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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  Only Superlatives - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By kaixwing - September 2 - 4:06 am

  I own a Santa Fe so i knew the quality that Hyundai offers for the money. The Sonata is an exceptional value compared to the Accord and Camry costing 6-7K more. The fit and finish rival that of Lexus. Despite reviews to the contrary, the car is actually fun to drive and quite peppy even with the 4cyl. The night display is phenomenal with the blue and white lights. The surprise bonus - high gas mileage. I actually got more than 35 miles per gallon on the highway but going little over 60 and keeping a steady foot.

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  A Major Defect - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By taciturn - September 1 - 7:56 pm

  My Sonata is 3 months old. This review is exclusively to warn all potential buyers of a major defect that Hyundai is aware of, yet is doing nothing about. Namely; the steering wheel locks up when you turn the car off. This was supposedly an anti-theft device the company came up with. However, when the steering wheel inadvertently locks up, the driver must furiously shake the steering wheel back and forth to disengage the locking device. Naturally, my family and I learned this the hard way. Getting stuck, being unable to get the device to disengage. 2 Hyundai dealers now tell me that the company is aware of this problem. Wow, thats impressive !

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  Nice, but a few things to improve - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Hsudog - September 1 - 9:30 am

  Ive had the car for a month now. It is a really nice car for the price. Good off-the line acceleration, good looks, good feature set. Feels like a luxury car in terms of overall exterior appearance, quietness of ride, smoothness of engine, and standard interior appointments. Lots of my colleagues have said, "Its really a Hyundai?" They cant believe it.

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  Poor rear suspension design - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By prince Strickland - August 31 - 9:33 pm

  My overall experience with my vehicle has been fine except it has developed a loud rear suspension noise and the factory reps are stating they do no have a solution for the problem.

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  Problems with no help from dealer or the manufacturer - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By emlod - August 30 - 5:49 am

  The car pulls to the left. The rear brakes went at18,000 miles. They blamed me for not having the sliders lubricated but I too the cAR FOR SERVICE TO THE DEALER SINCE i BOUGHT. wHY DIDNT THEY TELL ME. THEY DIDNT. A CALL TO HYUNDAI MOTORS RESOLVED NOTHING. I DONT ENJOY THE CAR. When you trade it in you will get nothing compared to Honda and Toyota. Some dealers are selling for $3,500 above sticker price. There is no reason for this. Dont pay it. Go on the internet and find a price there, but I would not recommend this car. Honda, Toyota and Nissan mask much better cars and have better service and trade in. Why by a sonata?

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  Unexpected Pleasure - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By James Gann - August 29 - 4:16 pm

  Ive only had this car one week but it has been more than I expected: it handled well in a recent snow storm, is averaging a combined mpg of 26, the fit and finish is excellent, the engine is quite responsive for a 4 cylinder, and the suspension is taught but comfortable. The interior fit and finish is exceptional with nice materials. I have cloth and leather seating. It has some of the electronic toys on it that are seen on much more expensive cars; like, Bluetooth phone connection and proximity keys.

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  Rides great in Chicago - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chicago Riding - August 29 - 6:23 am

  I purchased this vehicle to get out of my 2004 Chevy Impala with 13800 miles and a tranny that was slipping. the color is the first thing i noticed as it has a pop to it that looks different. for a base model i was impressed with the features. leaving a V6 for a V4 was hard but my pockets is happy as the gas mileage is 25-28 on the city streets and 29-31 on the highway. speaking of the city streets, Chicago is the worst with pot holes everywhere including the highway. this car moves great to avoid them and when i do have to go over some it doesnt feel too bad. i compare this to my wifes altima and i love it. she actually wants to take the sonata over the altima.

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  sonata - great car - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By michele - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Very Positive. Great warranty, even though not needed because nothing has gone wrong

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  My 7th New Hyundai - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By stuckinnyforever - August 28 - 9:30 pm

  Much improved over 2006 model. I was planning on more power, but NY dealers only sell the PZEV version with 168 HP instead of the 175 advertised all over. Interior is great looking. Ride is very comfortable, yet more sporty feeling. 5 speed transmission should shift at more appropriate times - car feels out of breath going 45 mph under light acceleration when it shifts into 5th. Makes me want to shift manually. TPMS Im sure will come in handy. I dont care for revised front, but back looks better. Mileage has been between 27 and 29 mpg per tank with 30%+ heavy city driving (will improve once I add K&N filter). There is no more key hole for trunk - must use remote or latch inside car.

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  Sonata Requiem - 1996 Hyundai Sonata
  By cicco - August 28 - 2:00 am

  My neighbor just totaled my parked Sonata. I will miss this car. I bought it in spite of my kids scorn and never regretted it. I had no repairs other than maintenance in the 122,000 miles I drove it. I was expecting to get another 50K miles of satisfied driving out of it.