Yes admittedly hyundai has improved over the years. But improved over what? Improved but comparing to your ownself is not good enough. If the improvement is up to the japs level, ppl wont mind buying a korean car. But at the moment, korean cars are still 2 steps behind japs. And still they price it so close to the jap?! 3 years dwn the road you will hv problems coming in and you will b struggling to sell your car cuz nobody wants it even you sell below market value. So think b4 you buy korean.

Exterior looks awesome ,but interior looks like it has been there for 5 years .Issint this the story of Korean cars? Nice exterior but the interior is still way way way behind Japs? Ppl like nice interior cause thats where they will be spending most of their time.So it has to be sporty for some,elegant for others.

This Sonata is in the middle.It neither sporty nor is it elegant.And the price is way too exp for a Korean make.What were they thinking? Ppl must as well fork out a little more for a Mazda 6 or Toyota Camry for a peace of mind in the years to come.

For those who havent owned a Korean car before,you will say all the good things there is to say.But when you buy one and try selling it years later,then only you will understand why majority of Msian still dont fancy Korean cars.

Somehow Korean cars are nice to look at when new.But thrash it a little ,and in a few years time the car will have plenty of problems.Thats when you send to SC and cry when the bill comes to thousands to repair a tiny thing since the spare parts are so limited unlike Japs which has plenty of stock so its cheaper.

And I see theres alot of Korean make supporters here.Lemme guess,i bet you dont even own a Korean car.You are just here to piss those T & H owners .But unfortunately you failed.Continue with your "good" work!

Went to Glenmarie showroom to take a peek at this car the other day.They put one outside for test drive.From outside it looks ok,but once i stepped in,it just felt too Korean for my liking.Seat leather was cheapo.Seat is soft and not that supportive.Door openers made of cheap plastic.Interior quality overall is subpar only.Radio panel continues with is cheap plastic.It just dint feel solid like how those Jap cars do it.This car definately had to be sold at at least RM 25-RM 30k cheaper than the Jap counterparts.And on the inside roof,they use this silly thin fabric to cover up some gaping hole on the roof.The fabric is so thin it is like just a piece of cloth hanging there.

And on the exterior,the chrome on the front looks good in pictures,but in real life,its just some cheapo chrome that they stick onto the front.Looks very very cheap and the inferior quality is very noticeable.

Sorry Hyundai,good try but not good enough.And at the price you guys are asking,i would be surprised if you could sell many this year.

No offense,but this is just my opinion on the new Sonata.

Went to glenmarie showroom last week and sat and test drove the new sonata.

IMHO,the interior quality is way way way below that of the Japs.Somehow,it just felt not solidly put together especially the center dash.

The leather seats were of very low quality.Just by looking at it,I could feel that the leather was those cheapo type.

The seat was those cheap soft sponge type.So basically not much support .Once you sit on it,the seat kinda goes down way too much.

Then we go to the exterior of the car.THe car looks great in pictures and in brochures,but when you see it in real life,can really see the reallife quality.The chrome section on the front looks good in pictures but in real life,its just a cheap looking chrome piece .Compare that side by side with a chrome from a Jap make and you can see the big difference.

Then i test drove the 2.4.Honestly speaking,the power was ok but somehow dint have the surge or the exhilliration of driving a Mazda 6 or a Camry 2.4.In short, it was just a boring 2.4 short of character compared to Jap rivals.

Steering felt ok,but overall experience I just felt that I was sitting in another cheap Korean car.The interior design just dint cut it for me.It felt old and does not feel like a RM 160k++ car.

Korean cars are becoming better and better ,thats a fact,but still no where near the Jap rivals IMHO in terms of quality,interior design & engine technology.

If the whole world has only the Hyundai Sonata and I had spare cash lying around,would I buy the Sonata? Its a definate NO .

This post has been edited by kevin23: Jul 15 2010, 12:02 AM