New Car Review of the 2004 Hyundai Sonata Mid-Size Sedan

Description: Mid-Size Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $15,999-$19,799
Invoice Price Range: $14,559-$17,840

The mid-size Sonata sedan shows bold and contemporary exterior styling with unusually smooth shapes contrasted against definitive creases and crisp edges. It looks elegant and dressy but also active and even aggressive -- and clearly different from typical sedans from other Asian automakers. Sonata also puts more headroom in a cabin dressed with favored features for comfort and luxury, along with safety systems reaching to frontal and side-impact air bags.

The series repeats in the 2004 class with three trims starting with a base Sonata and climbing to GLS and deluxe LX models, the latter two rolling on 16-inch alloy wheels and Michelin tires. Sonata's optional 2.7-liter V6 engine hits 170 hp, while the base dual-cam 2.4-liter in-line-four musters 138 hp.