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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  Best Buy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By al - April 18 - 8:03 pm

  Only have 800 miles on "her" but they have all been fun miles. Very impressed with the performance and handling. This is the first non-GM car Ive owned..."why did I wait so long"

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  Nicest car I ever owned! - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chispas - April 17 - 10:00 am

  Because they are chronically in short supply, I had a hard time getting my Sonata but Im so glad I perservered! After 7 months and 7,000 miles I have not had a hint of a problem and I absolutely love the car! Loaded with extras, very comfortable, responsive, very smooth and quiet riding...sometimes when I am stopped it idles so quietly I think it has stalled! For what you get for the money, it is way ahead of the competition. Hyundai has a real winner here!

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  What a Value - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jason G. - April 16 - 6:53 pm

  After driving all the other brands... for the price we just couldnt beat the 2009 Sonata SE(stickered at 22945 paid 17545 w/cash for clunkers out the door for 13045 w/o tax) the Sonata has more standard convenience features then any model that we drove, after a 1000 mile trip we averaged 32mpg and I dont miss a V6 at all, plenty of power from the 2.4 engine. The car behaves great on the highway and West Virginia country roads we just couldnt be more pleased. The Sonata warranty it made our purchase easy.

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  Excellent Value - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By jpantz - April 14 - 8:16 pm

  Hyundai continues to produce better and better cars with each model year. I owned a 2001 Santa Fe for a couple of years and was pretty satisfied with it, which is why I was willing to look at the Sonata when it came time to replace my aging Camry. From the moment I sat in the Sonata I knew I wanted it. Its fun to drive and the 5 speed automatic transmission is a good match for the 235 HP the motor kicks out. The car has ample power in the passing gears and launches you from 55 to 75 in the blink of a eye. And surprisingly, the car does pretty well in the snow with the stock tires. The traction control and anti-lock brakes keep the car under control on slippery roads up here in Minnesota.

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  What out for??? - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By Frank Arsenault - April 13 - 12:50 am

  Bought a 2017 Sonata 4 DR. Was not told by Dealer/Sales or Management that the Navigation system in my Sonata was only workable when MY CELL phone was pluged into the automobiles port. When I went to another dealer, then I was told "the Sonata Limited" had Navigation that did NOT require what I was told at the first dealership. PROBLEM was I already purchased the first one. I was so upset that in ONE weeks time I turned THAT Sonata in for the one I did not know about earlier.. Shame on Dealership #1...

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  Jet-Smooth Engine is Underrated - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By bobad - April 12 - 6:56 am

  When choosing this car, I did more research than usual. I started about a year ago, and thoroughly researched 4 or 5 other mid size cars in the $18- 22K price range. I compared everything having to do with size, performance, reliability, and safety, including intangible, subjective, and emotional factors. Things kept coming up Sonata, and not by a small margin. It was the clear winner. The only factor that gave me pause was the lack of reliability data in the new engine and transmission. I fell back to 2000- 2005 Hyundai quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction records, and I found them to be very acceptable and improving. I knew about all the negatives going in, and there have be

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  Awesome car at a great price - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jon - April 9 - 6:58 am

  Performance: I have the sport model which lets you change the way the car shifts into the next gear. On Eco mode it is a bit more slow to peak going UP a ramp to merge onto the highway. But I can just turn that off for 3 seconds and I am good to go. I can have 4 grown men (minimum of 175 lbs to a max of 225 lbs each) in the car and it still responds decently for the horsepower it has. Fuel Economy: So I have been able to eek out 53 MPG by going 50 MPH in this car. otherwise by going 75 mph daily and still hitting city for 8 miles of my total 22 mile drive per day I still retain an impressive 35 MPG. I do not romp on the car nor do I aggressively brake or accelerate. This model was made to be comfortable and provide some tech and have a decent amount of power with the price tag that it had. I have no idea why anyone would think it is supposed to blast off the line like a 300 hp car. It looks good, drives great, has LOTS of room. the head room is phenomenal. I tried out a 2017 lincoln mkz recently and it had no head room for a 5 9" guy. I was against the ceiling! The 15 sonata has at least 3.5 inches yet above my head in the front alone. also I have two 6 friends that have plenty of leg room in the back when I have the seat pushed all the way back. This car is friendly in button layout and design as well. Everything is sorta of one color for buttons with only a couple that are different ( like defroster LED and windshield LED). I can find everything I need to and there arent multiple colors shooting at me with buttons that are too squeezed together. I feel that as long as you can get the car for $21,000 and under you will have a awesome car that comes with lots of tech, great layout, great design, lots of room for family and groceries, and provide decent performance for what it is. If you want more horsepower then get the turbo. ALL cars that have turbos are more maintenance so dont think any brand is less work than the other. If you want even more performance then pay for it and take care of it. If you cannot do that, then dont buy more car than you need.

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  Be prepared for frequent check engine! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Michael - April 8 - 6:20 pm

  I bought this car a year and half ago as a second user. It had only 75K miles on it and it looked in a great condition. 5 Months after, and the check engine was on. It took me days and trial and error at the mechanic to troubleshot the issue. it wasnt the mechanic fault, it was how complicated the issue was, and the code tells more than 8 different possibilities! Now the engine light is back on again but this time is for transmission! it has only 100K miles, and the transmission specialist told me it would be at least $1800 to get it fixed! That was very unreliable for a car that is only 6 years old with 100K miles exactly on it. I wish I bought a Camry.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By James - April 2 - 7:53 pm

  I bought the 2009 GLS (5speed) earlier this month (April), and I love it. During my search, I drove many similar mid-size sedans, and I have to say that this is the best deal for the price! Unlike other entry level mid-size sedans, the interior of the 09 Sonata does not feel cheap. The fuel economy of the 5speed is fantastic. The car handles well, and has plenty of room in the interior for passengers. The trunk space is bigger than my first apartment. This is a great car, fun to drive, and a great price. (I got the 2009 GLS 5 speed brand new for $14,500 in Richmond, VA).

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  Absolutely love this car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By hyundaiowner5 - March 31 - 8:41 pm

  I cant say enough about this car. It has the style I want in a limited edition and the class I expect. I have 45,000 miles on it now and havent had a single problem. It drives so smoothly and is quiet even on the interstate. I wish the newer models were as sharp looking as this and I would definitely trade it in. My car payment is worth every penny on this vehicle.