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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  new car 1000 miles no it - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By ronald1800 - September 12 - 10:00 am

  Interior noise could be a bit better. engine noise and rain water.NOT UNBEARABLE but could be a little better. BUT I must say we like the car.

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  Love this one, but wouldnt buy another. - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By sweetjoann - September 11 - 2:00 am

  This cars pros outweight the cons, but one con is so important it cant be ignored. The hyundai sonata is a great car for people who can afford to buy it as a second car. The ride is smooth, the interior is better than average. it has a great sound system for the normal music buff,(hip-hop and hard rock folks would be dissatisfied). The gauges and knobs are in great positions to reach them without stress or confussion, the trunk space is great for easy access and room to load and unload. Now the cons are sensitive body to scrathes and dents, also a loud engine, and a unstable ride up to a certain mph. But the #1 con is a very poor resale value.

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  hyundai 2003 V6 review - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By mrkoality - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the money! Nice looking styling,most of the creature comforts found in more expensive cars, great free road side assistance, great reliability (this is my second v6 sonota)speaking from 6year experiance.

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  Love my Hyundai - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By MSmith3120 - September 11 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is so much fun to drive. It makes me feel like a professional driver.

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  sonata lover - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By chicagojoe - September 11 - 2:00 am

  seats are to small,and to low

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  102K miles and still going strong - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By luvmelmuch - September 10 - 11:45 pm

  I bought my 2011 Hyundai Sonata off the showroom floor with 3 miles on it. I travel for a living so reliability and comfort were king. In addition the gas mileage on my model is still 36 MPG. I got 60k miles on the stock tires and put the second set of shoes on and it is a lot quieter. I have had no major or minor repair issues. I keep the oil changed and tires rotated and it has been great. I hope to hit 200K with no problems.

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  Highly Recommend- - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Alvaro M. - September 9 - 7:48 pm

  Purchased a 2016 sonata se- Did my research on other cars- including an Altima, Accord, Camry and Mazda6. And oh boy, my head was spinning and hard to make a decision, specially since I am tall, 6ft 2in. And finding a vehicle that would be comfortable is quite a struggle for me. Until I looked into the Sonata- For the money and feautures you get- I could not complain! Back up camera and Android Auto is phenomenal!!! Works 100% of the time and to top it off- The gas mileage- I drive about 60 miles a day and what I can say is it does really good- I average 32-33 mpg! The vehicle accelerates just fine- it brings me up to speed whenever I need it. We are a family of three- And really recommend to test drive the vehicle. The color I purchased mine was Red exterior color with Beige interior- Tint the windows and you got yourself a good looking car!!!

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  I love this car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Allison - September 8 - 2:02 pm

  I previously owned a Chevy Cavalier. It was a cute, comfy, cheap car, but everything in the world went wrong with it and it was only three years old when I bought it. My 2009 Hyundai Sonata was purchased in 2013. I owned it for three years before it was wrecked in an accident. In those three years I never had to do anything other than oil change, wiper blade change, and new tires--all normal stuff. It ran perfectly and gave me no real trouble. Although it is a little too wide near the sideview mirror level, it is extremely spacious. I could sleep comfortably in the trunk or backseat if needed. It is super reliable. The one time the check engine light came on it turned out my gas cap was off. I love this car. It broke my heart when it was wrecked. But, even in that, it was a good car. A car clipped me while speeding. He was coming down the hill at a good speed and did not even brake. He smacked into the front/side of the car, and the car jerked but did not spin. The front was all smashed, but the damage was only about a foot in, and everything moved about a foot to the left from the side swipe. The rest of the car was fine. I could still drive it the few blocks home. The insurer just considered it a "total loss" because the cost of repairing it exceeded the retail value of the car. That is the main drawback. I dont know why, since it is a very good car, but it has very poor resale value (about $7,000 at just 7 years old). I owe more than the car is worth. I would highly recommend this car to anyone--but would recommend bargaining down to the Kelley Blue Book value, which is much less than what most dealers sell it for, to make sure you dont end up with a big gap to cover if the car goes kaput. Or, at least factor in the cost of gap insurance, which is really important if you get this car.

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  Bought my second Sonata - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By bogambo - September 7 - 10:13 pm

  I just traded a 2007 Sonata Limited for a 2009 Sonata Limited. The 2007 was a great car but this is a fantastic upgrade.

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  Best new car Ive bought! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chris - September 5 - 6:30 pm

  I tend to hold on to my vehicles for a while so this is only the third new vehicle Ive bought. I have to say that its a pleasant surprise to see Hyundai has stepped up to the plate with a car that challenges and beats Honda and Toyota in my opinion. Im very happy with everything from the roomy interior with great stereo, to the stunning exterior styling. Gauges are fairly easy to read and the controls are easy to adapt to. Everything is where it should be. Ive never really been a fan of cars due to my height, Im 61", and have had problems with anything other than trucks. This car is very comfortable for me. Entry and exit are easy and cause no issues. Highly recommend this car!