As somebody who watches a lot of sports, I’m familiar with the term “dark horse.” It’s an idiom that derives from horse racing, specifically referring to a horse that gamblers didn’t know about before the race and therefore couldn’t figure it into their bets. From there its use caught on to represent any person or thing that rises to prominence from seemingly nowhere. This is why every NFL preseason there are dark horse candidates to make the Super Bowl. There are dark horses in “American Idol” and political races. And there are dark horses in the automobile industry.

Actually, every year Edmunds.com puts together a list of the top ten dark horses among new vehicles which they consider to be the best cars getting the least amount of buzz. After all, the only reason dark horses are in fact dark horses is because too few people have heard of them to expect much out of them. Once someone takes the time to get the word out, they can stop being unknowns and start getting the recognition they deserve.

On this year’s list, Hyundai ended up with two models getting praise—not surprising considering Hyundai’s slow and quiet rise to the top of all automakers in the last few years. The models in question are the 2010 Hyundai Genesis and 2011 Hyundai Sonata. 2011 Sonatas have been reasonable sellers, but too few people are giving the sedan the props it deserves.

For one, the Sonata packs a V6 while also managing to lead its class in fuel economy. That means buyers can have both power and decent mileage in a car that looks and drives great. The Genesis won the North American Car of the Year last year and has done nothing but gain traction as a heat-seeking large sedan that continues to take chunks out of some of the more luxurious brands’ sales all over Florida. Lease Hyundai Genesis or Sonata now if you want to get in on the action, and do so knowing that you’ll get a great car, even if it doesn’t have quite the recognition of something like a Ford Explorer or Toyota Camry.

They’re called dark horses because they’ve got a real shot, and it used to make gamblers really angry when they missed a good bet. We’re giving you the opportunity to jump all over the ball right here, and you’d be crazy not to take it.

Labels: Florida Lease Hyundai, Hyundai Sonata 2011