2006 Hyundai Sonata LX

Hyundai has never before provided test vehicles to magazine geeks like us for long-term evaluation. That we've been offered one now speaks well to the company's confidence in its product line and how far the brand has come, from a quality standpoint, in a relatively short period of time. The Sonata is built on all-new chassis architecture and is aimed at cars like the Camry, Accord, Malibu, G6, and Fusion, offering slightly more interior space than all of them.

Our Bright Silver EX stickered at $23,495, with no additional options. Standard items include front, front-seat side, and full side-curtain airbags, front active head-rest restraints, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control with traction control on all trim-level Sonatas. Our long-termer has a 235-horsepower, 3.3-liter VG aluminum engine with continuous variable-valve timing mated to a five-speed automatic with Shiftronic. Also included are 17-inch wheels, an audio system that plays MP3 compact discs, leather-trimmed heated power front seats, auto climate control, and even a keyless entry alarm system. Several of these items would be optional on many of Hyundai's competitors.

Also standard is the much heralded 10-year/10,000-mile powertrain warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, all of which adds to the perceived quality.

Break-in for our new Sonata has been a no-brainer, and there are no problems thus far to report. However, the dash lights went out on one editor, requiring him to drive in the dark. A few miles down the road, the lights came back on and continued to flicker for the rest of his drive. This issue has not returned, but if it does, we'll let you know what we find out.

Just about everyone on our staff has commented on the quality of the Sonata's interior; high-end plastics, including the soft-touch dash, along with large, easy-to-operate controls for both the HVAC and radio. That the auto lights are standard is yet another plus for the Sonata; they're an optional feature on our $90,000 Porsche Carrera S.