ArcaMax

The Sport trim is firmest-riding of all the Sonatas, chiefly due to its short sidewall 18 inch tires (base trims come with 16s, the Limited gets 17s) but they all ride firmly relative to what was once par for the course in this class.

A decade ago, a car like the new Sonata would have stood out like the proverbial red-headed stepchild. Today, it is what people expect. Whether they need it or not.

AT THE CURB

The '15 Camry is a larger car - on the outside - than the also-just-redone Toyota Camry. Overall length now stands at 191.1 inches (vs. 190.9 for the '15 Camry - and 189.8 for the 2014 Sonata). The Hyundai's wheelbase has also been extended slightly to 110.4 inches (vs. 110 for the '14) and it is 1.2 inches wider through the hips (73.4 inches vs. 72.2 last year).

It's a good-looking car that's more angular than curvy now - the stylists clearly having been impressed by the Aston-Martin-ish themes of the Ford Fusion. Nothing wrong with that. Ford, after all, cribbed the Fusion's look from Aston. Why shouldn't Hyundai look over Ford's shoulder, too?

Inside, you will find truly epic front seat legroom: 45.5 inches. The Camry's only got 41.6 inches up front. But the Toyota fires back with full-size-car backseat legroom - 38.9 inches (exactly the same space as in a BMW 740i) vs. the Sonata's 35.6 inches. The Fusion splits the difference - with 44.3 inches up front and 38.3 in the second row.

Still, this is an uptick over last year's Sonata (34.6 inches) and - unless you're really tall - plenty spacious. A six-foot-three man (me) can sit in the Sonata's back seats with several inches of air gap between my knees and the front seat. The Sonata's meaningful deficit is backseat headroom - 38 inches - which will not leave much air gap between the top of your head and the car's ceiling, if you're a tall geek like me. This is a common problem with all the cars in this segment - even the Camry (which has only marginally more headroom in the second row, 38.1 inches). Because of the design trend toward "sporty" appearance - which typically means steeper-sloped windshields and fastback rooflines. It looks sexy - like high heels. But the same everyday-use issues apply, too.

You can fit the Sonata out executive style, with rear seat heaters (standard equipment in the Limited trim) which is a very unusual feature in the class. Ditto the Adaptive cruise control, which can bring the car to a dead stop and then resume the set speed without any input from the driver whatsoever. Hyundai's BlueLink system (standard in all but base SE trims) includes automatic crash response and teenager monitoring features such as curfew limits and geo-fencing. An interesting feature that Hyundai (and corporate cousin, Kia) offer is a brake hold system that lets you press a button adjacent to the gear selector to automatically hold the car stationary without taking it out of Drive - or keeping your foot on the brakes. It's handy for those long-red situations on your everyday commute.

The Sport trim gets a flat-bottomed/meatier-feeling steering wheel and quad exhaust tips, plus Xenon HID headlights. Limited trims get LED exterior lighting, upgraded leather trim and standard Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Major options include a full-length, panorama sunroof and manual side privacy screen, upgraded LCD touchscreen and a 10 speaker Infinity surround-sound system. The GPS system's map is easily upgradable via an easily accessible SD card slot just above the CD slot.

THE REST

The Safety Cult is a constant source of aggravation to people who aren't idiots and don't need to be "proofed" against it. For instance, some of the Sonata's in-car information cannot be accessed unless the car is parked. Not merely stopped. This is done "for your safety" - on the assumption that you're unable to use/adjust some of the car's functions while it's moving -w which kind of defeats the purpose of having them.

This is not peculiar to Hyundais, unfortunately - and Hyundai is far from the most preemptively nannyish. (That would be - of all brands - BMW. Which - believe it or not - won't let you inch the car rearward with the driver's side door open. If you try that, the computer will engage the parking brake and electronically take the transmission out of gear. Because Safety. My teeth are beginning to ache.).

A big plus: Large (but not senior-citizeny) buttons for most major secondary functions (audio, climate settings) on the center stack. Easy to see - and use. Handy secondary thumb switch on the steering wheel to increase or decrease the audio system's volume. Well-designed upholders (deep enough and wide enough to handle real-world-sized coffee cups) and a good-sized (and deep) center console storage area.

The available "smart" trunk opener is very cool. It one-ups the foot-swipe systems you may have read about that some other cars offer. The Sonata can sense your presence - no foot swipe needed - and will pop the trunk for you automatically if you just stand behind it for 3 seconds or so with the transmitter fob in your pocket.

Finally, there's the warranty - both the "whole car" - covered for five years or 60,000 miles - and the "powertrain" (engine and transmission), which are covered for an incredible ten years or 100,000 miles. Toyota and Honda (and Ford) leave you on your own after just three years and 36,000 miles (whole car) and five years or 60,000 miles (powertrain).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Hyundai got where it is by offering slamming deals on cars that were credible alternatives to the blue chips. The latest Sonata (and other Hyundais, like the new Genesis sedan) take it up a notch. They're still slamming deals. But they're more than just the value-priced alternative.

========

www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.