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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  8 months so far so good - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Billy - June 18 - 6:06 pm

  The car is doing well for my driving. It is easy to get 25 mpg or better while around town and 30 to 35 on the highway depending on wind and temp.

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  Very Good, but not quite there - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By larmo1 - June 18 - 5:54 pm

  Overall, this is a very good car. I like it better than the Honda Accord. But after driving it for a year, it has lost its appeal. There is a slightly cheap feel that does not improve over time. The plastic parts of the seats and dash scratched easy and made the car look kind of trashy. Same with the paint and finish outside; and I really take care of my vehicles. Rear visibility is not very good. It is easy to overlook when sitting in a new car, but over time it really gets annoying. We traded the Sonata in after 13 months and 25,000 miles. It took a $6,500 dollar hit. Overall, it is a very nice car. Perfect for a young family. But I am old and want something better.

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  Totally Impressed - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By B777 - June 17 - 10:50 pm

  Smooth comfortable ride, plenty of power, and very sedate on the highway. Many people are asking me about the car. They rave about it more than I do! Striking Good Looks, and Great Hyundai Reliability and Warranty

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  Hyundai Used to be Awesome until 2010 - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Unlucky Lady - June 17 - 4:56 pm

  Ive owned 4 hyundais now. 1 2003 Accent, 1 2005 Elantra and 2 Sonatas (2010 and 2015). The first car was a lemon that I bought in Fall River, MA... Empire Hyundai... and I had to fight with the dealership hard because it needed the same repair over and over again. I got an elantra as a substitute and that car was fantastic. No complaints. in between 2005 and 2010 i owned many used and mostly new cars. I decided to get back into Hyundai again so I got a base model sonata in Virginia. I should have never traded it in, it was great. Bought a Cadillac which was great but i was hitting 100k and driving 140 miles a day, the repairs were adding up. Went back to Fall River thinking that the same money hungry jerks werent there, well they werent... just a new set of them were. Somehow, they managed to add an addition 5-10k to the loan, running me in circles because i was asking the same question "I dont see the trade in value for the car" to which they consistently answered me back saying, "we paid the loan off, its here" that wasnt my question. I called a lawyer and finally found that they added some charge that i would have NEVER agreed on if they had asked me if I wanted the service... some how they got away with it. They wanted me to go back to the dealership to talk about it, i said no, i didnt want to be taken advantage of for a third time in 1 month (i had gone back two days later and resigned paperwork for lesser service fees etc... stupid... i was stupid...). So im already sour because I hate this dealership but I love the car, its awesome, adaptive cruise control was worth it. The idea of driving 140 miles a day with ACC was like the highlight of my life. Up until a week ago. Im trying to get on the highway, i sped up (its on a slight hill) and the car starts to jolt. Ive seen this before, ive felt this before in my first hyundai, the accent. My heart drops. Here we go again. I press my foot down on the gas hoping it will just go away and stop jolting... no. 2 miles away from the next exit Im shaking like crazy and get to a stop light. Turn the engine off and turn it back on... now its shaking worse and not only that i can barely accelerate. Ok good now were going but were still shaking and jolting every which direction. I some how make it to work even though some idiot in front of me is stopping in places they shouldnt stop in the road (because why not, that WOULD happen). 2 hours later I tell myself im not going to let this sit im going to go to the dealership. I call and make an appointment. OK be right there. Get in the car, turn it on in hopes the shaking is still there but not there at the same time ... the check engine light comes. good grief. the nav display asks if i need help i said heck yes please. i get connected to hyundai assistance and within 3 minutes into the call, the car engine shuts off but the battery is still going so i can communicate to the guy. I get towed away for free. What a monday. I get to the dealership around 5:30 after waiting for 3 hours for a tow. Im tired, I havent eaten and I just want to eat, go home and pass out. I get to the dealership and they say to me oh, the last shuttle left for the day but you can always call an uber. What is wrong with you? I just bought this car July 7th, 2015 and it only has 25k and you want ME to pay for an uber? I dont even know where the hell I am. Im from southern MA not northwest of boston. He sends me to the waiting room. 20 minutes later, "has anyone replied back to pick you up?" i bite my tongue trying to be nice, "no, im not from here, everyone is about 2-3 hours away". "oh." yeah, oh. I walk out without anyone seeing me and go to chilis next door and vent. My friends come and pick me up and drop me off at home. I call the next day. "Can I have a rental" "Well we can hook you up with a 55 dollar a day rental from enterprise" "look, I didnt cause this issue, I didnt get into an accident, I did not ask my engine to jump around like a Mexican Jumping Bean in the chassis... I am NOT paying for a rental and I am NOT paying to use uber. I already have a daily expense for a car and its sittng in your garage. why would I want a second one...??" he said thats the best he can do. This started Monday, the call i just did happened tuesday. I didnt call Wednesday. I call yesterday asking for an update... well your cars engine is outside of the chassis, we asked for an overnight on the part we believe will fix the problem but the part is back ordered nationally." are you kidding me? he offers this rental again for 35 dollars I said i wasnt paying a dime. Not one single dime for a problem i didnt create. The only problem i created was involving myself with hyundai. ill never EVER buy another hyundai as long as I live. Never. Unfortunately before of the jerks I bought this car from added additional debt, Ill never get myself out of negative equity. ever. There is no ETA. Im disgusted.

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  Not happy - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By tuna6 - June 16 - 5:26 am

  I bought my 2012 sonata SE new in January 2012. About 2 weeks ago my car stopped working properly and they initially thought it was the push start ignition. Replaced the push start and the problem still persisted. They then removed the oil pan to discover pieces of metal in the oil. Long story short the engine needs to be replaced and the car has 16,500 miles on it. I am not happy with the overall experience and being without a car that I need for my daily commute. No car should have to have the engine replaced after being driven for only 7 months.

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  Excellent Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By mrcisco - June 15 - 8:56 am

  My family and I loved this car so much. My mother bought a fully loaded "limited" and my brother and I bought a fully loaded "se". We even bought an extra 2011 gls. Are we crazy. "yes". Crazy about this car. It has the looks, fun to drive and all the goodies that put its competition to shame. Go test drive each one. All (3) have a little difference in the way they drive. Also. In regards to the recent review about a "failed transmission". Hyundais warrantys would fix his transmission issue or give him a new car. Because he didnt mention this. Makes me Wonder if it is a "bogus" review.

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  Great Car - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By dzizak - June 15 - 7:10 am

  Just bought this car about a month ago and its awesome. My wife bought a Tucson a few years ago that we were very impressed. So Hyundai was the first choice when it was time to get rid of my gas-guzzling pick up truck. The inside and outside of the sonata looks very sporty and new-age. It is a perfect car for someone who needs more space for the family but also wants to keep the sporty look. Sound system is nice and blue tooth is a great feature. For the price you cant beat it. The only complaint I would say is the gas mileage is not as good as I had hoped. I am getting around 26 mpg mixed city and highway. Hopefully once the engine breaks in it will be a little closer to 30mpg. Great car.

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  Pretty, but not reliable. - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By crundq - June 15 - 2:00 am

  Not reliable. Even though it has a good warranty, I had to service it 6 times per year. Too much of a hassle.

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  Love my 2007 Sonata Limited - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By aauummm - June 15 - 12:13 am

  The car is a great performer, comfortable, quiet, smooth and great looking at a very reasonable price. I get compliments on it where ever I go. Cabin space is very ample and the trunk is very roomy. Interior design is very well done and the location of instruments is very good. The automatic transmission can be shifted manually if so desired. Electronic stability control is a very nice feature.

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  2011 Sonata SE Review - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By G35man - June 14 - 3:40 pm

  Went from a Infinity G35 to the Sonata SE. I am extremely impressed with the quality and features. I do not need the HP of the G35 anymore. This car is absolutely perfect and I would highly recommend it.