Hyundai Sonata

NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2015 Hyundai Sonata

With a more refined look, better ride quality and a host of new features, 2015 Hyundai Sonata will be priced beginning at $21,150, the South Korean manufacturer recently announced. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata lineup ranges from the base model 2.4-liter to a new range-topping Sport 2.0T Ultimate. It offers hands-free Smart Trunk, Smart Cruise Control with stop/start capability, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel. The Sonata’s new features include a new Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language, stiffer body structure, better ride quality, reduced noise, vibration and harshness and advanced safety and convenience features. 2015 Sonata comes standard with seven airbags, including a new driver’s knee airbag designed to help prevent the driver from sliding down

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Hyundai Sonata, 2015 Preview: New features, new trim

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata, which will feature a refined appearance and a stiffer body structure, among other improved features, will be priced beginning at $21,500, Hyundai has announced. The new Hyundai will include new range-topping Sport 2.0T Ultimate that offers class-above features such as hands-free Smart Trunk, Smart Cruise Control with stop/start capability, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel. Additionally, the 2015 Hyundai Sonata will offer a better ride quality, reduced noise, vibration and harshness and advanced safety and convenience features. Production of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata has begun at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery, Alabama. The first retail units should begin arriving at dealerships by the end of June. The 2015

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Eight diverse 2014 cars for less than $20,000

Consumer Reports has lots of car lists. A recent addition is the best new cars to buy with prices less than $20,000. The eight-vehicle list is varied . . . from an SUV to several sedans, and there are a few surprises. All cars on the list have manual transmissions. An automatic transmission in any of the vehicles would come with a high price. Here’s the list of eight 2014 cars all available for less than $20,000: Vehicle/MSRP/National Market Avg./Potential % Savings/Potential $ Savings Ford Mustang Coupe V6, $23,335, $19,635, 15.9%, $3,700 Jeep Compass Sport 4×2, $19,690, $16,949, 13.9%, $2,741 Fiat 500 Pop, $16,995 $14,990, 11.8%, $2,005 Hyundai Sonata GLS, $22,260, $19,712, 11.4%, $2,548 Dodge Dart GT, $21,990, $16,626, 10.8%,

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PREVIEW: 2015 Toyota Camry gets sporty redesign

The 2015 Toyota Camry features a new design. It’s longer and wider, has a large, aggressive grille and chiseled sides. The change is the result of sportier rivals providing increased competition for the best-selling car in the United States. The Camry, the top-seller for the last 12 years, has plenty of loyal buyers. But Toyota representatives stressed at the car’s debut at the recent New York International Auto Show that buyers’ tastes have changed. Known for it reliability, the 2015 Toyota Camry will be available in the fall of 2014. It will now also emphasize style, comfort and performance. Bill Fay, the U.S. Toyota division chief, said the carmaker began to redesign the Camry in 2011. It was influenced by

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2014 Hyundai Sonata: Firmly in family sedan mix

Now in the fourth year of its current generation, the 2014 Hyundai Sonata is no longer an outsider trying to find a sliver of the market share. The Sonata is well established and holds its own in the crowded pack of family sedans like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Mazda 6. While not a newbie in 2014, the Sonata has been tweaked enough to stay fresh. The changes include: driver-selectable steering effort, a sport-tuned exhaust (SE 2.0T only), available xenon headlights and LED taillights (Limited only), a ventilated driver seat (Limited) an optional blind-spot monitoring system, an improved stability control system and two new touchscreens. The interior styling has also been refreshed, and Hyundai has

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2014 Volkswagen Passat: Conservative, sturdy, versatile

The reasonably priced 2014 Volkswagen Passat is among the top German sedans. Successfully redesigned for 2012, the slow-selling Volkswagen Passat was “Americanized” to satisfy desires of motorists here without losing its “German car” appeal. The made-in-America Passat confronts mid-size sedans, such as the Chevrolet Malibu, increasingly popular Ford Fusion, highly popular Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata and established Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Some rivals have adventuresome styling, while the Passat has a handsome but mostly conservative design—inside and out—that is typical of Volkswagens. But the 3,230-3,481-pound Passat has the sturdy feel one expects from a German auto. The front-drive Passat has a variety of prices and models and costs from $20,845 to $33,895. Passat engines include a new 1.8-liter turbocharged,

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CAR REVIEW: 2013 Ford Fusion: Euro flair

The all-new Ford Fusion sedan with its sharp European styling and turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engines likely surprised foreign sedan rivals such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata. The solid-feeling Fusion is essentially a four-door family sedan, but radiates European flair because it steers, handles and brakes much like a foreign (or American) sports sedan. And the ride is supple. If you want a family sedan with pizzazz, the turbocharged EcoBoost Fusion might be for you. The Fusion has been such a hit that it’s unchanged for 2014, except for several new color combinations and the addition of a 1.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine with (a projected) 178 horsepower—the same rating as the current 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder but with

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CAR REVIEW: 2014 Honda Accord: still on top

It’s hard to image the Honda Accord when it debuted in 1976. It was a small two-door hatchback with little to show for itself. Fast-forward to 2014 and the Honda Accord is a stalwart, a well-equipped family sedan perennially among the country’s top-selling cars. After a redesign last year, the Honda Accord, now in its ninth generation, remains much the same as the 2013 model. But buyers now have additional choices. The Honda Accord hybrid has been re-introduced after a several-year absence. And a Honda Accord plug-in electric has been introduced in a limited edition. The additions of the new models add to the already vast offering of available Accords at price prices ranging from less than $23,000 to approaching

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NEW CAR REVEW: 2013 Dodge Dart: Romantic practicality

Is it a Dodge or is it an Alfa Romeo? Actually, it’s a little of both, although both automakers used to be worlds apart. After a long wait, Dodge has come up with a decent compact car—this time with the help of Italy’s Fiat-controlled Alfa Romeo. The new Dodge is the 2013 Dart model, which looks good, runs strong and is affordable. The front-wheel-drive Dart replaces the regrettable Dodge Caliber model and reminds us of just how international the auto world has become. For example, the Dart rolls on a lengthened and widened version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform and is given various modifications to make it suitable for U.S. driving. Alfa Romeo and Dodge? Strange partners, indeed. While

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid: 50 mpg

The Honda Accord Hybrid, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,155, will use a gasoline-electric powertrain to achieve an EPA rating of 50 mpg city, 45 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined. The 50 mpg standard is a milestone and it leads the mainstream sedan segment against primary hybrid competitors, the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata. And it’s only 1 mpg behind the Toyota Prius — the country’s dominant best-selling hybrid. The new Honda Accord Hybrid, scheduled to go on sale in late October 2013, is closely related to the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid, announced earlier this year. Its 1.3-kWh battery is smaller than the plug-in’s 6.7-kWh battery, which has a 13-mile all-electric range. The plug-in

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CAR PREVIEW: 2014 Hyundai Sonata: Major makeover

The 2014 Hyundai Sonata will include more than 50 new or redesigned features, including exterior enhancements, safety technology, comfort and convenience additions. The 2014 Sonata GLS will also offer a greater value for money, with MSRPs beginning at $21,350 — an increase of $155 from 2013. Gas mileage for the 2014 Sonata is 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway with the standard six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC®. The Theta II GDI engine produces 190 horsepower and 179 lb.-ft. of torque. In the SE trim, which includes a standard dual exhaust, the engine delivers 192 horsepower and 181 lb.-ft. of torque. This high-tech, all-aluminum, 16-valve engine also features Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (DCVVT) and a Variable Induction System (VIS) for better

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Mazda6, 2014: Sporty, redesigned sedan challenges Toyota Camry, Honda Accord

The 2014 Mazda6 is a slickly redesigned mid-size sedan that retains Mazda’s sporting nature, while providing lots of practicality. The new front-drive Mazda has to be good because it’s in a tough market. Rivals include the well-established Toyota Camry and Honda Accord—besides the popular Hyundai Sonata and new Ford Fusion. Virtually everything about the made-in-Japan 2014 Mazda6 is new, including the body, interior, powertrain and suspension. The stiff new unibody has straighter frame rails and more high-strength steel. A really nice thing about the new Mazda6 is that all systems work together flawlessly, making the car feel “just right.” The quick electric steering is nicely weighted, and the ride is supple. Handling is sharp, helped by anti-roll bars and dynamic

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Five top gas mileage, wallet-friendly cars for 2013

Once limited to niche brands, odd designs and ill-conceived marketing, carmakers in recent years have integrated hybrid, alternative fuel vehicles into the automotive mainstream lineup. Now, nearly every major manufacturer offers at least one hybrid and another alternative fuel car in its fleet. Combined with higher mileage gas-engine cars, the auto industry flush with improved fuel efficiency. Hybrid anxiety is passé. Alternative fuel cars formerly designed and operated as if related to moon vehicles or military craft now largely look and drive the same as their gas-only siblings. The “greening” of the automotive industry occurred primarily for three specific reasons: increased influence from the environmental movement, pending federal regulation for improved gas mileage and wishful collective public desire for less

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Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata among top-10 best used cars

The automotive industry had a lot of surprises in 2012, not the least of which was a recent yearly record for used car sales. More than 40 million used cars sold last year, the highest total since 2007, according to a report on Cars.com. The used car totals by CNW Market Research detailed that for every new sold in 2012 , nearly three used cars sold. The numbers prompted Cars.com to rekindle its former annual list of the top-10 used cars available for around $10,000. The list includes cars seven years old or newer and selected with some safety and reliability criteria. The top-10 list includes some expected vehicles, like the always-reliable Honda Civic, and there are surprises like the

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: Redesigned Crossover has sleeker styling

The mid-size 2013 Santa Fe Sport crossover has rakish new styling similar to that of Hyundai Sonata and Elantra sedans. It also has carlike road manners and plenty of room. The Santa Fe Sport should do well, even though it’s up against rivals such as the Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge, Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander. The five-passenger, two-row Santa Fe Sport should not be confused with the costlier, longer-wheelbase seven-passenger, three-row Santa Fe, which has replaced Hyundai’s underachieving 7-passenger Veracruz. That Santa Fe lacks the word “Sport” in its name, but comes with a 3.3-liter, 290-horsepower V-6. The solidly built Santa Fe Sport lists from $24,450 to $29,450 and comes with either front- or all-wheel drive (AWD). It

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Kelley Blue Book: 2013 Scion iQ Cheapest U.S. car to own for five-year tenure

Kelley Blue Book, like many other automotive sites, likes car lists. Arguably the enduring site’s most popular list is its annual compilation of the cheapest cars to own. The new list covers 22 categories for 2013 models. The new list is collaboration with Forbes.com and winners of the Kelley Blue Book Total Cost of Ownership Awards. The list considers many factors: depreciation, fuel, insurance costs, registration fees and maintenance. Add up all the factors and the amount is the cost of the vehicle over five years. Here’s the list in 22 categories with the segment vehicle name, Base, MSRP, 5-year cost and cost per mile: Subcompact, Scion iQ, $16,250, $27,011, $0.36 Compact, Hyundai Veloster, $18,395, $30,581, $0.41 Hybrid/Alternative Energy, Honda

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