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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  Youve got what you paid for - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Alex Novikov - August 30 - 7:10 am

  Overall - its a car worth its money, and I believe, problems with earlier production car will be fixed in the future. 15 MGP city/26 highway - come on - its ridiculous. Weird noises from the rear suspension and gas tank, driver seat gives me a backpain, my car is equipped with a subwoofer, yet, the bass quality is even worse then standard LX audio.

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  ok car - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By faraway - August 15 - 1:33 pm

  We got this car and its very Nice looking. The inside is very Nice. The only thing is the trany needs to be replaced. We are not happy. We talked to some one who has 2001 Hyundai sonata they told us that they had to replace the trany at 12,000 miles and now 68,000 miles later again same problem. Also the airbag light comes on and that will cost about $1000 to fix. If you need the spark plugs replaced it will be about $400 to do it because they have to take part of the motor apart. The tires are different on this car so they are about $160 a each. We have the v6 2.7litter and the oil filter for that style motor doesnt fit you have to get the 4 cylinder. Good looking car.

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  Good car, TERRIBLE corporate support ! - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Will Geib - July 10 - 12:45 pm

  I returned to the dealer the first thing the next morning after I discovered there was a paperwork error that overlooked applying the Hyundai BOOSTUP savings program in my purchase. BOOSTUP is a savings matching program found on the Hyundai web site. To date, I have recieved, through my dealer, my original $500 deposit, but NOT THE HYUNDAI MATCHING. AFTER 8 MONTHS ! "Things take a long time to be resolved with Hyundai" said the Sales Manager. Wow, do they ever. This was confirmed by the BOOSTUP customer service rep, who said the very same thing. The Williamsburg, VA dealer has resubmitted documents requests several times from Hyundai, as have I. Neither one of us have gotten a satisfactory conclusion to our requst to have the matching BOOSTUP processed. Stall, stall stall. Hyundai owes me $ 500. ITS THAT SIMPLE. My overall rating is soured by the failure of Hyundai to resolve a simple problem. In short, the Sonata seems to be a good value, but dont count on Hyundai to back the dealer or the customer. This is an issue that Edmonds does not include in its review questions. The customer support by the manufacturer is overlooked. For that, I rate Hyundai one star.

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  mynuts - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By fabio - June 27 - 10:37 pm

  good vehicle, does everything ok, superior MPG, I get 33 avg. The trans is generally smooth but it has its hiccups. Plenty of interior room, very comfortable inside. Overall satisfied but would not buy this car new (resale value is horrible).

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  Horrible Car!!!! - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Amy M - June 26 - 7:56 pm

  My husband and I bought a Hyundai thinking it would be a great purchase....We were wrong!!!! After 2 months of owning the car it has needed a new timing belt, radiator and engine!!!!! ALSO, under 3 RPMs the car rattles. We have brought it to numerous dealerships and none have been able to fix the problem. We wish we could just return the car!!!!

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  Had Everything, but Interior Flatlined the Deal - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By AutoImpressions - June 26 - 12:47 pm

  If you like the Camry, the Sonata needs to be at the top of your test drive list! This is an outstanding feature packed, comfortable, great daily driver. And the different configurations and add on pkgs allow you to get what you want without having to shell out $ for things you could care less about. My favorite feature on the Sport version are the seats. They have the sports fabric down the middle, w/leather side bolsters, and you still get the heated seat feature. The Sonata Sport and the Chrysler 200S are the only mid size sedans I found that offer this combo. I really tried to convince myself to get this car; it had everything on my checklist for a fantastic price. But, the interior read bland, plastic, and souless to me, I just couldnt see myself being happy driving it everyday. Ended up purchasing the 2016 Kia Optima EX w/premium pkg instead - liked the sportier exterior & interior styling much better.

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  2000 Hyundai Sonota sub frame rot - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By fariam - June 18 - 11:56 am

  I bought this car with 11000 miles on it. Overall it has been pretty reliable until about 75000 miles I have had to replace all the wheel bearings. Now at 86000 miles the sub-frame is rotted from the inside out. This is the first time I have ever seen a sub frame rot on a vehicle less than 14 years old. It is a shame that Hyundai will build a car that the sub frame rots from the inside out. This is very dangerous and costly to repair.

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  2011 Sonata 2.0T - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By walt10683 - June 14 - 10:54 pm

  I purchased a 2.0T SE, I love the gas mileage and power but these cars have had hundreds complains concerning the steering. If there is a crown in the road at highway speeds, the car will pull hard towards it. Please test drive yours if youre thinking of buying! In the left highway lane. Hyundai is not fixing the problem.

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  problems with Sonata - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By John Franklin - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Transmission problem right off the lot Recall from corporate about the side airbags being too sensitive Horsepower misrating 181 should be 170 Missing dome light in rear roof area Hyundai says it will cost $1200-$1300 to install one... My gripe? It should have been there to begin with!

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  Not Happy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By very unhappy - May 29 - 9:49 am

  Thrilled to buy my first new car ever! Love the ride, never have achieved the 30 MPG on the sticker, closest is 27 MPG when the wind is at my back going 55. Climate control replaced in first month, armrest and window assembly in second month. Now it has rust spots on it which the dealership is calling industrial fallout. I pointed out that I have lived and worked in the same rural location for 22 years and have never had this happen to any other vehicle I have owned. They dont care. I have also had to replace burned out headlights 6 times. Wish I had stuck with buying used GMs. Now I am stuck with my nightmare "dream car". Good mind to drive about with a big lemon stuck on it.