It took me three months from selecting to buying a car, torn between the Sonata, Sagitar, and Regal. In the end, I decided to go for a B-segment car. The Regal felt under-equipped, and I didn’t like its front fascia, so I opted for the Sonata. I negotiated the price for almost a month and finally secured a cash discount of 30,000 yuan, plus a manufacturer subsidy of 12,000 yuan. After the provincial subsidy, the final price of 113,000 yuan was very satisfying.
Now, about the car: the exterior was definitely the main reason I chose the Sonata 11. The waistline is just too good-looking—even now, I still glance back at it after parking.
In terms of space, it’s decent for a B-segment car, with a length of 4945 mm. The rear seats are quite spacious, though taller passengers might find headroom tight in the middle seat. But since I rarely have anyone in the back, it’s not an issue. The front seats are comfortable, with seat heating and steering wheel heating. The air conditioning cools effectively, though the only downside is the lack of seat ventilation (I couldn’t afford the top trim 😭).
As for the driving experience, the 1.5T engine is more than enough for me. The power response is prompt, and the 8AT transmission gives me confidence when accelerating—it’s really smooth with no noticeable jerkiness. Fuel consumption is quite low for a B-segment car: I’ve seen as low as 4.6 L/100km on national roads, a steady 5.9 L/100km on highways, and around 10 L/100km in the city. The Level 2 driving assistance is fantastic—once CarPlay is connected and navigation is on, the automatic steering is very precise. The front radar detects vehicles ahead and slows down accordingly, then speeds up again when the car in front accelerates. It makes highway driving so much easier.
The downside is the infotainment system. The smart voice assistant is practically useless—it can only open windows or adjust the air conditioning temperature. The system response is a bit slow, and the built-in Baidu Maps isn’t great, but it can be replaced with CarLife or CarPlay.
