Overview & Reviews
The Hyundai Sonata is a comfortable and likable midsize sedan that proves Hyundai can build cars that are not just easy on the pocketbook, but easy to live with as well. Like most vehicles in the midsize sedan class, the Sonata offers front-wheel drive, numerous safety features and a choice of trim levels that include sporty and plush variants. Setting the Sonata apart, however, is Hyundai's lower pricing and outstanding warranty coverage.
For the most part, the Sonata has kept getting better. The current model, in particular, is the most competitive to date. In addition to the strong value proposition, this Hyundai adds a few things previously not seen in this conservative nameplate -- namely, daring styling and sporty driving dynamics. Newer pre-owned Sonatas are also a solid choice, but models prior to 2006 remain a risky used-car proposition.
Current Hyundai Sonata
Although it's classified as a full-size family sedan by the EPA, the Hyundai Sonata still competes in the midsize segment. It's available in GLS, SE and Limited trim levels. Even the base car comes well equipped, while the SE features sporty suspension tuning and the Limited pampers its passengers with more luxurious features.
The standard engine on every Sonata trim level is a 2.4-liter direct-injected inline four-cylinder rated at 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque, while the dual-exhaust SE with the same engine makes 192 hp and 181 lb-ft. A 2.0-liter turbocharged engine generating 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque is available on SE and Limited models. All Sonatas come with a six-speed automatic as standard.
Whether serving family car or commuter car duty, the Hyundai Sonata is a nice place to be thanks to its spacious cabin, comfortable seating, solid build quality and quiet highway ride. In reviews we've found that the Sonata provides spirited acceleration as well as responsive handling, with a slightly firm but still comfortable ride. Fuel mileage is also impressive, with 30 mpg being a realistic number for conservative drivers in mixed conditions. Our only notable gripes concern the relative lack of rear seat headroom for adults and a somewhat rough ride for the SE model. Overall the Sonata is rather impressive and deserves serious consideration from those shopping for a family sedan.
Used Hyundai Sonata Models
The current Hyundai Sonata represents the fifth generation in the car's lineage, and was introduced in the 2011 model year. That following year, the Sonata picked up the Blue Link telematics service and a higher-resolution navigation system display. A manual transmission was available for the Sonata GLS for these first two years, but was discontinued after that.
These Sonatas produced prior to 2014 differ in a number of minor ways. Styling was ever so slightly different, while they lack standard driver-selectable steering effort and the availability of certain features like xenon headlights and a blind-spot monitoring system. Also, the 2.4-liter engine made 198 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque (200 hp and 186 lb-ft for the SE) versus the current car's somewhat lower ratings.
The previous, fourth-generation Hyundai Sonata was produced from 2006-'10 and is really the only other version worth considering as a used Sonata. Initially, three trim levels were offered: GL, GLS and LX. The sophomore year saw a shuffling of the trim levels to the current format. Most notably, the sporty SE version debuted, wearing 17-inch alloy wheels and foglights.
Originally, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder produced 162 hp and was standard on the GL and GLS trims. A five-speed manual was standard (GL only for 2006) and a four-speed automatic was optional with this engine. Optional on the GLS and standard on the LX, SE and Limited was a 235-hp version of the 3.3-liter V6, matched to a five-speed automatic transmission. For 2008, the four-cylinder became standard on all trim levels and the V6 became optional. That year also saw a few more standard features added to the SE and Limited trims.
The biggest changes occurred in 2009 when engine outputs were increased (175 hp for the inline-4 and 249 hp for the V6) and the interior was spiffed up with a new dash and higher-quality materials. There were also two notable additions to the features lists -- a standard auxiliary audio jack and an optional touchscreen navigation system.
Prior to that, the cabin had respectable build and materials quality along with a precise feel to the controls. But it wasn't nearly as top-notch and had odd placement of the audio and climate controls -- the former was placed too high and the latter too low. Beyond that, the spacious cabin remained unchanged, and although the exterior had a few nips here and tucks there, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between Sonatas of this generation.
At the time, we found that the fourth-generation Hyundai Sonata prioritized ride comfort over precise handling. It smothered bumps well and delivered a luscious highway ride, but with its significant body roll and vague steering, it wasn't particularly fun to drive.
Power from the efficient four-cylinder engine was competitive, and although the V6 wasn't quite as potent as those in rival sedans, it still got the job done while returning good fuel economy. Inside, soft, high-quality plastics were plentiful, and the overall design was eye-pleasing.
Pre-2006 Sonatas remain a risky used-car proposition even though depreciation means they can be found at a bargain-basement price. Only in recent years have we seen the kind of build quality and structural integrity that might portend long-term durability.
Nevertheless, the previous (third) generation Hyundai Sonata was originally introduced for 1999 with a vastly improved appearance, far better engines and significant improvements made in noise and ride quality versus its lamentable predecessors. The base car featured a 138-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the GLS had a 159-hp 2.5-liter V6. These numbers may be different from what you'll find elsewhere, since Hyundai misstated its horsepower ratings prior to 2002, giving the Sonata 11 more horses than it actually had. As such, you'd be best to stick with Sonatas from 2002 or later, which were characterized by even nicer styling, a better interior and a legitimately more potent V6.
The second-generation Sonata was introduced for 1995 and offered improved fit and finish compared to its predecessor, but that's not saying much. It now had dual airbags, but no more power under the hood. For instance, the V6 only produced 5 more horses than the four-cylinder. For 1997, the Sonata was restyled dramatically, but not necessarily for the better. All in all, we'd avoid this car.
The same goes for the original Hyundai Sonata, first launched in 1989 to give Hyundai a player in the midsize family sedan game. Aggressively priced but sloppily built and saddled with weak, unrefined powertrains, the boxy first-generation Sonata did little to change the public's perception of Hyundai cars as cheap in more ways than price.
User Reviews:
Showing 111 through 120 of 3,413.00-
Poor Manfacturer Follow Up - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
By JJTucker - November 15 - 2:00 amI have loved my Hyundai Sonata except for one thing.It started making a horrible noise from the rear at about 36,000 miles and has gotten much worse over time.The servicing dealership (Pinehurst Hyundai) would not acknowledge the noise, and the Hyundai Corp. simply ignored our plead for help.No Hyundai area rep would even take time to contact us! We are left with a vehicle that we cant sell and get anything out of because of this.The poor customer service has literally cost us thousands of dollars.If you are planning to purchase a Hyundai you need to consider that if anything happens They will not stand behind there product. That tells me that they do not believe in their product. Beware!
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Solid Car - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
By Brandon - November 13 - 2:00 amMy Sonata now has 130,000 miles on it and repairs are starting to add up. I bought it brand new and have to say up until now, it has been a good purchase. My O2 sensor went out a few times, but was covered by the warranty. The power antennae broke but covered by warranty. The interior door handles also started to peel, but was covered by a recall. At about 75,000 the paint started to bubble on the roof of the car, and at 120,000, the power steering line started to leak, which cost around $300 to fix. The speedometer and cruise control just went out at 130,000, so who knows how much that will be. The car does ride nice and handles beautiful though, maintenance is expensive but would buy again.
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Excellent in Crash - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
By Julie - November 8 - 2:00 amWe bought our Sonata used almost 2 years ago. This past weekend, we were hit from behind, with the other person going around 70 mph. My Sonata flipped end over end, landing on the top. My daughter I both got out alive, and I believe my Sonata is the reason for this. It was a very sturdy car, and I dont think we would have fared as well in another car its size.
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Best Ive owned - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
By happy owner - November 7 - 1:00 amWith 5 years and 50,000 mi on my Sonata LX, I couldnt be happier. Only repair has been a sensor, under warranty. Good performance, good handling for a family-type sedan, comfortable. No problem with mileage - 19 around town, 27 highway.
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Throttle - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
By Hyundai Owner - November 3 - 2:00 amGood Fuel economy, Nice ride, Good performance. However, I had my Throttle stick, I had it back to the dealer and they fixed it that day. It was explained to us that it was a computer chip that went bad.
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Satisfied First Time Hyundai Owner - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
By Mark - October 29 - 2:00 am2007 Hyundai SE 3.3 liter V6 I purchased this vehicle new in Oct. 2006 and it has 100,750 miles on it. I had no problems and more then satisfied with the quality of this vehicle.There is more power in this vehicle then the 2005 Toyota Camry XLE V6 I had before this. I am a firm believer and will be purchasing another Hyundai product
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Its a not so good used car - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
By bm662 - October 22 - 2:00 amBought used had tune up and timing belt replaced. Still not much better? Had suspension checked 4 times replaced struts for safety. Still has thumping sounds no one can find reason! But told car is safe? The amount of money I paid for plus repairs I could have bought a new one live and learn. Dealer was supposed to be reliable. Not so in this case this vehicle should be called the Hyundai clunker.
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2007 Paint Defect - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
By Amanda - October 14 - 2:00 amI purchased my Sonata in April 2008. Within this last year I have had the paint peal off my hood and trunk. Im over my mileage for the warranty, b/c it ONLY 36,000 miles for the paint defects, and now Im having to pay out of my own pocket for a new paint job when CLEARLY its a manufacture defect. I have spoke with the dealership, HYUNDAI, and they wont do anything so I called customer service and they told me they will put my info in their computer and if more ppl come forward then they could POSSIBLE have a recall. So the point of this blog is if you have this same problem with these vehicles please call customer service so we all can get this problem fixed!
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Its not as good as everyone says - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
By Passing - October 12 - 2:00 amThey have made improvements in last few years but as far the over all quality goes it is still not at par with Toyotas and Hondas. I bought it after reading good reviews and due to standard safety features, but after driving 35k my car started to give vibration issues. Dealership put it on 4-cylinder engine, but it was same before 35K, so not sure how come all of sudden engine started to give less power, that too after all regular services being performed on time. They(dealer) are least bothered to look into it and tried to put it as if it is normal, but I have driven enough cars to know it is not normal. They even got me to do services which are not required till 70-80K.
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Best car i ever drove - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
By chrismartin1701 - October 9 - 2:00 amWhat can i say? this car is awesome! normally i go crazy for the classic American muscle cars, but im happy with this one. use it as a daily driver to and from college and i also use it as my general aid and rescue vehicle for the Ballston Spa Volunteer Fire station. in all, its fun to drive, powerful V6, responsive, comfortable, stylish, and just plain awesome.
