In the corners of our brain where the abstract controls the synapses, trains run on time only if we allow a car to charm us, to woo and seduce and enchant. I find the sound of a Jaguar F-Type V8 S appealing and the wind-in-my-hair romanticism of a Mazda MX-5 captivating and I'm fascinated by the roofline of Mercedes-Benz's CLS Shooting Brake.
THE GOOD • Improved ride quality • Feels more, not less powerful • Interior feels Genesis-like • Turbo 2.0L is a cheap upgrade • Always a great value
THE BAD
• Styling has far less impact
• Over-assisted brake pedal • Very comfort-oriented • 2.4L getz buzzy • Hard centre armrest
There are other corners of our brain, however, that look a lot like spreadsheets. And on those spreadsheets, there are no columns for charm or seduction or fascination. Increasingly, midsize cars perform very poorly in the corners of my brain first mentioned, and exceedingly well in the latter. Hyundai's 2015 Sonata is one such car.
I've operated under the impression that there was a certain subjective appeal to the outgoing car, a vehicle which was, at the very least, good enough on spreadsheets to allow some consumers to buy the car almost on the merits of its unique exterior design alone.
EPA Highway: 37 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 9.8 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 6.7 L/100km Observed: 30.9 mpg Observed: 7.6 L/100km * includes destination/delivery. MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency. L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles.
On sale in early 2010, the sixth-gen Sonata didn't look at all like any of its rivals, with swept-back headlights, a long chrome beltline, and a coupe-like roofline. It was a revolutionary departure for Hyundai, especially given the stodginess of its predecessor. Many of the same themes have been carried forward for 2015, but the revolution has ended. Hyundai clearly feels as though they've made it, as though they've established a place for the Sonata in America's competitive midsize sector and no longer need to market the most eye-catching car in the class. You've probably seen the car live by now and rendered your verdict; you can look at the images if not. Personally, I'm let down, as it feels to me as though the seventh-generation Sonata looks like it could have been the car that arrived before the sixth-generation Sonata, before Hyundai decided to make the Sonata less stodgy; less upright; less formal. Instead, so-called progress has resulted in a car that simply doesn't appear like the next new thing. Its wheelwells are too big for its wheels, which on this specific car are terribly Buick circa 1996. There's a vast amount of acreage between the top of the rear wheel and the C-pillar. Visually, the car rides too high. LEDs have been too liberally scattered across the front end. Inside, however, a return to a more conventional layout – more horizontal, less vertical – has caused the 2015 Sonata to seem quite a bit more Genesis-like. Regardless of equipment levels, and despite the fact that the current Elantra is no poor car, the outgoing Sonata always felt more or less like an Elantra Plus, particularly inside. Meanwhile, the current Accord comes across as much more than one single step upmarket from the Civic. With improved material quality and a more modern design, the Sonata is now class-competitive inside.
In terms of the simplicity of its controls and its overall intuitiveness, I'd argue that the 2015 Sonata is class-leading. There's no getting-to-know-you process with the latest Hyundai/Kia infotainment units, and in this case, there's no difficulty reaching across to the most distant buttons, either, as the whole centre panel is canted nicely toward the driver. Unfortunately, the softness of the exterior design has been matched by a softening of the Sonata's suspension. On the plus side, this pays dividends in ride quality, which is excellent.
Compared with the previous Sonata, the most notable improvement in ride quality is out back. But the Sonata lacks the edge of the Mazda 6, the firmness of the Honda Accord, and the European undertones of the Ford Fusion, which quite artfully balances ride quality with a degree of athleticism. The Sonata's three drive modes present slight differences, with Eco definitely being eco-minded in its throttle mapping and shift strategy, and Sport clearly generating more steering weight, but none of the modes seriously alters the intentions of the car.
• Historical Monthly & Yearly Hyundai Sonata Sales Figures • 2014 Mazda 6 GT Driven Review • 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI Highline Driven Review • 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring Driven Review Not for a minute am I suggesting that this emphasis on total comfort isn't what buyers want, only that Hyundai's successful drive to improve the Sonata's suspension calibration could have been executed with more of a blend. Then again, we spent our week with a Sonata Limited, a very well-equipped car, but one that was fitted with conservative Kumho P215/55R/17s. Riding on the Sport's 235/45R18s, with its slightly different steering setup (rack-mounted, rather than column-mounted electric power assist) and altered suspension, the Sport 2.0T could produce rather different on-road character traits.
Limited trim Sonatas start at $34,817 (freight included), and bring to the Sonata's equipment portfolio adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, premium Infinity audio, cooled leather seating, and a host of other doodads. The aforementioned turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder adds 60 horsepower to the base Sonata's 185; torque is upgraded from 178 lb-ft to 260. All these numbers are lower than they were just one model year ago, and lower than the kind of mind-boggling V6 numbers you'll find in, for instance, the Chrysler 200. In the 2.4L, however, torque thankfully comes on stream early, at just 4000 rpm, and the Sonata therefore doesn't feel slow. The 2.4L does become too buzzy at high rpm, and it runs out of gumption as revs rise. Thus, if you want care to acquire turbocharged 2.0L powerplant, Canadian pricing starts at a more affordable $32,817. $36,617 Ultimate 2.0Ts are Limited-like, but with the extra power. (Moving up from Sport and Sport Tech to Sport 2.0T costs just $2600 and $800, respectively.)
That's a lot of car for the money, particularly now that the Sonata feels as nicely assembled inside (with materials of similar – if not better – quality) as the segment's top sellers. Love it or hate it, the outgoing Sonata was a car which, stylistically speaking, stood out from the midsize pack. Any hope that Hyundai would once again move the game forward on the design front has most certainly been lost. Yet no one specific individual, save for the midsize sedan buyer himself, is the final arbiter on the success of Hyundai's exterior revamp. Is this new 2015 Sonata half as intriguing a proposition as the old model was in its first model year? Probably not, at least not in the dark recesses of my subjective mind.
But is it twice as appealing on purely objective terms? Quite possibly, with improved all-around dynamics, ride quality that'll shame most premium cars, an enhanced cabin, and observed fuel economy in mixed driving of 7.6 L/100km. In this transition year for the Sonata, its Canadian sales tumbled 36% in the first half of 2014. More recently, Sonata sales jumped 42% in July, when it was Canada's top-selling midsize car, and volume more than doubled in August. At that rate, because Hyundai appears to be giving the people what the people's spreadsheets want, the Sonata would be back on track to achieve in excess of 2011's record-setting Canadian sales pace.
Over the course of March 2014's first week, GoodCarBadCar enjoyed access to Canada's best-selling car from the month of February 2014. Hyundai Canada had parked a top-trim 2014 Elantra in front of GCBC Towers, a car that ended 2011, 2012, and 2013 as Canada's second-best-selling car. The Elantra is undeniably popular; not much less common than Honda's all-conquering Civic, the best-selling car in Canada in each of the last 16 years. Nevertheless, Hyundai has realized that if the current Elantra is to take on the Civic on a continual basis, and if it will be tasked with fending off newer challengers, the company couldn't allow the Elantra to grow stale by waiting until a completely all-new Elantra arrives.
THE GOOD Still a style leader So many toys 30 city mpg in winter with fresh engine? Big back seat; big trunk Intuitive control layout
THE BAD
Too much in-cabin vibration Not a huge fan of cornering
Everybody's got one Doesn't feel like a big power increase The new norm: $27K compacts
The front and rear styling has been tinkered with, new alloy wheel designs have been added, LEDs make frequent appearances, and Hyundai says they went to work on reducing noise, vibration, and harshness. But this 2014 model looks to be virtually identical to the handsome 2013 Elantra. The exterior and interior changes aren't significant. Equipment alterations aren't life-altering The availability of a 173-horsepower 2.0L four-cylinder engine, on the other hand, is noteworthy. Our tester, which at $27,199 (including destination) is the most expensive Elantra sedan, came equipped with the Elantra Limited's sunroof and rearview camera, but the Tech package increased the size of the touch screen from 4.3 inches to 7 while also adding navigation and proximity entry, removing the need to use an old-fashioned key.
$27K is a lot to pay for a compact car, even one that looks as good as this Elantra. But there's no dearth of space for occupants or cargo and the equipment load is heavy, a combination which generates something of a midsize impression. In addition to all that, the Elantra Limited has heated front and rear seats, a power driver's seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and leather seating. Yet toys and horsepower does not a great car make. (It doesn't?) No, it doesn't. Consumers expect a lot from compact cars from these days. If the 2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited wants to price itself like a decently-equipped midsize car, it must do more than equip itself with extra heating elements and more motor.
Inside is clearly where the Elantra excels, not just because of the standard kit - even the much less expensive GLS has a cabin full of heated seats, the sunroof, and the backup cam - but because of the attractive centre stack and its intuitive button layout. The big, centralized knobs for fan speed and volume are welcome in this era of touch-capacitive "buttons." Material quality doesn't stand out, neither for its high or low quality, but the seats are comfortable, the tilting/telescoping wheel helps the driver find the perfect position, and visibility is better than I remembered in the Elantra I drove a few years ago.
EPA Highway: 35 mpg = 6.7 L/100km Observed: 30.2 mpg Observed: 7.8 L/100km * includes destination/delivery. Base price refers to MSRP of Elantra Limited. Base Elantra price is $17,549.
Best of all, space is abundant. The Civic apparently offers 29 fewer litres of passenger volume, but the gap feels more meaningful. In terms of space for the passengers' stuff, the next-best-selling Toyota Corolla provides 51 fewer litres of cargo capacity, a noticeable drop off, particularly as the shape of the Elantra's trunk makes cramming in big stuff a simple task. The Elantra rides and handles well enough, but it does fall short in one way or another of matching its top-selling rivals on the road. The Civic, even in its latest softer iteration, is the slightly more engaging car with the happier-to-rev engine. (The Elantra's driver selectable steering modes - comfort, normal, or sport - are more gimmicky than engaging.) The Corolla isolates vibration in the forward one-third of the car, whereas our Elantra test car allowed a surprising amount of the 2.0L's buzz to make its way through the throttle pedal and the overall cabin. The Mazda 3 is undoubtedly the stiffer-riding car, and that won't please everyone, but its steering and overall liveliness simply set it apart from the pack.
Volkswagen's Jetta still offers a rather Germanic feel, though not to the extent it did before the advent of this sixth-gen Jetta. The Chevrolet Cruze absorbs the road's imperfections in an admirable way, tricking the driver into thinking they're in a much bigger car than they actually are. The Elantra is not a dynamic disappointment, but it's no dynamic masterpiece. It doesn't love to be hustled, and yet, it doesn't emphasize ride comfort as a trade-off.
Moreover, any improvement in NVH seemed lost in our car, and it's hard to blame the engine alone, as we tested the same powerplant in Kia's Forte, a car we lauded for its luxurious ambience. This specific Elantra's four-cylinder was very fresh from the factory, and the fact that its 173 ponies felt a bit lazy lends some credence to the theory that, once in its groove with more than 5000 kilometres on the odometer, it'll settle in with more smoothness.
In this segment, competition is fierce and margins are slim. No Elantra alternative is perfect. Few are as nice to look at. But the Elantra makes hay off of approaching the class leaders in every aspect, never failing in any one area. If it's not the roomiest, it's close to it. It doesn't have the most available horsepower, but it offers plenty more than many automakers do. Interior quality isn't the highest, but it's not far from it. Kia offers an even better-equipped Forte, but the Elantra is, in used car salesman language, loaded.
In Early 2014, GCBC Instituted ISTBTP, AKA Interior Storage Tennis Ball Test Protocol. The Hyundai Elantra's ISTBTP Results Are In The Spec Chart Above.
And while greater fuel efficiency can be found in rival cars - and even in the Elantra family - this 2014 Elantra 2.0L consumed just 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres, equal to 30.2 miles per gallon on the U.S. scale. Our routes were almost completely citified and were completed in consistently sub-zero weather, yet we still managed to easily top the EPA's 24-mpg city rating.
Perhaps no Hyundai automobile in the history of Hyundai has done as thorough a job as this sixth-generation Sonata of erasing long-held but quickly-evaporating brand prejudices. You could argue that back in 2001, the first Santa Fe did more to reinvigorate Hyundai. One might say that the current Elantra - America's eighth-best-selling car in 2013, two spots ahead of the Sonata, and Canada's second-best-selling car three years running - is easier to make a case for on class-leading grounds. Others would insist that the relatively low-volume Hyundai Genesis sedan has taken on premium brands at a premium price point.
I say, however, that this Sonata took on America's best-selling cars with space, perceived quality, power, efficiency, and style, and it did so on best seller lists, not on the fringes. The Sonata has become so common and its swoopy shape so familiar that the way people view Hyundai couldn't help but be changed. The move toward respectable cars had been underway for a decade or more, but you need to Google the fifth-generation Sonata in order to remember what it looked like. Forgettable design was washed away by the Sonata which went on sale four years ago. Upon its debut at the 2009 Los Angeles auto show, the sixth-gen Sonata did more than set the stage for models yet to come; it did more than lay the groundwork. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata allowed forthcoming Hyundai vehicles to compete at, not just below, the price points of their direct rivals.
THE GOOD Still looks good Base engine is sufficient Imperturbable ride quality Simple interior layout So much stuff under $30K
THE BAD
Newer Sonata is coming soon
Extra power costs a lot Feels heavy in corners Interior doesn't feel like luxury Itty-bitty touch screen
In other words, Hyundai was no longer just an automaker you sought out in order to save money - the 2011 Sonata was a car you could desire, a car you could feel really good about parking in your driveway, a car which would cause you to turn and take a final glance before heading into the office. But it has been four years. The Toyota Camry is newer. The Honda Accord is newer. The Ford Fusion is newer. The Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Mazda 6, Nissan Altima, and Volkswagen Passat have all undergone redesigns since the sixth-generation Sonata arrived in showrooms. Hyundai Canada had this Indigo Blue 2014 Sonata SE delivered to GCBC Towers for a week of perusal. Time has thrown up a soft barrier between the still-stylish Sonata and the jaw-dropping reaction consumers had half a decade ago. Yet my, how this Sonata has aged gracefully.
In its materials, especially in the plastic surrounding the centre stack's buttons and across the surface of the centre console, the wonderfully simple interior layout doesn't have the feeling of genuine luxury that can be found in newer midsize sedans.
2014 HYUNDAI SONATA SE Base Price * (CDN): $25,764 As-Tested Price * (CDN): $29,764
City fuel efficiency can't reach for the highs of the four-cylinder Honda Accord. Manual transmission availability is gone. When attacking a set of twisties, the 3400-pound Sonata feels like it needs the dietary regimen to which more modern cars have adapted in order to save weight, thereby reducing fuel consumption and aiding agility. The touch screen in our test car is embarrassingly small. 4.3 inches is only good for people with baby-sized fingers and Ichiro-like vision. But the cabin which feels out of touch with modern expectations works:controls make sense, buttons are where they should be, buttons are actual buttons, the rear seat is comfortable, the gauge cluster is attractive and very legible, the outside world is hushed. More importantly, in SE trim the Sonata is full of enough doodads and go-go-gadgets to make an Audi A4 seem barren. For less than $30,000, including Hyundai Canada's destination charge, the 2014 Sonata SE comes equipped with a backup camera, heated front and rear leather seats, automatic climate control, 18-inch wheels, and a panoramic sunroof.
The Sonata's 110-inch wheelbase and comfort-oriented mission create a wonderful isolation from road imperfections. There's fortunately no float, and while the Sonata doesn't feel as agile as the Mazda 6 or Honda Accord, it doesn't feel as big as the Volkswagen Passat or Chevrolet Malibu. The selectable steering system is the kind of gadgetry I could live without, as Sport is unnaturally heavy and Comfort left me feeling unconnected. Normal mode will suffice, and hopefully automakers will soon realize that perfecting one good steering system would be a more effective way of attracting enthusiast buyers than offering three lackluster systems. Regardless, the Sonata, while no Genesis Coupe on a rural back road, is composed and not easily flustered. Base engines in the midsize segment have come a long way in less than a decade. As recently as 2006, Toyota's 3.0L V6 in the Camry made the same amount of power as this Sonata's 2.4L four-cylinder. The Sonata's optional 2.0L turbo (reviewed almost three years ago) is a lot of fun, but most midsize car have fewer standard horsepower than this Sonata, and it is at least sufficient and at best surprisingly punchy. In tandem with a nicely tuned 6-speed automatic, this 190-horsepower engine surely satisfies 95% of the customers who consider it.
In 2014, GCBC Instituted ISTBTP, AKA Interior Storage Tennis Ball Test Protocol. The Hyundai Sonata's ISTBTP Results Are In The Spec Chart Above.
Rarely does the topic of giving come to the forefront of our minds. We are takers, not just as a society but as individual human beings. To a large extent, this is forgivable. We do, after all, require certain elements in order to survive. Around the Christmas season, however, giving becomes a more frequently discussed subject. This holiday season, there's a new giver in town, and the generosity emanating from this soulless giver is tangible yet strangely lacking in physicality.
These are the sorts of subjects not normally present in a review of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, or any other car for that matter. The Veloster's generous ways made me thankful throughout its late night photography session, a session which took place outside an absolutely empty shopping mall, only hours after it was jam packed with holiday shoppers. But taking from the Veloster was a lot like receiving gifts from a secret Santa: there was no signature, no communication. Just a giver and a taker.
Though this sounds like the 2012 Veloster leaves a hollow experience in its wake, there's no denying the impact it's had in Hyundai showrooms, and if anything is being left in the Veloster's wake, it's Honda's CR-Z, perhaps even Scion's tC.
GoodCarBadCar's full review of the tech package-equipped, DCT-fitted 2012 Hyundai Veloster can be read after the jump. For the full Christmas Eve effect, the Veloster was photographed only at night. Outside a barren mall, beside an empty school, beside the airport runway, on traffic-less roads, in freezing conditions. When Hyundai Canada's silver Veloster visited GoodCarBadCar, it wasn't yet Christmas, but gloves were worn, winter coats were on, and toques were pulled down over ears. Some of the resulting images can be viewed (and enlarged with a click) in this post, but scroll down and you'll also find a complete Gallery of GoodCarBadcar photography.
GOING Enter the Veloster without removing the proximity key from your jacket pocket, depress the circular start button directly in front of the shifter, and, if the stereo and HVAC systems are off, you'll hear the whisper of a smooth 1.6L four-cylinder. This direct-injection 138-horsepower four is a bit buzzy at first, but a few minutes of warmth puts the buzzing to rest. Anybody other than Speed Kills proponents will say the Veloster is surprisingly sleepy from rest. It's not that the engine is unwilling to rev - things move along quite nicely above 4000 rpm - and it's not that the engine isn't utterly smooth when revving. Moreover, those who are surprised at the Veloster's lack of gumption are surprised because of its design, not the spec sheet. Each of this loaded Veloster's horses must carry 20.4 pounds.
In a basic Hyundai Accent sedan, each of the 1.6L's horses is tasked with toting around only 17.4 pounds. Is the Veloster quick? Not at all. Hyundai never said it was. Besides, there's a turbocharged Veloster coming next year. The Veloster merges onto a highway without difficulty and feels significantly more responsive in fourth gear at 80 km/h than it does in first at 5 km/h. In exchange for failing to provide you with Accent-like accelerative pace, the heavier Veloster gives 38 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 mpg in the city, according to the EPA. The highway figure improves by two mpg if you opt for the manual transmission, but doing so will drop the city rating down to 28 mpg. Canadian readers will note that this works out to an average of 7.4 L/100 km.
The manual transmission wasn't something GoodCarBadCar sampled. Fortunately, the automatic is technologically interesting. Dual-clutch gearboxes like the one in the 2012 Veloster are increasingly common. The Veloster's is clearly less aggressive than the dual-clutch transmission in say, the Ferrari 458 Italia, but as a $1400 (CDN) option, it's only $200 more than the conventional 6-speed automatic in the Accent. The slippery shift from first to second was consistently frustrating until I took control with the flappy paddles. Once on the move the DCT was effective, particularly pleasant when downshifting, and never harsh in the least. If you like to row your own, stick with the manual. For those who require automatic transmissions, this DCT will add to the experience. Just don't assume it will give or lend extra pace.
TURNING A blessed absence of body roll does not automatically make a vehicle a good-handling vehicle. Nor does it automatically make a vehicle fun to drive. It simply means corners can be taken aggressively in seats with softer bolstering.
You won't be left wanting for increased bolstering in the Veloster's front seats, however. And not to confuse the matter, but the Veloster really does know how to make use of a contractor's level when cornering. That puts an end to the positives, as it is during this process of driving the Veloster hard through the twisties that all interaction ceases. The steering wheel's vast dead spot on the straight-ahead, its strange desire to avoid self-centering, the sticky sensation one only finds in a Hyundai steering rack, and the Veloster's inability to transfer messages from the wheels to the helm leave the driver with little confidence. The stiff chassis leads one to believe the entry speed is safe, but the wheel angle is unknown and probably in need of correction. What kind of correction? The steering isn't talking, so who knows?
This is the Veloster's one key fault, one of its only faults, in fact. The problem isn't misspelled telegrams coming back through the rack, it's that the lines of communication are broken. Here the Veloster is one of us, a taker; not a giver. You will give effort and intelligence. In return, the Veloster fails by offering no real-time reconnaissance.
LIVING Every passenger I had in the Veloster was impressed by the overall feeling of space. Because Hyundai placed an emphasis on cabin comfort over cargo capacity, every one of the four inhabitants can get comfortable, that is if the rear seat passengers aren't long above the hips. Headroom is at a premium; even for some front seat riders in this sunroof-equipped Veloster. The third door makes entry into the back easier, though not outright easy, and once situated there were no complaints.
Meanwhile, up front, the driver and passenger are treated to an array of features rarely seen at this price point. Bluetooth, heated seats, air conditioning, proximity key, backup camera, cruise, steering wheel controls, and a seven-inch touch screen are all standard on the basic Veloster. Upping the ante with the $3500 (CDN) tech package brings about a panoramic sunroof, leather wrapped wheel and shifter, partially leathered seats, bigger alloys, a thumping eight speaker stereo, and navigation. You can play Hyundai's BlueMax efficiency game through the touch screen.
Out back there's access to 15.5 cubic feet of load lugging capacity, shaped squarely with a nice perch for photographers under the opened hatch. A quick fold of the rear seats prepares the Veloster for moving day. The liftgate is high but lightweight.
LOOKING Polarizing designs aren't always acquainted with success. A vehicle which splits opinion can, however, inspire as much love on one side as it does hatred on another. The Veloster will invariably be derided by some, but those who approve of the unique design could be more than just satisfied - they may be excited. Excited enough to buy one. The Hyundai Veloster doesn't appear Plain Jane from any angle, but it's blunt front is probably its least distinctive.
The Veloster looks like nothing else when viewed from the back, its glassy roof running away to meet the windshield. The scalloped doors nicely break up what would otherwise be slab sides. Looking at a Veloster from a back corner gives the Hyundai hatch an opportunity to shine. From there it looks more mature while still unique. Regardless of the angle, this Hyundai always has a sense of the exotic about it. That's not to say onlookers would think it costs $200,000, but they surely won't guess $20,000, either.
Inside, the Veloster features Hyundai's small car design theme, doing so with more success than the Accent or the Elantra. Some cheap materials are used, but not in the places you most often touch. The steering wheel is of proper girth, the paddles don't feel as though they'll snap off, and buttons and switches and blinker stalks mostly feel like they were inherited from a more expensive vehicle.
COMPETING Conventional thinking says the 2012 Hyundai Veloster is in prime position to take on the Honda CR-Z and Scion tC. That's true. The CR-Z is more expensive and not much more efficient, the tC has been around a while and doesn't bring a whole lot of excitement to the table. Comparing the Veloster to the Volkswagen GTI flatters Hyundai but ignores the fact that the Golf-based performance Volkswagen is a true performance machine. On pricing grounds, it's also out of the Veloster's league.
On content terms, the Veloster's cousin from Kia, the 2012 Rio, is something of a threat with its upper trim levels. Obviously not intending to be half as sporty as the Veloster, the Rio tries to be handsome and succeeds. Excluding similarly sized, well-equipped subcompacts from the equation gives the Veloster a sort of cheap iPhone feel.
Imagine if Apple introduced a new iPhone but priced it below the vast majority of possible competitors. Sure, competitors may have a more powerful camera. Some may scroll more smoothly, offer a greater capacity for music storage, even compute more quickly. But if you could have all the iPhone offers for less than the price of a typical Android device, the stage would be set for (even greater) Apple domination.
The 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a flashy high-tech device. There are a couple things it doesn't do quite as well as we'd like. Averaging just 25 miles per gallon (9.4 L/100km) wasn't acceptable, for example, but that could relate to the engine's youthful tightness, a fact which could've contributed to its slow-witted takeoff, as well. The steering is GM circa 1997, only twice as light, a not inconvenient trait to possess in parking lots, I suppose. If the third door is so great - and it is - why isn't there a fourth?
The Veloster is fun in spite of a couple glaring faults. Fun because of features, fun because it looks like nothing else, fun because every street light in the neighbourhood lights up the interior through all that glass while the stereo rattles teeth. Fun and moderately practical and rather efficient and super stylish... while costing less? That's not the Apple business model.
POETICIZING What the Veloster lacks in on-road dynamic character it makes up for with outrageous styling. For most car buyers, acquiring a Hyundai Veloster will require a measure of rational thinking, not just a burning desire for a characterful car. Within that frame of reference, Hyundai is prepared to give you yet another value-oriented small car with an excellent warranty and generally low interest rates. In exchange for approximately $20,000.
The fact that you must pay for a Veloster suggests it isn't a gift, nor is it a gift giver. One can safely assume that Hyundai could charge hundreds more, at the very least, for the privilege of owning a Veloster. Thus, you're receiving the gift of a built-in discount.
The Veloster's lack of outright pace and its un-Lotus-like steering fall victim to an expectations game. Judge the value of the Veloster's aggressive stance separate from its dynamic repertoire and the Veloster will, more likely than not, exceed expectations. Unlike the uncovered Christmas Veloster poetry below which will undoubtedly have Jim Reeves rolling over in his grave.
Hyundai Canada provided GoodCarBadCar with nine days in an Ironman Silver 2012 Veloster
Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way,
Feel free to tell some other souls, what I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon; now, you dear old man,
Whisper which Hyundai I'll get, please let it be fast.
When the clock is striking twelve, when I'm wrapping gifts,
In the driveway broad and black, with my car you'll creep;
Take that old Corolla, please, crush it with your sleigh,
Leave a Hyundai parked right there, or a Porsche is fine.
Johnny wants a PS3, Susie needs Wii Fit,
Range Rover makes a nice Evoque, But I just want three doors,
Mommy says, "It is true, your brain is not so bright,"
But Santa Claus, you must agree, V'losters are alright.
That's eight speakers, navi too, plus a backup cam,
A big sunroof, sharp design, leather and nice wheels,
The 1.6 won't make beelines, not for you or me,
I won't care how fast it is, there are three real doors!
