When we get vehicles to review for this site, they’re provided by various manufacturers for us to test a week at a time. This evaluation is different. I’ve had the privilege of using a 2023 Hyundai Sonata SEL on a daily basis for the past 15,000 miles…because I bought it. These are the things that attracted me to it, the characteristics that I’ve enjoyed over the past several months, and the shortcomings I’ve noticed.
Keep It Simple
When I was looking for a car to replace my 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt, I had a rough idea of what I wanted. Given that my commute is 45-60 minutes each way, good fuel economy was a must. The same was true for rear seats and rear doors so my mother-in-law could travel comfortably with me and my wife.
I started off by test-driving the Honda Accord, but I didn’t like the fact that it had a CVT (continuously variable transmission). I’ve found most CVTs have a rubber band-like feel to them and some CVTs don’t seem to have confidence-inspiring reliability. The Camry is a staple in its class, but I’ve seen so many of them that their blur-into-the-background familiarity was a turn-off.
I eventually made my way to a Hyundai dealership to try out the 2023 Sonata. It wasn’t quite as common a sight as its Toyota rival and had an appealing simplicity to it. Its naturally aspirated Smartstream 2.5-liter I4 runs on regular gas and sends its power to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic. No power-adders or all-wheel drive system, no noisy CVT to tolerate, and no clutch to work endlessly in rush-hour traffic. What made it even more attractive was the fact that my local dealer had one in the Phoenix-friendly combination of Serenity White over a (nearly white) light gray cloth interior. It didn’t stay on their showroom floor for long. I made it mine.
‘Tweener Trim
It was indulgent enough to get a new car so I picked a reasonable spot in the trim level spectrum by going from the base SE to the SEL.
To make my commutes easier and my wife and mother-in-law more comfortable during our errands and out-of-town trips, I picked an SEL with the Convenience Package. I was drawn to it because it includes a wireless charging pad, a panoramic sunroof, and second-row HVAC vents, but I got other features, such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, as a bonus.
No Punishment for Practicality
I knew what I was getting – and not getting. The Sonata is a mass-market, affordable, practical means of transportation. It’s not a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW M5. I think of it as a commuting appliance. But that doesn’t mean it’s a horribly boring three-box blandmobile. It has distinctive styling (aka Sensuous Sportiness, according to Hyundai). Perhaps its most noticeable visual element is the metallic trim lines that run from the mirrors, around the windows, and parallel to the hood before coming to angular ends below the LED headlights. Along the way, they transition into LED Daytime Running Lights embedded with Hidden Lighting Lamps that look like chrome when they’re switched off. It’s too bad their aesthetic flair is offset by the droopy catfish mouth of a grille.
I have no complaints about the rear end, which features a trunk lid that seamlessly flows into its own spoiler and a pair of C-shaped LED taillights joined by a light bar, a combination that gives the Sonata a sci-fi look at night. Given my car’s lower-tier trim level, I expected it to come with cheap-looking, drab wheels, but its 17s have a dynamic design and an attractive two-tone finish.
Perfect for Me…
The Sonata wasn’t one of my dream cars. I would’ve preferred to get an off-roader with low-range four-wheel drive instead, but I decided against one (for now) for several reasons. Although the Sonata’s not the vehicle I want it to be, in so many ways, it’s the one I need it to be, especially since my previous car was a low-tech 15-year-old V8 Mustang.
I spend the majority of my time in the Sonata going back and forth between my house and the office. Getting the cabin to the right temperature for my departure is as easy as opening the MyHyundai with Bluelink app on my phone and clicking one of the customizable presets. It’s regularly above 100 degrees these days so before I head out, I pick my Summer profile to start the car and get the air conditioning pumping at 70. Once I get to my car, all I have to do to open the trunk is stand next to it with the key fob in my pocket and wait for it to open so I can throw my lunch box in. Unlocking the driver’s door only requires touching the handle. Since I already remotely started the car, I don’t even have to press the start button next to the steering wheel. Backing out of my driveway or a parking spot is less stressful thanks to a rearview camera feed on the center touchscreen and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, which not only warns me if someone is crossing behind the Sonata but also applies the brakes to keep me from backing into them.
The Sonata is just as pleasant once I’m on the road. It seems more spacious than it probably is because of the light A-pillar wrap and headliner. None of the touch-points or controls feel chintzy. I’m spoiled by all the infotainment controls and options around me. The steering wheel-mounted audio controls are always useful, but if I want to crank up a particular song (something I typically do when “In the Air Tonight” comes on), I can just grip and rip the volume knob to the left of the gracefully integrated 10.25-inch center touchscreen. Too bad Hyundai didn’t build in a tuning knob, too. Fortunately, all control dials, switches, and buttons are logically placed. During morning drives, I listen to Holmberg’s Morning Sickness on 97.9 FM while the wired Apple CarPlay shows me the fastest route to work. When the cars ahead of me inevitably come to a stop and I have to join them, I don’t even have to keep my foot on the left pedal thanks to the Brake Hold feature. Peak traffic hours in Phoenix are always soul-draining, but they can be so much worse than they are in the Sonata.
…But Not to Me
When I told one of my coworkers I was going to write a review of my Hyundai, he asked me, “Since you bought the car, is that fair?” I told him, “Yeah, because I’m going to say all of the things I don’t like about it.” The Sonata is certainly not perfect. While I can remotely start it with the key fob, the range is frustratingly short, so I usually opt to do it through my phone. The engine routinely gets me more than 35 miles per gallon, but it only produces 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. There’s a noticeable lack of pep. When I ask it to get up and go, it seems unhappy to oblige, letting out a coarse sound of reluctance. Its partner in getting me to my destinations, the eight-speed automatic, is more cooperative but occasionally a bit awkward in doing its job. It’s also inflexible; for the life of me, I cannot find a way to “manually” shift gears. There are no buttons marked with a plus or minus sign among the push-button controls for the transmission and there are no shift paddles attached to or behind the steering wheel.
I mentioned earlier that I got the Convenience Package to make out-of-town trips more enjoyable. Drives to Flagstaff, Sedona, and Prescott have been nice, but there’s one destination I’m reluctant to go to in my car: Las Vegas. My wife, my mother-in-law, and I went there in a Honda CR-V and the condition of the road and the changes in its elevation beat the hell out of the suspension and left me feeling weary. I can imagine how unpleasant the ride would be in the Sonata because it has less suspension travel and its ride quality is already a little rough on bad pavement.
So far, the 2023 Hyundai Sonata has been a satisfying purchase. Part of that comes from its newness and the peace of mind provided by its 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty. The majority is due to the fact that it’s nicely equipped and is great at doing the things I need it to do.
Do you also have a new Hyundai Sonata? How has your ownership experience been? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
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