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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  New Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Larry - April 28 - 6:26 pm

  I have had this vehicle for two months and am very impressed by its quality, feel, and ride. This is an excellent car.

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  99,800 and still going - 1997 Hyundai Sonata
  By mtgmaker - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I just logged 99,800 miles on my 97 Sonata GLS and I just now had my first problem. A leaky valve cover gasket. Cant ask for much better than that.

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  My Hyundai Audi - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By reverend mikey - April 21 - 12:13 am

  First of all, this car is a BARGAIN right now; I paid much less than Edmunds TMV price; $4,500 under sticker! This is our 4th Hyundai; 3rd brand new. My wife is driving an 07 Santa Fe; loves it. I had an 03 Elantra GT - LOVED that car, but traded it so my wife could have the SF (cry). This Sonata is even better than the GT; incredible power, nice interior styling and comfort (partial leather seats are very comfortable and supportive); and I think the standard stereo/CD is very good. Some call the styling vanilla: I call it Hyundais Sonata Audi (the last Sonata was trying to be a Jaguar - this one succeeds better!). I also looked at the 09 Mazda6 and Malibu LTZ; chose this one.

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  Enjoyable Car Except When Dealing With Hyundai - 2018 Hyundai Sonata
  By TalkRadioGuy - April 20 - 6:58 pm

  Comfortable cabin with easy to use features for the most part. The different drive modes are nice and there is a noticeable difference in response when using Sport mode, which I prefer. Not sure why but if using Sport mode it reverts back to the default Comfort setting when the car is turned off but if using the Eco mode it will remember that setting. Navigation has proven to be less than optimal, on long trips we still rely on google maps which are better to begin with but have the added feature of real time traffic avoidance suggestions that prove to save much time. I find it odd that the map lights are a bright white (which I like) but the visor lights and rear dome lights are a dim yellow light. The remote start via Bluelink phone app is reliant on a cell link to the car so it has had about a 20% failure rate for me so while it is a nice feature I wish this vehicle also had remote start that could be triggered from the key fob. This is my first vehicle with keyless entry and start and I love that feature, never having to remove the key fob from my pocket to open doors and start the car is wonderful. Because of the push button on the door handles and the auto opening trunk I have never once used the buttons on the key fob. So overall I love the car, but the downside of the vehicle is dealing with Hyundai. I had an initial issue with the Bluelink account setup with which the dealer couldnt figure out and Hyundai was very little help. It took me 6 weeks of calling every 2-3 days to resolve the situation. I also recently scheduled service for the vehicle via the Bluelink app and the factory ordered update to the computer was not performed, it seems that the dealership either doesnt understand the information sent from Bluelink or ignores it. Either way this is a problem being that they want to charge me $100 a year for this feature after the third year. Summary, nice car but absolutely dread dealing with Hyundai. For full disclaimer Ive dealt with Honda for the past 10 years and the difference in service is huge.

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  Thinks Its a Porsche - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By greendemon - April 19 - 2:00 am

  I have the 99 170hp V6 GLS. When I saw how much bigger the Sonata was than all the other Hyundais on the showroom floor, got in it, then found out it had a stick (not to mention the 100k powertrain warrantee and 20k price) I was sold. Fun to drive, suspension could be more firm for its performance capability, but all in all, nice ride. Like hitting 120 mph in 5th occasionally. Car likes to go fast. I think 99/00 Body style is the best. I would buy another Sonata, if the prices and warrantee stay competitive, and especially if they come up with a V8! I think I will keep this car for as long as it runs, continually upgrading it... kind of like framing the 1st dollar. Go Hyundai!

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  Hard to Believe - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Nanette - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Its amazing that I love this car as much as I do. I have always been a foriegn car owner because the car needs to be able to handle 200K miles in 5-6 yrs. with no major problems. So far my Sonata is living up to it. The engine isnt "peppy"...its powerful! The body and general feel of the car is solid and the handling is smooth and precise. Sincerely thinking about trading in my Mazda 626 to get another Sonata!

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  33 mpg hwy - 26 city, reliable, roomy - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By MiMo - April 15 - 11:56 pm

  I have now tested the car for about 10,000 miles and Im really happy with my sonata. The mileage is awesome: 2 adults, one kid, one trunk full of heavy stuff and I managed to get 33 mpg on highway, between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Same combination between San Diego and Phoenix with a/c on and I got 33.3 mpg. Two adults, 2 hours of stop-and-go in la traffic (rush hour) and a/c on and I got 32.8 mpg. No mechanical problems so far, between 30k-40k miles. XM satellite radio is a must on long trips. I really miss the steering wheel controls for radio/mp3/XM and electrical controls for drivers seat. Other than that plenty of room for a 6 driver and 6.2 behind the driver. No kidding, that good.

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  smart buy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By tom - April 15 - 11:10 pm

  A pleasure to drive on long trips,comfortable for my size 63" 240 lbs..People are amazed that it it a Hyundai!

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  Hyundai Sonata GOT IT! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By sgruberk - April 15 - 4:43 pm

  I cannot say enough good things about this car! I have traded my Mercedes E- class due to poor traction in snow despite with new tires(rear wheel drive). I have researched and test drove Accord and Mazda, but Sonata was far better car. I was hesitant with purchase due to resale value and design. But resale value is up par with Japanese competitors and its design is turning peoples head. I have never had that with Mercedes. The car is solid, I often catch myself driving at 80mph, thinking about 50 mph. It has everything including pinch protection and LED ambient light and this is base GLS model. I think Hyundai will over take Honda and others in 4-5 years, like Samsung and LG vs SONY.

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  Good but... needs better interior finish - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Good but... - April 15 - 5:16 am

  This is a very good car for the money that you pay. I love everything except that i am noticing a lot of squeaky noise from multiple areas inside. This is very annoying to me. But i think it will be difficult to convince dealer to fix it...