ArcaMax

There are, however, a couple of things you can't get in the new Sonata that you can get in a competitor: A manual transmission - and all-wheel-drive. Ford's Fusion can be had with both.

ON THE ROAD

The mid-sized "family car" segment doesn't really exist anymore. Or is in the process of changing into (cue Jennings from Howard the Duck)…. something else. Even the Camry has gone sport sedan. Or at least, sporty sedan. The Sonata, too. It is sleeker-looking, firmer-riding, sharper-shifting and responding.

This appears to be what people want - or rather, what the advertising and marketing people have convinced people they ought to want. Whether they need it - or are going to be able to make much use of it - well, those are separate questions.

Some perspective: The Sonata's standard engine has more power (and delivers stronger performance) than the outright "sport sedans" of my '80s-era high-school days and the optional turbo engine makes more power than a "Tuned Port Injection" 5.7 liter V8 Corvette offered back in '86.

We truly live in the era of abundant power (which for the most part, we can't actually use - at least, not without losing our licenses).

For everyday A to B driving, the base 2.4 liter engine is more than sufficient. It will - when called upon - get you to 60 3 seconds sooner than a Prius hybrid. Count it out. One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one thousand. It's plenty.

For more than plenty, go with the turbo engine - but not the 2.0 turbo engine. Choose the 1.6 turbo. You'll get similar acceleration potential - and fantastic gas mileage. Mid-sevens to 60 (nearly as quick as the Reagan-era Tuned Port Injection Corvette) while eating half the gas. The performance (and economy) of the 1.6 engine is so good it makes the 2.0T's look bad. There's too much overlap, acceleration wise - and not enough distance, fuel-efficiency-wise. The 2.0T Sonata isn't slow. It's just not quick enough relative to other Sonatas - and relative to the competitor models with their optional engines. Especially those that offer V6 engines, like Camry and Accord (either of which is capable of getting to 60 in about 6 seconds flat - or less - which is a solid one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand seconds quicker than the turbo 2.0 Hyundai). The V6-equipped competition is thirstier (21 city, 31 highway for the Camry V6) but the difference is not enormous.

I think what it comes down to is that Hyundai decided that most people would be more persuaded by the down-powered (relative to last year) 2.0 engine's improved (but not much) fuel efficiency than dazzled by its performance. It (the 2015) is certainly sufficient. More than sufficient. See point already made about the relative performance of today vs. yesterday. You will not find yourself mashing the pedal desperately while watching that tractor trailer getting bigger and bigger in the rearview. A turbo 2.0 Sonata can hit 120 in its sleep and by the time one eye cracks open, you'll be running (if you dare) as fast a TPI Corvette could have, maxxed out and given' 'er all she's got, cap'n.

There are driver-selectable modes (Sport, Eco and the default Normal) that alter the transmission's shift characteristics as well as how aggressively (or not) the engine reacts to your right foot. But the changes are not dramatic - or at least, I didn't notice much difference in the way the car behaved during my weeklong test drive.

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