Since its redesign for the 2006 model year, the Hyundai Sonata has been a thoroughly competitive midsize sedan, complete with clean styling, a strong optional V6, roomy interior, and relatively low price. What it didn't offer: much in the way of style or driving enjoyment.

For 2009, Hyundai has refreshed the Sonata. Of greatest interest to enthusiasts, the midlevel SE now has a sport suspension. All Sonata's get a totally redone interior. To evaluate these changes, I took the revised SE for a test drive.

Styling

As before, the 2009 Hyundai Sonata's extremely clean lines are certainly tasteful. I am reminded of the 1993-97 Mazda 626, which was so tastefully styled that no one except me seemed to notice it. The main change to the exterior: a larger grille, as is the fashion these days (thanks, Audi). I suppose the new grille gives the Sonata more presence, but striking it is not.

The Mercedes-inspired instrument panel has been tossed in favor of one inspired by the Lexus RX. In the center stack, vertical bands of silver flanking an off-black center panel contain tall, narrow air vents. The overall affect is much more upscale and stylish than that in last year's car.

Materials remain much the same as before. With a starting price below twenty, you aren't going to get trim worthy of a Lexus. For the price, though, the materials are generally good. While the instrument panel is made of a soft-touch material, many surfaces closer at hand are made of hard plastic.

Accommodations

As before, the Sonata is roomy enough to barely squeak into the EPA's "large car" classification. Although not as cavernous as a Ford Taurus or Chrysler 300, the new Sonata is a match for the Japanese competition in this area. Heads and legs will find plenty of space front and rear. With the front seat adjusted where I like it (a bit further back than the average adult male), when seated in back my knees were nowhere near the front seatbacks.

The driving position is very good, with large windows and relatively thin pillars providing good visibility in all directions, especially forward. The audio and HVAC controls are located high on the center stack, where they are easy to see and reach.

Seat comfort is good but not outstanding. The front buckets have the moderately hard, marginally padded feel I've noted before in Hyundai sedans. The SE's seats now have cloth center panels to provide better grip in turns, addressing one of my criticisms of the 2006. The bolsters are leather. The back seat isn't quite high enough to provide ample thigh support, but the amount of legroom easily compensates for this--legs can be stretched forward until thighs make contact with the seat cushion.

The trunk is about average in size for this sort of car. The rear seat folds to enable long items to be carried.

On the Road

The four cylinder in the base trim performs just adequately. If you want anything in the way of thrills, you want the V6, now good for 249 horsepower. This engine is very smooth, makes refined noises, and pulls strongly. The engines in Japanese competitors are a bit stronger still, but, let's face it, 249 is beyond sufficient for a midsize family sedan. The manually-shiftable five-speed automatic remains down a ratio compared to some competitors.

The 2009 Hyundai Sonata SE's sport suspension remains less firm than you'll find in the Toyota Camry SE, or even in the Honda Accord. But it is somewhat firmer than before, and lean in corners has been reduced. In general, it provides a good balance between handling and ride comfort. Composed? Yes. Exciting? No. I'd make this the base suspension and offer a firmer sport suspension. Noise levels are about the class average, so moderately low.

Hyundai Sonata Price Comparisons and Pricing

Hyundai dealers have very tight margins on the car itself; many must rely on CSI bonuses to pay the bills. As a result, while the 2009 Sonata SE is about $2,750 less than a Honda Accord EX when comparing MSRPs, when comparing invoices the gap shrinks to about $1,500. This is before rebates--currently $1,500 on the Sonata.

The picture is even more dramatic when comparing the Sonata SE to the Toyota Camry SE V6 with optional stability control, since Toyota dealers enjoy unusually wide margins. Here, a difference (again in the Hyundai's favor) of $2,500 at MSRP shrinks to $900 when comparing invoices. The $1,500 rebate on the Hyundai and about $900 in additional equipment (including a folding second row) serve to widen the fully-adjusted gap at invoice to nearly $3,300.

In other words, price remains a major reason to buy a Hyundai. This is a lot of car for a likely negotiated price of $21,000 or so before taxes.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Sonata:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Sonata.php

Last Words

When I reviewed the 2006, I asked Hyundai to "re-tune the suspension and upgrade the interior." And that's what they've done for 2009. It's still not an exciting car to drive, but then few cars in this category are. The revised suspension does result in less lean and more composure, and the upgraded interior looks more upscale and stylish. Factor in the strong V6, roomy interior, and low sticker, and the 2009 Hyundai Sonata is a lot of car for the price.

A Note on Hyundai Sonata Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Sonata rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Hyundai Sonata reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Sonata--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

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Amount Paid (US$): 23,170
Model and Options: SE