Completely redesigned for 2011, the Hyundai Sonata is now truly a competitor in the mid-size car segment. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata competes with the stalwart Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, so buyers looking for a car that’s a bit more outgoing than the Camry and Accord might want to consider the Sonata. The Sonata’s stylish exterior styling and availability of a powerful and economic turbocharged engine make it an attractive choice in the mid-size segment. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata was named a “Top Safety Pick” by the IIHS.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has been on sale in America since 1988 and has survived for five model generations. In that time, Hyundai has undergone a transformation from being the butt of jokes about reliability and build quality to legitimate competition for brands like Toyota and Honda. In that time, the Sonata has grown five inches in length to 189 inches long and 3.3 inches in width to 72.2 inches wide. Hyundai has used that extra size well, giving the Sonata a larger interior and trunk than the Toyota Camry.

Image via Hyundai.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is available with a six-speed manual transmission only on the base model GLS trim level, which starts at just less than $20,000. All other models of the 2011 Sonata come with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Sonata is available with a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 198-hp (200-hp in SE trim). The 2011 Sonata with the base 2.4-liter engine gets 22-mpg city and 35-mpg highway. The optional 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the 2011 Sonata is more powerful than the V6 engines available on the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. The Sonata’s turbocharged engine also gets better mileage than the V6-powered competition at 22-mpg city and 33-mpg highway.