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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  To replace 98 chev lumina - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By DARRYL - April 27 - 10:40 pm

  Just took a 2500 mile vac trip and had good millage thru out. Total ave. was about 29 mpg. I was disappointed with the harsh suspension due to the narrow profile tires it has. You do feel every pot hole. The drivers seat should have more back travel for leg clearance to exit from the car. The arm rest could extend forward a little farther for comfort. The blue trip scan gauge is very hard to read when lights are not used during the day and it is real bright out side. Color should be either orange or green. Slight hesitation on acceleration is very annoying.

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  Great4theprice - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Nice4theprice - April 27 - 12:26 am

  This is my first Hyundai. I previously owned a 2003 Inifiniti G35 which I purchased brand new,was paid for and loved! I had a Lexus ES300 before that. Unfortunately my G35 was totaled in a wreck. I did not want to have a $500 car payment again. I was only looking at high end preowned cars and saw reviews on Sonata. Test drove and loved it!It will be interesting to see how my maintenance experience will be compared to Infiniti which was awesome.

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Glenn - April 26 - 11:06 am

  We bought the Sonata LX w/sunroof and 6 cd system. We drove the vehicle last weekend into the North GA/NC mountains.This vehicle handled those mountain curves with no problem. Our first 1100 miles we have averaged 25 mpg. Great pickup, great looks, it beat out an Accord and a Camry for us.

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  yo - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By yo - April 26 - 2:36 am

  excellent! what more can I say!! This vehicle says all!! I strongly recommend this one!! better than honda, maxima, camry, or any other competing sedans!

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  Check service bulletins - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mahlon Williams - April 22 - 1:53 am

  Pros: Ride is quiet and feels good, great V6 power, ESC is standard, more air bags than most cars in its class even larger, big trunk space with inside safety latch. Cons: No station controls on wheel only volume, there are no vents for back passengers in center console. Review: I have a GLS 3.3 V6 with 17,340 mi. I recently noticed when starting up the car a short noise from the engine was present at each crank up. Upon further inspection from Hyundai it was the timing chain tensioner. There is a service bulletin for the repair, so far thats it.The crappy part is that they have to pull the engine out to do the work. That means opening up most lines. Work is approx 4 1/2 days.

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  Regretting Buying This Vehicle - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By tracy55 - April 17 - 12:13 am

  Major problems from the start. Navigation/radio total failure. Gear shift stopped working-froze in park. Recently air bag malfunction. Now the engine failed. Burns oil and rod knock with no warning. Need a new engine but Hyundai is initially refusing to back its warranty because I cannot product every oil/filter receipt (sometimes had private mechanic change). Research has led me to an investigation into class action suit for engine failure by Chimicles & Tikellis. Good to know that I am not alone. Hyundai is like the cable company - once you are a customer they dont care. Should have gone with Honda or Toyota and will do so going forward.

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  Sonata LX Overtakes the Pack - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bob H - April 16 - 11:06 pm

  Had 1999 Sonata GLS for 5 yrs. 120K Excellent vehicle w/ minor cosmetic defects, e.g., turn signal falling of by itself, visor latch doohickey breaking off, etc. & odd declarations that really didnt diminish performance, "wrong HP advertised" (advertised @ 171 was really 161 hp.) But still a quick car. Bought the 06 Sonata LX. 235 horses... interior "supersized" w/ nice leather interior, seat warmers, dual AC/heat controls, huge trunk, and pulling every bit of the horsepower to make this a top end thrill drive. Really fun ride, dependable and good gas mileage (20/30 mpg); my avg. is 28 - 29 in city traffic. W/ gas hitting $2.50/gal, great car, great performance, great value.

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  Good Car for The Price - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tony - April 16 - 9:02 am

  Like the styling and color. Performance is good for a small V-6 on the highway.

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  Our first Hyundai - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By bucs180 - April 15 - 5:40 am

  My wife compaired cars based on interior room. For the last 13 years and 197,000 miles later we have owned two Dodge Intrepids. 2 weeks ago the A/C had to be repaired in Feb.. Even for Dodge, thats impressive. Instead of driving home after the car was repaired, a stop was made at our local Hyundai dealership. The car was appraised and I presented a news paper ad for a Sonata LX. Much to my surprise, the offer was just too good to pass up. Went home, discussed the offer with my wife and now she drives a wonderful car with Leather interior. My son and I share an Explorer Sports Trac. He is in 11 grade. He loves the v6 with auto stick. I love the 10 year inclusive warranty.

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  Is my car a Lemon? - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Raushanah Green - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I had to take my car for servicing twice for the gear shifter. I put my foot on the brakes and go to put it in gear the shifter get stuck. I have to turn the car off at least 3 times before it gives. First time, I took it to the dealer they could not duplicate the problem so they just adjusted the shifter. It worked for a couple of days then it started again. Next time, they decided to keep my car overnight. They called and told me they experience the same problem. The manufacture told them to replaced the brake chip. That did not fix the problem. They kept my car for week and released my car thinking the problem as fixed. Now, Im experiencing the problem again. Now, they want to replace the shifter.