Should he pony up for a Sonata?

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Guys:

I was one of the first proud owners of a Hyundai Pony, all the way back in 1985. It was ugly as a mud hen and as powerful as my wife's sewing machine. Eventually the floor rusted out so that I often felt like doing a Fred Flintstone stop - just putting my heels down on the pavement.

But I loved that car. I paid four grand and drove it till it died at 300,000 kilometres.

The thing is, I am long past the Pony stage. Frankly, I haven't even considered any Hyundai since the 1980s, but I'm not dumb or blind. I can see Hyundai has fixed a lot since 1985.

So after 25 years away from Hyundai, should I consider the new Sonata? Worth the money?

Ralph in Calgary

Vaughan: Ralphie Boy, you're ready for the great Hyundai up-sell. Lots of people only remember the Pony for its rust-before-your-eyes quality.

But you, who put 300K on the clock, recognized it was far from a total loss.

Today's Elantras and Accents, which Hyundai sells by the boatload, are a vast improvement over what you drove. Or you can move up to the new mid-size Sonata.

The old Sonata was boredom on wheels, even though the quality was good and it passed all the big safety tests. But the 2011 Sonata gives Hyundai an attractive volume car in the profitable mid-size segment.

Cato: The 2011 Sonata is impressive. And it will surely prove reliable and safe.

Vaughan: I think we can count on that.

But what sets this Sonata apart is the design. It looks like a Lexus - swoopy lines, deep curves and lots of chrome.

Cato: Except it's a made-in-the-USA South Korean car priced in the low-twenties to low-thirties.

Vaughan: Precisely. Hyundai wants to hook the status-conscious junior executive crowd on flashy design so it doesn't look like they were forced to get into one to cut down on their car payments.

Cato: But that's not Ralph. He is a 50-something family guy who at one time owned one of Hyundai's maligned rust buckets.

Vaughan: Rust, shmust - that's history.

Ralph needs to think about the fact that Hyundai has banished V-6 engines in the new Sonata. The base engine is a 196-horsepower, four-cylinder direct gas injection engine with a six-speed transmission.

Cato: The move to four-bangers is long overdue.

Consider this: nine out of 10 Honda Accords sold in North America last year had a four-banger. The family sedan of the 21st century now has a four-cylinder engine.

Vaughan: Ralph has lots to choose from here. But he should certainly include four-cylinder versions of the Accord and Mazda6 on his shopping list.

Cato: Who am I to argue with such a keen observer of the market?

The Mazda6 is probably a bit of a surprise for some people, but the 6 may be the most fun-to-drive car in the segment. Nice to look at, too.

But this is a tough call. The Sonata is the new kid on the block; its four-cylinder is the new benchmark for output and fuel consumption here.

We agree on the styling outside and the interior won't leave Ralph's neighbours thinking he's lost his job and is looking for a low-budget ride.

Vaughan: Being thrifty, I want to point out that, dollar for dollar, the Sonata offers the most standard equipment.

Cato: I have to tell you, though, beyond the dollars and cents of the thing, there isn't much to choose from among these cars - in terms of things like dynamics, comfort, function and quality.

Vaughan: Cato, a blunt instrument like you fails to spot the nuances.

Aside from the disagreeable seats in the Sonata - why can't these people just reverse-engineer seats from a Volkswagen - the Sonata scores well in the details.

Cato: Let me bluntly hit you with this: this Sonata has the most luxurious ride.

Vaughan: Bit floaty for me. But certainly less harsh than the Accord.

Cato: I'd rank the Sonata second over all, behind the Mazda6.

I like the Mazda's firmer, European-style chassis tuning.

Vaughan: I like the Mazda6, but I prefer the Sonata's nice expensive-looking cabin.

However, Hyundai still needs to sort out wind noise - I don't know where it comes from - and I found the centre stack was hitting my knee. Maybe that's because I was sliding around in the support-less seat.

Cato: One major point for the Accord is its open-ness. The thin pillars and low beltlines give the Accord a feeling of airiness unmatched by the other two.

Vaughan: Excellent instruments in the Sonata. The white-on-grey gauges look more up-to-date and modern. And the bluish lighting which highlights various instrument and controls looks very classy.

Cato: I am all for the intuitive layout of the Sonata's cabin. I deal with enough complexity in you, so I like simplicity in everything else.

Vaughan: Ralphie, you'll be amazed at the progress Hyundai has made since the Pony. Because of the value here, I suggest you go for the Sonata.

Cato: I prefer the Mazda6; it's driver's car of this group.

Vaughan: No matter what, Ralphie, after doing 300 K in a Pony, anything you buy will seem like heaven.

Michael Vaughan is co-host with Jeremy Cato of Car/Business, which appears Fridays at 8 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 2 p.m. on CTV.

what-car@globeandmail.com

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