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1998 Hyundai Sonata Owners Manual

This town is in the wrong state. It should be in Louisiana, where French-speaking people would at least pronounce its name correctly. The folks here call the place "Bell Fountain" or "Bellfontin," stripping the name of any romance.

That's too bad, because this is a neat little town, plopped in the middle of rolling farmland, a bit more than three hours south of Detroit. I arrived on a Sunday afternoon, when there was little to do except pray and drive, which appear to be the main pursuits in these parts on workweek's eve. I drove a 1998 Hyundai Sonata GL sedan, a pking-new rental car of which I had modest expectations.

Though discernibly better than any car yet produced by Hyundai, the Sonata sounds a mediocre note, especially in comparison with its rivals -- the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mazda 626 and Chevrolet Malibu.

What the Sonata has going for it are price and good looks, which is why the car truly is a matter of getting what you pay for -- bargain-basement beauty. Customers willing to accept that reality should be happy with the Sonata. It will take them wherever they want to go in reasonable comfort and safety at reasonable cost and should provide long service, as long its maintenance schedule is observed religiously. Also, the car is ultimately likable, in the manner that an old shirt or an aged yet serviceable pair of tennis shoes is likable.