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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  Good Commuter/Long Trip Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Hope it lasts - July 16 - 9:53 am

  Not one to buy on price by cant ignore the value of the Sonata. Mind you will lose it on resale so not quite the bargain it seems. Interior is best in class for me. Materials not quite as good as Accord but layout way better. Seats fairly comfortable, quiet ride. 249hp plenty for me - I dont understand the need for 270+ in a fwd family car. Fortunately seem to not have the suspension noise problem (and roads are horrible here right now) and tranny shifts OK. Chassis simply not as sophisticated and composed as Accord or Mazda6. Seems chassis itself is not stout enough and the flex leads to some unsteadiness at speed despite stiff suspension. So far so good - hope it lasts!

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  Dont let looks fool you! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By junk car1 - July 15 - 2:00 am

  *Air bag sensor 700 miles 3 trips to the dealer. *Altenator 2,000mi *Replace transmission at 5,000 mi. *Battery 9,000mi. *Throwout bearing failed in new trans at 9,800mi. **Michelen tries replaced on front at 15,000mi *Front wheel bearing 20,000mi (car sounded like jet *car overheats(everthing associated has been replaced started at 11,000mi and still attempting at 28,000mi 5 trip to dealer. You will probably see good review early on, but once this car hits 5k you will wonder if it will stay fixed.

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  The New Hotness - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By VanessaR - July 11 - 9:00 pm

  My husband and I call my new car the New Hotness. Ive only owned Hondas. Im now proud to say Ive been converted to a Hyundai owner. I saw one on the road a couple of months ago and was smitten. Eventually went to a dealership and test drove one and was sold but still didnt buy. I went back two weeks ago to buy one and they were all sold out of the color and model I wanted. :-( Luckily, one of their other locations in Florida had one that they could ship. I now have my car and I love everything about it. I got it fully loaded. It drives so smoothly and handles so well. People compliment me on it and confuse it for a Lexus. They are shocked to find out its a Hyundai.

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  Great Value - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Seabrina - July 5 - 1:33 pm

  Overall this has been a great car! Love the appearance. The interior is very nice. Its a really great car for the price and the warranty is awesome. The ride is fairly smooth and I havent noticed any road noise. Ive had no problems with it.

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  Good Experience - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By billylyons99 - July 4 - 11:19 am

  60K miles in and no major problems so far with my Sonata. Overall it has been a reliable car and plenty fun to drive. I have had no mechanical issues whatsoever. The only items I have had to replace are the pads and rotors (at 60k), everything else is doing just fine.

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  sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By David - July 3 - 5:10 pm

  I feel this car is a huge value... less money than comparable Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Galant, and Toyota Camry, but with all the size and features, plus the best warranty and safety ratings. The V4 has plenty of power with better mileage than the V6.

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  My first Hyundai - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By volkswaggin - July 2 - 8:50 am

  After recommending a 2006 Sonata to my father-in-law last year, he purchased a GLS instead of a Civic or Accord. He loves his Sonata and averages 23 mpg in town. I just traded my 2004 Envoy SLT XL for a new 2007 Sonata Limited with XM. It rides very smooth, is very quiet, and gets very good gas mileage. I really got a super deal from Hyundai of Decatur. I paid less than $19,000 for my 2007 Sonata Limited! I got over $5000 off of the sticker and they are one of the easiest dealers that I have ever dealt with.

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  Trip to thru the southern states - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By cajim1 - July 1 - 11:46 pm

  The car belongs to my wife, but because it was new, the 2009 Sonata, GLS, 2.4L pezev, 5 Spd auto. This car replaced a 2006 Sonata. It had been a good car but this new car is an excellent ride and many may not believe the gas mileage we obtained. I drove all but 200 miles of our 6000mi trip. I filled each tank and checked the mileage for the entire trip. The total avg MPG was 30.9. Lowest tank MPG was 27.8 the highest MPG was 34.5. Given just a little care on the acceleration...One can easily get 500 Miles out of a full tank of gas. I recorded several in the hi 400s and one at 497mi another at 488. Ride quality is much improved over the 06. We are a two Hyundai car family lovem both...

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  Definitely give Hyundai a look - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By dbsocal - July 1 - 7:30 pm

  I still get insulted by others making fun of my car being Hyundai. But I am quick to inform them that my own experiences and continued positive reviews make Hyundai a formidable competitor in the auto industry. Hyundai is advancing so quickly that the Sonata is already behind in relation to other Hyundais. Even still, this vehicle is similar to Honda and Toyota in every sense and surpasses Nissan and most American builders. I owned a 2002 Altima which was a nightmare. I plan to be one of the first to test drive Hyundais new Genesis sports sedan. If youre looking to save money but still want a quality, stylish, dependable vehicle. At least test drive a Sonata.

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  Impressed so far. - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By scottybpga - July 1 - 6:43 am

  I have had my Sonata Limited for 2 months now, and it has been perfect so far. Great MPG. 35 hwy, and 27 to and from work. I love the navigation and xm data package. Not one rattle and the ride is getting better as the car breaks in. I currently have 4300 miles on the car.