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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  Checkout all my problems before you buy. - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By stileo - June 14 - 1:46 pm

  I got this car last week. Let me give you guys some feedbacks. Overall the car drives quite well for a 4-cylinder turbo. Noise level of engine and drive is somewhat in the mid range. My previous car was a 2012 Genesis and this 2015 Sonata is not better but doable. Cons: The car doors were not aligning correctly. Doors were a bit off from the quarter panels and rear passengers door. I was not able to open drivers side passenger the door. I have to pull the handle twice in order to open the door. Dealership had to take my car in for a day to fix these issues. I got the car on Friday and return to dealership for repairs on Monday, go figure.

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  Nice Ride - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Smooth and Easy - June 14 - 11:06 am

  Own an elantra which I just gave to my son after 4 years with no problems, so I thought Id try the larger Sonata. Just turn 2000 miles. Compared my car to co-workers CTS and BMW 325. The sonata fell a little short on handling but for big bucks less, it was the winner. Very smooth ride and pleasing power...no problem moving in and out of traffic. A six-speed transmission would be smoother but the 5-speed is not jerky and the shift timing is good. Car is not for a sports driver in terms of cornering at higher speeds, but the handling is more like a luxury car, which is fine. I have enjoyed it so far with no regrets.

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  A damn good car to buy - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jayakumar - June 14 - 2:00 am

  I had an overall very pleasant experience with this car (GLS V6 DOHC). Other than the normal wear and tear associated with a 60+ K car, the car never gave me any other problem. I drive it everyday 12 miles to and fro from work. Not a single serious problem so far. The suspensions are still more comfortable than some new cars I have ridden and the driver seat is just great to drive long distances. I have gone on long drives to other states too. never failed me so far. I love this car.

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  A lemon like none other. - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By reddeerroper - June 13 - 4:14 am

  I have just over 22,000 miles on my 12 Sonata Turbo. This car has been in the shop for many Different problems since I bought it. Hyundai service is terrible, the company just does not care about the owners of their cars. My Sonata has a stalling problem that has plagued it for 6 months now, it just quits, could be on the interstate, at an intersection, a red light, no rhyme nor reason. Its very dangerous to have this happen so often, Hyundai has not been able to fix this issue. Ive also had issues with the A/C, nav/audio unit, headliner, antifreeze smell through the dash vents, abs brake sensor, and several rattles and other poor quality car noises.

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  Id never thought i would. - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By bytedesygn - June 12 - 4:10 pm

  I went to a Hyundai dealership in my area to test drive the new Sonata. After all I was thrown into the market because my 1996 chevy cavalier Z24 that i loved truly(workhorse) was getting old. besides, having my wife constantly hassling me to get a bigger family car, without the 200+ thousand milage. Ive been to every dealership and brand name possible and finally, one morning something lead me out of the bed to Hyundai, after long research. i walked into the place with the mind set of leaving with the ol Z24 with me. A brand new inexperienced salesman, looking for his very first sale, helped me to help him on a test drive. My credit was bad. The car sold me within a matter of 15 minutes.

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  Well satisfied - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By David Reese - June 11 - 2:05 pm

  We have been pleased with this vehicle. It is smooth riding, and the safety features are outstanding. The electronics are amazing, and the economy is great.

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  disappointing exprience - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By kalmanzar - June 11 - 12:05 pm

  This is my 13th car, have had toyota, ford, honda, subaru, mazda, acura, bmw and now hyundai. Have 20k mi on the car, wrote a review when I first brought it and gave it overall a seven , thought overall it was solid, major complaints where harsh ride, lack of road feel. But liked style, value, power. Now a year and a half and 20k, i give the car around a three. Ride is still way to hard, have had a lot of mechanical issues, a lot of recalls, poor service, build quality is very bad. First one of all the cars ive owned that i could not recommend.

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  Great bargain - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Florida Deb - June 10 - 11:40 pm

  Bought the Limited today with an MSRP of $25K and invoice of $23K for $20K with the $3K rebate. With $5K for my trade I financed about $17K. Beautiful in camel pearl. Comfortable leather seats. Lots of headroom even with the sunroof. Beige seats with black carpet & dash is really something different. Great sound system. Comfortable ride. Very pleased. Honda & Toyota had very incentives & wanted to have faith in the Ford Fusion, but couldnt. Happy, happy, joy, joy.

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  Good - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Trymore - June 9 - 10:43 am

  Do not buy it until HD has parts to sell. I needed a bumper cover to repair front damage, my body shop ordered 2 weeks ago and still waiting. HD should learn that selling is not all. I would not buy HD in future and recommend anyone I know not to buy it.

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  Excellent car for the value - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By prewindy - June 5 - 10:00 am

  Without a doubt the best sedan under $25k in the market today. Hyundai has sure stepped up the quality in the 2011 Sonata. It drives nicely and is comfortable. The sound system is excellent and I love the bluetooth connection. If you are looking for a fun, quality, and good looking car then the Sonata is your car to test drive.