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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  2007 Sonata peeling paint problem - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By brossart - May 7 - 7:47 pm

  I bought my 2007 Hyundai Sonata new, and at that time, I thought it was a good car, but I have since changed my mind. After an electrical short in the steering column, rear brake problems, engine computer malfunction, and now bubbling and peeling paint, I have had enough. Warranty covered most of the problems, but since my Sonata has 43,000 miles on it, Hyundai won’t cover the peeling paint, because the paint is only warranted for 3years 36,000 miles. The paint is so thin on this car that when driven on the highway, even bugs cause chipping of the paint on the front bumper and on the hood of the car. This appears to be a sub-standard paint job. Paint should not be peeling off this soon.

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  Trouble - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By matt - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Fuel pump has failed 3xs sense ownership at 50k. The water pump went out at 100,000 which destroyed the pistons, brand new timing belt and the heads. Now I have a brand new Hyundai (joy). The car looks brand new after having the hubcap and door handles painted. Ride and comfort is fine but overall not impressed

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  Poor Manfacturer Follow Up - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By JJTucker - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I 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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  2007 Paint Defect - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Amanda - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I 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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  My hyundai - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Metry - September 4 - 2:00 am

  Well. i got my hyundai sonata from this man who said he bought it from a lady who had it for years, APPARENTLY, she didnt take care of it. I end up getting spark plugs, diff. fuel lines, fuel pump, catalytic converter and many tires. Paint is fading. Transmission is slipping. got my bushings & tie rod replaced on the passenger side, JUST A LOT. luckily i didnt have to pay for anything but the fuel pump (: STILL A LOT OF WORK. Im ready to switch cars.

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  Hyundai should honor their repairs - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By jamesw71 - May 10 - 10:02 pm

  I bought it new back in 2004. Stepson crashed it 3 months after I bought it. The dealership is having problems fixing it and honoring my insurance claims. Approximately once a year it wont start. They claimed they fixed it by doing such things as disabling the antitheft system, changing the battery and replacing sensors but I still have the problems. Insurance wont honor the claim anymore saying its a sensor problem even though its the same problem from the crash, the dealership is charging me $500 a year to change the same sensor over and over. Statefarm Insurance and Hyundai are screwing me over on this one. Exterior is coming apart..again, radio problems & door handle problems.

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  2006 Hyundi - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Helmut - March 5 - 7:21 pm

  Not at all happy with this car since I picked it up from the dealer. It had pulsating on the brakes and a vibration while driving. This was on city streets. Had to go back twice to have the rotors turned and wheels balanced. Vibration was never fixed to my satisfaction for a new car and was told that there is nothing wrong. Washer pump failed at 120K Strut mount bushings had to be changed at 130K Head lights need to be replaced at least once a year and engine light comes on with no fault and needs to be reset. The initial cost is attractive but the resale value is not there so as far as I am concerned the cost of ownership is high. I will not buy another Hyundi. I have owned two Sonatas.

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  Pros and Cons but overall, decent value - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By FB - January 8 - 3:29 am

  I bought new in 1999 at only 84 miles. Now in 2010, Im at 149,000. 4-cylinder is decent during daily commute and actually smooth and quiet during highway cruising but dont even think about fast lane changes or quick acceleration on entrance ramps. Fuel pump and Tranny were problems during first 50,000 but warranty was in effect. Timing belt replaced after 80,000. Car groans over speed bumps, brakes have always squealed, and paint is chipping now, but other than regular oil changes every 3k, shes had no major repairs in her old age. Still averaging an impressive 28mpg highway today. Im finally getting another car but this ones lasted longer than I expected.

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  Lost its luster... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Pittsburgher - December 27 - 7:59 am

  I purchased this vehicle as a certified Pre-Owned product, and at first was VERY impressed with the comfort, power, and style of the car. One test drive and I was sold! The 2.0L turbo engine delivered oodles of acceleration, and would breathlessly accelerate to pass slow moving traffic. As time went on over the next 2 years of ownership, I still admired the style and power, but many small things started to bother me. The Latex-type paint on the steering wheel started to peel, the fabric on the seats started to bubble up and became loose, the A/C began ticking at low fan speeds, the shift paddles failed (and were replaced under warranty), the transmission began to shift roughly and was brought to the attention of my dealership 2 times. On both occasions, it was found to be "Operating as designed" even though it shuttered leaving their parking lot. The keyless entry was a nice touch, but the batteries in the fobs died early and often. Sometimes it would be very difficult to get the car to shift from P to D, and it would lurch forward quickly once you let off the brake. The gorgeous coupe-like styling was such a headache. I could never see around the blind-spots in front and back. Also, the car NEVER came close to EPA estimates for MPG. I averaged between 17-19 MPG on my daily commute - Pathetic for a car supposed to get 23 in the city and 25 combined. Add in 5 safety recalls over 2 years, and the decision to trade it away was simple.

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  Dreadful in snow - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By threeholepunch - November 21 - 9:40 pm

  This vehicle has become a HUGE dissapointment ! I bought a 2011 Hyundai Sonata in April, and just drove it in snow yesterday. I wonder if their engineers forgot to test it in winter conditions? The traction control and all-weather tires were utterly useless, and it skidded around more than the Cavalier, Sunfire, Saab or Venture in the family. Dreadful. An embarrassment for them. I live in Michigan - its flat. Were not talking mountainous roads here. Its currently parked in a grocery store lot; and I had to get a ride home .... in a 20 year old GM product. Ill be shopping for snowtires tonight, but it seems like thats just a bandaid on woefully poor design. If you live in the northern or