2006 Hyundai Sonata

With a complete restyle for 2006 and Toyota in its crosshairs, Hyundai has brought a faster, better-looking Sonata to American shores. Powered by a 3.3-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic, with six standard airbags and a ton of standard equipment for its $23,495 as-tested price, the Sonata deserves attention. Hyundai has gotten aggressive, providing a car that's jam-packed with value and is a decent drive. The smooth engine produced a good amount of thrust for the size and weight of the car, but some felt the transmission was too slow to shift. Steering response was competitive for the midsize marketplace, and on twisty, winding roads, the Sonata proved nimble, though electronic stability-control intervention came too quickly.

The sedan's exterior is attractive, if a bit generic, and makes the Sonata another in a line of good-looking cars to come from this company of late. Even though it's a midsize car, its interior is huge and spacious enough that the sedan qualifies as a "large car," according to the EPA. Fit and finish is nearly as good as in midsize cars like the Camry and Accord, but, unfortunately, interior design is more ordinary than that of the exterior. The leather is soft, and Hyundai paid special attention to the quality of the stitchwork, but the combination of questionable plastic quality and a drab, monotone gray keeps the cabin from looking as elegant as it could.

It's clear that with the Sonata, Hyundai set its sights on the Camry. While this car meets those goals, the Camry isn't the benchmark it used to be, and it doesn't incite passion behind the wheel--it would've been terrific to see Hyundai go a step further. And with the introduction of Hyundai's Azera, which is more expensive but may be a better bargain, the new Sonata may get lost in the shuffle.