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Used 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Consumer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
78 reviews

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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2017 Sonata Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sonata Hybrid since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

The 2016 Sonata Hybrid is AMAZING!

Douglas George, 07/22/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
209 of 209 people found this review helpful

We have 2 other Hyundai ('07 Accent & '13 Elantra GT) and they've been good cars. We ended up with a Sonata Hybrid SE as a service loaner car and really liked it. It was getting 40+ MPG on the same driving mix that the Elantra GT got 28-29. We decided to make a change, trading in the Elantra GT and our '07 Audi Cabriolet. We opted for a Limited (for the leather interior, heated/cooled seats) with the Ultimate package (panoramic sunroof, 400W stereo, saftey gadgets). We got great deal! MSRP of $36K and we got it for under $30K. 900 miles so far and still 200 miles left on the 2nd tank of gas. I've seen as high as 56mpg reported on a few trips and consistently getting in the low 40s. Very quiet ride, it drives very sporty for its size, and the acceleration is very reasonable since the electric motor provides instant torque.

Performance
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid redefines Luxury

Dennis, 03/23/2017
updated 01/30/2023
2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
57 of 58 people found this review helpful

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid We were owners of 2 Hyundai Elantras and have had zero problems with them and so when the 8 year old got totaled in a crash we decided to go Hybrid for our next car. We had hoped to wait 2 years and go Hybrid with a small SUV but none out there getting the MPG’s yet. So we went shopping. Honda Accord Hybrid had the best MPG’s but no trunk—really no trunk so if you want it exclusively for around town—well even then why buy it—go electric. The same was true with the Ford Fusion. Both companies sacrifice trunk space to fit the battery in and render the car impossible for long family trips. Bigger Hybrid cars had $$$ and were not dealing. We wanted to look at Hyundai’s cousin the Kia Optima Hybrid but they were selling fast and not discounting. So we settled on the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Both companies got into a bidding war for our bucks and this was a boost for us. We got steep discounts and thanks to Edmonds and Consumer Reports we knew the real starting point. Edmunds makes it great because the dealerships knew the price you got and thus took off from there. What surprised us with both car companies was that the price continued to drop! Both cars are a nice drive and because we wanted all the latest safety features we were hitting the top of the line Limited Editions for both cars. Thus both came fully loaded. The Sonata had a quieter ride, faster pickup, a huge trunk, and both rear seats fold down for added space. Both were equal in safety features but Sonata added the little things like a door handle light that comes on as you approach the car. The interior was way more luxurious with leather along the side doors as well! We also got lucky this year as Hyundai gets to make Genesis their Lexus/Infiniti Luxury car company, Thus Sonata now becomes the top of the line car and is decked out that way. Simply put you get a whole lot more car for your money. My friend who drives a Lexus found my Sonata Hybrid a quieter ride! My other friend could not get the sound system on his BMW 3 series unless he went up to the BMW5! My 1,000 mile review. The 8 way and 6 way power front seats are the best I’ve ever sat in and they are both cooled and heated! Driver's side has memory for 2 drivers! The headrest fits us both perfectly and this rarely happens. We are in love with the memory seats. The driver seat settings are set for us both and switch at the push of a button adjusting not only the seat but the mirrors! Oh, and the mirrors on both sides dip down slightly when you put it in reverse so you can see the lines in the road! Just too many features to name here but what you get IS more than the competition. Two things I must note. The side mirrors are the absolute best in any sedan. I can see 2 lanes –either side and of course it comes with the blinder yellow caution lights in the mirrors on both sides. Rear view mirror is also amazing in that it gives you a near complete view with the smallest blind side and auto darkening at night is very cool. The footprint and ride of this car is amazing but there is very little that we notice going from electric engine to gas—smooth and the regenerative breaks are hardly noticeable too! Turning radios is one of the best in class. Finally by the numbers—at 1,000 miles we surpass easily the 38 city—getting 40+ most trips, combined is slightly higher too at 43 and highway runs 46-48. The center dash screen is huge and does so much I have yet to get thru it all but the smaller screen for the driver—centered above the steering wheel can tell you how you are doing in ECO mode and this gentle reminder really helps. BUT—stomp on the gas of the Sonata Hybrid to go and it takes off because Hyundai did something real cool by joining the electric with the gas engine—having both run to give you a huge boost in horses without eating up a lot of gas! Nice. We are now at over 55K and the only issues were all updated and fixed with Hyundai updates and corrections and all free of charge. My wife and I still love this car. We love the luxury of it and riving it and the fact that we get so much car for a great price. AND--in this day and age we fly under the radar as people do not look at the car as see a luxury model even though my friends who drive BMW's and Lexus find the drive and feel of this car as good and most of the time better than their own! I wish--this time of year--the steering wheel was heated! The spacious trunk is so appreciated along with the back seats folding forward. Our friends with the Honda Accord Hybrid constantly complain about space as their trunk is so small. We can take a trip with friends and fit their luggage and ours in the back. Our friends cannot find the room for a simple trip of 2 without throwing stuff in the back seat! The car still looks near new, rides so nice on all surfaces, and gets city 38-42 and highway 47-52 at 72 mph! We did put on new Michelin tires for hybrid cars at 49K and it made for a much better ride. It did not improve the mpg as much but made stopping so much better as these tires grip the road better than the cheap tires that came with the car and will last a lot longer. We also added blue link which is way cool and allows us to do so much more on trips by interacting with our phone we can go anywhere and do most things quickly by locating the place via the phone and blue link. Six years old next month and over 65K on the car and she runs like a top. We updated the computer programing via blue link and Hyundai extended the warranty from 100K to 110K and years from 10 to 12! Who does that these days. By doing so we got the computer software updates that made it seem like a 2019 with all the computer stuff, maps, and advanced blue link that goes with it! All for free. The minor problems we have had they have fixed with new parts and at no charge. People still ask what kind of car this is due to the quiet ride and how old it is=looks near new! Only small gripe I have is I wish the passenger windshield blade did not come so far over to the driver's side. A bit of a distraction in the rain.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic MPG, exceptional comfort, 5 star safety

SonataHEV2016WJB, 10/26/2015
updated 10/27/2017
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
28 of 28 people found this review helpful

UPDATE**10/27/17 Best overall value. A UPDATE 2/26/16 still enjoy this wonderful car. Quiet, comfortable, luxurious and no visits to the dealership other than an oil change. 650 miles per tank and still 46 MPG's. Major gripe is that the blind spot monitors don't work below 19 MPH and that Android Auto update is STILL not available. So excited for Android Auto and can't hardly wait (even though Hyundai said they would have it to us by 2015. Feels like Hyundai could be doing more to light a fire under Google to get that to us. Also, and this might end up being a big one...something no one at Hyundai told me about when I bought the car, is that after 12 months of not subscribing to Blue Link, it self destructs and can not be turned back on unless you pay $500+ for a new head unit. That is crazy in my mind and apparently others as Hyundai is currently involved in litigation over this matter. I hope there is good resolution to this matter for unsuspecting Hyundai owners. EVERY HSH owner, PLEASE KEEP ASKING FOR ANDROID AUTO UPDATE! Original review** Fantastic MPG. Took possession of our new 2016 Sonata Hybrid Limited Ultimate with 8 miles on the odometer. What an amazing car! So far overall average MPG is 46.4 with my most recent 13 mile commute (50% freeway, 50% city) being 61.4 MPG per the onboard computer. Such a pleasure to be going down the freeway (most all of the time in pure EV mode) in a hushed cabin (trully as if a rolls or MBZ) all while achieving phenomenal fuel economy. Car drives and feels fantastic. Seamless transition of power plants. Even when the 2 liter internal combustion engine is operating in generator mode, it is quiet. Only when truly pushed does the engine come to life, but even then it is extremely reasonable, better than our Accord and the 6 speed transmission (thank goodness and finally, a hybrid with no CVT) provides you with great power. Imagine, a Hybrid with actual power! It is a wonderful car to drive and a safe car to drive. I highly recommend that folks seriously consider purchasing the Ultimate package. The parking aids, the active and passive safety is great. Lane keep assist is well calibrated and does not cry wolf. The adaptive cruise control is very well done and driver adjustable. The blind spot monitors are nice, but I do wish they would work at low speeds as well. The backup sensors and predictive backing monitor is absolutely a must have, city or suburbs. Last but not least, rear cross traffic alert should be standard on all modern cars. No one should be guessing if a car is approachi while backing out of a parking space. This car has it all. From a tech perspective, the 8" NAV screen is great. Fairly easy to use and with a lot of great Hybrid viewing modes. Only gripe I have about the NAV is the traffic. The XM data is not real-time and it lags far behind Google maps or Enricks. Despite this the display works very quickly and is very responsive. The ability to do split screen is nice as well. There are a whole host of subscription services, Blue Link and XM, which, but of course, eventually at a cost. The Blue Link phone app functions are especially nice. To be able to heat and or cool your, as well as send route plans to your NAV before you ever set foot in the car is great. In addition to that, to have the ability to check the health of your car, to find your car in a crowded parking lot after being gone on a long flight, to be able to set an electronic boundary for either a teenage driver or a valet, are all great features. You can of course, remotely honk the horn, flash the lights, unlock the doors, all from your smart phone. The ability to review telematics (driving style and performance measures) is also great, especially if you aren't sure how your teenager is driving when you are not there. So many features, but the best part is Hyundai's commitment to their buying public via their warranty. We cross-shopped Honda and Toyota, but neither were willing to back their Hybrid battery the way Hyundai is. LIFETIME! Yes, that's a lifetime Hybrid battery warranty, part and labor to replace the battery should it falter. This is in addition to their 10yr/100,000 warranty. I realize nothing can be guaranteed forever, but Hyundai sure does a nice job with making a customer feel like they are not alone when making a $30,000 plus purchase. Last but not least are the little details such as, actually having a true trunk with a 60/40 split. Such a nice and versatile thing for families. And the courtesy LED lights, hidden in the front door handles, make life just that much easier to enter your palace on wheels when the sun has set or you find yourself in a dark parking garage. Every little detail seems well thought out and well executed. Take it from someone who actually spent the money to buy a Sonata Hybrid and drive one. You will be very pleasantly surprised and happy you did. 46.4 MPG average so far and loving it.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Hyundai still the best bang for the buck!

kevin chung, 09/09/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
22 of 22 people found this review helpful

Looking for a good fuel economy car to replace the CT200h. Need 40mpg+ in NYC traffic (CT did 42mpg average); comfortable seat with lumbar support; and a full speed (stop&go) adaptive cruise control (best thing for a daily 2 hours stop and go traffic!). That left us with Toyota Prius Four, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid, 2017 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and Audi A3 e-tron. Prius feel about the same to our CT with less comfortable seat and ugly styling. Ford Fusion ride a little too bumpy and interior design seem old. Both Fusion and MKZ have nonlinear brake pedal that feels odd. A3 is of course very European while comfortable. Sonata doesn't drive as impressive as A3 but Sonata is very quiet and the ride is very comfortable without being floaty. A3 got kick out because additive cruise only available on Prestige trim which cost $46k+ msrp plus it feels even smaller than our CT. Between the Sonata and MKZ we were able to get the loaded Sonata Ultimate for $27500 while MKZ would be at least $13k more so drive home the Sonata! The value is unbeatable; 40mpg average so far; huge sunroof sunroof, cooled and heated seat + heated steering + heated rear seats, Android auto, much more usable trunk (no hump and a full folding rear seats), 10yrs warranty with lifetime on battery, and no more CVT drone!

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars

Excellent vehicle so far - Large mid size car!!!

SZ - Wisconsin, 12/05/2016
updated 08/16/2024
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
28 of 29 people found this review helpful

Owned the car for 3 months and so far not a single problem. I have a long commute and the mileage has been great. While the Honda Accord says it get's better mileage the cost is quite a bit more!!??? Love the space - front and back seat and even the trunk with the battery is still very large. Wouldn't know the trunk is smaller, but the regular sonata's trunk is HUGE. The hybrid is big!!! Very comfortable. Some of the electronics - lane departure, collision warning a bit intrusive but better safe than sorry. Very good Car, plus the warranty as well as the lifetime warranty on the hybrid battery is wonderful. Only 8,000 but so far very happy. Owned the car for over 9 months. Not a single issue. The car has not seen a dealership for any warranty repairs. Regular oil changes only. I changed the Air filter and cabin filter myself - total of 5 minutes. Very easy to get to. A little wear on the drivers side seat, very little. Otherwise no problems at all. nearly 30,000 miles now. Have turned off the lane departure warning - just too annoying. Otherwise all electronics and safety stuff really good. Winter was getting around 36-37 on the highway now getting 42-44 on the highway. Would still recommend it to anyone!! Actually have recommended to many many people. Owned for the car for over 15 months now and not a SINGLE problem. No warranty or non-warranty repairs. Nearly 50,000 mostly high way miles. Mileage drops 15-20% in the winter - but part of that could be because I installed Blizzak tires. Not a huge issue but when you drive 160 miles 5 days a week every MPG helps or hurts. Would recommend this car in a minute.. AND have!!!!! Owned the car now for just under 2 years. Not a single warranty repair with nearly 70,000 majority of HIGHWAY miles. Mileage is back up to 41-43 on the freeway now that the weather is nicer. The car does burn between 3/4 and 1 1/2 quart of oil between oil change - mainly after the 1st 3500 miles after an oil change. Hyundai says this is normal. Not thrilled but can't really do anything and I know some cars use more.. Just find it crazy as my Suburban with 190,000 uses less. The drivers seat is starting to show some wear. Again, I think this is a bit early given that I drive longer distances. Still very happy with the car overall. Owned for over 2 years now have just over 91,000 miles. again mostly highway. Not a single issue!!! I have now owned the car the 3 1/2 years and the biggest issue is that is now burning oil 1 qt every 1,000 miles on average. Right after an oil change for the first 1100 to 1300 miles almost no oil is consumed. After that, 1/2 to 3/4 of a qt of oil every 500-800 miles. I am checking the oil all the time now. Had it to the dealer, which was very helpful, they worked with Hyundai that said that it is within spec. Crazy... MPG has dropped as well into the mid to upper 30's which is really disappointing. No other problems, however. As long as I can get another 24-30 months out of it, I guess I will be okay. Now have owned the car for over 4 1/2 years. In Sept of 2020, had significant driving issues. It was just outside of the warranty. After 4 months in the dealership for multiple repairs - some partially paid by Hyundai and some by me and some the dealership ate. Two engines, entire exhaust from front to back, multiple wiring harnesses, manifolds, etc. Not fun. It should now last for another 5-7 years for certain since everything is brand new. Well except for the transmission. Even though Hyundai paid part and the dealshipp ate part it still cost me nearly $4,000. Since my crazy repair story - things have calmed down - no issues at all. Car is driving great. Mileage is down a bit only getting about 34-36mpg in mostly city driving. Still good but not as good as during the first year - I was getting 40-41 mpg. Everything is holding up very well, interior is good shape; drivers seat is showing some wear but nothing crazy. I have now owed the car for 5 1/2 years. The mpg has gone down to the mid 30’s upper 30’s. From low 40’s. I now have cruise control issues which I need looked at. Otherwise, been great. Extremely roomy, still drives well, and everything else is holding up well. Have nearly 145,000 miles in it. Original brakes!!! Owned the car now for 6+ years - no new issues - car is running great. No new problems to report. Just keeping our fingers crossed that things continue this way for another few years since there was so much done previously. Did change the brakes just because, probably could of gone another 5,000 miles. 6.5 years of ownership - At 158,000 miles the water pump decided to not work. Through all kinds of codes. Took them 2-3 days to figure out it was just the electric water pump, which of course was not in stock. Once they got the part, installed no further problems. Still driving good and getting good gas mileage. Updated 8/15/24 - Car has just over 160,000 - no new issues still getting 40-43 mpg in mixed driving. Interior still wearing good.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
2 out of 5 stars
Value
3 out of 5 stars
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