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 - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ron - November 26 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car a few weeks ago with 8 miles on it. I got to say I was skeptical but after owning it I am glad we made this decision. It is a lot of car for the money. The quality is great and the car has a lot of options that are only available in cars costing thousands more. I would recommend this car to everyone. I dont hear any noises some of these people complain about. I think these people are complaining because they want to have the only one of these great cars on the road.

• 

  2006 Hyundai Sonata LX - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By jrp7329 - November 25 - 3:16 pm

  Until I purchased this Sonata, I had never owned a Hyundai ... but you can bet Ill buy another one! This car is truly an excellent value ... reasonable price with solid design and performance. Quick, comfortable and just great to drive ... whats not to like? Top notch build quality with a sophisticated engine ... 28 MPG in all- around driving for me.

• 

  Nice car overall, but beware of brakes - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By jas - November 25 - 1:07 pm

  After 2.5 years and 33,000 miles, the car has been pretty good overall. Have had some issues such as XM receiver needing replacement because of water damage due to a weld in rear panel failing allowing water to get into XM receiver box located in trunk, brake switch replacement (recall was issued). So far the only major complaint is the pathetic quality of the rear brakes. Have had to service them twice so far, once at 20,00 miles and just the other day at 32,000 miles (not covered, pay out of your own pocket). Its a terrible design that the dealer admitted to, but Hyundai is not willing to do anything about it. So beware, brake issues are coming if you have not all ready experienced it.

• 

  AWESOME DRIVER AIDS - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jim Millet - November 23 - 8:18 pm

  Traded my 2013 Sonata SE in on this 2017 Sonata Limited 2.0T in order to take advantage of all the updated drive safety aids. The backup camera and blind spot detection are most appreciated. The driver seat memory feature is great and the seats are very comfortable. This car came outfitted with Michelin MXM tires which provide a quite ride with precise steering.

• 

  Best purchase ever - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By The happy buyer - November 23 - 12:53 pm

  My wife and I bought this car 2 weeks ago and have never been more impressed with an up and coming car brand. Watch out Honda and Toyota, the new sonata is a phenominal car for the money and drives like a dream. The new body style competes and, in my opinion, looks even more sportier than the accord while serving a young families safety needs. I will definitly by another Hyundai, NO DOUBT.

• 

  Happy with my Hyundai - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By nnewton - November 22 - 2:00 am

  One of the best values that I have recently had. Everything works fine and there have been no disapointments

• 

  Awesome Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Teresa - November 22 - 1:33 am

  I just came out of a 2007 Honda Accord Lease which was a reliable car but had terrible road noise. I test drove the new Accord, Camry, Malibu and VW CC but when I saw what the Sonata, I fell in love and for the price you cant beat it. In my opinion this is one of the best looking car inside and out in this segment, it rides way better than my V6 Accord, smooth with plenty of power, its a pleasure driving it.

• 

  Dreadful in snow - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By threeholepunch - November 21 - 9:40 pm

  This vehicle has become a HUGE dissapointment ! I bought a 2011 Hyundai Sonata in April, and just drove it in snow yesterday. I wonder if their engineers forgot to test it in winter conditions? The traction control and all-weather tires were utterly useless, and it skidded around more than the Cavalier, Sunfire, Saab or Venture in the family. Dreadful. An embarrassment for them. I live in Michigan - its flat. Were not talking mountainous roads here. Its currently parked in a grocery store lot; and I had to get a ride home .... in a 20 year old GM product. Ill be shopping for snowtires tonight, but it seems like thats just a bandaid on woefully poor design. If you live in the northern or

• 

  Sonata Stalls on the Road - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By ddelong1 - November 20 - 5:30 pm

  I purchased my new Sonata 2.0T in the middle of June and just loved it until this week. We were coming to a stop and the car stalled out and we coasted to the stop. I noticed that there were 2 warning lights on - engine and another one. The car was idling but there was not throttle response. Nothing. I turned it off and then restarted it. Now only the engine light was on and the throttle had response. The dealer found codes 2118 & 2110 but couldnt find the problem. They just erased the codes. This is a safety item for sure. If I was on the highway and this happened, we could have been rear ended. This car had less than 1500 kms. Beware!

• 

  So-so car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve - November 15 - 7:00 am

  The ride is smooth and the fuel economy is good. So far it has been very dependable, but I dont like the transmission. At times it should downshift, and it doesnt. Other times, while cruising on the interstate, it will downshift for the slightest incline. I have had this car for a year now, and it is starting to develop rattles in the dashboard. I am struggling with the dealer to fix them. I get the feeling that Hyundai is not built with the attention to detail that other, more expensive cars are. This is the first Hyundai I have owned. I would recommend it to a friend (pros outweigh the cons), but remind them that they are buying a cheap car, and not to get their expectations too high.