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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  Best value in car industy - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Owen - December 27 - 10:28 pm

  I bought the car in July 09 with 12,000 miles on it. I have since put about 6k miles on it and the car is superb. The engine is quite yet powerful. The design and look of the car rivals some of the 2009 and 2010 models out there now. The looks is absolutely timeless. This is my first Hyundai and I have to say I think I have found the company I will give my future business to. The only complaint I have is that the suspension is a little noisy. Sometimes even little bumps in the road sounds like your hitting a big pothole.

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  Excellent - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dan - December 27 - 5:03 pm

  We bought two brand new 06 Sonatas, one is Black (for me) the other is a "silver/gold" *depends on the lighting* (for the wife). They are both sharp looking and drive excellent. The seats almost feel like bucket seats, but you can move more freely. Also the shiftronic is awesome, with standard automatic transmissions you cant downshift to pickup speed when you are going up hill or need to pass somebody. Since we bought two we needed to save as much as possible and got the GL, it isn ot as nice looking on the inside as the GLS, but its still very classy. The trunk is huge, even bigger than my wifes old Accord. I love the keyless entry, when you unlock the doors the inside lights come on.

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  very happy - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By carhappy - December 27 - 10:00 am

  i recently purchased my sonata, i love the car. i have owned a for taurus and liked the car but it was to long. this car is a great size nice interior looks very classy. you get a lot for your money.

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  Lost its luster... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Pittsburgher - December 27 - 7:59 am

  I purchased this vehicle as a certified Pre-Owned product, and at first was VERY impressed with the comfort, power, and style of the car. One test drive and I was sold! The 2.0L turbo engine delivered oodles of acceleration, and would breathlessly accelerate to pass slow moving traffic. As time went on over the next 2 years of ownership, I still admired the style and power, but many small things started to bother me. The Latex-type paint on the steering wheel started to peel, the fabric on the seats started to bubble up and became loose, the A/C began ticking at low fan speeds, the shift paddles failed (and were replaced under warranty), the transmission began to shift roughly and was brought to the attention of my dealership 2 times. On both occasions, it was found to be "Operating as designed" even though it shuttered leaving their parking lot. The keyless entry was a nice touch, but the batteries in the fobs died early and often. Sometimes it would be very difficult to get the car to shift from P to D, and it would lurch forward quickly once you let off the brake. The gorgeous coupe-like styling was such a headache. I could never see around the blind-spots in front and back. Also, the car NEVER came close to EPA estimates for MPG. I averaged between 17-19 MPG on my daily commute - Pathetic for a car supposed to get 23 in the city and 25 combined. Add in 5 safety recalls over 2 years, and the decision to trade it away was simple.

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  Dont Hesitate! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Claudia - December 24 - 9:40 am

  Never thought Id buy a Hyundai but after considering the Cadillac CTS - it just wasnt as comfortable as I expected it to be for the money, nor did it have all the options I wanted. After looking around on the internet for something comparable I came across the Sonata. My husband and I test drove it & fell in love with it. Its loaded with options, has the 60/40 split rear seat, drives & rides like a dream for 1/2 the price of the CTS! Its a beautiful car. Got the camel/pearl. Im looking for excuses to go places so I can drive it! You cant go wrong with the warranty, the price and the exceptional value you will get with this beauty!Its everything & more than Id hoped for.

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  MY SILVER JAG WISH U AR - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By LIL JAG - December 22 - 10:00 am

  DRIVES GREAT AND YOU GET ALOT OF LOOKS

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  Super car ! - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By airjordan707 - December 19 - 9:55 pm

  Sonata was my first car. I have driven many cars as rentals or those that belong to friends, including Ford mustang, oldsmobile alero, chrysler sebring, dodge neon, ford taurus and toyota avalon. I think Sonata beats all these other cars hands down. The audio for a 2002 model is quite good, the looks (i think!) are extraordinary, the drive is smooth as butter. After more than 100,000 miles of driving I can say that its been quite reliable. I havent used the 100,000 mile road-side assistance at all except once when my old batteries ran out while it was sitting in my driveway. Its time to buy my second car and Sonata 2010 is one of my first choices for the test-drive. Great job,Hyunda!

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  The best - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Cyndy - December 18 - 7:06 am

  Overall great car! I dont like the latch you have to pull out and push in to tilt the steering wheel, other cards Ive owned you just move the latch; move the wheel, and let go, this you have to push the latch for it to engage the wheel in place. (small item but bothersome). A small amount of road noise, but then I can never tell the difference in noise from 25 mph or 70 mph. Great acceleration.

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  Best car for the money! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By twinklez - December 17 - 7:33 pm

  Base on my two months of ownership, here is my review of the car. For about $17000, you get strong V6 engine, smooth shifting 5 speed shift- tronic transmission, very quiet ride, excellent handling for the car this size, decent mileage (I get 24 mpg at average speed of 34 mph on my commute), 6 air bags, 5 star crash protection, quite comprehensive standard features, nice exterior styling. This car was better in everyways when I compared this one with Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. The suspension was too choppy at first but after driving first 2000 miles or so, the ride improved significantly and still improving. Before you decide on Camry or Accord, be sure to test drive this one.

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  Good Car , Dealer Service Questionable - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sonata GLS V6 - December 16 - 10:40 pm

  Car seems to be above average, but service dept. stinks. Engine warning light problems, ABS noise, and transmission concerns. Not sure if hyundai will be my next car. Jury still out.