Edmunds drives the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid; Has some interesting features

Been thinking about that gaping front grille. Consider how many Prius owners improved their winter performance by partially blocking the front grille with tube insulation. It will take a bathtub to block that opening. Obviously joking, but the size surely is for design reasons and not a cooling necessity. Might it have winter efficiency ramifications?

 

This is great for competition for the hybrid market. My folks have owned the past two generations of Sonata's and I actually drove one for two years. They are very reliable and comfortable cars. Perhaps one of the best values on the market. I am hoping for an Elantra Touring Hybrid! We need some wagons!

 

Very interesting design of the back lights. Really weird. Nice, very "audi" looking headlights thought.
The dashboard has colour TFT screens (looks nice!) - this is what happens when you develop a car only 1-2 years later than the Prius...

 

Hey, I knew we were in trouble before that statement when I read: "driven by a totally committed eco-weenie"...

How does it get past the editors? When the author IS the egineering editor.

Too bad he let his bias show so obviously, because it wasn't a bad distribution of information.

I mean I don't really care if someone personally likes or dislikes Hybrid automobiles...to each his own. But outside of pure stubborn resistance to change why be defensive and outright offensive about efficiency and those that would embrace it?

If I drive an efficient automobile, efficiently I'm a eco-weenie? Well stick a fork in me and turn me over, because I'd rather be an Eco-Weenie than a Gas Guzzling, Neanderthal entertained and mesmorized by the smog producing explosions of a internal combustion engine.

But if charged with writing an informative article on a Dodge Pick-Up or a new Hybrid, I personally would strive to leave such characterizations out of the article.

 

personally, this brain prefers no sound from the engine, tires or road. but i suppose they will attract more 'mainstream' buyers if it sounds like a 68 chevy in need of a muffler.

 

Looks like Edmunds has another review of the Sonata Hybrid - in addition to the Inside Line article posted at the start of this thread.

It will be interesting to see what it's priced at this fall.

 

It will be interesting to see how it will compete with the redesigned Camry hybrid.

 

Sonata hybrid has more power at peak but 0-60 is slower (9.2 vs 8.7 secs) than Camry hybrid? This shows eCVT superiority over step gearbox.

 

couldn't disagree more about the camry hybrid. i think there is a lot of misinformation out there.

1) camry hybrid has a proven track record and real world numbers.

2) fusion hybrid h as not been around long enough to get a good cross section of results from independent drivers and we all know the epa test does not provide real world results.

3) hundai has yet to mass produce a hybrid so their numbers are meaning less.

4) let's see what happens when the government stops bashing toyota.

 

We don't really know right now. Sonata is 0-100km at 9.2, and that is likely conservative, but an educated guess would be 8.8. We will know when it really is out. If it gets much better gas mileage then a slightly slow start seems like a good trade off, hey we all made it with out prius. The write ups make it sound like a superior car. As others have said the Camry needs a redesign. After both are out, we can decide if eCVT or 6 speed with motor and engine are better.

 

I can't believe people are even talking about seeing if an eCVT is better or worse than a standard transmission...

Once you drive a CVT, I can't believe you would ever want to go back to gear changings. Even in our Lexi (pl Lexuses?) the smooth transmission shifts are still noticeable. The CVT in the 400h/450h are awesome.

And having driven (well riding as a passenger) in an automatic transmission equipped Hyundai, I would not want that transmission anywhere near me.

 

See the difference below. Camry hybrid accelerated all the way in a single gear. Camry non-hybrid shifted to 2nd gear at around 35 MPH.

As a bonus, I am including GM's 2 mode hybrid. The ICE RPM stalled at 1,000 RPM @ around 10 MPH. Then it shifted at 45 MPH.

The refinement and superiority of eCVT is pretty clear.

Camry Hybrid 0-60 MPH:

Camry non-hybrid 0-60 MPH:

Tahoe hybrid (2 mode) 0-60 MPH:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ZjNZZReEw]YouTube - Chevy Tahoe Hybrid 0-60 MPH[/ame]

 

There is no accounting for taste, and mine is just different than yours. To me there is a tactile difference when a good transmission kicks it down and accelerates. There is a correllation between revs and speed that is easy to hear, I find myself needing cruise control. Now there is nothing to stop an eCVT from implementing routines that provide similar responses.

Ah, I missed your point. Yes for the same horsepower a eCVT will provide better ratios for long accelerations with lower horsepower engines. It will also be superior in start stops.

 

Acquired taste indeed. If the engine RPM needs to correlate with speed, what sup with the lower RPM when upshifted (only to increase RPM again and back down with 2nd upshift)?

Sonata hybrid may reach 209 hp at 6,000 RPM but as soon as it is there, it'll go back down to 157hp @ 4,500 RPM due to an upshift. You'll get that hill and valley in a graph. I find those slingshot effects quite annoying. Diesel amplify this due to higher torque and narrower RPM.

Acquired taste is hard to loose, if not impossible. This is why it is important to teach the next generation what is the correct/best way (how it should be) to accelerate .

 

If you haven't driven a good 5 or 6 speed manual, and haven't driven a dsg automated manual, you probably do not understand the feel. That's fine, different courses for different courses. The unitity of the senses comes in the band of speeds, the discontinuity adds que. Some people don't understand modern art. It doesn't make those that buy it bad people.

Hey all I have is popular mechanics and motor trend opinions that they like the feel. I haven't driven them. Definitely if you drive a fiesta 6 speed, its going to feel different than a 8 speed on a Lexus LS with a vastly different motor. I definitely don't to force my taste on you or toaster. You should understand though that many people do like a connection to the machine, and sales of plug ins and hybrids shouldn't be a one size fits all matter. I'm not trying to start a flame war about mine is better. I took the compromises of the prius, and my brother took the compromises of the TCH in order to get the gas mileage.

Why not just hook up cameras to the car and hit a button. Take the driver out of it. Make sure there are no customizations because those pesky drivers don't know the correct way. Peace USB, I didn't mean to insult your transmission of choice. The eCVT is an elegant design. Some software to allow different feel (more regen on the twisties, glide mode, selected bands to remove the feeling of slipping) might make me like it better.

 

Thanks, is Jetta TDI DSG considered good? The upshifts are so smooth but hated the downshift lag.

Don't even mention about automatic tranny with torque converter. Having fluid between the engine and the road is horrible. I like the "always connected in the same gear" feel that HSD provides, like an EV. You push you go. There is no delay or pause. For yanking and jolting my body, I can go to amusement park for that.

This is why agreeing to disagree is a good thing.

 

I didn't like the tdi, but yes its a modern transmission. no argument here on an ancient 4 speed automatic. I never felt the 5 speed in my Lexus had fluid disconnecting me though.

I'm not even agreeing to disagree. I'm just saying my tastes are different. That is the wonderful thing about your opinion, as long as facts aren't involved you are always right

 

That just means you agree that our tastes are disagreeing.

It will be interesting to see how Sonata hybrid will do. I think it cannot beat Fusion Hybrid in fuel economy AND acceleration despite being lighter (based on non-V6 platform). Next gen Camry Hybrid should be as good as Fusion hybrid if not better.

 

South Park Episode Player - South Park: Smug Alert

ound:

I recognized some of the people in that episode, they are here posting under other names.

We need a Smug Alert smilie.