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:

• 

  Total Unsure at this point - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By LNS2011 - June 18 - 8:53 am

  My new 2011 Hyundai SonataGLS Automatic purchased 8/13/2010 & Im not satisfied, I was at first until I notice how loud/idle the car was parked just running not to mention hearing a big bang sound when I shift the car in reverse and drive the car now act as though it doesnt want to move past 20/40 miles forcing me to push the gas pedal to the floor, this could have caused an accident while trying to get onto a major highway,The sales manager @ Porter Auto in DE says I may have gotten a bad batch of gas/we dont live in a perfect world Go figure, what a thing to say to a concern customer who spent $20k & put a nice down payment.They currently have the car, Im currently noting everything

• 

  Bang for your buck - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Palman - June 18 - 2:00 am

  My Sonata has been great. I havent had any major problems. It is a joy to drive. It is comfortable and has a lot of get up and go. Im always approached by strangers who tell me that they love the styling and wonder how happy Ive been with the car.

• 

  Still a great car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Catfish - June 17 - 4:03 pm

  Reviewed this car when I first purchased it. Gave it a great review as most people do with a brand new car. Now that I have some miles on it thought it only fair to update the review. It is still a great car. Just finished a 3000+ mile trip through 10 states and this car performed superbly. Drove in very hilly country, pouring rain, heat, interstates, two lane etc. Average about 26mpg. Lots of interstate driving with A/C on. couple hundred miles city driving to boot. Car is quiet, comfortable and drives like a dream. Love the shiftronic transmisson in the mountains. Car is not perfect but for the money is darn close.

• 

  The Accord Killer - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By xygman - June 16 - 1:20 pm

  1-Just purchased this week so no personal data on longevity of build quality or reliability; will review again at a later date 2-We came straight from the Honda dealership where my wife had just driven the exact Accord she wanted, highest trimline, leather etc, favorite exterior color ect: she would have bought it on the spot but I asked her drive the Sonata first based on good reviews by Edmunds and Consumer reports 3-The instant I sat in the Sonata I could tell the seat was more comfortable with better lumbar support 4-Ride was quieter with much less road vibration on intersate and overall a more refined experience

• 

  Great Ride - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By anteup - June 15 - 5:50 pm

  Was pleasantly surprised during the test drives. previously drove an Acura; that was nice; this is better. Interior layout is tops; GPS is a snap to operate, as is bluetooth and XM radio. Decked out, this is a great ride for the price. Then theres the warranty - as good as it gets in the industry.

• 

  Very pleasantly surprised - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Don - June 13 - 11:13 am

  Was driving past the dealership as they were unloading their first Sonatas. I pulled in for a closer look, and the rest is history. I had a 2007 Camary SE, which I absolutely loved, but mileage was getting pretty high. The Sonata SE has much more in the way of features than my Camry, And cost $3000.00 less than I paid for my Camry 4 years ago. Awesome Vehicle. Cannot say enough about it.

• 

  My 2006 Sonata LX - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By W. Partsch - June 13 - 2:13 am

  We have had the Sonata LX since Sept. 05 and have enjoyed every minute in it. It is comfortable and very quiet. Sometimes we cannot tell if the engine is running or not (have to look at the tach to make sure). The Interior is very pleasing and laid out nicely and with all controls close at hand. The accessories for garage door opener, auto rear view mirror and others are very nice touches that many American cars do not have (but could have at a slight increase in cost). At time of our purchase the Pearl White color was not available due to manufacturing problems at the Alabama assembly plant. We got the silver color, which seems to have a touch of white in it, quite pleasing. Great car

• 

  Sonata 2002 GLS - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By trepach - June 13 - 2:00 am

  Surprice... Buying this car for under 20000 $ with all that extras and V6 engine is really best decision u can do...

• 

  A Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jsnowe - June 11 - 2:00 am

  It drives like a dream, smooth & Quiet very low road noise (I can actually hear the radio when traveling on the highway, something that I could not do with my Honda Accord. Adequate horsepower( 6 cylinder) whereas my Honda was severely underpowered.

• 

  Sonata99 - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By frankrd - June 11 - 2:00 am

  It was the need for a new vehicle soon, and the new warranty that seemed too good to pass up that led me to Hyundai. It was the styling, and all that was included that confirmed my purchase. There have been no real problems with the vehicle. Air bag light, keyless entry and stereo have all been fixed or replaced under warranty.