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:

• 

  Great Value - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By JSD - December 16 - 5:23 pm

  Like many other posters, for a long time I wouldnt even have considered owning a Hyundai. However, my fiance has had two and had great experiences with both, so I gave them a shot. This car is wonderful. Not only does it perform as well as the big competitors from Honda and Toyota, but it does so at a much lower price. This car has been everything I expected and more. Hyundai cannot be beat for reliability, quality, and value.

• 

  I Really Like My Car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By ticotexas - December 14 - 3:36 pm

  This car has been great. I bought it because it was such a good value. It has not disappointed in that regard. I am getting between 23-24 mpg around town. It has a lot of power--only 10 hp less than my last car, which was supercharged.

• 

  Why you might consider Sonata 2010 - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Gary - December 13 - 10:00 am

  If you are tight on cash and need to save those $2000 but dont want to buy a second hand car. I mean $2000 could buy you 2 years of gas. I will only compare this one to 2008 Accord and 2006 Camry because i have driven them both. The drivers seat is not as firm, steering is not as nimble and car has a floaty feel to it. Suspension is not as tight. The dashboard plastic crackles once in a while. The mileage is great, controls are easy and well placed. I saved $2000 on similarly equipped Camry and accord.

• 

  First Impressions - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By AHK - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the car for just a few weeks; less than 1,000 miles so far. Car has a very solid feel; handles better than my 07 Jetta Wolfsburg; good power. Am waiting for fuel economy to improve as I got just 20 mpg on first tank & 29 mpg on 2nd tank (mostly hwy driving).

• 

  Sonata great car for the price - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve - December 12 - 3:30 pm

  The car has been great and Hyundai supports the warranty. Had a transmission fail at 92,000, but I am sure it was due to improper servicing at 65K. Hyundai replaced with rebuilt Trans only asking if I changed fluid. Previous post dissing Sonata due to failed timing light and no engine light to warn is owners fault. No car will give a light for this and they all will fail. Suppose to replace at 65,000, mine lasted until 90K and then I had it replaced. Still running strong at 97K. Comfortable and roomy. Back seat tight with carseats, but all cars of this size are. Would buy again and recommend. Hope to get another 50K and then buy a new one.

• 

  Good value for the price - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By sean1776 - December 11 - 4:10 pm

  This car has surpassed my expectations. The acceleration and power with the 2.0 turbo feels like I have a six cylinder under the hood. The SE package gives a good feel for the road and handles very good. Yes, you are going to feel more of the bumps, but that is what you get for the handling package. The price for what you get is a value.

• 

  2011 Hyundai Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By shaun peens - December 10 - 6:20 pm

  Ok ,You will all think i am crazy but I traded my 2005 E55AMG IN FOR A 2011 Hyundai. My Merc had 73k and got 13mpg around town. I bought the SE version which has the sporty feel after and after a lot of neg i got the white SE with tinted windows for 21k even. I have had it for the weekend and put 300m on the clock. Comfort good,fuel economy great,looks perfect ,just not sure if i am going to be able to deal with the wimpy engine,so far so good! Would recommend this if you were looking to buy a mid size car. oh yes ,traded my E because i was tired of the $ huge bills every time something went wrong, Total rating 8/10 for me. $21000 for this car is great value.

• 

  Absolutely a Keeper - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By james curtis - December 10 - 10:53 am

  Have owned BMW, Caddys ! Now 2 Hyundais. Never needed repair! Great acceleration! Trunk holds 4 sets of golf clubs and interior is spacious! I am only one in my foresome that has a car to hold all of us on a road trip! 30 mpg and fast! Great car!!!

• 

  Had it for little more than a month. I am happy! - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Genette - December 9 - 2:32 pm

  I purchased a 2016 Honda Civic EX in January. Had nothing but issues out of it. Besides the ride being a little too firm for me. You could never ignore the road noise. Also mine came with a few manufacturer defects and Honda would not address them appropriately. So I sold it and got a Hyundai Sonata Sport instead, based on a recent rental car experience (new SE 2016 Sonata) a few weeks earlier. The engine is tepid, lets be honest, the Honda Accord I tested accelerated much better. However I am no longer a speed demon and it accelerated well enough and passed others cars with no fuss. The entire is absolutely quiet, almost to luxury car level (compared to a previously owned Lexus ES300) and at times you feel you are floating on a cushion of air. It is large inside, easily fitting me and my relatives with plenty of legroom in the back seat. It gets decent mileage (Im averaging 37 on the highway, although the rental I had did 39.6 with a constant speed of 70mph). The exterior is simple, not as exciting as the Optima, but I think it will look better in the long run than the Optima. The interior looks more upscale than the Accord and it has soft touch plastic in areas, where the Accord has clothe, such as your arm rest. Felt the clothe would be harder to keep clean. The entertainment system had knobs, and big easily read buttons, placed in a logical manner. The Civic & Accord touchscreens with slide volume control drove me crazy. Lastly, Ive only taken it into service once to replace a defective radio. Hyundai ordered me a new radio and install it with no muss and no fuss. I wanted an economical highway cruiser and with this car, I got one.

• 

  I love my Sonata - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By EdZal - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I like it more than the Honda Accord. I switched from Honnda Accord to the Sonata and I do not regret it a bit.