A week spent in the impressive midsize sedan from Hyundai

Pros:

Styling
Interior details
Supportive seats

Cons:

Engine can get coarse at high revs
Rear seat headroom

2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited

Hyundai Sonata

My first Hyundai Sonata evaluation took place in 1990 when the dealership I worked for was contemplating adding the brand as an additional franchise. My assignment was to drive one home overnight and to report my general impressions of the vehicle.

2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited

Back then the Sonata's styling was bland but inoffensive and the basic interior sported decent-enough fabrics. The overall fit and finish wasn't bad, but opening the rear doors revealed a crudely-finished weld on the upper door jamb where the two body side stampings were joined. While demonstrating the fold-down feature of the rear seats, the cloth loop attached to one seat back ripped off in my hand.

To top it off, the Sonata's steering was vague, its suspension was soft and the brakes were barely up to the task. I reported back that, overall, it wasn't something I'd want to sell to anyone.

But fast forward twenty-some years and we're looking at a whole new ballgame.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Exterior revisions

Redesigned in 2011, the current generation Sonata continues to represent a benchmark for styling, content and affordability in the midsize sedan segment.

Given a mild refresh for the 2014 model year, the Sonata retains its 189.8 inch length, 72.2 inch width, 57.9 inch height and 110.0 inch wheelbase.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
The refresh also didn't alter any elements of its "Fluidic Sculpture" design. Instead, updates in front were limited to a new grille blade design along with a grey surround to the fog light bezels and lower air intake.

Along the sides, the only change was a new 17-inch wheel design for improved NVH, while in back the 2014 model features revised taillamp lenses and lower rear reflectors as well as a new gray lower fascia insert.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Interior changes

Inside, Sonata's twin-cockpit interior retains its variety of complimenting soft-touch points, putting many vehicles in this class, and some costing thousands more, to shame. The surfaces on everything from the steering wheel to the door panels are nicely done. Driver Selectable Steering as well as a tire-specific tire pressure monitoring system is now standard on all models.

The cabin retains its airy feel with an EPA passenger volume of nearly 104 cubic feet plus 16.4 cubic feet of cargo volume pushing Hyundai's midsize offering into the EPA's large sedan classification.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Front seat occupants will find firm, supportive seats that are nicely bolstered to provide excellent lateral support. The intuitive controls are large, easy to read, and within easy reach of the driver, while the switchgear is buttery smooth.

New for 2014 on models like our Limited tester is a leather steering wheel, automatic climate control and a ventilated driver's seat. The view from that seat out the front and sides is excellent, although the sloping roofline somewhat hinders the sightline out the rear quarter. Rear seat passengers will find plenty of leg and shoulder room, although once again the roofline shows its limitations in the amount of headroom available.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Under the hood

The standard engine for both the base Sonata GLS as well as our Limited tester is Hyundai's Theta II 2.5-liter direct injected inline-4 that has been slightly detuned for 2014 for better city fuel economy and produces 190 horsepower and 179 lb.-ft. of torque (in the SE with a dual exhaust those numbers are 192 horsepower and 181 lb.-ft. of torque). The 2.5 is rated by the EPA at 24/35/28 city/highway/combined mpg, while our observed fuel economy was an exemplary 29 mpg in primarily city driving.

Optional on the Limited and SE is the company's Theta II 2.0-liter direct injection turbo delivering 274 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque that also features a new sport tuned exhaust for 2014.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
On the road

Even with the normally aspirated 2.5-liter mill our tester had plenty of power on tap, although the sounds emanating from under the hood could get raspy when you put your foot into it. At the same time routine handling was taught and buttoned-down. On the highway, the Sonata's suspension soaked up pretty much everything the pothole-riddled, frost-heaved highways of southeastern Michigan threw at it.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Tossing the Sonata into a corner elicited no drama whatsoever yielding very little body lean. Interior noise levels are lower for 2014 courtesy of improved carpet insulation, additional foam in the A and B pillars and an additional dynamic damper. The results can be heard with obvious lower levels of both wind and road noise, even at freeway speeds.

More good news is that the electric steering system retains just the right amount of both on-center and overall steering feel for both highway and urban driving.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
2014 enhancements

In addition to those listed above, here are a few of the additional enhancements to Sonata for 2014:

• HID Xenon headlights, LED taillights - optional on Limited
• Rearview camera and driver's blind spot mirror – standard on SE and Limited, optional on GLS
• Blind Spot Detection System - optional on SE, standard on Limited
• Third-generation navigation and audio multimedia system with eight-inch touchscreen display - optional on SE and Limited
• 4.3-inch touchscreen audio display with rearview camera and HD Radio, optional on GLS - standard on SE and Limited
• Supervision cluster with color LCD screen between the tachometer and speedometer - standard on SE and Limited
• Body-colored spoiler - standard on SE
• LED dome light optional on GLS - standard on SE and Limited
• Carbon fiber interior trim – standard on SE
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Pricing

2014 Sonata prices start at $22,145 (including freight and handling) for a GLS model equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission (the manual transmission has been dropped for 2014) and can top out at over $33,000 for a fully-optioned Limited equipped with a turbo four.

Our Indigo Blue Pearl Limited tester had a base price of $26,900. It was equipped with the Limited Premium Package at $3,000 which includes a panoramic sunroof, HID Xenon headlights, LED taillights, nav system and Infinity audio system and a 90-day complimentary subscription to XM NavTraffic, NavWeather and Sports and Stocks. Carpeted floor mats ($110) and destination charges ($795) brought the grand total to a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $30,805.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
This compares to our previous tester, a 2013 model with an MSRP of $29,655. But hold on just a second. That model lacked, among other things, the HID headlights, LED taillights, driver selectable steering, blind spot detection, driver's blind spot mirror, LED dome and rear reading lights, electroluminescent instrument cluster and the supervision LCD screen between the tach and speedo found on our 2014 tester.

So, yes, the 2914 model is, if anything, an even better value.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited
The Bottom Line

So what's the bottom line to all of this?

The 2011 Sonata signaled that Hyundai was ready to play with the big boys in the midsize segment while vindicating Hyundai's vision that buyers in the midsize segment were looking for more than boring reliable transportation – and that a large dose of style would gain them a slew of new customers.

For 2014, Hyundai has managed to up the ante so that car buyers looking for a roomy and dependable midsize sedan that looks more expensive, both inside and out, than it really is should keep Hyundai's Sonata at or near the top of their shopping lists.
2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited