I sat in one about a month ago - a stationery one 
It was at Komoco's Ubi showroom. I was walking past,
the saleslady pulled me in to have a look at the Tucson.....but I
ended up sitting in the Sonata instead.
I don't know if they get higher commissions from the Tucson or
what, but she kept promoting the Tucson over the Sonata. She said
that the Sonata drinks about 8 km/litre (which means in actual
fact, its worse than that).
Inside, its actually quite spartan. The dashboard and console
hardly reflects that of a luxury sedan. Torque-wise, it doesn't
impress much either.....with 0-100 km/hr timing of around 11 secs
(except for the Honda 2.4s, I think every other manufacturer also
has around the same 0-100 rating).
But yeah, the price is good compared with other Japanese 2.4
models. But despite what reports say (that Hyundai has become one
of the best manufacturers, blah blah), the finishing and refinement
of the Koreans isn't still quite there yet. Its somewhat noisier,
its not exactly silky-smooth.....and most of all, its trouble-free
lifespan seems shorter than other makes (I've driven Hyundais
before and have many friends who do too).
On the good side....
I believe this Sonata 2.4 uses timing chain instead of belt, which
will save thousands in running costs over the years. However, if
they have to remove the engine to replace the water pump and other
stuff, then it'll come back to square one on costs.
I think this is how an average buyer will perceive it
now.....
(1) It doesn't have power, so I'm not buying a 2.4 car for power. I
buy it for prestige.
(2) However, prestige-wise, I'd rather go for brand names.....a
Japanese 2.0 will be more prestigious than a Korean 2.4 (market
perception).
(3) Moreover, at the current prices of petrol, I'd better take
something more economical.
(4) Road tax for a 2400 cc car is around S$3000 per year. This is
half the annual depreciation of some smaller Japanese cars
now.
To prove my above points.....the Sonata 2.4 has been on sale for
some time already. How many do we see on the road, compared with
other 2.4s? (I've only seen ONE Sonata 2.4 so far).
