Take a gander at the outside and inside of the 2006 Hyundai Sonata, and the thought “I’ve seen this somewhere before” may come to mind.

From a design perspective, the 2006 Hyundai Sonata is a successful adaptation of vehicles from several different manufacturers, all coming together in a conservative yet sporty package. From different angles, the Sonata offers glimpses of the Honda Accord, the Mazda 3, and if you squint there’s even a softened Lexus IS300 and an Audi A4 hidden in there.

Once inside, the first thing you will notice after a few miles is how quiet the ride is. According to Hyundai representatives, engineers benchmarked Lexus models, widely considered to be the industry standard for noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).

Whatever they did – or whomever they benchmarked – it paid dividends. This EPA-classified large sedan is very quiet inside, with the exception of a bit of wind noise at high speeds, some noise from the Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 225/50R17 tires on the Sonata LX, and the sound of gas sloshing in the tank. Only after opening a window at a tollbooth did we realize just how quiet it is. Add some noise of your own with the standard six-speaker audio system, but don’t expect concert quality sound.

Front seats are firm enough to be supportive, but are not stiff. The rear bench bottom is too soft, with bolsters that easily give way, but the 60/40 folding seatback is firm and comfortable. Small retractable headrests add to the 2006 Hyundai Sonata’s already impressive visibility. Behind that seat is a 16.3 cubic foot lined trunk. All of the interior controls are within easy reach – the radio sits atop the dash and features knobs and simple buttons, as well as steering wheel controls. The climate system sits below the radio and, again, features basic knobs and buttons. All power controls are on the driver’s door.

Most of the interior materials are what you’d expect from a budget-oriented sedan. The leather in our Sonata LX felt like it was of decent quality, but the cloth in the GLS felt cheap and not very durable. On top of the dash is a padded plastic panel, with the same material used on the upper door panels. All armrests are padded and large enough for an elbow. The lower dash, center console, lower door panels, and pillars are covered in a hard plastic that resists flex, but its abundance gives the interior a down-market feel. Still, all of the plastic grains match, the test vehicles were virtually rattle free, and gaps were all consistent and minimal.

Tight tolerances are also obvious on the exterior of the 2006 Hyundai Sonata. Only a few, slightly irregular gaps were discovered around the hood and trunk, but these were minor issues. During our testing, Hyundai provided a number of Sonatas that covered the color palette, but our favorite was the blue metallic – that’s a beauty, at least under the unusually clear skies of San Francisco. Overall, the finish was nearly perfect, but look close and some imperfections can be found, such as orange peel around the front foglights and the door handles.