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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  Death Trap - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By jblasiclith - November 5 - 2:37 pm

  I leased 2 weeks ago a brand new 2012 Sonata. It has a swerving problem. The car is all over the road. I am scared to drive it. Of course it has been back into the dealership 2 times and they are telling me nothing is wrong. Hyundai refuses to admit they have another steering problem. They will not take back the car. I am afraid for my life, and they wont do the right thing. DO NOT buy this car or anything by Hyundai as they wont help you even when their cars have know DEFECTS. Rating--0

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  Bad News for Dependability - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By smac5 - August 7 - 11:49 pm

  After researching the Sonata, I was convinced that it is was a reliable car. Oh how wrong I was. At 70000 miles the engine started to fall apart from the inside. Of course I bought the car knowing that I needed a car that would get me well past the payments, and since I still owe $11,000 + I am more than upset to add over $5000 in engine replacement costs.

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  Bad MPG - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By firstsonota101 - June 17 - 12:05 am

  bought mine about 2 months ago. MPG as advertised is not!! advertised 24/35 and on hwy i get 29 and in town I get 18. when I took to dealer ship to have looked at, service department told me that everyone he knows does get 29 hwy. the digital readout may say 34 but when you divide the miles driven by gallons put in, it doesnt match the readout. Anyone can make a computer readout say anything they want to. I would not buy this car again due only to the false advertisement on the sticker on the MPG. The fine fine fine print on sticker says the average person will get 28-39. Can you say WOW what a difference in range. And car has alot of road noise.

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  **Piece Of Crap** - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Marc - June 11 - 2:56 pm

  **If you have the V6 Engine take note** Hyundai knows about a problam with the timeing chain auto tensioner which will cause your timing chain to fall off on the V6 engiine. I have 3,500 miles on my "06 LX" and it had to be towed in to the dealer and have the engine removed, taken apart and put back together again. It was in the shop for one week out of service. How was Hyundai service ? the dealer did a great job fixing it but Hyundai offered no compensation. Hyundai and the dealer also told me they know about the problam with the V6 and are trying to pull cars off the lot to put in the new piece. This is my second Hyundai and my last.. Look at the Honda or Toyota not Hyundai

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  Will Never Buy a Hyundai Again :) - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By TBCHOP - June 2 - 3:34 am

  I have had problems with this car from the minute I drove it off the lot. Discovered an oil consumption problem when there was no oil in the car after 1000 miles.According to Hyundai specs it is acceptable to burn a quart of oil per 1000 miles in a new car. I tried to get them to fix this problem under the warrrany but they refused. I was very dissappointed in the corp. They finally admitted and fixed the problem at 60,000m when in the shop (for another problem) it was discovered that the piston ring gaps were lined up. Also numerous power window problems, wheel bearings, new catalytic converter,check engine light constantly coming on. Have had enough it is time for this car to go!

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  JUNK!!!!!!! - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By md - March 12 - 11:13 pm

  If you like taking it to the dealer buy one".... If not leave. The first year I owned it I took it to the dealer around 10-15 times. recalls, peeling paint, wheel bearings in rear, crankshaft sensor, burnt wiring in transmission, carpet falling apart, airbag sensors, and a few other things. The sensors went after the warranty. Not cheap to replace. Overall JUNK. I have been letting it sit till I pay it down some because trade-in value sucks. Been driving a Honda with 152,000 miles with no major problems. Oh!, the dealer I got it at 95% of the time didnt have a loaner car. They wanted you to sit for four to five hours. A big waist of time. Got loaner twice and a Accent as that.

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  Beware of Warranty - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Arthur - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I rarely write review, but I have to write one for Hyundai. The warranty is not as it advertised. I bought it as brand new and after 3 months the AC is not working. So I took the dealer and they said a rock had hit my car and damaged the air condition function. I have been driving other cars for the past 20 years with different brands. I cannot believe the Hyundais product is so fragile. So today, I bring my car to another Hyundai dealership, they still cannot warrant it. I asked why other cars that I had driven for years that I never seen or heard this type of problem. They said, its Hyundais design. I do a lot of researches when I buy car, but I will never buy a Hyundai again!

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  Tired of Denial and Dishonest Service - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By p51mustang1 - December 14 - 9:27 am

  I bought 2011 Sonata Limited for my wife with maintenance included so that shell have carefree service, thus paid premium price for the car. I am an engineer myself so I understand there could be and there will be bugs in newly designed vehicles. When she wanted to return the car after overheating twice and gearshift issues in first month, I stopped her. I wish I did not. There followed other problems, seats squishing, rattling inside the car. And last but not least leaking moon roof from the passenger side. Every time the services response was, it is normal, it can happen etc. Mind you my wife drives our baby around this car so she is a very gentle driver.

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  You will get to know the service department people - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Gorpot - November 21 - 5:03 pm

  I had a 2009 Sonata, and a 2012 Sonata, with no problems. I never had them back for any warranty work. This is not the case with the 2015 Sonata. I have had the car for just 1 year, and have been back for warranty work 8 times now. It is the Last Hyundai I will ever own. Had it back 3 times to fix the rear window defogger switch. Twice for the right front brake caliper recall. How can it be that Hyundai does not have the part in stock for a recall item. Service manager told me they can not order the caliper until they are sure I needed one. If that is truly Hyundais policy on a recall item, then I dont want any more Hyundais. I had the car back three times to get the front passenger seat belt fixed, and it is broken again. As far as the gas mileage, I get about the same as I did with the 2012 Sonata, even though the 2015 is suppose to be 2 MPG better. Acceleration is not as good as the 2012 had. The ride and comfort level is good, a little better then the 2012 had. Last time I will buy a first year redesigned model.

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  NOT HAPPY!!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By rmeyn - November 20 - 1:10 pm

  I travel 160 miles per day, mostly all highway, and I am getting 24/26 MPG vs. the 33 on the sticker and all Hyundais advertisments.I have a 6cyl 2000 Toyota Avalon with 100K miles, a much nicer and certainly more comfortable vehicle, it averages 27 MPG doing the same trip day in and day out. I was willing to sacrifice comfort for a promise of much better gas mileage. Not only am I disappointed in the mileage, the seating is very un-supportive. I realize that I am much bigger then many people however, my wife is an average sized women and she also dislikes the seating. Unfortunately, you dont find these things out when you take the car for a test drive