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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  Time will tell - Getting disappointed day by day - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By ding9888 - October 20 - 4:53 am

  When we bought this car in April 2010, we were so excited and thought it was great value - good looking, great freeway mileage etc. There were some minor problems (the handle bars fell off within 1/2 year) but we were okay as long as the engine runs well. However in less than 2 years, we kind of regret it. Since January we have visited the service department 4 times in less than 2 months: 1. Engine lights on 2. Starter broke and was replaced 3. Oil leak 4. More oil leak after less than 2 weeks This car only has 29K miles. Although these were all covered by warranty, its not fun to visit the service dept. every other week. I dont need free car wash anymore.

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  my 2002 sonata experience - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By rashaun - October 18 - 11:34 pm

  I have owned the car for 5 years. First let me tell you for the first 60,000 miles zero problems as long as a kept up the maint. After tho power steering pressure hose burst 560.00, ignition crank sensor failed 600.00. During this time many interior and exterior pieces started coming loose and generally looking bad. struts now bad too. 75,000 miles the timing belt fails and destroys the engine to the point where it needs a rebuild. Id ditch the car after 60k, its resale value is so low its not worth the repairs. now have a year old toyota and a six thousand dollar paper weight.

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  My story - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By alliecat3 - October 16 - 2:54 pm

  I have had my Sonata for almost four years now, with a little over 33,000 mileage. After 8 months of having it, I needed a new transmission. Now I need a new engine. I feel like I ended up with a lemon. No one wants to hear it and service tries to shift the blame to me some how. I have all my invoices of oil changes, brakes, etc. So I have done my part. I loved my car. When you buy something new you want the new engine, the new transmission and so on. You are paying for that. As in anything there can be a circumstance where this vehicle was not assembled correctly. But no one will own up to it. I dread thinking of what will be next.

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  Disappointed owner - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By uncle_bob13 - October 14 - 10:56 am

  Sonata drives OK but the interior looks and feels cheap. My major problem with Hyundai is its customer service. 3 days ago I decided to go shopping. I left my car in the parking lot. When I returned, I found a major fracture in the windshield (20 "). I drove to Hyundai dealer. Their service guy looked at it, couldnt find any chips, so he took a pencil and traced the fracture and concluded that it was caused by a stone hitting the windshield. I told him that it happened in the parking lot but he wouldnt believe me. Right, Im trying to rip Hyundai off for $200. They dont have any trust in their customer. So much for Hyundai for me. As soon as I pay it off, Ill trade it in for a Camry.

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  car stalled and engine is seized... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By trishv - October 14 - 7:46 am

  never received recall. car stalled at stop sign.. engine seized

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  Hyundai is the Harbor Freight of the car world. - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Author Name - October 11 - 6:48 am

  When we narrowed our choices down to the Sonata or the Accord, the price and warranty of the Sonata seemed to make our decision easy. Initially, the vehicle was amazing, despite the abundant road noise, that we didnt seem to notice when we were purchasing it. However, things quickly went downhill. Within a few months, little things started going bad and we were constantly dropping it off at the dealership to fix the heated seats, automatic breaking, BSD system, heated steering wheel, traction control, TPM system and so on. Like harbor freight, the vehicle was "comparable" to others in its class, but at a sacrifice of quality. We figured that its okay, because the warranty would cover us, which it still does, but constantly dropping it off at the dealership became cumbersome and now we have issues that we just leave, because its not worth the time of not having the vehicle. Current issues: the backup camera takes almost ten seconds to turn on when you put it in reverse / the automatic mirror tilt when you put it in reverse, doesnt always work / a "Check BSD System" light flashes every so often / the memory seats dont always work when you push the button / it brakes randomly, even when no one is in front of us (I try not to even use the cruise control anymore) / bluetooth doesnt always sync, on multiple devices. Theres probably more that Im forgetting. The other issue is that the vehicle doesnt have a remote start function from the remote. The only way to get remote start is to pay a yearly subscription fee to Bluelink or purchase aftermarket, which we were told would void the warranty unless we paid a fortune to have it done at the dealership. We did not know this when we purchased the vehicle and thought that Bluelink was free with the vehicle. I guess that ones on us; we should have checked. If you dont mind continually taking your vehicle in for service and you want a deal, then the Sonata is for you. For me, I think next time well just pay the extra money for the accord.

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  Initially Pleased / Later Horrified - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Russell Gardner - September 28 - 3:13 pm

  Happy with look and performance of the car. Attracted by the "best warranty". After 2.5 years have found it to be built CHEAP, plastic that breaks, seats & mats have worn out. Reliability of car is HORRIBLE. In 2.5 years I have spent over $1,000 for service to maintain the warranty, $2,500 for items not covered by the warranty and the warranty has covered over $4,000 of items that have also broke. Reliability issues have been 2 dead batteries, had to replace flywheel, replace clutch - wore out in 21,000 miles, dome light, cup holders cracked, stereo, auto door locks replaced, alternater died, and steering wheel and seats have cracks and tears in them now. Never another Hyundai for me!

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  GPS Upgrade, $199.99 "Robery" - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By VICTOR216 - September 1 - 10:53 am

  The GPS update is $199.99 per yr, I will buy a TomTom Portable GPS with lifetime Free Map Updates. Second Problem on the Hwy wind noise is too laud as if we had our windows open, poor construction. Acceleration very week, transmission problem but the dealer cant find the problem. Corporate office wont even help they will refer you to the local dealers where they continued to fail finding the problem. Good looking car but Construction & Customer Service is very poor.

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  Poor design - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Masoud Mousavi - August 13 - 9:49 am

  You have to remove 14 bolts to remove the splash guard under the car to change the oil. It took me 1-1/2 hour to change the oil that would normally takes 20 minutes. Hyundai did not give me a satisfactory answer when I suggested to add a trap door under drain plug and filter for easy access. I would have purchased a Camry for the same amount had I known this.

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  what a pile! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By mike_b4 - May 15 - 8:47 pm

  what started off as a great looking, good fuel economy and decent performer has morphed into a money pit. this car was purchased new in 2011 and currently has 73k/miles; it has been serviced only at the dealer and highway driven. the cars stereo screen went out about a year ago and since it was over their "select" electronic warranty, i would have to replace it - cost $800 installed. on top of this slap to the face, the new part would have a 1 yr/12k warranty. if the original factory piece went out after 1 year, then why wouldnt the new one? now the shifter doesnt recognize the vehicle is in park all of the time when you park it. not covered & cost over $300 for a non essential part.