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But I don’t believe everything they say
A large piece and the mouth rejoices. So I’m glad that the NF cabin is so spacious. You feel it especially strongly on the back sofa, where you can sit “by yourself” even with a height above 185 cm, almost stretching your legs. Where did all this space come from? The wheelbase of the NF is 30 mm longer than that of the Sonata, whose interior, it is worth noting, is also far from cramped. Which, in fact, provided an increase in legroom by 10 mm for those sitting in front and by 33 mm for rear sofa passengers. In addition, in the cabin of the new car and in the shoulders it became more spacious, and there was more space above the head.
But let’s turn to the most important, in my opinion, place in the car – the driver’s seat. Not too hard and without pronounced lateral support, a chair for a large solid car is what you need. I found a comfortable fit easily, especially since the steering column is adjustable both in angle and in length.
So, as they say, everything is in perfect order with the quantity. And what about quality? In the interior, it is immediately noticeable that the Hyundai designers not only looked at pictures of modern European models, but were also closely interested in their internal performance. Hence the elegant front panel, made in a classic style – black top, light bottom. And the plastic trim that visually separates them is very similar to the one that the Mercedes S-class has. Of course, it was not without its own original features. For example, instrument arrows with silver teardrop bases and carbon-look finishes for the climate control unit, and on all NFs, regardless of configuration. In my opinion, deliberately sports paraphernalia for this car is not very suitable. But, again, whoever likes it.
And what was frankly upsetting was the very meager, by modern standards, level of equipment. After all, I chose the car for acquaintance in the most expensive configuration. Yes, the seats are trimmed with leather, but even the driver’s one does not have electric settings. Seat heating is present, but, alas, is not adjustable. Separate climate control, which can be obtained in the “golf” class, will not be available to NF owners even for an additional fee. You can do without the audio remote control buttons on the steering wheel, but you can agree that the radio can only play audio cassettes … Yes, you can’t buy them in every store now! True, the NF has a complete set of power windows, heated mirrors and a trip computer. But the Elantra can boast of all this, and it is far from being the most expensive.
And you are talking about going to the business class … Somehow I can’t believe that with such a set of equipment, a Korean beginner will have to go to the yard there.
Appearance Sonata V generation
In many ways, the success of the hyundai sonata nf initially depended on a pleasant appearance. The company’s designers turned to their sense of style that they had developed and abandoned the fourth-generation gaudy appearance with its butterfly headlights and incomprehensible shapes. The 5th generation Sonata looks stylish and understated.
The look notices a European-style exterior – neat rectangular headlights, a nice front bumper, a textured hood. The impression of a solid car is complemented by the silhouette of the Sonata with a smooth window sill line, openwork wheel arches and light-alloy wheels.
The rear end sports slanted brake lights, with a long strip of reversing lights, a powerful trunk lid and a stylish rear bumper. In general, the body itself resists corrosion well, but when buying, you need to look at each instance individually. Rust spots on the trunk lid or wheel arches may indicate the Sonata’s accident history.
sedan dimensions
| Dimensions Hyundai Sonata nf (mm) | |||||
| Length | Width | Height | Trunk capacity | Ground clearance | Tank capacity |
| 4800 | 1832 | 1475 | 523 l | 160 | 70 l |
What’s in the cabin
In the restyled version, the interior has really changed. The boring green illumination of the dashboard was replaced by blue, but not distracting in the dark, light. Wood inserts, although plastic, do not cheapen the interior. The steering wheel with woodgrain inserts does not slip and sits comfortably in the hand. The interior is completely leather, the torpedo is also sheathed in leather. Plastic, though cheap, but corresponding to the class of the car. The leather is extremely resistant to wear, but after 10 years it will need to be altered.
A comfortable ride is facilitated by a servomotor for adjusting mirrors, seats, and steering column height adjustment.
The function of climate control, as a system for monitoring the quality of air in the cabin, is not entirely clear. There was no significant difference with and without the feature enabled. But the heated seats are dual-range.
A rarity for a modern budget car is a regular audio system. The acoustics are well chosen here, where there are high and low frequencies. For the average listener, more is not needed. On the way, the presence of cruise control helps, which after 7-10 years has never failed.
A fly in the ointment is a lot of crickets in the cabin, and this has been noticed in a new car. The disadvantage is treated with additional sound insulation and sizing of the material between the plastic elements. The trunk is large for its class, there is a 12V socket. Lack of mounting first aid kit and other accessories.
Why did you love this car?
Sonata fell in love with a combination of positive qualities against the backdrop of an adequate price. So, in terms of reliability, new motors are in the top lines of the rating. Hyundai with an engine capacity of 2 liters will not cause any problems. In total, the new owner, for a small amount, will receive a comfortable, reliable and well-controlled car. However, the Sonata has features that you should pay attention to when buying;
- even problem-free technology can be sentenced. Often this occurs if the previous owners do not want to do anything or do it themselves. Everything is clear about the interior and paintwork: the coating is without chipped dents, and the interior is in good condition;
- before selling, you need to look first of all at the fuel tank. Early cracks in the middle of the fuel bay are a very common thing. And changing the whole tank is a hassle. So you should fill in gasoline to the fullest, and then take the time to call in for a service;
- here it is worth seeing how the ball bearings and front struts behave, check the hubs for bearing play. Another very common feature is steering rack play. For the price, it is very expensive – about 17-20 thousand;
- You can still buy a car with a dead clutch. If the pedal grabs already from above, then its time is already coming to an end. It is not difficult to change it – the cost of the node is 3-4 thousand, and the replacement itself can be done by hand. But if you have seen a car with these shortcomings, then there is a reason to bargain.
