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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  Great Car !! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By cam123 - July 17 - 10:00 am

  for the price, you cant beat this car. Great standard features, good looks, good performance, 23 MPG combined for the V-6 and a warranty that cant be beat

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  Best Car I ever owned.. Love it!! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Linda - July 15 - 8:56 pm

  As far as the driving its quiet and comfortable and we just love it.. It still is as quite as the day we bought it. And the dealer, they are just as nice as the day we bought it. Very kind and considerate. Would buy again from them.

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  Well see how it goes from here - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ozzie - July 15 - 5:06 am

  Bought it after reading a lot of reviews and test drives on Memorial weekend. I knew that many people are complaining about suspension noise and cracking noise from dashboard due to temperature fluctuation. But the price was unbeatable, I have option package 2 and I paid almost 6K less than Accord LX. I put only a few hundred miles, so far I no problems other than cracking noise coming from the dashboard when I turn on A/C.

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  Sub-Frame Rust - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jeff Monroe - July 15 - 12:25 am

  I was surprised to see the review by leon written 1/15/2008. I have just experienced the exact same failure on my Hyundais front passenger side wheel collapsing. My local dealership also refused to repair my sub-frame rusting under warranty. This seems to be a wide-spread problem. And I too believe this should be repaired under their 10 yr bumper-bumper warranty. The Sonata is a fun, sleek and enjoyable car, but Hyundai often waffles on their warranty coverage which was one of the major selling points that impacted my purchasing decision. .

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  Love it - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By kduluth - July 14 - 2:00 am

  After lots of research I finally bought this car yesterday - complete with option package 7 (Moonroof, ABS, Traction Control, HomeLink, cargo net, mud guards, floor mats) and I couldnt be happier. The styling is so attractive and the car is incredibly quiet. The stereo sounds nice though I have yet to really crank it up and see what it can do. The V6 isnt as powerful as some that Ive driven but its acceptable. The under-the-hood components are very easily accessible. There is lots of storage and the backseat armrest is a great addition. I highly recommend this vehicle - with that price and these features, you just cant go wrong.

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  Looking good so far! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Luther - July 13 - 9:10 am

  I am a former Honda Accord and Nissan Maxima (3) owner, so my standards are high. The Sonata is not as "cushy" as my former cars, but it measures up very nicely when one examines the overall look, fit and feel of the car, the warranty, the standard features, and then the price one pays. This has excellent value. I bought mine for $3000 less than the MSRP. I am pleased with the handling and overall comfort. The 4-cylinder engine has plenty of power. I especially like the Shiftronic feature, having owned manual transmission vehicles for more than 25 years. I can shift down when descending steep hills in my community. If the reliability of the car meets expectations, Ill be a winner!

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  Hyundai Paving the Way to #1 for Sedans! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Michael P. - July 11 - 6:06 am

  I commute 60 miles round trip to my job and my 2006 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 4 door sedan makes this trip very pleasurable. The ability to go from 0- 60 in about 7 seconds is great for moving from one lane to another on the highway. It provides a very quite, smooth, ride. The body style is also very attractive. The standard ESC really works extremely well, providing additional safety when needed.

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  Great car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By pfred912 - July 10 - 11:20 pm

  I knew nothing about Hyundais before this vehicle. I have enjoyed other foreign models. This car is a joy to drive. Small enough to be economical and large enough to have a solid feel and ride. This car is very responsive when power is needed with a 3.3 L V6. There is plenty of room in front and adequate room in back. Trunk space is impressive. Stability features really smooth out the ride. I would not mind taking the car on any trip. Great sound system and plenty of comfort. I am glad I found this car and will get another if they keep manufactoring this kind of quality.

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  Good car, TERRIBLE corporate support ! - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Will Geib - July 10 - 12:45 pm

  I returned to the dealer the first thing the next morning after I discovered there was a paperwork error that overlooked applying the Hyundai BOOSTUP savings program in my purchase. BOOSTUP is a savings matching program found on the Hyundai web site. To date, I have recieved, through my dealer, my original $500 deposit, but NOT THE HYUNDAI MATCHING. AFTER 8 MONTHS ! "Things take a long time to be resolved with Hyundai" said the Sales Manager. Wow, do they ever. This was confirmed by the BOOSTUP customer service rep, who said the very same thing. The Williamsburg, VA dealer has resubmitted documents requests several times from Hyundai, as have I. Neither one of us have gotten a satisfactory conclusion to our requst to have the matching BOOSTUP processed. Stall, stall stall. Hyundai owes me $ 500. ITS THAT SIMPLE. My overall rating is soured by the failure of Hyundai to resolve a simple problem. In short, the Sonata seems to be a good value, but dont count on Hyundai to back the dealer or the customer. This is an issue that Edmonds does not include in its review questions. The customer support by the manufacturer is overlooked. For that, I rate Hyundai one star.

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  Lovin it - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By airforceguy - July 9 - 3:13 pm

  Ok, I have only owned mine for about a month, so I cant speak to reliability yet, but as for everything else, its near perfect. The car doesnt feel cheap at all. Its intelligently put together, its an ergonomic dream, the gas mileage is phenominal (Im averaging about 33.5 mpg and 510 miles to a tank), its quiet/rides smooth, the optional equipment upgrade(s) are excellent, and its a great value overall. What more could you want in a car? It is a little "knocky" sounding at low speeds though, I dont like that very much, but its a great highway car. Its ridiculous how quiet and comfortable this car is on the open road! The lumbar support is great. Buy this car!