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2011 Hyundai Sonata: The Car Connection's Best Car to Buy 2011

By Marty Padgett
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The Car Connection's Best Car to Buy 2011 is the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

The 2011 Sonata tops The Car Connection's numeric ratings among all vehicles with a base price of less than $50,000, including destination. That it does so at a base price of $19,995 is a testament to the thorough transformation it's undergone--in moving to a U.S. assembly site, in adopting a vivid and memorable new styling theme, and in delivering top-notch safety and a full list of standard features, right out of the box.

The Sonata's challengers provided stiff competition. The Acura TSX remains our favorite Acura, with great road manners and a new wagon body style promising even more utility. The Infiniti M37 has some of the design magic promised by that brand's Essence show car, with grippy and engaging handling. The BMW 5-Series? It's hard to find fault with the 5er's road manners or with its streamlined cabin.


TCC Best Car to Buy 2011

TCC Best Car to Buy 2011

In the end, the Sonata's toughest competitor proved to be its own corporate cousin, the 2011 Kia Optima, which rates an identical 8.7 out of 10. Many of TCC's editors prefer the Optima's crisp lines, but while all three Sonatas are on sale in time, the Optima Hybrid will be introduced after our qualification dates. The distinction is slight, but the Sonata earns the tiebreak because all its versions are on sale--and because of its huge impact on the mid-size sedan market, where it now ranks third in overall sales.

High Gear Media will be presenting honors to the winners of TCC's Best Car to Buy 2011 award at this week's 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show--along with winners for MotorAuthority's performance/luxury Best Car to Buy 2011, and GreenCarReports' green Best Car to Buy 2011.

For more on our winner, read TheCarConnection's full review of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. To stay up to date with all our winners--and with the Los Angeles Auto Show--follow High Gear Media on Facebook, or on Twitter @highgearmedia @carconnection @therealma @greencarreports.


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Comments (7)

  1. Tom Pratt Posted: 11/16/2010 11:01am PST

    I'm sure the Sonata is a good car but I personally would not buy any Korean car as long as that country effectively blocks the sale of US cars there. They are buying market share here with artificially low prices but it's not a level playing field.
     
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  2. JKD Posted: 11/16/2010 6:42pm PST

    I'm also very sensitive to who owns the company and where the car is made but this sucka is assembled in Alabama. I don't think I will run out and buy it right away but it places higher on the list than a Fiesta, for example, that's made in Mexico.
     
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  3. JLS Posted: 11/17/2010 9:12am PST

    Ya gotta buy the Turbo though. That is the screamer.
     
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  4. Tom Pratt Posted: 11/17/2010 10:29am PST

    Re: JKD's comment. Your point is well taken, just as many other "foreign" makes are manufactured here. But the bulk of the profits go back to the company headquarters, wherever that may be.
     
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  5. Tom Posted: 12/25/2010 5:32am PST

    We lost our market to Toyota and Honda. We are now about to loose our playground to Hyundai. So what prevented the American from buying American car? It's our car. So stop the blaming and finger pointing we have been doing that to Toyota and Honda for a long time and it's not working. If Ford and GM has a better built quality, more reliable and cheaper car, I'm sure Hyundai would never have a chance to take away the market share.
     
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  6. Sands77 avatar Sands77 Posted: 6/14/2012 11:34pm PDT

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  7. Sands77 avatar Sands77 Posted: 6/15/2012 12:20am PDT

    June,2011 my wife ask me to test drive the 2011 Hyundai sonata turbo I thought she was kidding .We test drove the Camry,v six Honda v six The passing and off the line response was par I wanted something I could sink my teeth into.Whqen I test drove the Sonata Turbo I said to myself HELL YAH.Thats the One.No comparison.Ive raced infiniti coupe 2011, Camaro 2011 2011 mustang BMW e series 2011. I have not been beaten. Coming on the freeway I took on one of those Ninja bikes ,he could not pass me .We were doing 132mph.I took the car over 144mph. Handles excellent at that speed changing lanes to maneaver in between cars so as not to brake.Racing that new Mustang,he was pissed that I took him .He followed me off the freeway I told my wife o___
     
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