Video: 2009 Hyundai Sonata

Now, the Sonata's been upgraded for 2009, and although the changes are slight, the headlights do have a little bit better definition in them and the grille's a little bit deeper. Around back, the taillights used to have the white lens along the top, that's gone too. There's also a little more power under the hood and gas mileage improves one to two miles per gallon. Vastly improved is the interior, the dashboard's been completely redesigned. It now flows toward the windshield a lot better than before. In fact, the previous generation Sonata seems kinda blocky in comparison. Now there's also a few new features, but overall, the fit and finish and the levels of quality here are really up to par with some competitors, like the Chevy Malibu and the Toyota Camry. Our top of the line, limited model test car here, it comes with leather seats. It's got dual zone climate control now instead of the previous single zone unit. And there's also two-stage heated seats. Before, the Sonata only had one button you pressed, so the heat was either on or off. The window switches are also improved, they really fit well with the paneling around them. What doesn't quite fit as well is the steering wheel controls. You'll notice they have these attractive chrome rings on them, but there's definitely a gap if you look from where the steering wheel hub meets them. Also new, often in the limited trim, is Hyundai's first navigation system for the Sonata, this is actually a proprietary navigation system from Hyundai. Like before, the Sonata has tons of backseat room. That's where I'd sit to drive and I've got tons of legroom, almost as much legroom as I have in the new Accord's back seat. There's a large center hump in the foot well, that's gonna be trouble if you're trying to sit three back here. Some cars like the Camry, have almost no center hump. For a front wheel drive car, this seems kinda big. Now this is a base model Sonata GLS, and actually there's a few features that are missing and they really stand out here. The manual climate controls seem pretty high quality, but you'll notice like on a lotta Hyundais, the steering wheel controls or where they used to be, just have blank buttons here. And the steering wheel tilts but it actually doesn't telescope. Most family cars have a telescoping steering wheel in the base model at least. Now the Sonata's always our big competitor, especially in two areas, and that's safety and value. This one looks to continue that, it starts at about $18,000, which is pretty good for a family car. And it comes standard with things like stability control and curtain airbags. Now the V6, last year's V6 was actually already pretty potent, this one makes close to 250 horsepower now. Once we drive this, we can tell you for sure, but we think that this Sonata's definitely back in the game. <v Announcer>For additional information on this car or any other, go to cars.com, and our blog "Kicking Tires".