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:

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  Almost 10 years in this thing - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Brian - October 3 - 1:04 pm

  Overall, its been a solid car with decent reliability. Its solidly built and pretty quiet on the highway. Gas mileage is middling, but it is a V6. Power is decent for a family sedan. Pros: Reliable, fairly quiet, inexpensive to maintain Cons: Interior is low rent. For some reason, the suspension has started to squeak when going over any small bumps. Hasnt affected handling. May be due to the excessive dry heat (Phoenix az) we have here. Have had to replace radiator hoses and one of the windshield washer nozzles (again probably due to the heat here). Would I buy again? Probably not. But for reliable transportation at low cost with decent power, its been a good purchase. Its like a good mule, not a quarterhorse.

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  Terrible buy - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By DILLAN - September 30 - 8:24 am

  The warranty given by Hyundai doesnt guarantee the motor 100,000 miles unless your original owner. My engine blew even after regular maintenance. The recent recall of the 2011 and 2012 model confirms my suspicion that they wont recall them because its only affecting a certain region. The mechanics know that vehicles are defected as well.

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  What hasnt gone wrong??? - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kaitlyn - September 21 - 2:12 pm

  I HATE this car. I take relatively good care of my car but it is literally falling apart. In the 5 years that I have had it, my driver window dry rotted and had to be replaced, my back passenger window has done the same thing, my driver door handles have both broken (interior completely broke off and exterior wont catch the latch anymore, the passenger side exterior hand literally broke off, my fuzes keep blowing so my airbag and check engine light are constantly on, my airbag had to be replaced on the passenger side, and my visor will not stay up anymore. Should i continue? It was a good first car due to good mpg and safety features, however, in the long run it is proving to be more money and trouble than its actually worth.

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  love this car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By ED - September 18 - 9:16 am

  brought this car new in 2006 have been one of the greatest , havent had no major problems with it an have replace nothing but brakes, bulbs , so far got 342,000 miles on it now, still run like a champ love this car.

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  Too many repairs! - 1997 Hyundai Sonata
  By Lindsay - August 21 - 9:36 pm

  I bought my car used five years ago. It had 59,000 miles on it, two owners before me, and looked to be in great shape. I LOVED it. It served me very well driving long-distance back and forth from college. The V6 engine gives it great acceleration (though at the expensive of very low gas mileage) and everything about it started out smooth. It was affordable and a very attractive car. Well, after about a year the paint started coming off. My roof is now completely bald five years later and the lovely red paint is not perfect anywhere except maybe the doors. (Of course Ive never parked it in a garage and we have harsh winters.) Then about two years in my entire transmission gave out and had to be replaced - VERY expensive. Almost cost as much as the car itself. Then it was the door handle, then the electric window buttons, then the alternator, then all four brakes at the same time. This is spread out over five years, but Ive spent well over $4,000 (what I paid for it) in repairs. And it only has 75,000 miles! Today I found out the spark plugs are in wrong so I have to replace them and some other parts. The engine is really loud and clicks when I drive. The transmission can still be a little rough, and when I have the air conditioning on, my car rocks quite a lot. The passenger window is slow to go up. It seems like from the reviews Ive been reading, most people have gotten more miles out of their Sonata, but maybe mine was driven hard before me or just wasnt a good one. Im very attached to it, and its served me well, but be wary of all the problems that may come along the road!

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  Excellent Vehicle for the Price - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rudy - August 13 - 7:19 pm

  The 6 cylinder 07 Sonata has plenty of pep and the transmission is rather smooth. I have done all the regular maintenance and have gone to the dealer only once to service a recall on the passenger seat air bag. Which, by the way, was not serviced because the sensor chose to operate that day when I took it in, but has been malfunctioning on and off as long as Ive had this car since new. The other recall was for the brake light switch that I chose to replace myself. I have a trust problem with all mechanics. The interior materials used are rather cheap. However, some tender loving care will do a lot to preserve it. The car has about 70K miles on it and still runs very smoothly. The paint job is of poor quality and seems to chip fairly easily. I clean it often and polish it regularly. I search often on the Internet for potential problems that others may have endured to maintain this vehicle.

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  Two engines since coming off the showroom floor in - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jeff - August 6 - 3:42 pm

  All I can say is that this car had an electrical system right off the showroom floor. It has also had two engines. The first failed at less than 100,000 and the last one failed at 34,700. Support from the dealer was ok but Hyundai Motors showed nothing but contempt for us and treated us like dirt. Will never ever purchase any other Hyundai product again period. Please do yourself a favor and ask lots of questions and also talk to as many owners and research any car you purchase from these people before hand. The warranty sounds good but its a scam. They Hyundai Motors staff are cotemptable disrespectful trolls.

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  Good Value for the money. - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Lou - July 24 - 11:42 pm

  Bought my car used in 2009 with 9,000 miles, was a little concerned that it was traded in so quick but with the remainder of warranty left 4+ years and 50K bumper to bumper it was worth the gamble considering some new cars only give you 36K and 3 years. Initially bought car for wife for local driving, during the last 6 years the car has been virtually repair free, only used warranty to replace driver visor and no other issues. I have the V6 and when getting into the FWYs no issues plenty of zip and easy handling, just made a cross country run of 2,900+ miles and it ran better than expected, really didnt check mileage but it was probably around 30+MPG. I am 61" and around 230LBS considering its size I felt I had adequate room driving 6+ hours a day. Getting ready to sell and its almost worth half of what I paid and have 89K, overall Id have to say its a 4+ and a 5 for value.

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  Love it and Hate it - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By rrankin90 - April 23 - 12:10 am

  I have owned this car since 2011. It only had 7,000 miles when I purchased it. Obviously Grandma Moses owned it first! I love the ride, drive, and comfort of seats for rides lasting less than four hours. Anything over that and my back begins to hurt. The only thing I can actually say that I HATE about the car is the constant need to replace light bulbs. From headlight bulbs, break lights, and the bulbs over the license plate. Ugh!!! Many are easy to change and Ive made my own way of changing them. Others... Not so much. Almost two hours to change the high mount bulb in the back window. Other than that I love it and will definitely buy another!!!

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  My 1996 Escort is Better - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By mrebate - April 20 - 9:56 pm

  This 2006 Shoddyota, aka Sonata, was acquired in 2007 with 14,000 miles. PROBLEMS before 30,000 miles: $1,200 engine repair to replace shoddy timing chain tensioners. Poor quality engine component should have been recall but Hyundai shafted owners by cutting compensation to dealers for doing the repair under warranty, which was essentially negating their much touted warranty. Defective sun visors. More orange peel than my Escort. Escort also has spring loaded side view mirrors unlike Shoddyota. Cruise control stopped working. Glove box door had to be shimmed to prevent rattle. Wiper blades had to be downsized to prevent hopping. Poor city mileage. Hyundai cant even design a cup holder !!