2009 Hyundai Sonata SE

Overview

The Hyundai Sonata is a four-door, five-passenger sedan priced at the low end of the mid-size market, where it competes primarily against the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, and Ford Fusion. Despite moderate prices, every Sonata comes with a full slate of safety equipment and none is optional; it has earned the federal government's five-star crash-test rating for front and side impacts, the highest awarded.

Sonata is big inside, with so much interior volume it the EPA classifies it as a large car. It's roomier in almost every dimension than most of its mid-size competitors, many of which are larger outside, and it offers a full-size edge in creature comfort.

For 2009, the Sonata is perhaps one percent heavier and prices have gone up, some by $1500. However, the new models come with more standard equipment such as the sunroof on the Limited model, so the relative value remains high.

Instead of spending a lot outside Hyundai kept all the sheetmetal and merely updated lights and trim.

On the inside, however, they've improved the seats for 2009 and added an entirely new dashboard/console layout and introduced a voice-operated navigation option.

Under the hood each engine remains the same size but makes more power on less fuel, and the four-cylinder has been upgraded from an optional four-speed automatic to a five-speed automatic. Last but not least, the suspension has been retuned to deliver the same good ride with better precision and driver involvement.

The most-expensive Sonata will set you back less than $28,000 with navigation, but you can get a comfortable, efficient commuter like our test car for about $21,000. You'll be hard-pressed to find more room with that economy for anything near the price, and it won't have Hyundai's warranty package.