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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  Nice Car - Good Value - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tim Sottek - September 27 - 5:36 pm

  This one beats the heck out of my 2000 Camry..or any of my dozen or so GM, Ford or Chysler products from the last 30 years. It is comfortable, gets much better mileage than advertised, and drives better than the Edmunds people rate it. I took an emergency 90 degree turn at about 30 mph and the car didnt roll or leave the road.

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  I love this car..... - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By LidaRose - September 25 - 8:23 pm

  I researched and drove other cars for 3 months. My short list also included the Fusion, Camry and Accord. I kept going back to this one because I got everything I was looking for without having to buy a package (or not be able to get it at all) not to mention the warranty. The Camry had shifting issues, the Fusion didnt have stability control, the Accord dashboard was ugly and confusing. I only have 1000 miles on it, but so far its been an amazing car. Im getting 21-22 mpg avg city and hwy combined. I got the SE auto - had a Taurus and the v6 best fit what I was used to driving. It has more than enough power for me. It handles well, shifts so smoothly and looks great too.

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  Just cant stay home - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By louise - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I really took a chance buying a new car on the internet and had never test driven the car, but I havent regretted my decision for one moment. I knew the moment I first sat in the drivers seat that Id made the right choice. Ive since driven 4400 miles in the 6 weeks that Ive owned it and am still looking forward to my next long trip. Just going back and forth to work is not enough. It handles nicely - city and wide-open spaces. I like the style of it, inside and out. Im getting better gas mileage than I expected.

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  Just cant stay home - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Louise - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I really took a chance buying a new car on the internet and had never test driven the car, but I havent regretted my decision for one moment. I knew the moment I first sat in the drivers seat that Id made the right choice. Ive since driven 4400 miles in the 6 weeks that Ive owned it and am still looking forward to my next long trip. Just going back and forth to work is not enough. It handles nicely - city and wide-open spaces. I like the style of it, inside and out. Im getting better gas mileage than I expected.

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  So far, not good - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By cvanduyn - September 25 - 2:00 am

  Some problems with this car have appeared in the first 7000 miles. First, the sticker states MPG as 22/28. I drive using the cruise control on highways, and never travel more than 3 or 4 miles above the posted speed limit. My MPG has been 16 city, 21 highway. Second, there are no window gutters on the doors. Get in your car in the morning when the car is covered in dew, roll down the windows and watch the water drip onto your leather seats. Third and most important, after 3500 miles the engine developed a very loud valve rattle. It now sounds like a 6 year old car. Unfortunately, "it sounds like crap" is not covered under the warranty.

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  Small Problems are the most annoying in a new car! - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By ambermofwv - September 24 - 5:49 pm

  I am a proud owner of a 2012 Hyundai Sonata, happy with my purchase, just not from where I purchased it. There have been SEVERAL interior problems and the car is less than 3 months old, the car dealer blames me. I take VERY good care of my car, clean it every day, inside and out, make sure its always full of gas and drive smoothe. BOTH side air bag panels have fallen off, there was a tear in the passenger seat, the cupholder is fading to an off black, and there is white glue on my door air bags. Its just the small things that bug you, and rude salesman playing you to be a fool.

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  Bob Green - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bob Green - September 23 - 4:40 am

  This car has preformed way better than I expected except for gas milage. Drove from Maine to FL with no trouble at all. This was right after purchase.

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  glad i bought the car - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By sky - September 23 - 2:00 am

  bought the car in january for 17,330 delivered. gls model...only options i didnt get were leather and abs traction control.ruby red...love the car getting 25 mpg hyundai should make the abs/traction control a standard feature, not an option. you gotta see how many people come up to me and ask me, " Soooo, you bought a Hyundai Sonata...how do you like it?" It reminds me of " Im not going first....you go first. Seems some people just wont take the chance. i did a lot of research on a ton of cars. For the buck I felt it was the best bang.

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  Timing distruciton - 1997 Hyundai Sonata
  By bhart - September 20 - 2:00 am

  You should get your timing belt changed before you hit the 65000 mark. The car has no saftey engine shut off when the timing belt goes and the engine is therefore ruined and you will need a whole new one because all of the valves get smashed together. I was only in my driveway when mine went without any warning. I turned my car on and boom the timing belt went and so did the engine. Buyer beware.

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  Sonata GLS - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By phillyjay - September 20 - 2:00 am

  It smells. I thought the their was a fire around the area. The salesperson told me its the car they spray it with a special fluid. I smelled it during the whole test drive. When I parked the car I wanted to test drive another one because I thought perhaps it was just this car in particular. I was so dissappointed and went to another dealership and the same thing happen. I fell so in love with this car after test driving a nissan altima that I bought the Sonata GLS. He told me that the car will stop smelling after 150 miles has been used. Is this true? Have anyone else experienced this?