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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  Thanks for the Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By JS - January 16 - 11:36 pm

  After owning a few nice but questionably built US cars, this Sonata model has restored my faith in car manufacture. Its just beautifully designed and built. It has a strong and confident engine. The details are just so nicely thought out. This is an unparalleled highway car. Improvement I feel could be the ride as its is a bit bouncy on city bumps and the gas mileage drops too much in the city. Otherwise excellent excellent car. Gorgeous refined looking exterior.

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  Incredibly worry-free - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By NoWorriesSonata - January 10 - 11:07 am

  I travel a lot of miles in the city and on the highway between Denver, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff. This vehicle has been completely flawless. I follow all manufacturers recommended maintenance intervals: oil changes, drive belt, timing belt, spark plugs, etc. I will probably never sell this car as I am sure it will give me at least 250,000 good miles before any major repair is needed. Take good care of your Hyundai and it will take better care of you!

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  Pros and Cons but overall, decent value - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By FB - January 8 - 3:29 am

  I bought new in 1999 at only 84 miles. Now in 2010, Im at 149,000. 4-cylinder is decent during daily commute and actually smooth and quiet during highway cruising but dont even think about fast lane changes or quick acceleration on entrance ramps. Fuel pump and Tranny were problems during first 50,000 but warranty was in effect. Timing belt replaced after 80,000. Car groans over speed bumps, brakes have always squealed, and paint is chipping now, but other than regular oil changes every 3k, shes had no major repairs in her old age. Still averaging an impressive 28mpg highway today. Im finally getting another car but this ones lasted longer than I expected.

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  Great car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By rla443 - January 5 - 8:00 am

  After 58000 miles, it has turned out ot be a great investment. I looked at Lexus, Audi, Volvo and Nissan and found most of the same features and better power for over 10,000 less (if buying used, beat the depreciation). Perfect reliability. Only two complaints. The visor broke and wont stay in the back position and It would be nice to have a greater range of adjustability in the power seat. I will definitely buy again. My wife only averages about 21-23 MPG but the price difference is worth it.

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  Solid Car for Hyundai - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Paul - January 3 - 12:31 am

  This car has put them on the map. Attractive design inside and out, and solid build with tons of amenities. Smooth engine and ride. The car has a good seating position and a large trunk.

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  I do not like my car anymore - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Cathy - December 31 - 2:29 pm

  Although I havent had any major mechanical problems with the car, Ive just recently had to have the roof repainted at my own expense because the paint was flaking off. The paint warranty had expired at 36000 miles, but a car with only 48000 miles should NOT need to be re-painted. This is obviously a factory defect. Also, the car is VERY uncomfortable to drive. The seats dont provide good support, and even the steering wheel is uncomfortable. My rear brakes have squealed almost since day one, but just in reverse, so I havent had them checked. But after reading the other reviews I see rear brakes are a common problem. I want to unload the car as soon as possible if I can get enough for it.

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  Hyundai - Keep Doing the Good Job - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By sam - December 30 - 10:30 pm

  Put 800 miles in two weeks. Very quiet, smooth ride; Handling well; Luxury feel (LX model) with Sunroof and Sound systeim upgrade (Package 3). Very roomy; Lot of cargo space. Mixed city and highway driving between 20.5 to 22 mpg (non-agressive driving behavior); Great workmenship both interior and exterior. The Reliability index is just what Ive predicted. The actual could varies.

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  Sonata +/- - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By etcindi - December 28 - 7:45 pm

  At 18K miles. I love the look of the car, very high class. I love to drive the car, handles, accelerates, performs excellently. I get 27-28 miles to the gallon driving 50 miles to work. 10 miles @ 70 mph, 30 miles @ 60-65 mph and the rest in town. I came out of a Jeep Commander so all the things above are delightful. Cons; there is no lumber support so Ive had to buy a contraption to be more comfortable. I have my seat high which may be why I feel like the vents dont blow all the places I want them to. My ring has gouged the rubber off my steering wheel a couple of places. Road noise, and if anything, a bug or rain, hits the top of the car it sounds like a tin shed, and many rattles

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  Great 2009 Sonata Limited 2.4 Auto w/Nav - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rons 2009 - December 28 - 11:36 am

  This is a great car! Traded in 2005 Maxima, much better ride, first tank in mixed driving achieved 28.4mpg, second tank got 26. build quality is excellent. All this and much more. Plenty of power to feel comfortable merging into traffic. And all for 10 Grand less than new Maxima. We are quite impressed.

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  Exceeding expectations - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By GumboGut - December 28 - 10:50 am

  The Sonata has been quite an eye opener for my wife and I. We purchased this car after testing Toyota and Honda. We took a chance because of the lower price point and have been extremly impressed. The car is very quiet(except for trunk echo on very bumpy roads)and handles very well. The V6 stated off with OK MPG around 24.5 on the highway, but now with 12000 mile our last highway road trip of 650 miles earned us 29 MPG! For the power the V6 offers, that is pretty impressive. The car looks great and has nice interior features for the money. The warranty is incredible and certainly influenced our decision.