2005 Hyundai Sonata New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2005 Hyundai Sonata?
Aside from the addition of a standard electrochromic interior rearview mirror with a Homelink transmitter on the 2005 Hyundai Sonata LX, there are no changes. A redesigned 2006 Hyundai Sonata with more powerful engines, bigger interiors, and much better looking sheetmetal debuts in the middle of next year.

Advantages of the 2005 Hyundai Sonata:

• Competitive pricing
• Extensive standard equipment list
• Standard side-impact airbags
• Ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty
• Smooth ride quality

Objections to the 2005 Hyundai Sonata:

• Aging platform
• Tight rear seat space
• Small trunk
• Engines down on power

Editor's Advice:
It's time for Hyundai to introduce a new, larger, more powerful Sonata capable of taking on the domestic, let alone Japanese, competition. So, for 2006, that will happen. For now, the primary drivers for 2005 Hyundai Sonata purchase are competitive prices, an extensive standard features list including side-impact airbags, and a long powertrain warranty. Dynamically, the Hyundai Sonata fails to impress. Its platform dates to 1999, its V6 engine makes fewer horsepower than a four-cylinder Nissan Altima, and the interior is definitely on the small side for what purports to be a midsize car. But when you're spending significantly less money than you would for one of the Sonata's competitors, all while enjoying a smooth ride and basking in luxury amenities such as a leather interior, automatic climate control and premium sound, perhaps back-of-the-pack design and technology is an acceptable trade-off.