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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  Fun to Drive - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dave - September 9 - 12:40 pm

  This is by far the best car Hyundai has put out in its class. It is very quite inside, has a very smooth ride, and is very roomy. You get a lot for your buck!

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  Fourth Brand New Hyundai in Three Years - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sam Newman - September 9 - 8:31 am

  In 2012 I bought my first Sonata after driving a friends. I always owned used luxury cars and as I got older wanted my first brand new car but I wanted value since new cars depreciate quickly. I hated my first Sonata. It was basic,boring, and not me. I then bought a 2013 Santa Fe six months later and LOVED it. After a year though I missed having a sunroof and in 2014 bought the Sonata 2.0T and absolutely adored this car. Then15 months later I found myself sitting in the 2015 Sonata and asking myself, "is this really a Hyundai"?. The interior design is beautiful and gives the illusion of a much more expensive car. The seats are extremely supportive and comfortable. The cabin is 100% quieter than previous Sonatas and the build quality is solid. I know Hyundai made improvements to the suspension and the ride quality feels as though you are floating, this good because its very luxurious, bad because you do not know how fast youre going. Blind spot detection system is really great and the visibility is vastly improved over the previous model. I bought the sport model with premium package because I did not want to spend allot especially if Im going to trade it in as I have done with the past three cars. Im kicking myself for not getting the tech package or buying the limited for the panoramic roof. I actually see owning this car for quite a few years. I absolutely love it and I havent felt this way about a car since my Saab 9-5. My only complaint, the speakers for the audio system suck. Ill buy new ones in a few.

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  Worth the money!!! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Debbie - September 9 - 12:09 am

  My family owned this car and a 2005 Elantra. We have owned 2 previous Elantras. I went from driving a 2001 Infiniti I30. We traded it in a an Elantra GT. I loved the GT but needed a larger car, so we got this Sonata. What a dream. This car reminds me of my Infiniti, WITHOUT the extra cost of premium unleaded gas. This car has it all. Great pickup, great radio and great overall value. I love this car. I recommend the 6 cyl. though. The 4 cyl. doesnt have the pick up. It is sluggish. After driving it as a loaner car, we bought it. I really recommend this car. I love it!!!

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  Tremendous Value, combination of Power and MPG - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By oldsroyale - September 8 - 6:33 pm

  Ive put 35k miles on mine. Simply put, you are not going to find a car that does 0-60 in 6.7sec that also gets MPG like this. The power delivery is nearly lag-free. Handling is good on the SEs. The stock tires are rubbish. I run a true summer tire on the stock 18s and that improves the handling, but makes the ride a bit choppier. I run 17s in winter and that makes a big difference in winter weather handling. It also helps the ride. I added heated seats- why that was not standard, dont know... The seats are not very comfortable compared to competitors. Ergonomics are a cut below Honda but still good. The dimension stereo is disappointing.

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  Extreme Awesomeness - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Davepq - September 6 - 6:43 pm

  The car overall is great. It definitely stands out from the crowd of comparable vehicles. My wife and I love it. The small details and sum of its parts make it seem so much more expensive than it is. I purchased it for business, where I need to make a positive impression on clients. It reveals style, class and at the same time economical sound judgment (especially during this tough financial climate.) It costs THOUSANDS more for the Accord and Camry to match the features of even the base Sonata. Another note, I am 64 and have ample room in the front and rear of the vehicle. One last piece of advice: read the reviews here of the competition and you may become a proud Hyundai owner

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  The finest car you will ever own. - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By msm8221 - September 4 - 4:08 pm

  i have literally had 15 new cars in 18 years. Lets just stop there. This is the finest, funnest, head turner you will find without the Euro snob appeal and repair rates at 120.00 per hour. Just buy one. I read the finicky naggerlers of negativity with their minor peeves. They simply havent owned enough cars to know a winner.

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  Its a big car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By wayne - September 1 - 3:46 am

  Ive had the car for two weeks now. I bought it with the drivers seat-wheels package. The car has plenty of interior space, except in the back seat if you are close to six feet in height. Its really a nice car and looks a lot more expensive than it costs. Its one weakness is the reduced visibility. The high door panels and small windows could make driving in that crowded shopping center parking lot hard for some. And keep an eye on the little ones.

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  2008 Sonata GLS - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By gsmithe - August 31 - 1:36 pm

  Just purchased and love this car. Performance is decent, it is a family car after all. I opted for the gls with popular package and sunroof. I was bummed that there is no ipod jack. No biggie, I had one installed, works great too. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a respectable mid-size family type sedan. Look no further. Rims tinted Windows and spoiler do wonders for the bland styling.

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  Highest value mid-size sedan - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By E - August 31 - 3:03 am

  If you rated this car on value per category it would rank 10 on all aspects. I rated this vehicle in comparison to other mid-size sedans in a similar category, such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. If you are looking for a car with a firm ride this is not the vehicle for you as it has a fair amount of body roll, sacrificed for the soft ride no doubt. Overall it is a fun car to drive and I would recommend it over any other mid- sized sedan primarily because of the cost. My fiancee bought this car a month ago for $10,700 with 22K miles. It is very comfortable for long trips and has ample space in the rear seat and trunk. The car looks very upscale both inside and out.

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  SONATA, MORE THAN JUST A HYUNDAI - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By ap20stuff - August 31 - 2:00 am

  The new Sonata is a beautiful, well- appointed,and AFFORDABLE car. With all the features of a car that costs thousands more, the Sonata is very appealing. The V6 engine is not the most powerful, but is smooth and adeqaute enough for everyday travel, and the occasional cross-country trip. Final verdict: I love my new car.