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I’ve spent the better part of my life laughing about Hyundai. It wasn’t until recently that my laughing became without ground. Hyundai is the rising phenom in the Auto Industry and now, anyone that that is left laughing at Hyundai is branded the new town idiot. The 2009 Hyundai Sonata is no longer any speculation, no longer a threat of something coming, it’s here and already claimed its territory. So if you’re still laughing, I suggest you stay indoors, before everyone laughs at you.






There’s no denying that the last generation Sonata looked strikingly similar to the old Accord, but I always thought Hyundai had the better styling. This new one ups the ante. Great looking headlights and taillights make a bold first impression. Along with well-placed chrome accents (yes, not cheapy looking bits) and subtle key changes look to please those with larger wallets while keeping the price within its competitors. The 2009 Hyundai Sonata also brings a completely renovated interior that looks and is utterly stunning. Everything inside the new cabin is excellently styled and leaves a feeling of euphoria with its blue tones, amazing materials, and woodgrain panels.






With the exclusion of the standard Camry, I have driven all of the Sonata’s competitors. That being said, the new Hyundai Sonata blows them all out of the water. It capsizes them, throws them a faulty life jacket, and leaves them for dead. The 09 Sonata offers everything better. The steering, handling, acceleration, braking, and feel for the road are all much better than those up in arms in the affordable sedan category. The steering felt wonderfully lighter with focused precision. The acceleration was never too little or too much (yes, there is such a thing). And the braking was very secure. Overall this is a great driving car and an improvement from its predecessor.






I’ve always felt as though Toyota and Honda dropped the ball in terms of functionality in recent years. Hyundai picked up on this and equipped the 2009 Sonata with countless things that will make you love it. To start, the trunk is enormous and there is the choice of folding down the rear seats to give you even more space. But that’s not the only thing special about this trunk. It also features an emergency trunk release inside so you can get out in any special instance. The cabin offers simple and functional buttons without losing any style or luxury. Everything is spaced apart just enough so you won’t get confused during highway speeds. You also get a great feeling steering wheel with tilting capabilities. You’re going to find that the trunk and gas cap release buttons are extremely easy to find/use and although you might be finding this uninteresting, things like this make our job easier and will make you love this car even more. Not to mention the gorgeous blue lighting in the cabin which helps keep you awake when drowsy, studies show (no lie).






So… if you read my Honda Accord sedan review, you might of read that I would get that midsize instead of any other. Luckily, I drove that before I drove this. With a benchmark, it’s easy to see how much more I want this car and to see where the Accord has its flaws. I love the way this car looks, feels, drives, sounds, looks, sounds, drives… you get the point. I feel like quitting this job, finding a boring one, getting married, and having kids just so I can have this. Because if you find your life is boring, this will shed some light. Blue, in fact.




The competition is stiff among most mid-size cars, but Hyundai pushes the envelope. Prices start at 17K with over 25 standard safety features, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, heated outside mirrors, and a 100 thousand mile warranty. Quality oozes out of this car through ever dollar you spend, times ten. You’re not going to lose in the deal, trust me.




I sometimes find myself on YouTube looking at cars I’m going to be driving or cars I’m interested in. It’s synonymous among Hyundai videos that there is always a town idiot that just has to comment about how cheap and bad Hyundai cars are. In response to those kind fools, all you have to look at are the numbers. Quality and customer satisfaction on Hyundais are through the roof, as well as almost every other category that measures a car company. That’s right, just as high as Toyota, Honda, and any other excellent car manufacturer. Why am I telling you this? In order for you to like a car you have to trust a brand, and in order to trust a brand, there has to be some buzz about its greatness. And this car is great. From the way the details look, to the way the blue lights makes you feel, and even how well the 2009 Sonata is built. Hopefully in your quest to find the perfect mid-size car, you come along the ’09 Hyundai Sonata and love it until all you have left is a pile of rust. Check out the pictures in higher definition here.


Score: 5.0/5.0

- Sensate

Special Thanks: Ricardo Lacosta, Jesus Noriega, and the staff of Lehman Hyundai Doral. Yet again, went to extra lengths to help us out.