2009 Hyundai Sonata Consumer Reviews

Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

Have had for 18 days now. Not as powerful or as steady as the PT cruiser I had, but is real quiet and has a great ride. Getting 27 mpg and I can use regular gas. Lots of room inside. I got the fabric protection, good thing I did. First week I had it, my daughter spilled a red cherry drink in the back seat. Wiped up real easy and No Stain!! The dash layout is great. The Ipod and audio jack works great with my Ipod Nano.

Favorite Features

Audio controls on the wheel. Ipod and extra audio jack. Smooth ride and comfortable seats.

Suggested Improvements

Steering is a little numb. Would like to have alloy rims standard.

3 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited V6 4dr Sedan (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I was going to buy an Accord or Camry when I decided to also test drive the 08' Sonata SE. As soon as I got it in, I knew it had something special.I couldn't find an 08' when I was ready to purchase it so I decided to get the 09' Limited V6 instead in Willow Gray(nice color!). It offers an excellent, comfortable, & quiet ride. 30 days and 1,015 miles later here's the scoop: Mileage is about 17-18 mpg/local and I'm averaging 23-25/hwy.(Not bad considering it's a 249 Horsepower/6 Cylinder). The ride is very smooth and responsive. The bottom line is this: Don't worry about its resale value, save your $, and go with it. At least test drive and consider it vs. its peers.

Favorite Features

Heated leather seats,Infinity sound system, ipod/mp3 connection, etc. Too many to even list on here!

Suggested Improvements

None.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited V6 4dr Sedan (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Wow, just got this car home today! It's the V6 Limited model with navigation, which was the only option. The Limited model is fully loaded with just about every feature you could want. There was a $1,000 rebate on the car which was icing on the cake, because it's already under priced in my opinion for what Hyundai is giving you. I haven't owned the car long enough to discuss reliability, but Hyundai has come a long way in the past 25 years and I'm sure it will last me a long time with regular maintenance. What an amazing vehicle! Perfect interior ergonomics, extremely quiet even at 80 MPH, very fuel efficient for a V6, and very fun to drive! The 2009 Sonata refresh is a home run!

Favorite Features

Auto open/close moonroof, auto on/off headlights, incredible Infinity sound system with MP3 and AUX port, 2 stage heated seats & mirrors, stability & traction control, auto dimming rear view mirror, enormous trunk, tight turning radius, lots of head & legroom space for front & rear seat passengers.

Suggested Improvements

Not many really, but a few come to mind. Both front windows should be one touch up/down, not just the drivers window. Also there should be rear door pockets, only the front doors get the pockets. The drivers seat is the only one with power, make the passenger seat powered as well. That's it!

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

Although the newly released 2009 Sonata offers a new navigational system with nice features, it may have been released prematurely. Typically I drive approximately 42,000 miles annually along the east coast. I rely heavily on construction and accident location information. The navigation system offers a detour selection allowing you to plan a detour at various distances. After several days with no answers from the dealership or Hyundai Corporation, and many hours on the phone doing refreshes to the XM NAVTraffic downloads, the answer that finally arrived was that Hyundai did not release the NAVTraffic capability in the 2009 model. Release is expected sometime next year. What a bummer!

Favorite Features

Gas mileage.

Suggested Improvements

Stabilization when rounding corners feels insecure (weight shifting) even though the Sonata has the ESC feature.

4 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I never thought that I would buy a Hyundai. I spent six weeks looking for a 5-door econobox to get better mileage on my long commute. I looked at the Honda Fit, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, Mazda 3, etc. I wanted a small car that would carry cargo. So why would I end up with a sedan. I bought the Sonata because it was a great car and a great value. It also gets great mileage (38 mpg on the Interstate at 60 mph). I wanted the four-cylinder to get better mileage. What I didn’t expect was great performance. I also didn’t expect to have a luxury car with almost all the options I could think of for such a low price. If you buy a Sonata, you'll be happy – guaranteed (10 years/100000 miles happy).

Favorite Features

Dual zone AC, trip computer, 6-CD, XM, 7-speaker (with subwoofer) sound system, power heated leather seats, alloy wheels, moon roof, electro- chromic rearview mirror, home-link remote controls, electronic compass, etc. If the navigation system was available when I got my car, I would have that too.

Suggested Improvements

The steering could be tighter. The trip computer switches should be on the steering wheel, not the dash. The mute switch should act as a pause for CDs (nobody does that). The instructions in the manual for the iPod seemed confusing and scary, so I haven’t tried it. Backup sensors would be useful.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

Overall the car seems to be an excellent value. My only concern and something Hyundai doesn't seem to be able to resolve is the IPOD port. I have connected 3 different IPODs in and none worked. The only music that played was some MP3 songs no Itunes. I went to my local dealer who couldn't resole the issue I contacted Hyundai directly and the response I got was to go to another dealer to have them look at it, even though that dealer is over 50 miles away. So still no answer to why the IPOD port doesn't work.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

6 out 13 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

Excellent car so far. Extremely smooth ride, transmission, and very responsive 4.25 mpg city so far. Soaks up bumps very well here in Chicago (city of potholes). Seats very comfortable and gives the driver good driving position. Has everything I want except bluetooth. Love the new interior that feels like a Lexus. If you are looking for Accord/ Camry you must look at this car as well. I believe it is just a better car plus its thousands less with hell of a warranty.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

Bluetooth

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I just took delivery and am pleased thus far. The interior upgrades (esp. The dash) are vastly improved. Getting about 29 mpg so far. I personally wouldn't spend the monies on the v6 as the upgraded motor has plenty and the throttle response is 'right there' when giving it gas. Also why we bought is the increased seat width and more spacious cabin. We were looking at a 06-07 Nissan altima, but found the 4 cylinder to be noisy when shifting through gears. Plus the altima is priced 5-6k more. The fit and finish is tight and the ride is very quiet and smooth! Only thing missing is the tight steering response. I'll write more when I can get it away from my wife and finally drive it!

Favorite Features

Interior, xm radio, good power out of four cylinder, nice wide seats and adequate interior, smooth ride

Suggested Improvements

Sloppy steering, steel wheels/rims

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited V6 4dr Sedan (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Never pictured myself in a Hyundai (I own 2 hondas), but on-line research suggested a test drive was in order. I tried the sonata in '08 and '09 4 and 6 cylinder limited editions. Didn't care for the interior design of the '08 console, but the '09 has European luxury styling outside and Lexus-like feature inside. I planned to buy a 4 cylinder for mileage, but fell in love with the power of the new 6 cylinder. Lots of Nice features, and first rate build quality. The limited is a lot of car for the price of a stripped down model elsewhere! Never even made it to Honda or Toyota-- the best a Camry or accord could have done would have meant matching the sonata's quality for at least $7k more

Favorite Features

PHENOMENAL value for the money!!! Exterior profile sometimes mistaken for a BMW. V-6 peppy but reasonably frugal on highway Shiftronic paddle fun to use Auto-off headlights Headrest adjusts front to back and shoulder harness attachment adjusts vertically Good build quality-- no defects on my car

Suggested Improvements

Make the trunk open with the key, not just the remote fob or inside latch. Appears to be a small blind spot to driver's left rear if headrest is all the way up.

31 out 32 people found this review helpful

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Vehicle

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited V6 4dr Sedan (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

DRIVING: The most obvious difference in the 2009 is the tighter suspension system, which can take off-ramps at 50-60 mph without feeling like the car is going to roll. I also own a Mercedes-Benz and can say that this Hyundai's suspension is remarkably comparable (never thought I would say that). Also, the transmission shifts much smoother than the earlier edition. There's also a more robust engine which delivers oomph when you touch the pedal. Cabin noise has been reduced substantially, as compared with earlier. INTERIOR: They finally got the interior right! It looks like, and may very well be, a high end car now! Color combination in the Camel interior is beautiful. Dash is remarkable!

Favorite Features

Hyundai has finally upgraded the dash board to a modern foreign car look with high-quality materials and well-though out ergonomics. The dash lighting is a spaceship blue which looks very cool. Stereo is simply awesome! Stereo comes complete with XM satellite radio, MP3/USB input, 6 disc changer.

Suggested Improvements

Exterior needs something. Hyundai should rethink the grill - looks a bit too conservative. Same with the new Azera-like wheels. Also, nix the chrome panel bumpers along the side of the car. Also, Hyundai should think about firming up the seats.

19 out 20 people found this review helpful

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