Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Consumer Reviews
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If only the dealer knew...
We were shopping hybrids for my wife to save gas (work is a 35 mile round trip). We also looked at plug-ins and full electrics. Tesla - too expensive (and too long a wait for the Model 3). BMW i3 - Really harsh ride and not an inviting space. Prius - boring and harsh ride. Honda - comfortable, reasonable mileage. Mini Countryman PHEV - fun but somewhat expensive with options. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid - Everything the Honda has, plus cheaper and better warranty. Hyundai Sonata PHEV - Well, couldn't find one to test several dealers said "no real difference, so save money and buy a hybrid". Well, found one to look at and even the dealer who had it seemed to think we'd opt for the hybrid. We persevered and bought the PHEV for environmental reasons. Best decision ever. We've had it 4 weeks now, and I love everything about it (including the fact that we've used less than 7 gallons of gas so far). It is loaded with features (has every option except a sunroof and auto-parking), cost $30k after federal tax credit, has a lifetime warranty on the battery, and makes me smile every time I drive or ride in it. I've found being fuel efficient is fun too (how far can I get on this charge...). UPDATE: We've had the car for 19 months now. The odometer shows 16,057 miles, and we've spent $361.89 on gas in those 19 months. We thought we'd see a jump in our electric bill, but we can't complain as it still averages under $150 a month for our 2,400 sqft house (including car charging and HVAC, etc.). I like this PHEV better than a pure electric, as we can travel without charging delays. When someone offers a parallel PHEV with a 150-200 mile range on the battery, we'll trade this one in. Until then, we're happy with our Sonata PHEV.
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This is the best car I have ever owned
I went to the dealership to test drive a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. They had a PHEV in stock and I hesitated because it was a few thousand more than the hybrid but I decided to give it a drive anyway. And boy, am I glad I did. This car is AMAZING. It is silky smooth on roads of all types, quiet as a mouse (particularly in electric mode). The interior is very well appointed and every day it seems I find something new it can do that I didn't know about. I could read the manual included but it's fun just discovering stuff. As an example, I was adjusting the mirrors and didn't put it back into Neutral mode. When I switched into reverse, the side mirrors angled down and made it very easy to see what was on my sides (the backup camera takes care of what's behind me). I've always been a terrible parallel parker but this car makes it easy. I have been using the car to go to and from work primarily, though I took it out this weekend into the mountains for 160 miles. I'm sitting at 770 miles since my last fill up and I still have about 40% of the tank left. Talk about amazing! I also find that it's made me a better driver, simply because I have so much information at hand and I want to maximize the mileage. It even has a screen that tells me how aggressive I'm being, which my wife appreciates. Don't let the cost of the car hold you back. Even at gas costing $2.20 per gallon, it's still saving money. It costs me about $0.70 to recharge the battery every day. The car I replaced was getting about 30 miles per gallon, so it was costing me about $1.70 or so per day. So I'm saving net $1.00 per day, which is about $30 per month. When gas gets back to $4 per gallon (and I have no doubt it will), then I'm suddenly saving $3 per day. Plus it's environmentally and geopolitically responsible to use as little fuel as possible. It has a tremendous amount of cabin space and all three of my kids fit in the car nicely. I had the sales guy sit behind me after I adjusted the car for the way I drive and got out and looked at his seating arrangement. He is 5'11" and he had about 3 inches of leg room, which is more than enough to sit comfortably. It's a fantastic midsize sedan.
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- Limited SedanMSRP: $20,90015 mi away
- Limited SedanMSRP: $20,000232 mi away
- Limited SedanMSRP: $21,590297 mi away
Better than my Genesis
So, I am coming off a 2013 Hyundai Genesis and I am impressed with how much Hyundai has improved their product from their last generation products. I purchased the plug-in Sonata in base trim. This is my first EV/Hybrid experience and I think it would be hard for me to go back to gas guzzling cars again. Just on Battery alone, I am regularly getting 30 miles before battery runs out. I hardly use gas at all on this as my avg MPG on the computer has been 99.9 mpg since I brought the car home. And on freeway where gas engine was running I was averaging 55 mpg as long as I kept the speed to 65 mph or below. I am also impressed with how the car rides so smooth and quietly. It rides much better than my Genesis and noise level is equivalent. With new techs like Android auto, blind spot monitoring, back up camera's, etc. this car has all the gadgets I will ever need. With the plug in being eligible (hybrids are not) for Federal and State rebates ($6400 total in California) this car can be very affordable. I don't know why they don't sell as many as this car is great. Only negative I had is in base trim they don't offer leather seats. Now plug-in base trim MSRP is around $35,000 and I think for $35K, the car should come standard with leather seats (even though I did not pay near MSRP). And interior and exterior color choice is limited. Only color I saw available was plain gray which I thought looked very cheap.
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Great ride and value
I have always been a Toyota or Honda owner the luxury and comfort of this car is great and the technology and user friendliness beats both Toyota and Honda.
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Does Jason Cabot really own a 2019 Sonata Plug In?
I bought a 2019 Sonata Plug In yesterday. Hyundai is offering some good incentives now, and my Standard model was had for $28,500. I am coming out of owning a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer, which my family had outgrown. We needed a bigger back seat, and when I saw the price incentives I was motivated to upgrade. This is a very comfortable car, and has a nice compliment of features. At the price I paid, there really isn't any competition. Nobody offers a full size plug in hybrid for this price. I live close to the center of my city and close to freeway access that takes me in any direction, so when I laid out a radius from my house I realized that the vast majority of the driving that I do is well within the 28 mile all electric range of this car. The back seat has ample legroom which was a large factor in my purchase. The drivers area is spacious and very comfortable. The infotainment screen is really nice. Here is what motivated me to write this review: The two star review from Jason Cabot on this site has some errors. The car does have Apple CarPlay, which Mr. Cabot says it does not. The car comes with a 110 volt charger, which Mr. Cabot says it does not. He states that the car is "extremely loud" when accelerating, when in fact it is astonishingly quiet. The quiet ride really makes one feel they are in a much more expensive car. He states that the Sonata plug in is "...just not competitive" regarding the all electric range of the vehicle. My question is "What competition?" There simply are no full size sedan plug in hybrids in this price range. The 2019 Sonata Plug In Hybrid is worth your consideration. All that said, the trunk is quite small for a vehicle this size, so Jason, you are right on the money with that one.
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