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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  Excellent Hidden Value - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Estimator34 - December 16 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car,great fit and finish,and superb performance

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  Great Car for the Money - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By buono170 - December 12 - 7:13 pm

  I put 2500 miles in the first month of owning this car. I love this car.It handles very well & has the power when you need it.Great on gas & who can beat the 10yr 100,000 mile warranty.Great sound system.Give it a test drive,you wont be sorry.

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  Great Value - MPG Accuracy? - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By niteflite888 - December 11 - 11:47 pm

  Ive got 24k miles on this now... probably 18k of it was on the highway. On the highway never got over 34 mpg but on my trip yesterday with three fully grown adults and some luggage in the trunk i averaged 36.2 mpg on a 400 mile trip on eco drive going some 70 to 80 mph up and down mountainous roads. the only thing is.... when i calculated the mpg based on miles traveled between gas fill-ups, the mpg was only 33.3 or so. the car overall has been fine for what ive paid. the only real issue was with rattling which the front passenger area which they kind of fixed. alignment has been bad from the beginning. the ride feels cheap when going over bumps.

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  Best Bang for your Buck - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Alex C - December 9 - 2:33 am

  I bough the limited with the navigation and I do not regret. Money well spent. I bought this vehicle for my wife. She wanted something to keep up with my car I have a tiburon with many extra performance parts. And let me tell you this car kept up with my much lighter tiburon all the way past 130 mph I was surprised. Navigation is easy to use. However the voice comes a little late when you are at the turn instead of before. That would be my only complain. Also wished they had change more of the body to distinguish from the 2008 other than the tail lights and headlights. But overall Im satisfied and so is my wife she loves it. We drove the altima, g8 and the sonata came way on top.

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  IMPRESSED - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Troy - December 7 - 3:53 am

  Just purchased yesterday so Im sure that I am a little biased right now but I am really impressed with the quality. To give some perspective my old car was a 2007 Taurus so this is an upgrade. The doors are solid, the ride is quiet and very comfortable and I think it handles great. I read many reviews on how blah it is but I think it is pretty responsive. The 6 cyl engine is more than I really need but the drop in fuel economy wasnt that great. The interior is excellent. High quality materials and everything seems to be in the right place. After the $3K rebate I felt it was a lot of car compared the competition. I didnt think about Hyundai at first but Im glad I gave it a chance.

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  Do not buy this car - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Phyllis - December 3 - 1:00 pm

  I had a 2006 Hyundai Sonata which was a great car, so I bought another Sonata. Its nowhere near as comfortable. The front seats are extremely uncomfortable because of a seam that presses into the back of the legs, sides that angle up (fine if youre VERY, VERY skinny) and is deeper than is comfortable from front to back. The design of the seats also make it more difficult to get in and out of the car. The rear of the car slants down which makes it "sexier" looking, but is impractical. The trunk is large, but because of the slant of the rear window, the opening for the trunk makes it difficult to get anything of size into it. The rear seats fold down, but the release to fold them is in the trunk instead of the back window ledge - a very inconvenient feature. The steering wheel is smaller than a standard size which made it hard to find a cover for it (needed for hot summers). The steering wheel also has controls so The Club doesnt fit easily. It does NOT have a spare tire - just a "fix-a-flat" kit which is worthless for a blow-out. When the ignition is turned off, all 4 doors unlock which I consider very dangerous. Its difficult to put on and take off the front seat belts because the latch is very low between the seat and the console. Im sorry I bought the car.

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  WE love our new Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By JC - December 2 - 4:30 am

  I cant begin to tell you how much my wife and I love our new 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS. We cannot stop looking at our car just parked....beautiful. Its hands down the best family sedan we have ever owned. We have owned Hondas Toyotas and BMWs in the past. In these hard times, getting the most for your hard earned money means a bit more to people than it used to and I think Hyundai has really stepped up to the plate with this new Sonata. They really have listened to their customers it seems.

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  Tall Guy in a Hyundai - 2018 Hyundai Sonata
  By Geoff Alderson - December 2 - 12:47 am

  I’m 6’ 3”, lots of headroom in this car. Easy to exit as the driver’s seat moves rearward when the engine in turned off and the shift lever is in Park. Driver’s seat also has adjustable lumbar support. Has adaptive headlights – front lights turn when steering wheel is turned. Trunk is large, plus the back seats fold down for additional room. The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) uses radar signals and camera recognition. AEB has many limitations, be sure to read the Owner’s Manual for more info on this. Quite cabin on city streets. As Edmunds noted, some tire noise at freeway speeds. With the turbocharger, lots of power for entering the freeway and for passing. No heads up display, but speed is displayed in a large font in instrument cluster. Looks beautiful in quartz white pearl.

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  Best Choice - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Labaneli - November 30 - 10:00 am

  Good price, good performance and good looking. I think this car is the best choice of around 20000$. Dont buy another car like Mithubishi Garant or Suzuki Verona. Sonata is much much better! I recomend GLS or LX model. The perfomance is same but, the interior is different. LX is more luxury but over 20000$ so, GLS is also good choice (19000$)

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  My second Sonata but not my last. - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By kmht - November 28 - 8:40 pm

  As soon as I noticed the 2011 Sonata on the lot I knew I had to drive it. I was driving a 2009 Sonata that I also loved from the very beginning. The sleek new lines are very attractive and they make the car look much more expensive than it really is. The six speed transmission is much more refined and it seems to hug the road better than my 09. I am a six footer and the drivers compartment is very comfortable. All of the controls are well laid out and easy to reach.