DRIVEN: 2016 Hyundai Sonata

For the first 20 years of Hyundai's existence, their slogan could have easily been "Dull but sensible." From the late 1980s, when Hyundai entered the U.S. market, until the late 2000s their products were practical and functional, but certainly not desirable. But in 2010, Hyundai unveiled a radical look with a new Sonata midsize sedan and Tucson compact crossover. These two vehicles ushered in the "Fluidic Sculpture" design language, signaling a major shift as Hyundai began to shed its bland image over the next few years.

Now, in 2017, Hyundai has solidified itself as a main player in the affordable family car segment as it has continued to roll out more capable and attractive vehicles. "Fluidic Sculpture" has given way to a more sophisticated and straight-edged look, but the newest Sonata appears to be relying on these good looks to cover up some deeper flaws. Over the summer, I spent a week with a 2016 Hyundai Sonata SE, and while not as radical as its predecessor, the 2016 model is quite handsome. However, a few minor issues hurt the cabin and loose steering and unresponsive brakes let it down on the road.


Up front, the trapezoidal grille with thin horizontal chrome bars lends the Sonata a stately appearance and the shiny coating adds a dash of luxury. Chrome also graces the lower fascia, where a thin bar creates a sort of "eyebrow" for the fog light housing. While this "eyebrow" looks sharp, the base model doesn't actually feature fog lights in the housings, resulting in lots of empty, cheap-looking space. Above this design flourish sit the attractive headlights, the orientation of which echoes that of the previous generation: extending backwards and slightly widening when bending around onto the front fender. However, the 2016 Sonata does away with its predecessor's swooping design language, instead featuring a more squared-off outline. While conservative, the heavy use of straight lines creates a dignified, mature front fascia.

The attractive but safe styling continues on the sides of the Sonata, with a sharp character line traveling from the front wheel arch to the gas cap and another straight crease running parallel along the bottom of the doors. The five-spoke hubcaps are a pretty standard affair, as is the daylight opening, which simply follows the outline of the roof. One of the most unique elements of the previous generation returns: the chrome window trim starts at the headlight, instead of the base of the A-pillar, before wrapping its way around the side windows. By connecting the headlights to the daylight opening and extending the line created by the flowing LED strip in the headlight, this element subtly creates a cohesive profile design.

The Sonata features a short rear deck, making this midsize sedan seem more like a fastback. While a fastback design makes some cars, like the Audi A7, sleeker others end up looking stunted, like the BMW 5 Series GT. The Hyundai is somewhere in between--when viewed from the side, the roofline smoothly flows into the taillights, but when viewed from a rear three-quarters view it appears stubby. The rear deck also featured a small lip spoiler, which, along with the chrome-tipped trapezoidal exhaust pipes, adds a sporty flavor to the rear design. The taillights continue the trend from the front end of expressive, sharp, and straight lines. Overall, the rear end is attractive, although it would have been nice to see more chrome, to match the more luxurious and stately front end.

If all you did inside the Sonata was sit and look around, you would be quite happy. The seats, both front and back, are comfortable, although the off-white color makes dirt and stains easily visible. Legroom is plentiful for the front and rear seats, while headroom is spacious up front and slightly constricting for taller occupants in the back. The front dashboard design, while not particularly exciting, is still pleasant to look at--the combination of black, silver, and light tan works together well. The center console is well-organized and features a 7-inch infotainment screen--adequate for the segment. The piano black trim looks luxurious and isn't overused, which means fewer smudges. The gauge cluster behind the simple steering wheel also features a clean, ordered layout. The small screen in between the two gauges displays a useful graphic showing which doors are open.

However, once you begin to play with the knobs and interact with touch points, the Sonata begins to falter. The silver woven trim doesn't stand out when viewed from afar, but up close the bumpy texture looks and feels cheap. The dashboard would have fared better had it featured the smooth silver trim from the center console. The central control center is also flawed. The hazard button doesn't light up when the hazards are turned on, making it harder to know if you have accidentally left them flashing. The tuning and volume knobs for the radio were a bit finicky, making it easy to accidentally flip past the radio station you wanted or have trouble adjusting to the right volume. Finding the right station might not be a huge issue when cruising around your hometown, since you could preset your favorite stations, but when traveling somewhere new, as I was, it can get quite frustrating--particularly when searching through the myriad of channels offered by Sirius XM satellite radio. The ceiling of the cabin was covered in inexpensive fabric, which created an unattractive bump around the main cabin light.

Another annoying feature is the air conditioning vents, as the tabs used to adjust the direction of airflow prevent the vents from being fully closed causing conflict when one person gets cold but the others still want the AC. While they could simply try pointing the vent as far away from themselves, even this measure is futile, as the bulkiness of the tabs limits the angle at which the vents can be adjusted. My final quibble with the interior is one of personal preference, as I find the leather gear shift covers lumpy and unattractive.


Despite its distinguished looks, the Sonata does not drive like a luxury cruiser. The steering wheel feels very light, with a small adjustment by my hand causing the steering wheel to turn far more than was intended. This loose steering is uncommunicative, and definitely does not instill confidence in the driver. Neither do the unresponsive brakes. When I would push down on the brake pedal, there was absolutely no feedback, meaning I couldn't feel how much I was actually slowing down. While a quick check of the speedometer and my seat belt holding me in place through Newton's Third Law confirms that I am actually slowing down, it can still be disconcerting.

I also found issues with the gas pedal. Acceleration at city speeds was adequate, but pushing just a bit too hard on the throttle when at a standstill causes the Sonata to stumble slowly and then suddenly lurch forward. Furthermore, between 45 and 65 mph, the Sonata felt impossibly slow. When I would press down the throttle, the car would continue at that speed for what seemed like an eternity (probably more like 3 seconds) before finally kicking in and speeding up. This delayed acceleration was frustrating, and could prove stressful when passing on a two-way country road. Finally, the automatic gear shifter felt clunky when changing from "park" to "drive." Overall, from the driver's seat, the Sonata was a disappointment to drive.

The Sonata's handsome exterior design and pleasant interior are overshadowed by functionality issues in the cabin as well as unresponsive brakes, steering, and acceleration. Hyundai has certainly come a long way in the design department, but their midsize entry fails to provide a really gratifying driving experience.

Grade

Front: B+

Back: B+

Overall Exterior: B+

Front Seats: B-

Rear Seats: B

Overall Interior: B- 

Driving: C-