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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  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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  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 !!

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  RUN dont walk!!! - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By celestial - October 17 - 3:41 pm

  We bought this car second hand from an owner who did maintain the car and brought it in for all recalls. We have owned it for 4yrs and have only put on 20,000kms. Within the first year of having it, wheel bearings needed to be changed. Then it started to spudder, shorted out and died in the driveway. Turns out there is a problem with the battery connectors and one had almost completely rotted off. I have heard of this issue with these cars. During this escapade it blew the main fuse of the car which was hard to find. Now the transmission is finished, the catalytic converter(S) need to be changed, yes there are 3 on this car and it will cost you 2000+ to change them, there is electrical

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  Terrible car!!! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By jiannaccone1 - September 17 - 11:25 am

  I bought a 2007 new and had to repalce the engine at 71,000 miles. This was completely covered by the factory warranty which I was greatful for. Two years later and 35,000 miles into the 2nd engine it blows again!! I am being told that the whole bottom half of the engine needs to be replaced and that Hyundai is willing to help by paying 1/2 the cost of the repair. While I agree that is a somewhat nice offer I feel they should cover the entire cost of the 2nd new engine. I would still have to pay $2650 out of pocket if they cover half and my confidence in the cars reliability is completely gone. They do not stand behind their car or engine. I am at a loss now.

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  Not such a good car - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By colin_88 - April 15 - 7:08 pm

  This wasnt my car, it was my moms and I hated driving it. Parts would wear out constantly. At about 80k miles driving to work, the timing belt snapped and destroyed some critical engine parts. The engine had to be torn apart and rebuilt, along with a new water pump costing almost $1200. Later on that year, the water pump had to be replaced again, the CV joints had to be replaced, new alternator, and new spark plugs all before 90K miles. Once it passes 100K miles, we got all sorts of weird noises such as a shrieking engine that is the worst when driving in the rain. The ride was very uncomfortable with almost no padding in the seats.

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  Meh - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By joetshmoe - April 5 - 11:46 pm

  Personally, I think my boxers are nothing more than a piece of fabric between my body and my zipper. Try telling that to someone that just spent $50 on underwear. If you have a similar attitude towards your car, as a piece of metal between the road and your bum, this will satisfy you. The car has plenty of power for a 4 cyl sedan, more than the 0-60 time leads you to believe, because the transmission is so slushy that you can spin the front wheels at will thanks to a 2000-rpm spread between cruise and go. Textbook slushbox. The steering and directional stability are horrible. The interior fabric still smells like cigs in very hot sun over a year after ONE cigarette was smoked in it.

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  Not worth the money - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By beth35 - September 6 - 2:57 pm

  I have a 2007 Sonata and it isnt worth anything. I had to replace the breaks at 30,000 and the alarm would randomly go off so that was replaced. I replaced a censor b/c carbon was build up in the throttle body. The drive belt has been replaced. Both sun visors have been replaced. The gas tank needs to be replaced but will cost $1000 b/c it wont shut off automatically. The check engine light is on stating to replace the O2 censors. The driver seat squeaks and the middle compartment rattles but neither can be fixed, and the paint peals and chips really bad. Needless to say I am not impressed with Hyundais.

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  A Pig with Lipstick - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By newburgh_jim - May 10 - 9:03 am

  I shopped around and the Sonata seemed to be the best value at the time. I was wrong, as they say "You get what you pay for". In the first week I noticed the ride just felt cheap and the tires squealed going around corners. I had to replace the back breaks at under 20k miles because the original set stuck or something and cooked the back rims and actualy browned the hub caps. Worse yet, I had to pay for this obvious manufacture defect. Poor fuel economy and with 44k miles as of 11 May, 2011 average fuel economy is 20.9! Tires were rotated but had to be replaced at around 22k miles. I do not abuse my vehicles and all maintenance was on time. Now the engine is ticking loudly.

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  Master Cylender - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By colorado18 - April 27 - 2:00 pm

  i was having trouble getting fluid to the brakes. I had it looked at by 2 people was told its the master cylender. Dealer ship ignored me the first time i took in in and said i should get my brakes replaced. I did what they said and the issue was still there. I had to tell them again that the master cylender is not pumping fluid to the brakes. They argued with me and i got so angry with them i will never buy another hyundai again. They do not deserve my money. After they looked at the car and come to find out the master cylender was broken like i said. The worst customer service ever and i dont recomment hyundai to anyone.

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  Rear brakes burned out - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By emlod - March 10 - 3:50 pm

  The rear brakes burned out at 18K and they made me pay for it. They said the slider corroded. I said I brought the car in for regular maintenance. Why should that happen? They blamed me for not requesting it. A call to corporate did no good, so I ended up paying. The tires wore out at 36K, Michelins and they were rotated. The steel wheels all rusted and I saw the same thing on other Hyundais. The care is practical but about as bland to drive as you can get. The interior looks cheap to me with a very plastic look. Dealer service where I bought it has been poor so I go to an independant garage. The transmission lugs at 40 MPH The car vibrates at 60-65. Dont use inflate a tire