Test Drive: 2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6

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Photo Gallery: 2007 Hyundai Sonata

North Vancouver, British Columbia – The Hyundai Sonata remains the most under-appreciated car in the mid-size import brand class which includes such high profile competitors as the Camry, Accord, and Altima. Actually, its corporate cousin, the Kia Magentis gets even less respect, but that’s another story. In many ways, the Sonata is a better car than its big-name competitors – it was named Best New Family Car Under $35,000 by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) last year – but past perceptions take years to undo, so despite a Recommended rating from Consumer Reports and a “Very Good” customer satisfaction rating in Consumer Reports annual Car Satisfaction Survey (2006 Sonata GLS V6), the Sonata remains a second-tier consideration for most people looking for a mid-sized family car.

Still, Hyundai is making progress in Canada. As of this writing, the Sonata is outselling the Mazda6, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen Passat, and Saturn Aura – though Sonata sales are down this year, its second year after a complete redesign in 2006.

For 2007, the Sonata has some minor trim and equipment changes: a new GLS four-cylinder model includes most of the luxury features found on the top-of-the-line GLS V6, including leather seats, power conveniences, and alloy wheels; there’s a new chrome centre grille bar on GLS models; a new seek/track button in the steering wheel-mounted audio controls; a new black leather interior; and the recent availability of XM satellite radio which came mid-way through the model year.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

The standard five-speed manual transmission in the 2007 Sonata GL four-cylinder model is no longer available, according to Hyundaicanada.com, but an advance copy of the 2008 Sonata specifications shows that the manual transmission will be available. Still, Hyundai won’t sell very many – manual transmissions aren’t that popular in family sedans.

Another change is that all Sonatas are now built in Montgomery, Alabama – last year, four-cylinder models were built in South Korea and V6s in Alabama.
As before, the 2007 Sonata comes with a choice of four and six-cylinder powertrains: a base 162-hp 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission with “Shiftronic” manual shift capability; and a 234-hp 3.3-litre V6 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, also with “Shiftronic”. For 2007, all engines now meet Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (LEV-II ULEV) standards.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

Other trim levels have also gone up by about $300 since last fall: the Sonata GL V6 has gone from $25,995 to $26,295 and the four-cylinder Sonata GLS has risen from $26,595 to $26,895. Curiously, the top-of-the-line GLS V6 has actually gone down from $28,995 to $27,895 without any major changes in equipment.
Still when you consider a top-of-the-line V6 Sonata is under $30,000 – thousands of dollars cheaper than the Accord and Camry – the price looks very attractive.

Standard equipment on the four-cylinder Sonata GL includes cloth seats, front, side and curtain airbags, front active head restraints, four-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic, air conditioning, AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers, 60/40 split folding rear seatbacks, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power door locks and windows, power heated mirrors, keyless entry with alarm, cruise control, 16-inch steel wheels, and windshield de-icer.

The new GLS four-cylinder adds 16-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, leather seats, front seat heaters, power glass sunroof with sunshade, automatic climate control, telescopic steering wheel with audio controls, chrome exterior accents and trip computer.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

The GL V6 includes all of the standard features in the GL four-cylinder plus the 3.3-litre V6, five-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic, 16-inch alloy wheels, ABS, fog lights, telescopic steering wheel with audio controls and power door locks.

The GLS V6 adds power glass sunroof, 17-inch all-season radials and alloy wheels, leather seats, front seat heaters, eight-way power driver’s seat, woodgrain interior trim and sliding centre armrest.

A block heater is not standard – you’ll have to cough up an extra $197 for that.

Options on the GLS include a $1,400 Premium Package with electronic stability control with traction control, power adjustable pedals, automatic climate control, auto-dimming mirror and garage door opener.

My test car had all the options (except the block heater) and came to $29,295 plus Freight and taxes.

All Sonatas include an impressive five-year/100,000 km full warranty and three-year/unlimited km roadside assistance warranty.

For starters, the cabin is one of the biggest in its class with generous legroom, hiproom and headroom. And the trunk is big with 463 litres (16.3 cubic feet) of cargo space, a large trunk opening, and fully lined walls.

On a long drive to the west coast of Vancouver Island, I found the Sonata GLS a very pleasant place to spend time – the driver has a multi-adjustable seat, tilt/telescopic steering wheel and power adjustable pedals (optional), so there’s almost no excuse not to find a good driving position. For winter driving, the front leather seats have seat heaters (optional) with one temperature setting. The rear seats are stiffer than the front ones, but comfortable enough – and there’s plenty of room.

The GLS V6′s two-tone grey and cream-coloured leather upholstered interior features tasteful use of high-grade plastic, woodgrain trim and aluminum accents. Minor quibbles include gauges that could be a bit larger and easier to read; cream-coloured floor mats in the front and rear that will stain easily; and annoyingly loud warning chimes when the seatbelts are unfastened or the key is left in the ignition.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

The standard AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with six speakers sounds great, but surprisingly, a six-disc CD changer is not available as an option – nor is an auxiliary input jack for music players. (The 2008 Sonata, which will be coming soon, will be available with a premium 240-watt stereo with 6-CD changer and seven speakers). A small covered storage slot below the heater is not big enough for CD cases – they must go in the bin under the armrest between the front seats.

An optional navigation system is not available in the Sonata.

The steering wheel features volume controls on the back of the hub that can be operated with the tips of the left fingers while still holding the wheel. The buttons on the left front of the wheel are for choosing radio band and operating Seek function while those on the right are for cruise control.

The XM satellite radio system, with over 100 channels, turned out to be a disappointment on a long drive. Mountains and even tall trees blocked satellite reception for long periods of time, making it essentially useless in B.C. In a separate test, Autos Technical Editor, Jim Kerr, also reported a loss of reception in the shadow of tall buildings. Still, if you live in the suburbs, or the Prairies, the variety of music available on satellite radio is superior to what you’ll find on normal AM and FM radio stations, and the sound quality is quite good.

The Sonata’s automatic climate control did a good job of

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

keeping the cabin cool in the summer heat without resorting to noisy blasts of cold air when starting out; and it features a small LCD display to show ventilation, fan speed and temperature displays, including the outside temperature.

Interior storage is good: there’s a flip-down coin tray near the driver’s door, a large glovebox; an open bin at the bottom of the centre console with two 12-volt power outlets; front door pockets; map pockets on the back of the front seats; a dual level storage bin between front seats with an armrest which also slides forward; and a reat seat fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders.

Standard 60/40 split folding seatbacks add to the versatility of the already large trunk, and are lockable from inside the trunk to prevent thieves from gaining access from the cabin. As well, the trunk can be unlocked remotely with the key fob.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

The engine is responsive to the throttle – due in part to the engine’s continuously variable valve timing system – and the transmission shifts down quickly with just a little throttle input. The transmission’s “Shiftronic” manual mode, operated sequentially in a separate gate just to the right of the D mode, is useful when you want manual control, but I found that my right foot could do almost as well in urging the transmission to shift down when needed.

With the V6, the Sonata’s official 0 to 100 km/h time is a quick 7.7 seconds, and there’s plenty of highway passing power in the 80 to 120 km/h range too. On the freeway, the engine revs under 2000 r.p.m. at 100 km/h and can barely be heard.

Fuel economy, rated at 11.5 L/100 km (25 mpg) City and 7.2 L/100 km (39 mpg) Highway, is not far behind the class leading Toyota Camry V6 and is almost as good as the Honda Accord V6.
Handling is fairly nimble and the ride is very comfortable except over pavement breaks and expansion joints.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

As well, some people might find the highway ride a bit floaty at times but I enjoyed the lack of stiffness that is so common to many cars nowadays. The Sonata has a fully independent suspension (front double wishbone/rear multi-link), and a fairly tight turning circle. Tires on the GLS are P225/50R17-inch Michelin Energy MXV4 all-seasons which are quiet on the highway and offer good grip in the dry.

The driver has good visibility in all directions – the outboard rear head restraints lie flush with the top of the seatbacks so as not to impede the driver’s rear view – and the relatively flat hood gives the driver something to judge the distance to the car in front when parking.

I found the steering easy on the arms, with quick turn in but not a lot of road feel. Standard four wheel disc brakes with ABS offer good pedal modulation and quick stopping distances. The optional electronic stability control and traction control is a safety feature that helps prevent spinning out and loss of traction in slippery conditions, and is probably worth the extra $1,400 as part of the Premium Package.

2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. Click image to enlarge

Just a word about quality: I was quite impressed that the hood is supported by a single gas strut so there’s no fumbling around for a hood support. And the trunk is supported by two gas struts outside the perimeter of the trunk opening, ensuring that they don’t intrude on trunk space when the lid is closed. These details indicate a concern for quality that you don’t see in all its rivals.

Lastly, it should be mentioned that the 2007 Sonata received a “Good” rating in 40 mph frontal offset crash tests and an “Acceptable” rating in side impact tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The National Highway Safety Administration gave the Sonata a Five-Star rating in both frontal and side impact tests. Front, side and side curtain airbags are standard equipment in the Sonata.

Related posts:

1. Buyer's Guide: 2007 Hyundai Sonata
2. Buyer's Guide: 2005 Hyundai Sonata
3. Test Drive: 2002 Hyundai Sonata GLX
4. Test Drive: 2006 Hyundai Sonata GL 4-cylinder
5. Used Vehicle Review: Hyundai Sonata, 1999-2002