Used 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Consumer Reviews
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Great Features - Horrible Reliability.
Disappointed Sonata Owner, 10/28/2017
updated 10/31/2018
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
(1) Has been in for the check engine light 11-13 times. (2) Broke down on highway for a hybrid system failure and has been at dealer over 3 weeks. UPDATE at 37000 mi. The car was eventually recalled for the above two items and has not been a problem since.
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Do NOT buy the 2016 Plug-In
Danielle, 05/15/2018
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
The 2016 Plug-Ins have a faulty hybrid battery. There was a recent recall regarding this. My car also cut off on me on the freeway. It was terrifying!! That was the 5 or 6th time my car was in service. Last year they had my car in service for over a month. Hyundai has agreed to do a repurchase of the vehicle. I absolutely loved the vehicle, too bad they are faulty.
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2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid for sale near you
3 of 12 listings
- Limited SedanMSRP: $10,900294 mi away
- Base SedanMSRP: $15,195304 mi away
- Base SedanMSRP: $15,900550 mi away
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Awesome Car
Kevin Jay, 01/24/2018
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I've had this car for a year and a half. When shopping, I compared it to the Chevy Volt, and the Ford Fusion Hybrid Plug In. I went with the Hyundai because it had more electric range than the Ford (just enough to finish my daily commute on all electric), and was more roomy and comfortable than the Volt. Overall, I think Hyundai hit it out of the ballpark. At work, one of my friends is always complaining about how much gas he puts into his SUV. I respond by complaining about how I just had to complete my "seasonal" fill up. It's not far from the truth. I drove from the first week of September until the last week of November on a single tank of gas. I commute about 25 miles rt, and I can complete the commute on just an overnight charge. I've got solar panels, so the charge costs nothing (I've reached break even on the panels themselves). I am leasing the car, and with the Federal and State rebates (and some negotiation), the monthly cost is two sixty five (I have the base model), which is not far off from a similarly equipped hybrid sedan. I think Hyundai's estimate of 27 miles to an electric charge is pretty accurate, but I live in the Northeast, and in the winter months the electric range drops slightly. I should say that my commute is fairly level, and YMMV if you drive on uneven terrain. When using the gas engine, the economy is still very good. I average between 42 and 44 mpg when using gas. Pure highway driving is slightly better. We took my daughter for a tour of prospective colleges, driving from Massachusetts to Virginia by way of Pennsylvania. The gas consumption was just over 50 mpg overall for that trip, even with quite a bit of mountain driving. I love the freedom the hybrid plug-in offers. My daily commute is all-electric, but I can go on a long trip without worrying about where to charge. That trip was a pleasure with this car. The roominess is excellent - better than my last car which was a Camry. I find the fit and finish of this car to be surprisingly good. I was not expecting that with a Hyundai. The cockpit and back seats are laid out with thought. There are plenty of cup holders and everything is easy to reach. In the front cabin, seat comfort and adjustability is excellent. I don't miss the leather seats that I have had on previous cars. The cloth seats come with heaters as standard equipment. My daughter reported the back seat was very comfortable too. Visibility is excellent, although at night, the headlights leave a bit to be desired. The dashboard is simple. Controls, including the Nav/Entertainment system, are logical and easy to use. This was a selling point over the Ford. Hyundai did an amazing job of cramming in the battery and hybrid technology without skimping on interior space. As to the cargo capacity, it is slightly less than you would find on a standard hybrid, but still quite good. We had no problem packing the trunk with enough luggage for three people on a seven day road trip. No need to take up space in the back seat. The sound system is very good, with the exception of satellite radio (see below). The Android Auto system works pretty well. We recently got Waze support, so that Waze can run on the dashboard screen, though it isn't fully functional. It will accept a destination, but then the map won't update once the car starts moving. I'm hoping a software update will resolve this. This car is not going to win any races, but it can cruise effortlessly at 80mph. Acceleration is adequate for passing, even on a grade, although there is a slight lag when you floor the pedal. The ride is very comfortable at any speed, and the car feels quite stable around turns. My car is white, and I think the exterior is very sharp. The car is not without problems. I've had the dealership look into a persistent check engine light 4 times so far, and it remains to be seen whether the dealership has fixed it for good. During the last visit, the technician suggested that it was a problem with my Level 2 charger. That seems unlikely. What's more likely is that the hybrid plug in system is quite complex, and Hyundai hasn't fully debugged it. Thankfully, I've never had the hybrid system problems some others have reported here. I've also had persistent problems with Sirius XM on the entertainment system. It takes a long time for it to find stations, particularly on cloudy days. For a long stretch of time, it wasn't working at all. Even so, I sometimes don't get reception until the end of my commute. The heating system is poor. The heated seats help a lot, and heat up quickly, but the climate control system is slow to heat the cabin, and it has trouble doing so when running in EV mode. The gas engine kicks in to help, and then it takes a good ten to fifteen minutes to get going. Even so, I don't have to fill the tank more than once a month during the winter. I really like this car - it's almost perfect and I'd buy it again.
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I love this car
Oliver Thurman, 06/15/2016
updated 03/22/2017
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
10 of 19 people found this review helpful
I've had it for almost a year now. Aside from the unusual drive system (plug-in electric, with backup gasoline engine) it's basically a very mainstream midsize passenger sedan. Since I'm not a high-mileage driver, most of the miles I have put on the car have been in pure-electric mode. In this mode, which lasts for 27 miles or so, the car is just incredibly quiet and smooth, giving you a real sense of luxury in a non-luxury car. A curious side-effect: the near-silence of the car at low speeds makes traffic jams (I live in LA) seem less awful! Or so I feel. I'm also quite happy not to bother visiting gas stations -- I use about about one tank every six months. The engine *does* turn on if you need to accelerate onto a freeway, or for that matter if you're just feeling in a hurry and use a lead foot. When you do this, you'll get 200 h.p., plus the extra torque that electric drive offers. But in most circumstances I find it relaxing to exercise just a bit of self-restraint and accelerate so that electricity alone suffices. I got the fancier version and enjoy the bells and whistles that come with it. There are discrete warnings about lane departure, etc., that make driving safer, and the sound system keeps me, a finicky listener, quite happy (having no engine noise to compete with the music helps too.) Seats are really comfy with lots of legroom both front and back. Visibility is good all around. It's true that by buying this car I've lost a certain amount of trunk room (space is needed for the huge battery). But it's actually easier retrieving grocery bags from the smaller trunk (a little short of 10 cubic feet) than it was from the cavernous trunk of my former car. If I need to carry something big the huge back seat will usually be enough. Sadly, I have never, ever, spotted another Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid on the road -- I'm totally alone in my preference! Too bad; I think other buyers would enjoy this car very much if they only gave it a try. The 2017 model is pretty much just the same as the 2016 I have, so this review probably holds good for the 2017 version too.
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A Lemon. Has spent over 60 days in service.
T James, 12/06/2017
updated 06/15/2018
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
For the 1st 7 months, this car was great. I bought it brand new. Super great mileage. It is my wife's commuter car, and for about a year, she drove less than 27 miles a day, on average, thus saving a ton on gas. About twice a month, it simply did not charge overnight--frustrating. But, it stopped charging entirely, and spent 9 days in the shop at 7 months. Then, it went another 7 months of sporadic not charging, until it stopped charging entirely again. It spent 41 days in service. Since then, it has given us Hybrid System warnings requiring trips to the dealer, along with that sporadic not charging. I am taking it in for service in 2 days for it's 3rd warning since it came out about 4 months ago. Hyundai has agreed to buy it back, basically following the lemon laws of CA (I have signed an agreement forbidding me to give details). My wife and I loved the car until it stopped working. And, worse, these two long stays in service would have cost me almost $7,000, had it not been under warranty. Remember, the battery is guaranteed forever to the original owner. But, the starter system is not. I believe the same starter parts are used in the 2017 Sonata PHEV and Kia Optima PHEV too. Sad. As of January 2018, we no longer own the lemon. We now own a 2018 Accord 1.5t Touring.
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