MotorMouths

Hyundai’s Sonata is better looking, bigger inside, more fuel efficient and better to drive than its competitors, and it also retains its value just as well. If the Sonata sounds almost too good to be true, I can assure you that it is both very good and very true.

Of all the cars in this mid-size segment, we can’t recommend any other that has such a high degree of quality in terms of exterior, interior, and driving experience. If you’re looking for a new sedan around $20,000, you absolutely must put the 2011 Sonata on your list.

The new Sonata blows the doors off of the Toyota and Honda midsize entries with a more stylish exterior, better gas mileage, comfortable interior and more four-cylinder power than just about any midsize sedan around.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T is a must-drive for any shopper considering a family sedan with more power than a base four-cylinder. Its combination of power and fuel economy simply cannot be matched.

Factoring in the attractive pricing, we find it’s hard to fault the new Sonata on a major level. It does everything well save for ultimate driving thrills, and it’s mega-stylish. Color us very impressed

The new 2011 Sonata retains Hyundai’s core principles — build quality, value — with a couple of new ones thrown in — superior handling and sophisticated styling.

Although the Sonata doesn’t handle like a sports sedan, it’s a nicely balanced package that’s competent all around — sprightly around town and composed on the highway, with a ride not too spongy and not too taut.

We’ve been waiting for Hyundai to not only out-value, but to categorically outsmart and outplay its rivals. With introduction of the 2011 Sonata, they have done exactly that. The 2.0T’s new engine is good for a staggering 137 horsepower-per-liter – a figure that was reserved for motorsport use a few years ago.

It’s easy to see why the Sonata won Cars.com’s $25,000 Family Sedan Shootout. This midsize sedan successfully mixes a sporty design with a roomy, luxurious interior.

The Sonata GLS delivers a really good all-around drive, and when you have to go from $19k to $29k to find a worthy competitor, well, that kind of makes the point, doesn’t it?

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has raised the bar for this class. And to every new family sedan waiting in the wings: match this car’s interior content, direct injected performance and upscale options, or go home.

Erase everything you know about yesterday’s Sonata. Forget those memories, delete the images. Reformat the hard drive. About the only significant things the all-new 2011 model has in common with its predecessor is the name badge.