1995 Hyundai Sonata Review

reliable, but unexciting Sonata II

Written by: American in Korea on 05/27/2004

Vehicle

1995 Hyundai Sonata 4 Dr GLS Sedan

Review

My father-in-law gave me this car with about 100,000 km. It's not the nicest car I've ever driven, but it is VERY reliable. It has never broken down on me. It starts up in the snow and cold no matter what. So far, all I've replaced has been a battery, distributor cap, and plugs. Getting work done on Korean cars in Korea is dirt cheap, so that is a plus. Same problem with power door lock gremlins. They lock and unlock on their own all the time. When I get out without my keys, I make sure to roll down the window first! It has 155,000 km. (nearly 100,000 mi.) on it now and should be strong for much more.

Favorite Features

All buttons/controls are where they should be. Large trunk. 'O/D OFF' button is nice on hills for a little extra kick when the 2.0l 4cyl. engine can't really cut it.

Suggested Improvements

My model needs back seats that fold down. More head room. I'm 6'1" and my hair constantly brushes against the headliner. Seats could provide more leg support. Also, what on earth does the 'ECT' button do? Can anyone tell me? If so, please send to my email address.

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Impressed

Written by: Brudzio on 05/12/2004

Vehicle

1995 Hyundai Sonata 4 Dr GL Sedan

Review

Bought new and still driving 9 yrs later. Fun to drive, especially at 190km/h. Had front crash at 80 km/h miraculously nothing happened to us, car took all the impact and was severed. Mechanically excellent and snappy. Body mouldings rust inside and swell - had to replace 2 times. Door locks rust & freeze, takes time to get in - can turn the key, however can't open. Hardware falls apart (sunshades, door knobs). Upgraded stereo to Hyundai CD combo - far much better sound. A/C still works well. Fuel tank rusted - had to rebuild. Manual tranny rebuilt in 5th year, wheel bearings noisy. Overall quite positive experience

Favorite Features

Snappy 4cyl eng & 5 spd tranny. Huge capacity - able to completely fit Civic hood in the trunk, 12' 2x4s and other building materials with seats folded. Handles well on turns and at high speeds. Wheel covers are impossible to get lost - as those are screwed down with wheel nuts.

Suggested Improvements

Better hardware from stainless materials should be used. Also black window door posts should be made corrosion-free. Better speakers would make a difference too. Jack and wrench both broke as made from cheap materials.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Hyundai Sonata

Written by: paul the driver on 08/12/2003

Vehicle

1995 Hyundai Sonata 4 Dr GL V6 Sedan

Review

I bought the car at aroudn 50,000 miles and now it had 100,000 miles the car performed very well untill about 90,000 and then everythign just started falling apart i spend maybe 3,000 on repairs and currently my transmission only has 3rd gear i will redline on a highway at 90mph i cant take turns at more then 25mph or it will skid out i dont recomend buying a hyundai i would rather have a civic then this car

Favorite Features

handbreak doesnt work that bad so burnouts arent bad

Suggested Improvements

drive it into a wall at 100mph

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Not worth it

Written by: Jasmine on 05/30/2003

Vehicle

1995 Hyundai Sonata 4 Dr GL Sedan

Review

I bought this car because I had no choice - it was the only one available that I could afford. It has given me nothing but problems - the brakes went out (twice), it rattles terribly, it stalls when the a/c is on (and sometimes when it's not), and the interior fogs up when the heat is on. However, it does get good gas mileage and it is comfortable. But I will not buy another Hyundai.

Favorite Features

The back seat is very well designed, also the big trunk is nice. The sound system is not great, but not bad.

Suggested Improvements

Build these cars better - use better parts, better workmanship, and FIX the problems with the heat, the door locks, and the door handles.

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not a lemon

Written by: sonata user on 03/28/2003

Vehicle

1995 Hyundai Sonata 4 Dr GL Sedan

Review

I had problems with my auto transmission, I did not have the transmission coolant flushed, so it overheated eventually and killed the transmission, bought a new one, still going strong. Had a fault with the auto door locks, sometimes they would lock without warning when I got out of the car, locking my keys in. The brakes have lasted forever on this car, confortable ride even on the worst frost-heaved roads. My only complaint has been expensive parts/ unavailability of parts. Right now I need a valve cover gasket, and none of the dealers can get it for me.

Favorite Features

The trunk space is HUGE!! I have carryied a 4' x 4' sheet of plywood home in it, flip the seats down, and I have brought home a 12' long roll of carpet. The windshield is bombproof, I have taken several rocks into it which would have broken any other one

Suggested Improvements

the air filter is a pain in the you know what to change

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