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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  Sonata Best Sedan for Price - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve - May 1 - 11:50 pm

  This car has been been very reliable and it drives perfectly. The exterior rivels that of Audi and BMW. My only complaint is the bland and somewhat disfunctional interior.

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  hyundai - 1998 Hyundai Sonata
  By kk92 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  ok so i bought this car used from the credit union and 2 days later the power windows went out. the rotors need to be turned every 3 months whether the brakes are brand new or not. when the power windows mess up the locks mess up and so on. when you lock one door while its running the drivers side window goes down. it has been ok while driving on the highway but when you need a part you have to get them from the dealer like the power windows is dealer only and the transmission fluid is dealer only due to its being a hyundai

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  AWSOME CAR FOR UPSTATE NEW YORK - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By rrreedjr69 - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased a 2004 Sonata LX. I LOVE IT. The $$$$$ (price), the warranty, the dealership, were all AWSOME. There is no car on the market that will come close with ride, warranty, standard features and price. I looked at Oldsmobile, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagon, Audi (JUNK) and Buick. They all wanted TOOO much money for their cars with no options. The HELL with American (JUNK) made cars.

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  Unsurpassed! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By mike - April 29 - 5:30 am

  Amazing car for the price - Ive owned Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Infinfty, Audi & BMW and Im as impressed (if not more, considering price) with this car than I was with any of the others. It makes so much sense - on so many levels. The instrumention is intuitive, the ride responsive, the styling on the mark. The styling/$$ ratio far outstrips Camry, Accord, and Altima. So many positives - hard to go-there with suggestions for improvement.

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  Get past the name - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mawako - April 29 - 2:00 am

  Totaled my 2000 Grand Marquis and wifes truck bit the dust, both at the same time. Had to get something affordable. I got the GLS and wifey got the Accent. Both of thease cars are simply GREAT!!My Sonata drives and rides like a dream, a tad hard on BIG potholes but otherwise very fine. Drive 80-85mph to keep up with traffic here in Vegas, a breeze! Have over 10K miles on it, not a single problem. Im 6-4 and 240, enough room for me. Just love the car. I get a kick out of the jokers who spent $30-40K for a nameplate. Stop reading and go out and buy one of these incedible cars.

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  Reliable and Nice Ride - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By the_ca_bohemian - April 24 - 2:00 am

  This car is great! It gets up to speed quickly which is important for merging in California. :-) The ride is comfortable, and the stock stereo is pretty decent. Comes with so much more than the Camry I was looking at, and affected my wallet a lot less as well! Would definitely buy another Hyundai.

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  Sonata= let down - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By aporter1995 - April 23 - 12:39 pm

  Bought used with 35,000 miles about 2 years ago. Within the first year, the thermostat had to be replaced (not covered under warranty). Now, the power door lock does not work on the passengers side and the drivers side window picks and chooses when it wants to work. 05 Honda Accord w 160k still starts easier on colder mornings. This car grinds terribly and takes too long to turn over for a car this new! Nothing but cheap Korean plastic and metal that is like tin foil! Looks good but looks are deceiving! Painted trim on steering wheel is peeling as well. Will be trading for a new Honda Civic or Accord very soon! Wheel well also busted after hitting very small object. Too flimsy!

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  Hyundai--You Hit a Grand Slam - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Barnett917 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Originally looking for a SUV---but when I saw the Sonata 2011 fell in love with the great looks. Picked up car on Aug.16 and so far it has been great. A fun car to drive and a very peppy four cylinder will amaze you----it has great pickup. Handling seems great so far and the regular sound system that comes with xm radio is great. Bluetooth syncs easily with my Hero 200 Android phone and is a great feature with controls on steering wheel. Would recommend to all. The harbor gray color is fantastic.

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  Huge dissapointment! - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By awasllace - April 23 - 7:29 am

  There are much more negative than postitive in my 1.5 years of Sonata ownership. First is the fuel economy, nowhere even close to Hyundais estimates. Now after getting over that the problems began. It had a poor running and stalling out problem several times the dealer cant duplicate, the front headlights have collected condensation and Im on my second set. The leather quality is horrible, stiching on the bolsters is coming apart already (hyundai calls it normal wear) It wanders on the highway. Ive had the struts, tires, wheel bearings, and control arm bushings replaced...still wanders! The car has just been such a huge dissapointment, it feels like a 5 yr old car already.

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  awesome - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By junkyard1queen - April 23 - 5:53 am

  this car is the best vehicle I could have ever picked, it has the feel of a luxury car without the luxury car price tag. My family has complimented me on my choice of car (even though they have all owned only american cars) I would be willing to bet one of them might end up in one also. The sleek lines get head turns everywhere I go.