[Samurai]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Could it be a(your view) absolute view on the car while others are presenting a comparative view where they have felt better in other cars.

Originally Posted by Omtoatom

although I gotta say, mine is a relative observation and not an absolute one.

Well, I don't think absolute vs relative can explain the difference between my observation (fantastic ride quality) and Omtoatom's (low on ride quality). Got to be something else.

Originally Posted by Omtoatom

Also it's quite possible that the car I drove had more than ideal tire pressure (which tends to happen with test cars) and that might have directly compromised the ride comfort. Besides I drove on a bumpy stretch of road specifically to test that aspect of the car out. So there you go...

I suspect it might be the tyre pressure. I just peaked into the reviews by couple other media reviewers who drove along with me, and their views on ride comfort does agree with mine. As more BHPians test drive the Sonata, we may get better picture.

[NIP]

A friend claimed he watched a TV review of a diesel version. Is it true ?

[Omtoatom]

Originally Posted by NIP

A friend claimed he watched a TV review of a diesel version. Is it true ?

Nope, am afraid HMIL has no plans for a diesel Sonata in the near future - at least for the Indian market. Either your friend mistook the current car for a diesel one or he watched a review of the Sonata made for some other market.

Originally Posted by Samurai

I suspect it might be the tyre pressure. I just peaked into the reviews by couple other media reviewers who drove along with me, and their views on ride comfort does agree with mine. As more BHPians test drive the Sonata, we may get better picture.

Quite possible - as far as I remember the ride in the backseat was quite alright, it was when I was behind the wheel myself that I didn't quite dig the experience. Guess we'll just have to wait and watch as this thread grows and some more on ownership pop up around T-BHP.

[manishk123]

Originally Posted by NIP

A friend claimed he watched a TV review of a diesel version. Is it true ?

Hyundai calls this engine GDI - Gasoline Direct Injection - hence the confusion for many people.

[NIP]

Originally Posted by manishk123

Hyundai calls this engine GDI - Gasoline Direct Injection - hence the confusion for many people.

Whatever it may be, I think its a bummer they have no diesel option on this fantastic car. Very dissapointed !!!

[Omtoatom]

Originally Posted by NIP

Whatever it may be, I think its a bummer they have no diesel option on this fantastic car. Very dissapointed !!!

You betcha NIP. However you'll be amused to know that certain sections of the media have been actively speculating that an oil-burning Sonata may not be very far away. The diesel engine may make it debut on the all new fluidic Sonata along with the launch of the all new Elantra sometime in August this year. I wouldn't be surprised if the two cars happen to share the same engine - perhaps a 2.0 liter CRDi to take on the likes and break the vice-like grip of VW Group cars in this segment.

[deepjaju]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Two 12V sockets and AUX/USB connectors. A fellow reviewer couldn't get his iPhone to connect though:

The review is as usual amazing and precise. I would like to point out that the iphone & ipod connectivity in the Hyundai cars work with a specific cable provided by Hyundai. For instance in my i20 I didn't receive such cable but in my Verna I got a cable which connects to iphone/ipod on one end and the other end connects to both the Aux & USB port simultaneously. This is the only way the audio system detects the iphone/ipod.

Have you tried with this cable or does it not work with the cable also ?

[jkdas]

This Is The Best Car Under $20,000

Hyundai on top of the list of under 20k $ cars.

[manishk123]

Originally Posted by jkdas

This Is The Best Car Under $20,000

Hyundai on top of the list of under 20k $ cars.

They are talking about the Elantra in the above article, not Sonata.

[Pacifica]

Originally Posted by smartcat

The new Sonata will make for a decent pre-owned purchase - if you manage to find one. How does a price of Rs. 8 Lacs sound for a lavishly equipped 2012 Sonata after 3 years and 30,000 km?

8 lakhs sounds overpriced!

The Sonata has always been a great bargain in the used car market. My current car is a 2008 Sonata A/T petrol. I bought it in August 2011 with 45,000 km done for just 4.5 lakhs, insurance and dealer commission included.

Our market is obsessed with (a) diesel, and (b) image. So either diesel-engined cars or cars with image (Honda, Mercedes, BMW, etc.) are all the rage in the used car market. So these Hyundais sell for a pittance.

In my case, my daily commute to office is 10km round trip. Maybe once every two months or so I take my family on an outstation trip. I fuel up the car once a month and that's about it. Get around 6 - 7 kmpl in city and 11 kmpl highway. Its very spacious, carries all the luggage that my wife, baby, and dog need, and isn't at all expensive to maintain. Takes regular petrol, not premium.

A comparable sized and similarly equipped diesel sedan (even the diesel Sonata) would have cost me at least 8 - 10 lakhs. I'd much rather spend the savings on petrol over the 3 years or so that I will keep the car.

Then I'll sell it and buy a 2012 Sonata!

[Pacifica]

Originally Posted by ghostrider

To me what's going to be a HUGE issue for them is the lack of a diesel engine. A 200bhp petrol mill if going to burn a pretty big hole in the pocket especially when you look at the fuel economies of previous Sonata models (there's a user on TBHP who has a V6 Embera that gives him 2 kpl!!!).

V6 Embera? I'm pretty sure there was no such thing in India. The old first-generation Sonata in India came with a V6 for the AT version. The Embera always had only a 4-cylinder 2.4 litre for both MT and AT petrol versions, never a V6.

There was a V6 offered in the US, but that car was called simply the Sonata and not as the Sonata Embera.

Granted the petrol Embera has pretty bad mileage but 2kmpl sounds unbelievable. Mine is a 2008 petrol AT Embera, and it gets around 5 - 6kmpl in bumper-to-bumper Noida traffic and around 7kmpl on the Noida - Gurgaon stretch. On the highway I never get less than 10kmpl, and usually get around 11.

[mpuri]

Hello Gents,

Check out the following links about the alignment problem of 2012 & 2011 Sonatas:

http://jalopnik.com/5824883/hyundai-...onata-syndrome

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f236f8e

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/222-yf...s-right-3.html

[blackasta]

Drove the 2012 Sonata as a rental from Budget last week - the car had appx 17000 miles on it. We drove Orlando - Miami - Florida Keys - Orlando.

Good:

• Great steering control in cramped city streets
• Ample front and rear legroom
• Good sequential gearshifts
• Balanced handling on the highways - although I rarely went over 70 mph
• FE - 26-28 mpg on the trip
• Looks nice in red!

Bad:

• Steering feels a bit lifeless on the highway
• Throttle response is slow
• Acceleration is not good - we had 3 adults + 1 kid + 4 airline cabin luggage
• Tire noise in the cabin is loud
• Sound system not up to the mark w.r.t speakers - although aux/BT/ipod connectivity is there - could control my ipod touch 2G from the HU

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by blackasta

Drove the 2012 Sonata as a rental from Budget last week - the car had appx 17000 miles on it. We drove Orlando - Miami - Florida Keys - Orlando.

Good:

• Great steering control in cramped city streets
• Ample front and rear legroom
• Good sequential gearshifts
• Balanced handling on the highways - although I rarely went over 70 mph
• FE - 26-28 mpg on the trip
• Looks nice in red!

Bad:

• Steering feels a bit lifeless on the highway
• Throttle response is slow
• Acceleration is not good - we had 3 adults + 1 kid + 4 airline cabin luggage
• Tire noise in the cabin is loud
• Sound system not up to the mark w.r.t speakers - although aux/BT/ipod connectivity is there - could control my ipod touch 2G from the HU

I agree. Its a neat car. Though my friends car doesn't have loud tire noise. He has aftermarket tires which he changed immediately. He also made sure the air pressure in tire is just 1 psi above recommended. That made a whole lot of difference.

I found acceleration to be at par with camry and mazda6. Less willowy than camry but not as good as mazda6.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by chevelle

I agree. Its a neat car. Though my friends car doesn't have loud tire noise. He has aftermarket tires which he changed immediately. He also made sure the air pressure in tire is just 1 psi above recommended. That made a whole lot of difference.

I found acceleration to be at par with camry and mazda6. Less willowy than camry but not as good as mazda6.

That's exactly what was said by my buddy who went with me on the trip - and has an old Corolla and a new Mazda6.