When a car's as close to the family sedan sweet spot as Hyundai's 2011 Sonata is, you have to be careful about jazzing it up. Easy to go too far and lose the balance that makes the original delightful.
Hyundai, which seems lately to have the magic touch (sales through November are up 23% in a market up 11%), perhaps strayed over the line in creating its 2.0T, a go-fast turbocharged version of Sonata. But errors are slight and, overall, the car's dandy.
The test car had a hard ride. Not just sportingly stiff, but punishing over potholes and broken asphalt that characterize too much of American road surfaces. The suspension, aimed at cornering agility, is stiffer than on non-turbo models, and 225/45Rx18 tires are standard. The "45" means the sidewalls are so stubby and stiff that there's little give.
The turbo engine, which uses gasoline direct injection (GDI) for more power and fuel efficiency, grumbled unpleasantly at cold start. After it warmed, and always under hard throttle, it sounded good. GDI engines often are noisier than others, giving the impression there's a coarse, unrefined powerplant under the hood. Payback for the GDI noise is extra performance and miles per gallon. Hyundai calls its combination of GDI and turbocharging "Blue Drive." We don't know why.
The loaded test car also was $30,000, no longer the hard-to-resist pricing that helped make Hyundai a success. On the other hand, that price brought leather upholstery, navigation, backup camera, heated front and rear seats and — can you stand it? — premium door sill scuff plates.
If you don't need all that, the base 2.0T is about $25,000, which seems more like Hyundai pricing.
Mainly, the balance swung wildly positive.
Sonata 2.0T did as intended — went quickly, and did so smoothly. The turbo engine has higher power ratings (274 horsepower, 269 pounds-feet of torque) than rivals' V-6 engines and uses regular gasoline. Some companies recommend or require pricier premium fuel for their turbos.
The 2.0T engine wasn't high-strung, as some turbos can be. It rolled out a seamless flow of power from just above idle to redline. It never seemed like — you know the type — a smallish four-cylinder meant for fuel economy but turbocharged to get its power back to where it should have been.
Nope. It came across as a highly entertaining and agreeable engine of indeterminate cylinders and size, equally at home slogging or flogging.
Read More: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2010-12-09-test-drive-hyundai-sonata_N.htm
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