Overview & Reviews
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is an all-new model.
- Smooth ride
- Excellent fuel economy
- Lengthy warranty.
- Comfortable and handsome cabin
- Significant price premium compared to regular Sonata
- Unrefined hybrid powertrain
- Clumsy braking response
- Tight headroom for taller rear passengers.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 44.00-
Like the car BUT... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By hasbro_t - August 28 - 8:31 pmI like my Sonata but to give an honest sober review I have to start off saying it is not as billed on the showroom floor. Sticker mentioned 37 MPG city when I bought it. I live in an area that gets well over 100 degrees in the summer and bought the car in June 2011. This meant I used the A/C quite a bit. Right out the door with the A/C on and learning the feel of driving for economy I was getting about 25 mpg in the city month or so. I did find however that with no climate control (or only turning it on when at cruising speed) and feathered driving I could get the 37 mpg after a while. Any AC from dead stops and that dropped to 32. Hyundai learned of the MPG issue and issued a software change that was intended to fix it. On a routine service I had them update the S/W and Hyundai sent me a $50 gift card for my trouble. I thought that was a good gesture, particularly since it did nothing to delay the normal service anyway. After the S/W update the best MPG I can get is about 32 but on the bright side, it wasnt effected by the climate control as badly. I recently took it in for another service and the repair order mentions another S/W adjustment and now I havent been able to maintain an MPG above 29 Two software updates, two declines in gas mileage. Havent had it back long enough to determine all the impacts of the change. I might ask to see if they can set it back to original factory defaults. Additionally, I have also experienced the problem mentioned in a couple of the below posts with the lurching. When it was new, when stopped at red lights, if the gas engine clicked on at the stop, the car would lurch in a way that on a couple occasions, I looked into my rear view to see if I was rear ended. Also, once when accelerating to pass a vehicle on the freeway, when I pressed the accelerator, the car actually momentarily slowed rather than increase speed immediately. Again, this was at a point when it was running on EV mode and the accelerator caused it to shift to gas engine and the transition was not smooth and responsive, and potentially dangerous as noted in below posts. That only happened once and I dont know if one of the S/W changes addressed it but Hyundai does need to acknowledge that issue. That all being said, it sounds like a negative review and maybe it is but, at the end of the day, I do like my Sonata. It is comfortable for me, has a reasonably smooth ride and I knew when I bought it that this was the 1st model year of the Hybrid and I expected it as such to be working out some issues. Im sure the 2013 and beyond will have addresses much of these issues and become more refined. With the differences in the software I have had, I can see why these reviews are all over the map. I suppose if I were to be honest to someone looking for a Sonata, I would tell them to look at the regular gas model first as really, the title Hybrid in the 2011 is really just a novelty rather than a benefit and Hyundai is making good somewhat with gas cards for the mileage discrepancy.
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So far so good - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By pazuzu67 - February 2 - 3:55 pmBought the Car in May 2011 and have been very happy with it. I came from an Infiniti G35 and while this car inst nearly as lively or quick as the infiniti, it has a much smoother ride once you get going. I can definitely feel the "lurch" when i start to accelerate but this isnt really a big deal when you get used to it. I have read complaints about the brakes but i havent noticed any problems yet. I work about 25 miles from home so my daily commute is about 50 miles and I have been averaging 33.5 mpg and can get 36 if i feather the gas. I saw some reviews where people lose mpg when operating the ac but I keep my at 72 (econ) and it doesnt seem to affect my mpg to much.
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Awesome vehicle - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By ddiverd - October 5 - 4:46 amI received the first hybrid Sonata to be sold in New York state. I immediately bonded with this car, it is one of the best vehicles I have driven, given the type. The styling is great and I will be using it to commute on a daily basis. The ride is firm, but also tight, handling is straight on. I traded a 2007 Camry, and it far surpasses that car. The interior fit and finish is superb, with brushed aluminum accents on the door and dash. The car looks like a much more expensive ride, and is styled differently than a regular Sonata. I wanted this car ever since I saw it in Motor trend. Averaging 39.5 mpg at this time, on the road and 35.5 in the city. Amazing car, leaves the Prius in the dust.
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Disappointed with fuel economy! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By justicebrown - April 24 - 5:41 amI purchased the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid specifically based on the estimated fuel economy. The "average fuel economy" which is displayed by the car says 35 MPG. My calculations at refueling say otherwise (Dividing the miles traveled (trip odometer) by the amount of gallons it took to refill the tank). My first three refills are 32.74 MPG, 33 MPG and 31.26. I expect to get at minimum 35 MPG which is estimated for city driving. My driving is mixed city and highway but I would accept a consistent 35 MPG. No jack rabbit starts or hard braking and I use cruise control. Ill update this review if there is improvement but it seems to be going the other way. One power loss/stutter mid-intersection.
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Only buy one if you have a large dealer that has serviced a hybrid - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By bagman17 - July 18 - 8:07 amThese cars are so new and different from anything out there I would only buy if my local Dealer sold Premium versions,which means they are a large volume dealer and their service department has seen a hybrid before,because if they havent seen one you will probably know more about than he/she does. I took mine,a Blue Premium to the dealer because we are only getting 27.2 to 33.6 mpg,and yes we are hypermiling.Just because yours is getting 40+ mpg,doesnt mean we just fell off the turnip wagon,feel blessed.And Im talking mpg @ the pump,not what the computer is telling me,color me skeptical.It was also starting up not in EV,but firing the engine,wouldnt go over 20mph in EV,crawling
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Great car with some hesitation - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By rla444 - May 11 - 10:21 pmIve owned this car since July 2011 and have over 64000 miles on it. My mileage has varied from a 35MPG low to an amazing 56 MPG for a 15 mile trip. Average MPG for the life of the car until I changed tires this month was an actual 38 MPG. The car MPGgauge reads falsely high. My driving is 90% highway, though this is my daily driver. Like others, I had a check engine light issue when I first bought it and was reimbursed for my time and trouble by Hyundai. The mileage is very dependent on style of driving, speed (the slower the better). I really like the regular transmission over a CVT like the Honda Civic Hybrid I owned.
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transmission leaks - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By alisa - August 4 - 12:50 amReally loved this car the first 2 weeks of owning it. It has everything we were looking for in a affordable, roomy, stylist hybrid. The bluetooth and xm radio standard features work great. Unfortunately after 600 miles we noticed drips on garage floor where vehicle was parked, then engine light came on. Found out it was a tranmission leak. Now we have a rental car for I dont know how long. The dealership has been very accommodating and the corporate office was very reassuring they will correct asap. Great 100,000k warranty, we may be needing it. We hope it is just a fluke, time will tell. We also own high end luxury vehicles too and they are no better. Time to get a bicycle!
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The issue is MPG - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By ritpg - August 22 - 6:04 pmAs the former owner of a 2003 Camry XLE, I would not say Hyundai is quite up the the Toyota standard. For example, the the buttons on the steering wheel feel flimsy compared to the Camry. There are times when some buttons have to pushed more than once to activate such as the unlock button on the driver side door. In the case of the Sonata hybrid, my conclusion is that this model was rushed to market and not ready for "prime time". The gas mileage has deteriorated significantly. There have been many service calls (all paid for by Hyundai). So far Hyundai is not standing behind this car as I continue to navigate through their service maze.
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So far so good! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By ded99 - July 12 - 1:40 pmI have about 2200 miles on the car. I have taken the car on a couple three hour highway trips, along with many miles around town. I can get the advertised mileage if it is driven carefully. I find that the highway mileage is a little lower when the cruise control is set. To be fair I was traveling between 70 and 75 during the bulk of the highway trip. I got about 38 to 39 mpg. I find that with the cruise control off I can keep the car in the electric mode longer, and seem to get mileage of over 40 mpg. I must admit however that I have always had a heavy right foot so this is actually very good. My wife has gotten 35+ mpg in town. So far very pleased.
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good car except for the mileage - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
By amcurtis1 - March 26 - 12:18 pmlove the car and the support from the dealer... except for the gas mileage. I have 5600 miles on it now and I have been getting 27-28 mpg combined with a 60/40 mix of highway/city miles. I try to not hit the gas to much or run the ac to hard. Today I got my computer reprogrammed for the recall that was just issued hopefully this will fix the mpg to what was advertised. I also came home to a letter informing me that hyundai is sending hybrid owners a $50 debit card for the recall inconvenience.
