably among the best looking now in their classes inside and out. Myself I am a bit weary of the soft look that the Sonata has, and i realize they are trying to add creases and such. The basic proportion and 'four door coupe' style is pretty good. The front is a bit busy and the grille a little obtuse and all. The side swoosh / falling character line is a bit hokey and has been so done, but it adds a signature to an otherwise egglike body side. The resolution in the rear is a little cleaner. The one detail I hate about the Sonata is the extension of the chrome from the headlight all the way back. Cars have too much chrome as it is, just adding this chrome below the hood is trying to hard IMO. But what really makes this car so nice to look at is the proportioning and the rakish look. The only sedan that may have a more fluid and graceful look (in this class) is the rock star sedan, the Volkswagen CC. Not at all like the crisply creased CTS, the Sonata is all about soft 'fluidic surfaces' and gentle flow.

So although this new wave aero is sort of old, it really does look good here with the 4 door coupe roofline.

The Tucson on the other hand, sort of expands on a lot of the current crossover design cliche's, closely mimicking elements of popular crossovers like the Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-v. I think the Tucson looks a bit more aggressive and stout, myself though. In comparison....ok, who are we kidding, on its own the Honda CR-v is ugly. THe Tucson looks athletic, somewhat fluidic, aggressive, tough, and sleek all at the same time. The Tucson physically looks bigger than others in its segment. It has a shape that will appeal to a large body of crossover fans.

[regfootball]

So design wise I think they both look fresh and well done. The Tucson's front is a bit questionable, but clearly they have the goods to gain sales from the styling.

The interiors follow suit to the exterior. Both have interesting and fresh looking interiors, and neither is a cookie cutter to the other. They each make a living off of some current popular design cliches' but are in fact pretty well done for the most part with some minor reservations.

The main impression sitting inside the Sonata is the repetition of the exterior themes, lots of fluidic lines and shapes....these envelop you. Back in the 90's, 'cockpit' interiors or 'wraparound' interiors were the rage and this feels just like a new interpretation of that feeling. Currently popular is the large vertical center stack effect, which mixes into the wraparound shapes. The interior ambience in this car is very cocooning, and the low roofline really adds to the unique and futuristic ambience inside this car. Sit in the Sonata and sit in a Fusion......the Fusion will seem OLD. I had no issues with the interior 'design'. I was more or less pleased with the design and execution of everything. My only complaint and one I will Echo on the Tucson....cheap plastic. Which also happens to be disguised very well. It's not old style GM cheap of course, but if you are caught looking at it, you will say 'hmm, too bad they couldn't have made this dashtop out of a little nicer plastic'. I had no issues with any ergonomics, switches, lighting, ambience, or controls, other than a seat back that dug in a bit. There may have been an adjustment for that which I never found. DOn't confuse it though. The seats overall were GREAT and probably top in class if not close. The shape, the firmness, the fabric.....love the seats. Its hard to know if they would have felt good after three hours though.

The interior of the Tucson is more rugged. But many similar comments apply. As does the note that the plastic really could be improved, although you don't dwell on it because the design and assembly quality is good.

The Sonata's interior is cavernous. None for want in terms of head height, leg room, shoulder room, anything. Luxury here is space and it feels intimate while being spacious at the same time. My old 500 was huge inside but did not have the intimate feel this has. The rear seat perhaps has a teeny bit less leg room than it appears, but in its class, it still has more than most. Trunk is huge....however, the trimming and fit and finish in the trunk IMO needs improvement. At least you can access that space (um, LaCrosse, we are talking about you). This is at or near the top of cars in this segment, the trunk is.

The Tucson's interior is huge also. Step in is a tish high but not obtrusive. All dimensions are well satisfied and the seats are great in that too. The cargo area could stand to be bigger. AND, trimmed out a LOT more nicely. The fuzzy stuff and plastic in the cargo area needs to be improved a lot. Perhaps if they did a sliding second row like the Equinox they could get a deeper cargo well. Width wise, and we all know how important width is, i think the tucson probably will have a more useful cargo hold than the Equinox. Rear seat legroom is excellent. COmfort is abundant all around.

I was enthusiastic of both these interiors in spite of a lot of the plastics quality. The designs are interesting. The controls and layout and space given, no compromises. No glaring flaws. Futuristic, almost even, at least in the case of the Sonata. I can't sit in this and the Tucson and have any rational reason for why someone would buy an Accord or CR-v.

---dyin here. gonna need to finish this tomorrow----- just for now I like them both a lot.