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:

• 

  Great car under $20K - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jackie Shroff - December 15 - 9:38 pm

  Bought this 06 Sonata brand new. Now it has 33K miles and no problems at all. Wife drives it to work every day and a family car for the week-ends. Engine is powerful and quiet. Interior and trunk are very spacious. ABS brakes and ESC work as designed. Highway mileage is great, city could be better. Overall great car under $20K with power sunroof, ABS, alloy wheels. Great job Hyundai, will definitely buy another Hyundai car or SUV in next couple of years. No wonder Hyundais sales went up in this down car market while other car makers are suffering.

• 

  great car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By jmk - December 15 - 10:24 am

  had this car for 2 years, 3 trips to florida about 4M miles per trip never had a problem, great in very cold winter starts, excellent running car, would buy another in a heart beat

• 

  Everything and more - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bob - December 12 - 8:00 pm

  When I decided on a Sonata it was after many hours of research and test drives. Ive had the Sonata for a couple of months now and have been more than happy. My gas mileage has been better than the EPA (about 26/34) and it has had plenty of power when Ive needed it. Im not going to win many races but it gets the job done in every day traffic. Im 64", and 250lbs. and the Sonata has been plenty big and very comfortable to drive in the city and long trips (Ive taken two). The interior is well designed and well laid out and the 2009 Sonata has a seat thats about and inch longer than the previous year, and that has made a massive difference in overall comfort.

• 

  Junk Vehicle - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Harvey Gosser - December 12 - 1:42 pm

  purchase used with 29000 miles. Vibration at 45 miles per hour. dealer adjusted transmission. still vibrates shakes. Door locks quit, dealer install new lock. Now valves are clattering at cold start, left overnight at dealer twice so they could hear noise. Still clattering, must return to dealer again to try & find out problem. Obviously the clattering is metal to metal until oil gets to the valves. Feel every single bump in road like a truck. Car now has 34000 miles & I am real worried it will continue to fall apart. wish i had spent a little more & got toyota or honda. Compare to a yugo. never ever consider buying this car. i read many reviews but most only owner for about a year. beware.

• 

  Big Red - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Big Red - December 12 - 12:34 pm

  Difficulty entering and exiting for those with mobility issues due to the high rise of door inside door seals.

• 

  ECO Sorta - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By CECIL HUTCHINS - December 9 - 12:28 am

  Expect an ECO to have mid-level trim. Very few options available. That was OK by me. I didnt even buy it for the extra gas mileage. I chose this model because for some reason (Ill tell you more in a minute) it was the quickest Sonata of all the trim models. If you check the specs youll see a few clever things Hyundai did. Smaller diameter ECO tires (still pretty sticky), wider front track, reduced weight, a 7-speed auto transmission, and best of all a twin-scroll turbocharger on its 1.4L 4-cyl engine. All these combine to make it torquey and quick to get power to the road. Hot-rod? No. But definitely a satisfying driving experience from a mid-size car. Its a little hard to control your accelerator precisely at low speeds but put it in Sport Mode and find a twisty road to be reminded what driving fun is.

• 

  This is my 1st Car Ever - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tony1stCar - December 8 - 12:41 pm

  This car is really great. it is a very stylish car and many people think that i am driving a Jaguar. This car is very well built. It can fit 5 people very comfortably. The trunk space is very large which is a good to always have. But my antenna broke. Due to the motor burn out. So now i can get the AM stations. I am curious about how it will drive in the snow because it has no traction control nor ABS.

• 

  OK, Ill go first - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Houdsie - December 6 - 4:36 pm

  I upgraded from an 02 Elantra GT due to a growing family. My first thought of the redesign was the style falls more to Honda or Toyota, but I like it better than the 05s. Ive always driven standards and I was happy that I could get a midsize 5 spd that wasnt stripped of safety or comfort features. The 5 spd shifts smooth and with authority. Theres plenty of pep under the hood. The ride is quiet and smooth, but almost too soft. But thats compared to the GT. The interior is large enough for 3 car seats and nicely appointed. Compared with my Moms 03 Camry, I prefer the Sonata dash layout. All in all, a great value for a family hauler. It feels more luxurious than any other Hyundai.

• 

  Thought It Was Good! - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tyler James - December 4 - 11:39 pm

  I Like The Car. I Like The Features. However its not dependable. changed alternator, cv shafts. Oh. Did i mention the whole engine. ?? Yea. follow maintenance intervals for timing belts. they tend to break and kill your engine. My car is nice. wish it was a little better on fuel, a little more dependable, and it came with more features. Then Again I only have the base. My car is going on 7 years old and it is still a head turner. I will drive it until i graduate college. But I doubt Id Buy another one. 154,000 miles on body. 7,000 on engine. still going strong. HOPE IT LASTS!! Thanks.

• 

  Love ThisCar!!!! 43 MPG R U SERIOUS!? - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By iseeit - December 4 - 10:34 pm

  UM; YEAH; I have a Brand new 2011 Sonata and I also bought one for my Daughter. We both are very happy with our cars and yeah, it doesnt take a genius to know that you shouldnt drive down the road with no hands. Its people on this website that give a beautiful car like mine a bad name