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:

• 

  You Gotta Sonata! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Gotta Sonata - September 10 - 1:20 am

  Purchased it last month, and absolutely luv it. Stylish good looks, my buddy saw it from the side and remarked "oh, you got a 5 series bimmer". It rocks. Very quick, great warranty, great looks. I got the LX with heated seats, larger wheels, leather.

• 

  give it a shot - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By hemi - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I have a loaded 2001 GLS with 33,000 miles. Had two problems, driver door window that was fixed at no charge and at 28 months a battery was needed. The dealer pro-rated the battery at 60% off retail. Its just a great car, performance,comfort,style how can you go wrong. And for under $20,000. You have to take it for a ride and see for yourself

• 

  2006 SONATA GLS (LOVE IT) - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By MTSOAG - September 8 - 5:56 pm

  This is my first Hyundia and i love it. It has a smooth ride and the 3.3L engine has more power than you would expect. This car is loaded with cool and smart features. The safety concerns bulit in this car is first class all the way. Do yourself a favor and atleast go to a dealer and check out what this car offers. I did it and love the smart choice i made.

• 

  Above Competition - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Andrei - September 8 - 3:38 pm

  I am spending 2.5 hours every working day in the car: to me it is not choosing "just a car", but a second home and office. I have invested a lot of time in selecting a new vehicle. Each one of us has different criteria when selecting a vehicle. My top ones were: 1. Ride Comfort 2. Quietness on a highway 3. Ability to absorb road imperfections 4. Android Auto/Apple Car Play as a lot of paid options become unnecessary with personal assistance of the these tools and navigation/online music and talk shows. Here are the reasons I did not buy competitors: Accord EX (pros: awesome screens and interior quality, nice open layout, camera on the mirror, handling; cons: suspension is on the stiffer side, road imperfections are quite noticeable). Altima (pros: the most comfortable seats; cons: engine noise, no Android Auto(AA)). Fusion (great car overall, but the cabin layout is claustrophobic, rear seat room is the smallest, no AA). 2016 Malibu (looks awesome, but the ride is on a somewhat stiffer side, interior is simply "fine"). Camry LE (everything is in place, but it lacks Android Auto/Apple Car, which serves as a live personal assistant during the trip, smaller screen. It falls behind in technology equipment). Sonata is the car where all my stars have lined up: it has definitely the smoothest ride of the bunch, the car irons out all the cracks in the pavement - you do not feel them nor hear them. Sonata is the quietest car on a highway - no tire noise, no wind noise, it feels and rides like a luxury car, even though I got the entry level model without a single option. Cabin layout is very open, you constantly "feel" spaciousness especially with the light interior (light gray or beige). Sonata has a very confident handling, and there is absolutely no "floatiness" as you would normally feel with softer suspensions. Entry-level model comes with the most equipment compared to the cars above: nice 7" HD screen with lots of features (XM data - traffic, weather), high-quality HD backup camera, AA works perfect, seats are comfortable on my long rides, and the price tag is unbelievable if you know how to negotiate - very low 18,000s. The sound system generates an unexpectedly good sound quality - it is not what you would think to get in a "stripped-down model". Paired with the cabin quietness the sound is very good. If you choose very nice options like panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled leather seats and a plethora of safety/electronic features, adaptive cruise control, super stereo system - prepare to pay at least 50% more. In my case - it was not worth the extra money, but everyone is different. Paired with 5 year full/10-year powertrain warranty and very low maintenance costs this Sonata SE is my perfect choice to be my 2nd home/office for the next 5 years.

• 

  Good car for the money, for now - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By chris - September 7 - 9:30 pm

  I think this car is a good value with 0% financing. However, I am very disappointed with the passenger airbag occupant detection system. There is a sensor in the passenger seat that is supposed to detect if an adult is sitting in the seat so that the computer can determine whether or not the passenger airbag should inflate in a collision. The problem is that the system is very inconsistent and sometimes will turn off the airbag even when a heavy adult is sitting in the seat. Hyndai knows the problem and the owners manual tells you to keep restarting the engine to clear the problem, which cant be good for your starter. The other work around is to have the front passenger move to rear!!!

• 

  Great car, could do better on the road - 1996 Hyundai Sonata
  By Binnie The Gooh - September 7 - 2:00 am

  It´s a great car, but they could make it better suitible for the raod like when you are taking sharp turns it slides to the sides alot but it can be controlled, this is a sedan version, so why not make it perfect!!

• 

  Tired of buying American Lemons - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By gramps - September 7 - 2:00 am

  So far so good! Got rid of a lemon known as the Ford Windstar. Last 3 Fords I owned were junk. Loved the looks of the sonata. Just took it on its first 8 hr road trip. Great ride. 32.46 mpg even with the air on. 24 mpg in the city. Cant wait for next trip!

• 

  This Hyundai doing better than a lexus - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Maximus - September 6 - 9:53 pm

  I did not expect such excellent quality from Hyundai. Well this one with 5M runs like a Lexus IS300. Well actually better than the Lexus. The top two Japanese brands such as Honda and Toyota won their high reputation over the past couple decades. I think Hyundai will achieve the same high reputation within the next two years. This 06 Sonata outperforms Toyota Camry and Honda Accord not only by the price advantage but also by its built quality and superior performance!

• 

  Best car I ever bought, other than my Honda - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Annette Conyers - September 6 - 7:25 pm

  Like buying a poor mans Honda.

• 

  I love my Sonata! - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By mmcauntie - September 6 - 2:00 am

  I was a faithful driver of Toyota Camrys, but when I saw the Hyundai, I had to drive it. I went to the dealership to prove to myself that the car wasnt as nice as it looked from the outside. As soon as I put the car in gear, I knew I would buy one. It drives like a dream (smoother ride than the 2003 Camry) and is fun too. My last Camry needed a lot of non- warranty repairs at 76,000 miles which is why I traded it in. The 100,000 mile warranty sold me on the car as well.