Advice on the JPEGS SOOC from Sony A57 SLT

Finally, the D-day has arrived and I have found a buyer for my old Sony DSLR A-200.  So, I am ready to take a plunge for A57 which has got many good reviews.  However, one small nagging doubt - DPR in its review mentions that jpegs SOOC are not that nice.  So, what is the way to improve jpegs with the in-camera settings ?  Advice from A-57 users would be most appreciated.